Roxanne Kade's Blog, page 347

Feed Your Reader Giveaway Hop

Hello everyone,

Thank you for joining me on my stop of the Feed Your Reader Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Books: A True Story.

I never thought I'd enjoy reading books on an eReader, but now I have two and I haven't read a paperback in months. I carry my eReaders with me wherever I go!!

Don't get me wrong, I still think there is something magical about the feel and smell of paperbacks, but eReaders are so much more convenient, compact and hey, who doesn't love having an entire library of books to read, whenever, wherever, right?

Okay, so now onto the important stuff...the giveaway :)

Up for grabs is a copy of my debut novel, Therian (The Bloody Crescent #1), as well as any other 48fourteen release (Can be a future release, if you are willing to wait for it)


Click on the covers to find out more about each book:

Current Releases  




 
Coming Soon

  






Rules:
Giveaway is International ( eBooks available in ePub, Mobi. and PDF format )Entrants must be 13 years or olderThe Winner will be contacted via email, and will have 72 hours in which to respond.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


But WAIT!! There is more.

A few amazing bloggers got together and kindly donated towards an eReader!!
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer A Book Lovers Review BookHounds Bookitty Blog Lauries Thoughts & Reviews Book of Secrets Stuck in Books Lisa's Loves (Books of Course) Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf Fire & Ice Good Choice Reading There's a Book Helen Smith alchemyofscrawl Bookworm Lisa Living Learning Loving Life Mashed Potatoes & Crafts Mostly YA Book Obsessed Kelly's Lucky You Dark & Dreamy with C.C. Marks
Win a Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet or other Ereader of your choice (Up to $200)




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Before you go, don't forget to hop over to all the other blogs participating in this hop. That's 100 chances to win amazing books! YAY!

#SWUR Wrap-up & #RCCleanup Update

  Time to wrap-up the Summer Wrap-Up Read-a-thon!! I really didn't do very well! I only managed to read 3 books. Life has been just a little too hectic at the moment, but I will try my best to finish all of the books I listed :) So what did I read? 

 I will post my reviews for Something Strange & Deadly and Over You this week. My review for The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar will only be posted at the end of the month when my post for the Blog Tour goes up :)    Now before you go...don't forget that the Review Copy Cleanup is still under way, and you have until August 15th to sign up!!  

 The GuidelinesThe challenge runs from 1 to 31 August To sign up, just fill in the Mister Linky below. Link to your sign up post directly please! The Linky is the same for both our blogs, so you only have to sign up once The sign up is open until 15 August 2012 When you post your sign up post on your blog, either include the challenge button with your post or link it back to this article so that people know where to sign up. Thank you! Every book you received for review counts towards the challenge, both ebooks and hard copies, including all genres and lengths You don't need to follow the two hosts in order to be able to sign up for the event (although it's appreciated) Feel free to use the #RCCleanup hashtag on Twitter for your RCC related tweets or join in the Twitter party at http://tweetchat.com/room/RCCleanup and meet lots of awesome bloggers (: The dates of the readathons and Twitter parties will be announced closer to the RCC
Want to join in the fun???
Click here and sign up!

FREEBIE ALERT

Exiled by J.R.Wanger is FREE on Amazon for two days ONLY (Aug 7-8)!!


Click on the pic above to get your copy now!



BOOK DESCRIPTION

Stripped of his powers and banished to The Never, James must save himself before he can save his fellow sorcerers from imminent demise. Prophesied by the greatest of all seers to be the sorcerer who would bring an end to the Epoch Terminus—the destruction of his kind—James grew up developing his powers under the watchful eye of his mentor, Akil Karanis. James’s insular world is shattered when he is found guilty of murdering Akil and exiled to The Never, a mysterious and dangerous place reserved for the worst of the worst, a land from which no one returns. Powerless and alone, James quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants. If he is to have any chance of returning to his family, any chance of proving his innocence, any chance of saving his kind, he must survive the dangers and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind in order to discover what no one else has been able to discover—a way home.Show More Show Less

Check out my REVIEW  for this book!!

The Bloggy Awards

The Bloggy Awards' nominations are officially open! You have until August 13th to nominate your favorite Blog for this prestigious award!!

The categories are:

Well-known blogger Best design Best reviews Most helpful Best breakout blog (Best new blog, meaning within six months) Best review for a contemporary book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review) Best review for a paranormal book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review) Best review for a dystopian book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review) Best review for a sci-fi book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review) Best review for a fantasy book (For this, if you nominate somebody leave a link to their review) Best reviews in general Best meme Nicest blogger Most creative blogger Hottest blog (best content: I just got tired of constantly saying "Best" and "Most") Best group blog Most influential Best author blog Promo Queen Best tour group blog
So rush on over and nominate your favorite blogs :)

Oh, and while you are at it, I would LOVE it if you voted for my super, awesome, amazing friend Maghon @ Happy Tails & Tales. Mags has been nominated for the Nicest Blogger award, and she truly deserves it. We met through Goodreads and although I've never actually "met" her, she is just one of those people you know you'll love! I get the impression that she is always bubbly and happy, even on the bad days!!

To vote for Mags, CLICK HERE and look for Maghon @ Happy Tails & Tales.

THANK YOU!!!

The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar Blog Tour

Hello everyone!

Today marks the start of The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar Blog Tour hosted by Immortal Ink Publishing!!







When Gabriel Holland’s beloved Helena vanishes from his life, he journeys to the home of disgraced artist Cristian Salazar, the man he holds responsible for her disappearance and the death of several friends. Once in Carliton, Gabriel finds malice and mystery in the tales told by the few brave enough to speak ill of Salazar and the sinister Cousin Beatriz. And within shadows, in the guise of night, walks Alatiel, the creature Helena has become.










About the Author

Steven Katriel writes Gothic Horror, Paranormal Fantasy, and Literary Fiction. He has lived in Wales, UK all his life. In recent years, he wrote history articles for a community magazine. Steve’s literary heroes and heroines range from Oscar Wilde to Hilary Mantel. He has a passion for past times and this is reflected in his writing.
To learn more about Steven Katriel and his writing projects, please visit the website below:

http://stevenkatriel.wordpress.com/ or check him out on Twitter.

 This book has received rave reviews and at only $0.99 it is a steal!!

But make sure to check out all the stops along the tour for your chance to win your very own copy.

The Tour Dates
August 6, 2012
Immortal Ink Publishing - Giveaway & Blog Tour Landing Page
August 7, 2012
The Ginger Nutcase - Character Interview + Giveaway
August 8, 2012
Bookish Things and More - Review & Giveaway
August 9, 2012
SM Boyce - Guest Post & Giveaway
August 10, 2012
A Life Among the Pages - Author Interview & Giveaway
August 13, 2012
CJ Listro - Review & Giveaway
August 14, 2012
Blood Skies - Excerpt & Giveaway
August 15, 2012
Book Lust - Review & Giveaway
August 16, 2012
Wren Doloro - Author Interview & Giveaway
August 17, 2012
The Peasants Revolt - Review & Giveaway
August 20, 2012
NR Wick - Review & Giveaway
August 21, 2012
Rainy of the Dark - Author vs. Villain Interview
August 22, 2012
Anna Allegra Books - Review & Giveaway
August 23, 2012
Paranormal Lounge - Character Interview & Giveaway
August 24, 2012
Gecko Gomez Blog - Review & Giveaway
August 27, 2012
RoxyKade - Review & Giveaway
August 28, 2012
Masquerade Crew - Guest Blog & Giveaway
August 29, 2012
KittyB78 - Review & Giveaway
August 30, 2012
Leo Godin - Guest Blog & Giveaway
August 31, 2012
Redefining Perfect - Review & Giveaway

Hope you all enjoy the tour!! Remember to stop by my blog, August 27th, for my review and giveaway :)

STOP E-Piracy Blog Hop!!

Summer Wrap-up Read-a-Thon: TBR list

   Hosted by In Between & Some Like It Paranormal  Oh my gosh!! I can't believe I missed the beginning of this Read-a-Thon!! But better late than never, right?? So anyhoo, here is my TBR list ( As this Read-a-thon falls in conjunction with #RCCleanup my list will be the same ) Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus Defiance by C.J. Redwine What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech Something Red by Douglas Nicholas The Portrait of Alatiel by Steven Katriel ( I will take part in a blog tour and be hosting a giveaway for this book at the end of August ) Liberator by Bryan Davis Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer Love Bomb by Lisa Zeidner Night Forbidden by Joss Ware Cascade by Maryanne O'Hare Homecoming Weekend by Curtis Bunn
Of course I won't be able to get through all of these books in a week, but as I'm not really sure which order I'll read them in, I've listed all of the possibilities :)
Tweet updates using hashtag #SWUR Challenge Schedule
Times are Pacific you can use a time converter HERE
Challenges will run for 24 hours
August 4
START OF THE READ-A-THON Some Like it Paranormal & In Between – Show us your TBR
8:00am Jessica  @Wickedly Bookish - Wicked Summer Cover Challenge
2:00pm Misa @The Magic Attic – Rewrite the Synopsis - INT

August 5
8:00am Trini @Book Lovers Review – Hotter than Summer

August 6
8:00am Emily @Falling for YA – Cover Love Challenge
2:00pm Shae @Understanding Shae’s Story - Summer Vacations
6:00pm Mackenzie @Oh For the Love of Books! – Summer Party Challenge

August 7
2:00pm Allison @Abibliophobic – Mystery Title Challenge

August 8
8:00am Daphne @Winged Reviews – Summer Couples - INT
2:00pm Sadiya @Random and Booky – Summer Reading List

August 9
8:00am Rachel @Unforgettable Books – Individual Challenge
2:00pm Christina @A Reader of Fictions – Dystopian Challenge - INT

August 10
8:00am Montana @The Book Belles – Laughing Out Loud Challenge - INT
6:00pm Shreya @Chocolate Coated Reviews – Book Cover Challenge - Canada/US

August 11
8:00am Patrick @The Bookshelves – Title Story Challenge
2:00pm Stephanie @A Dream Within a Dream – Paranormal Summer

August 12
8:00am Bekka @Pretty Deadly Reviews – Volleyball by the Beach - INT
2:00pm Margie @Bumbles and Fairy-Tales– Quote Challenge
6:00pm END OF THE READ-A-THON Some Like it Paranormal & In Between- Wrap Up and Photo Album.

REVIEW COPY CLEAN-UP 2.0

It's finally here!! The olympics of read-a-thons!! Review Copy Clean-up 2.0
Okay, so we all know how it goes...we start off by reading a few review copies of books sent to us by authors or publishers, we join Read 2 Review discussions on Goodreads, and then bham! we discover websites such as Netgalley and Edelweiss, and before we know ir our TBR pile is overflowing and we've lost all control!

Yes, reading is fun and we all love it, but review copy requests can become an addiction!
Thanks to the counsellors over at Nyx Book Reviews and Books, Biscuits and Tea :) there is hope for us!! And this Review Copy Clean-up intervention is just what we need!

If you haven't signed up for this event, you may do so by clicking on the picture above. Sign ups end August 15th.

My list of review copies is so exhorbitant that I don't even have time to read the books I have bought or even those I have won through some amazing giveaways! I keep walking into bookstores, only to walk out empty-handed because the thought of buying a new book, only to have it sit on my shelf for months without being touched actually scares me a little.

So here is my plan:

Between working and writing three of my own books, I will do everything possible to read the following:

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan DennardOver You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola KrausDefiance by C.J. RedwineWhat's Left of Me by Kat ZhangThe Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy CoxThe Great Unexpected by Sharon CreechSomething Red by Douglas NicholasThe Portrait of Alatiel by Steven Katriel ( I will take part in a blog tour and be hosting a giveaway for this book at the end of August )Liberator by Bryan DavisBeautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuireThe Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat BeyerLove Bomb by Lisa ZeidnerNight Forbidden by Joss WareCascade by Maryanne O'HareHomecoming Weekend by Curtis Bunn
I have many more which I will add to this list, if I get through all of these books. As well as reading and review the books listed, I still have so many reviews to write for books I have already read, so I will make sure to post all outstanding reviews within the month of August as well :)

Let's get this thing started!! Good luck to all my fellow readers!! Look forward to connecting with you all on Twitter #RCCleanup.

Review Copy Clean-Up ( August )

It has become quite clear to me that I need some help getting through my review copies!! So I am so excited that Celine at Nyx Book Reviews and Vicky from Books, Biscuits and Tea have decided to host a Review Copy Cleanup in August! It's just what I need! Eek!!
The Guidelines The challenge runs from 1 to 31 AugustTo sign up, just fill in the Mister Linky below. Link to your sign up post directly please! The Linky is the same for both our blogs, so you only have to sign up onceThe sign up is open until 15 August 2012When you post your sign up post on your blog, either include the challenge button with your post or link it back to this article so that people know where to sign up. Thank you! Every book you received for review counts towards the challenge, both ebooks and hard copies, including all genres and lengths You don't need to follow the two hosts in order to be able to sign up for the event (although it's appreciated)Feel free to use the #RCCleanup hashtag on Twitter for your RCC related tweets or join in the Twitter party at http://tweetchat.com/room/RCCleanup and meet lots of awesome bloggers (:The dates of the readathons and Twitter parties will be announced closer to the RCC
Want to join in the fun???
Click here and sign up!


I will post a list of review copies I will be reading closer to the time...which, OMG, is next week!!!!!

Review: Four in the Morning by Christi Goddard

Title: Four in the Morning
Author: Christi Goddard
Publisher: Immortal Ink Publishing
Pub Date: May 2012
ISBN: 9780985081843
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review





SYNOPSIS ( Taken from Goodreads )
Kathleen Hayson thinks her biggest problem is her mother. The only runner up—her mouth. With a wit sharper than her mother's perfectly manicured nails, her clever remarks create more problems than they solve.

But it's not her clever remarks landing her knee-deep in trouble. This time, Josh Colby is to blame. Kathleen's former childhood friend has become the school's most stuck up jerk. Before, she'd have told him to piss off and write his own stupid letter to the town slut/minister's daughter. Now Kathleen's escalating problems at home force her to reevaluate how flexible her principles are. She agrees to write the controversial letter Josh has requested.

Enter Rigel, a smartass magical creature who invades her room one night, promising he has come to help. When a boy Kathleen hates turns up dead and her mother goes missing, the letter becomes a key piece of police evidence—implicating Kathleen. As she fights her way out of a web of lies, the trust she has in those closest to her shatters. In the end, she's pushed to a terrible choice: who lives, and who else dies.

REVIEW

I wasn't quiet sure what to make of this book. Christi Goddard is a wonderful storyteller, and I enjoyed her writing style but the story as a whole was a little strange. It was unique in so many ways, which kept me reading, but I just can't help feeling like there should have been more to it.


I initially liked Kathleen for her quick wit and sarcasm but after a while she just became annoying and precocious. Yes, she's had a hard life with a more-absent-than-not father, a control freak mother, and having to live in the shadow of her beautiful, charming sister, but some of the things she did, and the way she treated people, especially her friends, made me dislike her. At one point she even insulted herself in the process of ridiculing everyone else.

Some of the events in Kathleen's life were brutal, and I would hate to see anyone suffer the way she did, so naturally there were times when my heart ached for her. I just wish I could have warmed to her a bit more.

At first glance Josh Colby seems like a real jerk, he doesn't particularly care about Kathleen and his only interest in her is so she can help him get into another girl's pants. But then something happens and his interest shifts to her. I wasn't sure what his intentions were so I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but then he became stalkerish and after a particular phonecall, I ruled him out as being a good guy.

Aka, on the other hand was wonderful the entire time. He was the typical good guy, a friend you can rely on in any situation. He really deserved a medal for putting up with Kathleen. He was just so genuine and I was aghast when she chose to believe Rigel over Aka. For all her quick wit and smarts, I thought Kathleen would have known better - her best friend or the magical creature that appeared so suddenly...hmm...

When the truth about Rigel is revealed I was thrown for a loop. I was not expecting it at all. The explanation for his appearance seemed a little odd. It wasn't too farfetched, but it just didn't fit into the rest of the story. It felt like a bit of an afterthought.

For the most part, this book flowed well. There were times when it lagged in pace, and then there were times when it was so rushed, I felt like I had missed something. The latter refers to the ending, when the answer to all the strange happenings jumps into focus and then the story is over.

I had such high expectations with this story but in the end it failed to impress me. I wish I could have loved it more, but as I have learnt, not every book is for every reader...


Thank you to Immortal Ink Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review Four in the Morning.