Giveaway Winner!

Hey guys!

OK, so the news you've all been waiting for: the winner of my birthday giveaway.  It is...*drumroll*

Lauren @ The Headless Owl

I've emailed the winner and you have 48 hours to reply before someone else gets picked!

A huge thank you to everyone who entered. :)

Review: How I Got Here

Title: How I Got Here
Author: Hannah Harvey
Publisher: self-published
Released: 18th July 2012
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

The past few weeks I’ve just been getting through the days, barely keeping up with all the work I have and the few times I’m free not really feeling in the mood to read. Finally, knowing that I had a huge number of books to get through, I pulled myself together and started reading How I Got Here. All I can say is, thank God it was a Friday. Once I started this, I could not stop.

How I Got Here is the story of 18 year old River Lee. Stuck in hospital for anorexia, she remains silent and lives in her own thoughts. The doctors can’t understand her behaviour and soon give up on trying…that is, until Oliver comes along. Sensing that she’s had a harder time than anyone realises, he helps River work through her past and gets her to explain just how she got here.

Normally, I wouldn’t read a book about anorexia. I didn’t realise that would be a part of it when I started this. Normally, I probably wouldn’t even think twice about picking it up if I’d just happened to see the cover. Luckily for me, I did read the synopsis and decided to read it. Let me tell you, what’s inside this book is beautiful. The first thing that I loved was how it was structured. The story alternates between a letter from River and Oliver’s point of view, carrying on until the letters are over and it’s just POVs. I found that it really worked; it enabled River to convey both her past and what she was feeling at the time she was writing it, and then we’d get to see Oliver’s thoughts and more of his own life as he was dealing with her case. River was quite a strong character, not only because she’d survived what had happened to her, but also because she knew what she had to do to get better, both physically and emotionally; she didn’t keep putting herself over others, and she actually brought in some humour. The way she wrote the letters really had me feeling for her.

Through River’s past, this book tackles quite a few significant issues, but at the same time not making it too heavy. It really drives home the effect bullying can have, and like River, I couldn’t believe how ridiculous the trigger for it was. I’m not sure whether it was too ridiculous to be realistic, but at the same time I’m pretty sure there are people out there who are just like Kim, the girl who starts making River’s life hell. I was also shocked at her family and the way they were just completely oblivious. Her mother’s behaviour at one point was completely unexpected; where I thought that the allegations and supposed ‘evidence’ against her had been faked by the bullies, it was actually true for once and I couldn’t believe she’d done that. River’s brother was the opposite of unhelpful, and her father infuriatingly chose to believe there wasn’t any problem. I did get quite a mixed view of him, however, as towards the end it did seem as if he grew to understand what his daughter needed.

I also found myself rooting for Oliver and River as a couple. Theirs isn’t a traditional type of relationship and actually reminded me of Sebastian and Alison in Ultraviolet. I just loved how Oliver actually took the time to know her and didn’t keep pushing her for information. His sister irritated me to no end and I was glad when he’d finally had enough after realising what she’d done. For the last part of the book every time I pressed the ‘next’ button on my Kindle I’d just keep looking at how far I was from the end, watching it get closer and closer to 100% and wondering how much further it could possible go on before I got the ending I wanted in terms of their relationship. Harvey sure doesn’t mind cutting it close, but I guess that’s half the fun. ;)

This isn’t your average book dealing with the kinds of issues River faced, and I do think a lot of that was due to the structure and way the relationship was crafted. Because of that I really enjoyed it. Again, I did have a big issue with all the grammatical errors, so this could do with a lot of polishing. If you look at the story itself, however, the events and the emotions going on, this is definitely a worthwhile read.

A big thank you to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (#14)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.  Here's mine for this week:

Title: The Collector (Dante Walker #1)
Author: Victoria Scott
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Released: 12th March 2013

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Summary taken from GoodReads

This book has been taunting me for ages and it's still not out.  I mean...that cover?  An actual bad boy?  A soul collector?  All of that and we still have to wait?  My hair's going to go grey with the pain of it all.

 

So what do you think? Does this sound like your kind of thing?  Don't forget to link me up if you have your own post!  And even if you don't...what are you looking forward to?

Review: The Angel and the Devil by My Side

Title: The Angel and the Devil by My Side
Author: Nicole France
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Released: 17th April 2012
Rating: 2.5/3 out of 5 stars

Abby Mathers sees demons.  Each appearance brings with it torture and pain, not to mention the extremely confusing matter of them calling her Casey.  Taking this information to her parents makes them doubt her sanity, and even when her parents are right there they can’t see the demons, making it seem as though she is harming herself.  All of this makes her look crazy, which is exactly what the demons want.   Placed in a mental institution, Abby must figure out who Casey is and how to survive against these creatures of hell, as well as learn to come to terms with her past.

I had...very mixed feelings about this.  In some ways it was good, in others it was extremely frustrating, and I think ultimately that frustration won out.  The first thing that I really need to get out of the way before I go on is that this book needs a lot of polishing.  I’m talking punctuation, capital letters, flow.  Exactly the same mistakes were made the entire way through, and I honestly expect more of a book whether published through a known company or through the author themself.  I was kind of able to look over it, but at the same time because those errors spanned the entirety of the book it was hard to just keep on ignoring it, especially as these were the very basics of writing properly.  I know some people don’t mind it so much, and it doesn’t always affect me hugely, but I have to say it really bothered me here.

 

Abby…*sigh* Let’s talk about her good points first.  She is a strong character.  Undoubtedly.  She deals with a mental asylum, she fights for Casey, she shows herself to be unselfish and determined.  Despite my understanding her parents’ doubt when she talked about demons, I still really felt for her because absolutely no-one was listening.  At all.  I  couldn’t believe that both her family and the doctors thought that all the damage her body suffered  was due to her own actions – and let me tell you, she was damaged a lot, and sometimes in ways that would have been impossible to do herself.  I couldn’t stand to see the way she was begging and pleading, and how the only apparent solution to her ‘delusions’ was to pump her full of drugs.

But at the same time, she was not acting in a way that was helping her case.  No sensible person would do what she did.  You can’t try to convince someone you’re not crazy one minute and then describe a situation with demons the next.  You can’t talk about angels and avengers.  It seemed she never really learned from her mistakes.  There was also a period a lot later on where she didn’t seem to care that other people knew what was in her best interests, that they cared and that they were giving her specific instructions for a reason.  If she’d controlled herself at this time, that would have shown even more strength, not to mention sense.

The writing, too, was a mixed bag.  There were some parts that were written quite well and that had me drawn in and muttering resentfully when I had to stop reading for one reason or another.  Parts that really had me feeling Abby’s suffering and wanting to know what was going to happen next.  But it was quite jumpy and there was one part that just left me wondering where on earth it had come from because it was totally out of the blue and just seemed a bit far-fetched.  The story also seemed to drag on quite a bit and I think there were definitely areas that could have been cut to save repetition.

And that ending.  I’m all for twists, but this one really didn’t work for me.   I was literally just left sitting there, Kindle in hand, wondering what had just happened.  How could the entire book have led up to that?  In one sense it was a brilliant plot twist, but I think overall for me it didn’t work and wasn’t written particularly clearly.

Overall, this was a very frustrating read for me.  Some parts of it I really enjoyed, but I don’t know that it was enough to leave me satisfied with it overall.  I know I haven’t mentioned anything about the romance – and that’s because there isn’t any.  That’s not a bad thing in this case, though (now there’s something I never thought I’d say).  Just be prepared for some seemingly pointless comments from Abby.  I know other people have thoroughly enjoyed it, so if you’re still not sure, be sure to check out their reviews.  For me, I loved the concept, but the execution perhaps wasn’t all that great.

 
Thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

PROMO: Destiny Road by Melissa Wray

Hey everyone!  So today, I have for you the wonderful Melissa Wray talking a bit about herself and her debut novel, plus an excerpt!  Also - you know how Aussie authors are known for their awesomeness right now?  Well, my friends...this particular author is from the land of Oz herself. Enjoy. ;)

Title: Destiny Road
Author: Melissa Wray
Publisher: Morris Publishing Australia
Released: 27th August 2012

Destiny Road is a story of decisions and consequence. It is a real life journey that changes the life of the main character, Jessica, in ways she couldn't imagine.

Brought up without a father, at 16 Jessica meets him for the first time. Before she has a chance to get to know him, her mother whisks her away to a new town. Leaving her life-long friends behind and starting at a new school is more than Jessica can cope with. Being threatened on her first day at her new school doesn't help at all. She struggles to fit in and begins to question her life.

And then she is faced with a huge decision – a chance to go back to her old life – but it comes at a cost. Follow Jessica's journey as she struggles to find the right path and deals with the trauma of a new life, her first relationship and growing up.

About Melissa
From the time I could talk I was always going to be a primary school teacher. So after many different part time jobs to get through university I finally got there.  After 14 years of teaching I still love it!  Then when I had my first child in 2006 I thought (naively) I would have time to pursue my writing interest.

I never intended to write for a young adult audience but Destiny Road is very special to me.  When I was 16 I went to live with my father for the first time (just like Jessica does).  Unlike Jessica I had known him all my life but my parents had separated when I was very young.  So there are moments in the book that are written true to life...but I won't give away what those moments are!  Destiny Road is my first published novel and I am very proud of it.  I was never able to say thank you to my dad for saying yes when I asked could I live with him.  He passed away several years ago and it has always bothered me that I could not get those words out before he died. Now with Destiny Road I feel like I have said them, so hopefully he knows.

Here is a short exert from Destiny Road.

Chapter 1
First Day

‘You look like this chick I wanna bash.’

A girl of similar age stares in my direction. A look of amusement settles as she leans casually against the metal shelter. Plum coloured curls are pulled sharply off her face with no chance of escape. The palms of her hands thump against her thighs repeatedly. Da-dump, da-dump, da-dump. She stares at me without blinking. A hint of a smirk pulls at the corner of her lips. Movement around the bus stop freezes as those nearby notices the tension in the air. The conversations abruptly end as everyone turns to look at me.

Heat rises up my neck as I turn around, hoping she is talking to someone else. I’m desperate to know it’s not me this stranger I’ve never laid eyes on, wants to beat up. My insides sink as I discover what I already knew to be true. Some leaves scatter as a breeze bursts past but there is nobody behind me. Swirling back to face my antagonist, I realise no one is within a two metre radius. Like ants, they’ve scuttled away from the danger point. Pressure builds in my body like a slingshot straining to ping. My legs feel like they will collapse at any moment.
It suddenly dawns on me that no-one has ever threatened me before. At no time have I ever had to defend myself from bodily harm. Sure I’ve had a few disagreements with others, but nothing life threatening. The most heated argument I ever got into was when Veronica Litchen accused me of stealing her precious souvenir from an overseas holiday. She screamed obscenities at me I had never heard before. That was in the sixth grade. It turned up later in the front pocket of her school bag. I didn’t put it there. I hadn’t laid eyes on the stupid snow globe she’d bought in to show. To this day, I don’t know who took it and let me take the blame. Veronica’s anger was nothing compared to the waves of contempt rolling off this girl. Who does this psycho think she is?

Fear builds rapidly within, but I manage to keep my voice even. ‘Do you mean me?’ I manage a smile as if it is all just a bad joke that I am prepared to go along with.

She looks incredulous that I could misinterpret her accusation. ‘Yeah,’ she sneers. ‘I mean you.’

Links!

Melissa's blog

Facebook
Youtube trailer

Available from

Morris Publishing Australia

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

And most other book-selling places!

Birthday Giveaway!!

Hey everyone!

So, as you can see by the title, it is officially my birthday and as of today I'm 18.  Yep, that's right.  In the eyes of the law I am now an adult.  Isn't that what every kid strives for?  I know this is the point where I'm supposed to make some kind of joke about my maturity level and how the law should know better but believe it or not, at the risk of sounding immodest, I am actually quite mature.  So you'll forgive me if I just kind of skip over that part. :P

Anywho, in honour of the Big Day, I have decided to host a giveaway!  It just happens to be my first, and you can imagine how terrified I was, with my absolutely atrocious computer skills, that I wouldn't be able to do it. Something may still go wrong, but who knows.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.

I know you don't want to hear my rambling, so on to the important stuff.  The giveaway is a book of your choice from the Book Depository up to £8.  It is open internationally as long as TBD ships to your country.

So there you go!  Enjoy! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promo: 6 Seconds of Life

Hey guys!  Today I'm super excited to be taking part in the promo for 6 Seconds of Life.  So, without further ado, here it is.

Purchase: Amazon|Barnes and Noble|Smashwords

Maura has just jumped.

Now she has precisely six seconds until she hits the water below her - just six more seconds until she is finally freed from her mundane and aimless existence.  Freed of all of the regrets and disappointments that have haunted her throughout her nineteen years.

She just needs to be free.

But as she falls, the most pivotal points of her life start to replay like a movie in her head: her family falling apart, her first love, her first heartbreak, her first true friends, and her first betrayal.  As she remembers these moments that brought her to this point, will she feel a sense of peace? Or will her death be her greatest regret?

Excerpt:

            “I guess I’ll just know it when that time finally comes along,” he whispers. His lips graze my cheek and we stop waltzing. His hand comes up and brushes my flyaway bangs behind my ear, the tips of his fingers running along the back of my earlobe. An overpowering wave of desire and anticipation wells up from my stomach, causing my internal hurricane to erupt into a monsoon. I let his eyes lock with mine, restraining me like a pair of handcuffs. They inspect me, almost like they’re looking right through my skin and into everything that’s underneath, begging to learn anything and everything about me. I don’t move.  Maybe if I can manage to stay totally still, this moment might last forever.

            His face moves closer. My chest is caving in on itself.

            Is this it?

 

Author bio

Tonya Fitzharris is a writer, reader, blogger, mediocre cook, photograher, runner, Florida natove and cat lover.  She used to be a Middle School English teacher, but nor she's trying out the whole novel writing thing.  She lives in New Jersey with her husband and her Belgian cat named Waffles.