Naomi's Reading Palace: 2012

Review - A Kiss for Emily by J.P. Galuska

Title: A Kiss for Emily

Author: J.P. Galuska

Series: Emily Stokes #1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Published: January 1^st 2012

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description

Emily didn't know that falling in love would place her smack-dab in the middle of a dicey game called deception. Or wake up one morning, shortly thereafter, wondering if she'd actually lost her mind!

A KISS FOR EMILY is a thrilling YA paranormal romance, where discovering the paranormal is exciting for the reader, but life-threatening for Emily Stokes, the 17-yr. old high school student from Kansas.

My Review

When I started reading this story, I thought it was going to be a YA Contemporary romance. It turned out to be way more than that. Instead it turned out to be a beautiful romance with a twist (that I don’t want to giveaway, as the author doesn’t in the beginning either) and shows that love can conquer all.

We begin the adventure with Emily in her home town where she has grown up. Her father comes home from work and informs the whole family that he has purchased a house in the country and that they will be moving. Emily has just begun junior year of high school and is appalled by her fathers decision and decides her best course of action is to be mad at her father and continue on as if it never happened. She does everything normally, goes to school, hangs out with friends and even plans for the prom by buying a dress. The only problem is that the boy she has liked, for what seems like forever, won’t ask her to the prom, no matter how much time they spend together.

After her heart is shattered, she decides to suck it up and prepare for the move as best she can. She tells her friends she is leaving and gets ready for the inevitable move with her Mother, Father and little sister Kitty over the summer holidays. The house they move to is in the middle of farming country and turns out to be a great place for the family and fulfils the whole family’s needs. Emily is still unhappy about the move but after some sulking in her room decides to explore the forest. Just when she thinks she is lost, she stumbles upon a boy…no…not a man… no let’s go with a guy, at a neighbouring farmhouse, who captures her attention immediately.

Emily is a typical teenager with normal teenager issues so the shift is a major issue for her, but she learns to deal with her insecurities. After she meets Sam you can see the massive shift in her emotions and it great to see her grow as a person. Sam just appears to be the perfect guy, who has been able to show Emily that there are more things to life. However, Sam has his own secrets and doesn’t know how to share them with Emily. And Alex, the boy from her home town keeps trying to contact Emily, but she continues to ignore him.

I think all the characters have crossed paths for a reason that wasn’t shown to us at the end of the book. It is a sweet story, for the most part, but there is a situation that Emily finds herself in which is difficult to get out of. The author has definitely stuck to the mysterious side and has only revealed certain secrets and kept me in the dark in regards to other issues. Other than that, I found A Kiss for Emily a delightful read and Emily’s story is nowhere near finished and I am intrigued to see how things will go now.

About the Author

In high school, I taped magazine clippings of a Lamborghini and a big diamond wedding ring on my bedroom wall. I planned to be wealthy, loved, and mingle with the affluent.

Years later, I drive a minivan, have two great kids, and clip coupons. OK, the ring is pretty nice.

Writing, then self-publishing a book has truly changed my life. It takes a lot of my time, and if I’m not careful, it could probably consume my entire life. It’s so easy to get swept up into the next sentence, the next scene, or the next chapter! And if it’s not manuscript I’m working on, then it’s promoting.

Here is something else that might surprise you: I’m a terrible speller and typist. Well actually, from all the misspelled words in my posts, this may not come as a total shock. You see, dyslexia and reading disorders run in my family. I share this not to excuse myself, but to let people know that great things can still come from people with learning difficulties. Never give up!!!

You can find J.P. online at:

Blog – http://jpgaluska.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-P-Galuska/108907619212531

Twitter – https://twitter.com/JGaluska

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5421100.J_P_Galuska

Stacking the Shelves/Sunday Post #17

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

First – I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. I know I did!! Now I am off enjoying the sun and the water while I am holidaying with my family. I hope you all have a Happy New Year and I will see you 2013!!

I only got a couple of books for Christmas, which I bought and wrapped for myself!! And Harlequin sent me a surprise too!!

For Christmas

Opal (Lux, #3)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hidden (House of Night, #10)
by P.C. Cast

For Review

Indigo Awakening (The Hunted, #1)
by Jordan Dane

I received this book from Harlequin Australia!! Thank you so much!!

That’s it for Stacking the Shelves this week, what did you get?

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news and to post a recap of the past week on your blog, showcase some books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up in your blog for the week ahead.

This past week on the blog I shared:

Monday- Review - Fate Fixed by Bonnie Erina Wheeler

Wednesday- Promo/Giveaway - Falling Angels Saga by E. Van Lowe

Friday- Review/Giveaway - The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson

Saturday- Review - Lunangelique by Kristin R. Campbell

I also did my usual Meme’s that I participate in Teaser Tuesdays,

Waiting On Wednesday, Swoon Thursday and Feature & Follow Friday

This week there will be:

Monday- Review - A Kiss for Emily by J.P. Galuska

Friday- Character Bio/Giveaway – Destined by Ali Cross

Saturday- Review - Down To You by Michelle Leighton

I have an eBook giveaway running that finishes this week, go ahead and enter……

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What did you receive this week? What’s happening in your neck of the woods? I’d love to know!!

Review - Lunangelique by Kristin R. Campbell

Title: Lunangelique

Author: Kristin R. Campbell

Series: Lunangelique #1

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Published: June 20^th 2012

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Blurb

For Alexis and Alex life has been great. They have loving parents, great friends and live a life every teenager dreams. However, they are adopted and Alexis struggles with wanting to know who their real parents are and not wanting to hurt her adopted parents. Then, a stunning guy moves across the street from them. One who has a secret past and seems to know things about Alexis. One who does mysterious things and leads her to other mysterious persons. One who pushes her to discover her extraordinary birth family and the truth between mythology and religion.

My Review

Stories involving mythology are becoming some of my favourite reads, and Lunangelique was a great example of another enjoyable story!! Being an Australian, books that involve American Teenagers and High School are entertaining to me, so to combine both into one plot is definitely my kind of book and this one was just fabulous!!

The book is from Alexis’s (Lexie) POV, and it begins on a shopping trip in the summer holidays, with her twin brother Alex and his girlfriend Kaitlyn who is also Lexis’s best friend. Lexie has spent so much time trying to locate their birth parents without success and decides to unwind with her friends. They meet up with the rest of their friends at the mall and are quickly introduced to the new guy who has just moved to the area. Ollie is tall, blonde and good looking and Lexie gets along with him easily as she is the type of person who seems to get along with everyone.

When they return home Lexie’s parents inform both kids that a new guy has moved in across the road that seems to live alone. While Lexie is in her room, a visitor arrives and when she comes down the stairs, she is unable to take her eyes off the tall, dark and handsome guy in the doorway. You can see the sparks flying immediately and Lexie is unable to speak for the first time in her life!!

I really like Lexie, she is very intelligent and excels in anything that she puts her mind to. She is a witty character who likes to keep things light and entertaining when with her friends and family. As soon as Cole comes into her life, she seems to lose all coherent thought and acts like a love crazed teenager. It is fun to watch her stumble through the early stages and see her sort through her thoughts and feelings!

Cole is amazing, he appears to be the perfect guy, one who has restraint. There is a scene early on where Cole is only in a towel, and he tells her that he would never take full advantage of her. Now if it was me, I’d be begging him to do it, because damn……… he is gorgeous!! The only thing is, Cole is keeping secrets about his past and is not willing to share them with Lexie.

Lexie then starts to take notice of things that are happening around her. Cole makes a few mistakes and she notices tension between Cole and Ollie, even though they deny knowing each other. Lexie is a smart girl and starts to put it all together and things all start falling into place. She discovers things about herself and her brother that will change their lives forever.

The mythology in the story builds slowly as the plot unravels and I really enjoyed the turn of events. Angels and the Fallen are always fun to read about and Kristin is able to put her own unique twist into Lunangelique to make it exceptional. However, I was left heartbroken at the end of the book and it was left wide open! I really need to get SLEEPING GODS, book 2 in the Lunangelique series to see what happens!!

About the Author - Kristin R. Campbell

I am currently an editor/publisher/trying to be a writer. My husband and I have two children, we both are prior military (how we met), and we've been married now for ten years after only knowing each other for 2.5 months! Against all odds!

I come from a military/divorced family and have lived in almost all corners and coasts of the United States; most of the time, all over Virginia. I went to fourteen schools growing up and four different colleges before finally graduating with a Bachelor in Criminal Justice. However, I have no interest in working in the field; I just like to study law.

I have travelled all over the beautiful blue-green waters of the Mediterranean. I've been to Crete, Sicily, and Spain, seen the beautiful Northern lights over Greenland and day tripped to Canada and Mexico. Sounds exciting but it was work. Literally.

Currently, I am working on the Lunangelique trilogy but take a break from it now and then to work on another mature, historical-fiction with religious undertones/fiction novel that will be titled Cain. I have so many more ideas for other books and I hope I will be able see them come to life one day.

I want to try and test my limits on writing, switching from first-person to third, researching for hours on end to get details right, and writing some novels just for fun, like Lunangelique has been. I love seeing the characters come to life. They literally tell me, "I don't want to be like that." And change the outcome of the story. It's fascinating. I didn't think writing would be like that. I have no control. The characters are the writers.

You can stalk Kirsten online at:

Website - http://lunangelique.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KristinRCampbellLunangelique

Twitter - https://twitter.com/KristinRCampbel

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427299.Kristin_R_Campbell

Review/Giveaway - The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson

Title: The Athena Effect

Author: Derrolyn Anderson

Series: The Athena Effect #1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Published: August 30^th 2012

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description

Country girl Cali has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?

My Review

What an extraordinary story!! I was swept up into The Athena Effect from the prologue and couldn’t put the book down until the very end. It is a beautiful story of an innocent girl taken from her simple life in the bush and placed into the modern world. It is a story of discovery, independence and love that held my attention to the very last page, leaving me wanting more!!

Cali has lived in the bush since the day she was born. Her parents have chosen a secluded lifestyle as they want to remain undetected. The house that they live in has no modern technology and most of their food is prepared from their own hands, whether it was grown or captured. They rarely leave the property, but when they leave, it is to go to the tiny town close by for a few bare essentials. Cali has never attended school; everything she knows is from her parents or from books. She has even read a whole set of Encyclopaedias.

When Cali’s world is turned upside down, she finds herself being shipped off to an aunt that she didn’t even know existed. She is enrolled into school and does her best to remain unseen. She drifts through school and hides during her lunch break to remain unnoticed by other students. There is one guy she keeps running into who turns up when she least expects it.

I really love Cali!!! She is such a beautiful and innocent person and she captured my heart immediately. She has never known anything outside of her own world and now she is thrust into the hustle and bustle that we are all used to. As she is a very bright person she adapts quickly to her new life, but then she finds trouble at home and spends most of her time alone. Having no friends and no support can’t be easy on anyone, let alone a 17 year old girl who has nothing. She even spends her nights wandering the streets so she doesn’t have to be at home. To me that is just heartbreaking, but Cali takes it all in her stride as that is the type of person she is.

After she meets Cal her personality starts to develop. She slowly opens up to the gorgeous, dark haired biker boy who has seized her attention. She starts to relax around him, but finds it hard to understand him. But really, none of us women can fully understand men!!! Cal finds Cali puzzling as she dresses like a homeless person and she goes out of her way to evade him. He never has this problem with girls, his charm usually reels them in willingly, but not the new girl. Watching this relationship grow was just beautiful and the hurdles they endure makes their connection stringer.

As always there is a catch, Cali has an ability that she keeps hidden from everyone, as she has been told by her parents never to tell anyone about it. It is slowly getting stronger and therefore, harder for her to hide. This was a fascinating twist for me and it was just amazing to imagine how it was done. But this ability is what has kept her in hiding for so long.

I really enjoyed Derrolyn’s writing style. Told from the third-person narrative, and usually following Cali, she is able to tell the story while picking up on the emotions of the other characters as soon as something happens. When Derrolyn turns to another character it is done fluently without disrupting the plot. As I have said before, I thought it was a beautiful book, with a few twists thrown in to keep you intrigued to see what happens next!!

About the Author

Derrolyn Anderson is a visual artist and writer of fiction. The creator of the four part "Marina's Tales" series and the YA romance, "The Athena Effect", she's currently hard at work on her next book, "The Mackenzie Legacy".

You can find Derrolyn online at:

Blog - http://www.derrolyn.com/Home.html

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4738726.Derrolyn_Anderson
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/derrolyn/

Giveaway

Derrolyn has been kind enough to offer an eBook of The Athena Effect to one lucky winner!! Fill out the Rafflecopter to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Swoon Thursday #22 – Obsidian By Jennifer L Armentrout

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme. Here's how it works.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know & so do the chicks at YABound!

This week I have finally started the Lux series. I'm not far into Obsidian, so here's a teaser.

Obsidian

By Jennifer L Armentrout

“I think I understand now.”

“Understand what?” I whispered.

“I like to watch you blush.” His voice barely above a murmur as his thumb traced circles on my cheek. He lowered his head, resting his forehead against mine. We sat like that, the two of us, caught in something that hadn’t been there before. I think I stopped breathing. My heart seemed to take several stuttered steps and then freeze, anticipation welling up through me, threatening to spill over in any given second.

Kindle Loc 1871

Did you get swooned this week?

What did you think of mine?

Leave me a comment!

Promo/Giveaway - Falling Angels Saga by E. Van Lowe

Today I have the pleasure of hosting the Falling Angels Saga by E. Van Lowe which has been brought to you by Bewitching Book Tours. Here you can read a summary of the books and learn a little more about the Author E. Van Lowe. There is a tour wide giveaway where you could win copies of the books! Don't forget to visit the other blogs on this tour for more information about this book and the author.

Heaven Sent

Falling Angels Saga Book Three

By E Van Lowe

Genre: Paranormal YA

What Does It All Mean?

Readers who devoured Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel will be captivated by the third book in the Falling Angels Saga.

As summer break for Glendale Union high begins, heartsick Megan awaits Guy's return while struggling to control her emerging abilities. Love is in the air, but can the new loves in Megan, Maudrina, Suze and Aunt' Jaz's life be trusted? Nothing is what it seems. Meanwhile, the Satanists are set to hatch their most diabolical scheme ever, and if it comes to pass, Satan may finally win out.

Megan has precious little time to unravel the cryptic message hidden in the riddle she received at the end of Earth Angel. If she doesn’t, the life of someone most dear to her will be lost forever, and Megan may yet find herself living in HELL.

Excerpt : http://evanlowe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Sneak_Peek_-_Heaven_Sent2.pdf

Earth Angel

Falling Angels Book Two

E Van Lowe

Genre: Paranormal YA

Heaven Can Wait!

Just because Megan Barnett recently defeated Satan, has a fantastic new best friend, and has won the love of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson, doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize it, but in her possession is a powerful weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels and demons and everything in between. They will do ANYTHING to get it.

In E. Van Lowe’s humorous, romantic and thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan winds up in a gripping life or death battle to save herself, the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.

Megan Barnett has recently defeated Satan, found a fantastic new best friend, and has won the heart of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson. But that doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize that she is in possession of a powerful paranormal weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels, demons and everything in between.

In E. Van Lowe’s romantic yet thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan finds herself in a gripping life or death battle to save the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.

Paperback Kindle

Excerpt:

http://evanlowe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Earth_Angel_4_Chapters_11-16-2012.pdf

Boyfriend from Hell

Falling Angels Saga Book One

By E Van Lowe

Genre: Paranormal YA

Aww, Hell No!

Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”

The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.

Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the handsome guys is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.

www.whitewhiskerbooks.com Paperback Kindle

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/39hI9rmwI5A

Excerpt: http://evanlowe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Boyfriend-From-Hell-FREEBIE.pdf

About The Author

E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such TV shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award. His first YA Paranormal novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an American Library Association Award. His Best Selling novels, “Boyfriend From Hell” and “Earth Angel,” are the first two books in the Falling Angels Saga. “The Zombie Always Knocks Twice” is the first book in his Hollyweird series.

E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.

You can stalk E online at:

www.evanlowe.com

http://vanlowe.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/E-Van-Lowe/152364748167154

Giveaway

There is a tour wide giveaway running where you could win all 3 books in the series. Open to US shipping only.

Click on the banner to view the rest of the Tour Schedule

Waiting On Wednesday # 20 - Dare You To By Katie McGarry

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where I have the chance to spotlight an upcoming release that I’m eagerly anticipating.

Dare You To

By Katie McGarry

Pushing The Limits #2

Expected Publication – May 28^th 2013

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

I know!! I know!! This is most definitely not a paranormal, but I am hanging for it anyway!! I have branched out from my usual genre into some contemporary, which surprisingly, I am enjoying!! May is my birthday, and I will pick this one up for myself!!

What are you waiting for? Please leave it in a comment below or leave me your WoW link so I can check out yours too!!

Have a great Wednesday!!