Cover Reveal: Honor Among Thieves

I have been a fan of Rachel Caine for years and now she's collaborating with Ann Aguirre for a 2018 release. The cover made me scream out loud because I loved it so much. Yes I am a Rachel Caine fan but most covers don't let me scream out loud, no matter the author or visuals. But there's something so captivating about the way this cover was done that it gripped me. Feel free to see for yourself below and read the summary too. I'm very excited for this release. If you can't tell.


Title: Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

Release Date: February 13, 2018

Link: Goodreads

Summary on Goodreads: Zara Cole has been in and out of New Detroit’s rehab facilities for treatment of her antisocial disorder. There’s no adjusting Zara’s attitude, though. A painful past has made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in the Zone instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan–a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned to along with fellow Honor Beatriz, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time, along with a devotion she’s never experienced before. Yet nothing—not her Honors training or her street smarts—could have prepared her for the dark, dangerous truths that lurk behind the glitter of starlight.

Honor Among Thieves is the first book in a daring new sci-fi series by bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre.
Thank you for stopping by and what do you think of the cover?

WEP Entry: Lonely Old Bridge

Today I'm taking part in June 2017 WEP Challenge. Bridges is the theme whether literal or metaphorical. For more info, and to see a list of all entrants you can click here.



Lonely Old Bridge

A lonely old bridge stood outside an empty town.
What was once a bustling populace had no one around.
The bridge groaned and swung day and night.
As if calling out for the days of old.
When humans walked across to and fro.
The rare traveler now always turned away.
One look at this lonely bridge, humans went where they came.
Before you feel pity though, the travelers did the right thing.
Crossing a bridge made of zombies is not a wise feat.

Word Count: 85 words  (including the title)

Thanks for stopping by. WEP challenges entrants to come with all kinds of stories and that's what I love. Hope you enjoyed my poem.

Book Review: Seraphina (Chapter Sampler)

So today I'll be sharing a chapter sampler I got from Netgalley. This is a small excerpt of the full novel. Friday I'll be reviewing a comic (full book). So read on and thanks for coming.

Title: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - E- galley excerpt

Publication Date: December 23, 2014

Source: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon, Book Depository

Summary on Goodreads: In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer. 

The newest member of the royal court, a uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that she guards with all of her being.

When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina’s struggle to protect her secret becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life.

Book Review

Seraphina's born in a world where humans and dragons co-exist but there's still fear and distrust. A talented musician, she kept a secret that's known by few including her father and his friend and her confidante Orma. I loved that the main character had close characters not just with males but with adults. Too often fiction sadly tries to depict men who are close to children as creepy or ill-intentioned. I even saw a list once that warned against writing stories with males holding girls or standing too close if they weren't family members. Seriously? I'm glad this book never took on that nonsense. In this brief excerpt you get a fantastic inside look at a fantasy world where a murder has taken place, humans and dragon kind are at odds and a girl with a secret might hold the key to solving or making things even worse, maybe both. The author wrote a vivid story that held me with every page. I have wanted to get this book but it kept falling off my radar. It won't again and I highly recommend this book. Especially to fans of stories with dragons. Dragons are awesome.

Rating: 5 Stars

Thanks for stopping by. See you Friday.

Waiting on Wednesday: Warcross by Marie Lu

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that allows us to spotlight books we are eagerly anticipating to be released.

Funny enough this book won my Twitter poll to be the book I'll use in June for my monthly book giveaway on my Author Facebook Page. It has a cool cover and an intriguing premise. I really want to get my hands on it.

Release Date: September 12, 2017

Summary on Goodreads: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu—when a game called Warcross takes the world by storm, one girl hacks her way into its dangerous depths.

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all
Purchase: Amazon, Book Depository

Remarkable cover. What do you think? Thanks for coming and see you tomorrow.

Book Review: The Most Magnificent Thing

Yeah, I missed Monday but I'm here today instead and will do my best to be around the rest of the week. So I git this book recently due to a granted wish on NetGalley. Not sure when I wished for this but you know I have a love for picture books. My YA soul has room for those lovely reads.

Title: The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Source: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon, Book Depository

Summary on Goodreads: Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Spires has created a charming picture book about an unnamed girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! She knows just how it will look. She knows just how it will work. All she has to do is make it, and she makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!? But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy.

For the early grades' exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl's frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it's okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn't just make her magnificent thing --- "she tinkers and hammers and measures, she smoothes and wrenches and fiddles, she twists and tweaks and fastens." These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. 

Book Review

A charming tale about a girl who learned that perfection isn't everything and making something just right takes many tries. I really enjoyed watching her attempt different ways to make exactly what she wanted just right. Each failure got her frustrated and it took a while to put herself back on the right path. Kids take a journey with this book are likely to enjoy both the imagery and wording that show the girl's repeated attempts and eventual solution in ways children can understand and empathize. Even adults like myself can get joy and lessons from this book. The little girl's like many of us who have a plan but not the full understanding of how long it will take for that plan to come around. Also that we can;t predict the bumps along the way and that what we view as awful, others might find useful. Plus I got a personal kick of one random kid criticizing one of the discarded pieces as wet. I pegged him as one of those nosy side critics who no one asked but always has an opinion. You know the type. I have to wonder if this was an intentional or unintentional wink at adults.

So I highly recommend this book for children. Also to the adult in your life who might be a bit of a perfectionist. Perhaps he or she will get a kick out of this book as well. A thoughtful charming read. I got an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 Stars

Thanks for stopping by.

Cover Reveal: The Serpent's Secret

I saw this cover being shared on Twitter last month and knew from first glance it was amazing. Also as a cover in the diversity column, it helps increase representation. There were so many positive replies to this reveal, right down to the shoes she wore. Feel free to look for yourself and choose what's the most striking thing for you. Me? A girl standing in fighting pose with startling snake figures all around her. Love it! Eat your heart out, Rick Riordan.

Title: The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani Dasgupta

Release Date: February 27, 2018

Link: Twitter, Goodreads

Summary on Goodreads: MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMONSLAYER

(But she doesn’t know it yet.)

On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey… until her parents mysteriously vanish later that day and a rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories—like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess—and a wealth of secrets about her origin they've kept hidden.

To complicate matters, two crushworthy Indian princes ring her doorbell, insisting they’re here to rescue her. Suddenly, Kiran is swept into another dimension full of magic, winged horses, moving maps, and annoying, talking birds. There she must solve riddles and slay demons all while avoiding the Serpent King of the underworld (who may or may not want to kill her) and the rakkhosh queen (who definitely does) in order to find her parents and basically save New Jersey, her entire world, and everything beyond it…
So what do you think? Isn't this cover amazing? I really love it. See you on Monday.

IWSG: June 2017 Already?

My does time go no matter what. June has arrived and with it another IWSG. Also thanks to our host Alex and his monthly co-hosts. Lovely that he has help getting through that long list. Like Santa!



June IWSG Question: Did you ever say "I quit"? If so, what happened when you came back to writing?

Quit writing? Are you mad? I have taken breaks for various reasons. But really quit? Never. I have quit other things including believing my parents will ever accept writing as a career. But never writing. I pushed through to be a writer and there's no quitting in my past, present or future.

In the rest of my life I'm having a lot of fun taking part in writing prompts and hashtags on twitter. I have been regularly doing #authorconfession for a few months and loving all the bonds forming. For someone with limited IRL support, the internet is my lifeline. Love writing, reading and hanging out with my peeps which of course includes bloggers too. Thanks for stopping by and see you Friday.

Book Review: Alex and Eliza Excerpt

Title:  Alex and Eliza: A Love Story (Excerpt) by Melissa De La Cruz

Publication Date: April 11, 2017

Source: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon, Book Depository

Summary on Goodreads:

1777. Albany, New York. 

As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuylers’ grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country’s founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters—Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival that of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball. 

Still, she can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can’t believe his luck—as an orphan, and a bastard one at that—to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.

Book Review

Hamilton has blown up in America and other parts of the world. Melissa's take on the love story for Alex and Eliza has been popular among the book community. Reading the excerpt from Netgalley I found it a good read but not exciting. The historical aspect was solid but dragged in parts where I had little personal interest in it. Still, the characters got my attention and women's treatment and thoughts in that time period were nice to read and take in. On a whole, I'd highly recommend the book to Hamilton fans who'd be best familiar with this material. Also, history buffs who are interested in fiction from this time period. For the rest, I'd say read a sample then decide if this book is for you. I got this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Plus this was an excerpt, not the full book.

Rating: 4 Stars

Thanks for stopping by. I'm working on my writing schedule as I recover. Right now I'm going to try for Monday, Wednesday to Friday. But for this week I will not be posting on Thursday. I'll see you on Wednesday for IWSG and my next book review.