“Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.”

Yes, yes. I know, I’m way behind. First A Game of Thrones and now The Hunger Games – both books are ones I obviously should have read ages ago and yet somehow I’m only just getting to them… it’s not my fault I swear! I am slightly ashamed to admit that I’ve had this series sitting on my shelf for months now and it took the combination of briefly misplacing my Kindle and a friend of mine reading them to finally spur me into action.

I must say, that I very much missed holding a real, paper book in my hands. I’m not sure if it was the fact that I was reading a hardcover book or because the story was just so tantalizing but it seemed to fly by much faster than usual.

But I’m getting ahead of myself!

I first must mention the fact that I don’t actually care for the style that the book was written in. As I have mentioned every single time I read a book written in first person point of view… it’s not my favourite. I’m always a little disappointed when I flip a book open (I can actually say that this time, hehe), and I discover that sad fact. The first couple of paragraphs were hard to get into… and then suddenly the book was over. Obviously my dislike of the POV didn’t hamper me all that much in this particular case. :P

Sadly I had seen the movie, so there wasn’t all that much in the way of surprises for me. Remind me never to do that again. I don’t mind watching the movie after the book, because it’s just a movie — but reading the book second just makes me think about how much better the book would have been if it had been first!

Sorry, getting distracted again. Back to the review!

The storyline was more basic than I was expecting; for some reason I thought there would be more depth and history in regards to the society and government. Perhaps this is something that will be brought more closely to the surface in the sequels. I hope so because as much as I enjoyed the book I felt that I was missing out on a lot of information.

It wasn’t nearly as gory or disturbing as I was expecting, which gives it a bump up in my books. I hate to see books marketed as young adult when really they’re too packed full of violent details.

That’s not to say that it is all fun and games; obviously the very premise behind the book is disturbing on several different levels. But the author didn’t take it too far as many writers in today’s day and age are likely to do. The descriptions that could curdle your stomach are instead often just enough to explain the circumstances; what you really create from them is entirely up to your own mind. Though in my opinion it is more suitable for older teens as there is still (as you may have guessed) a fair amount of violence.

It was an easy read, fast paced and entertaining from the very beginning. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to someone who is a light reader or is new to the reading world.

As for the sequels, do you really have to ask me if I’m going to read them? Obviously my answer is yes.

May the odds be ever in your favour… 

/5

The Hunger Games
Ebook: Amazon, Kobo Books and Barnes & Noble.
Paperback: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BooksAMillion and Indigo Books.
Audio Book: Audible

“If you live LONG enough… love (and danger) will find you.

A new family has just arrived in the isolated mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. Welcome the Johnstons – Jason (a doctor), Rachel (a designer), and their niece Emily (a current High School Senior).

Emily has lived the life of a quiet loner in the past, trying to go unnoticed. But with Telluride being such a small and welcoming town, she finds a group of friends at school almost immediately. When Emily meets Link (another new transplant in town) her world turns upside down. She doesn’t understand why she feels a magnetic pull toward him, or why she unknowingly lets her guard down around him. Link is just as confused by his own need to be with her.

Emily knows she is playing with fire. She should be doing whatever she can to keep herself isolated, to keep Link from getting too close. Danger has a way of finding Emily’s family – that is what keeps them on the move. They arrive in a new town every few years – it is safer that way.

Because… Emily isn’t really Emily… her real name is Charity – and Charity has an even bigger secret. Charity and her family are not like other people, they have “skills” that mere mortals cannot begin to comprehend.

Before long, Charity is struggling with the reality that her two lives are coming closer to each other with each passing day. Soon Link will find himself wrapped in a supernatural world that he never knew existed – and discover that mortals are not the only beings that walk this earth.”

When it comes to YA Urban Fantasy/Romance novels, I’m a pretty picky person. The market is flooded with this genre and as a result I’m a little more harsh in my judgment. Just letting you know!

A Chance for Charity is written in first person POV, which as a definite mark in its favour, I didn’t mind all that much. As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of first person, and if the writing isn’t up to par, I won’t continue reading it.

The book starts out at a nice speedy clip, and I must admit that I much preferred the beginning while you were still waiting for all those secrets to be revealed; the mystery makes it more ‘spellbinding’. Once you knew all the hidden details the book slowed down to a quick crawl and pretty much stayed at that pace until the end. It wasn’t ‘too’ slow, but it wasn’t as interest-catching as I enjoy.

Another point in its favor, to balance out my complaining, is the fact that it isn’t too soppy. For some reason YA tends to take the fluff a bit overboard; and it ends up taking away from the story because it’s just too ridiculous. A Chance for Charity was much more toned down in that regard.

Unfortunately I found it a little too ‘unbelievable’ for my tastes; certain character reactions weren’t real enough — especially when a certain minor character loses someone. They should have been upset, very upset… and suspicious of everyone involved. Not simply sad and willing to fall immediately in love with the first individual of the opposite sex they see after it happens. (I tried to keep that as spoiler-free as possible. :P )

So to wrap it up; the story wasn’t particularly elaborate, but it was always intriguing enough to keep me reading. It’s an easy read with no strong hanky-panky — I’d say it would be just fine for older teens. There are some typos but they aren’t endless and though it definitely has its flaws I enjoyed it and found a small smile snuck out when I reached the end. 

/5

You can find A Chance For Charity as an ebook on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.

… or in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

“”Time held no meaning as my mind darted in and out of memories. Past and present collided to create a full-sensory collage out of my life: playing hide-n-seek with my best friends Luke–who always cheated by walking through walls when he was about to be caught–and Lucy; Mr. Caldrin critiquing my sketches and offering ideas to make them more realistic; targets changing faces, blending into the same person, their thoughts rippling through my mind like waves. Through it all, a demon stalked me from the shadows of my memories, never quite showing its face, but crouching, waiting.

And then I dreamed….”

Sam and Drake may have escaped, but they aren’t free–not with a powerful Seeker after them. As Sam struggles with the ethics of her new powers and embraces a blossoming physical relationship with Drake, Lucy and Luke face challenges of their own.

With forces coalescing inside and outside the Rent-A-Kid dorms, it’s only a matter of time before the fire they started forces each of them to make choices they can’t undo. But will it be enough to save them?”

This is Book 2 in this series and sequel to Forbidden Mind. 

The first thing you really notice is that there is “more” in this book. More action, more characters, more violence and definitely more sub-plots; I could go on. It really expands upon the basic premise that the first book lays down and takes the story to a whole new level.

I found Forbidden Mind to be geared more towards women; the romance aspect tipped the scales in its favor. However Forbidden Fire is much more gender neutral as the action and other plots have increased exponentially.

This novel was fast paced, easy to read and all-in-all quite well done.

The violence, graphic imagery and death toll in the book bump it up to a 16+ rating, in my opinion. Some might argue that is too high, but I’ll stick to my guns.

There is quite obviously going to be a third book, though this one wraps up a few details it does leave one giant burning question behind… what?? You thought I was going to tell you what that is? Of course not!

You’re just going to have to read it!

/5

You can find Forbidden Fire on Amazon. (As far as I can tell that is the only place it is currently available. If I’m wrong I’ll be sure to update this!)

Thanks for reading; see you Saturday!

“DEADLY SECRETS have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind. 

Until today… 

Warren Wilkes, age 13, doesn’t like what a greedy housing developer has done to his peaceful mountain community, so he vandalizes the developer’s property, flees into the wild, and stumbles upon an ancient human skeleton revealed by torrential rain. More than old bones have been exposed, however, and the curious artifact Warren finds makes him question his own identity, and his connection to an ancient terror. A terror destined to rise again and annihilate all that Warren loves. He must fight or see his whole world destroyed.”

For the first third of this book I would have asserted that The Gaia Wars would be suitable for anyone over the age of ten.

Once more of the plot began to be revealed it jumped rather quickly. (A few creepy deaths will do that to my ratings.) Thankfully they weren’t detailed; it was more just the fact that it happened. However mild it was it still makes it a 13+ rating in my books.

The story was well written and edited, I only noticed one minor typo.

It was certainly interesting and more thought out and unique than many sci-fi books geared for a younger audience. The novel was easy to read and expands on a few thought provoking scientific theories. If it focused on them a little more, and didn’t include the rather pointless deaths — I would give this story a much higher rating. I’m simply not a fan of people dying, especially in kids books; even more so when it doesn’t really do anything to advance the plot.

/5

The story doesn’t end with The Gaia Wars, to truly form an opinion I need to read the second novel, Battle for Cascadia; which I will get to shortly.

Once I have read it I’ll be sure to post a review for it as well. In the meantime test out The Gaia Wars:

Find it on:
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes and Noble (Nook)

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of The Gaia Wars eBook edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including a Kindle Fire, Amazon gift cards up to $100 in amount, 5 autographed copies of the book, and 5 autographed copies of its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 9th, so you don’t miss out.  

To Win the Prizes:

1. Purchase your copy of The Gaia Wars for just 99 cents on Amazon or Barnes & Noble
2. Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes
3. Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!
4. BONUS:  If you leave a comment on this blog post, you have another chance at $100!

…And I can win too!

Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.  

The Featured Events include:

Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by Novel Publicity’s Facebook page and share their latest post (you’ll see The Gaia Wars book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. Autographed copies of The Gaia Wars and its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia, are also up for grabs.  

Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Win a Kindle Fire or a $100 Amazon gift card, simply by leaving a comment on Kenneth’s most recent blog post. How easy is that? Autographed copies of The Gaia Wars and its recently released sequel, Battle for Cascadia, are also up for grabs.  

Remember, it’s all about the books!

About The Gaia Wars: DEADLY SECRETS have been buried in the Cascade mountain wilderness for centuries. Hidden. Out of sight and out of mind. Until today… Warren Wilkes, age 13, doesn’t like what a greedy housing developer has done to his peaceful mountain community, so he vandalizes the developer’s property, flees into the wild, and stumbles upon an ancient human skeleton revealed by torrential rain. More than old bones have been exposed, however, and the curious artifact Warren finds makes him question his own identity, and his connection to an ancient terror. A terror destined to rise again and annihilate all that Warren loves. He must fight or see his whole world destroyed. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  

About Battle for Cascadia:  When Warren Wilkes, age 13, stumbles upon a mysterious relic deep in the Cascade Mountains, wonder reigns. Brimming with secrets and sentient energy, the relic leads Warren to a fantastic chamber, and to shocking revelations about his identity. Now wonder has turned to dread. A forgotten terror—a demon that knows Warren better than he knows himself—has risen again and is assembling an army; gathering power with a singularly evil goal in mind: to capture and enslave the wild spirit of the Earth itself. As war erupts and the planet slips into chaos, Warren embraces his destiny and finds help where he least expects it. Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  

About the Author:  Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the Young Adult novels The Gaia Wars and Battle for Cascadia (the second book of The Gaia Wars), as well as the forthcoming Exodus 2018, a paranormal thriller set in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son. Visit him on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.  

Now please enjoy this guest post from the author…

HOW A NASA SCIENTIST’S THEORY INSPIRED A PARANORMAL THRILLER

THE GAIA WARS is fiction, but it was inspired—at least in part—by The Gaia Hypothesis. This hypothesis, proposed by NASA scientist James Lovelock, states that the Earth—the entire Earth—is a living thing. A vast, “super-organism.”

I read an article about Lovelock’s theory a few years back and thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever heard.    

The Earth is alive. Think about it. If Lovelock’s correct, the Earth isn’t simply a chunk of interstellar rock hosting a collection of random ecosystems; it’s a cohesive entity. An organism. A being. I daydreamed about this idea, mulled it over; wondered how it might be incorporated into a novel.  And in my imagination, I took the theory to the next level: What if the Earth is not simply alive, I asked, but also sentient?

I did some reading, and discovered that a lot of so-called primitive cultures believed this very thing. Understood it in their bones.  Our ancestors were in tune with the planet in ways that we’ve forgotten. They could feel her heartbeat. Interpret her rhythms. They created Earth Goddesses to worship and celebrate.

Gaia (pron. guy-uh) is one of the principal deities of the Greek Pantheon. Other cultures used other names: the Tibetan people called the deity Chomolungma—Goddess Mother of the World.  The Sumerians knew her as Ninhursaga.  To Mesoamerican peoples she was Tlazolteotl.

A fictitious Pacific Northwest culture called the Denelai is at the center of THE GAIA WARS.  As readers learn, the ancient Denelai people believed in the Earth goddess so profoundly that she would sometimes appear to them in human form.

At the start of the novel, troubled 13-year-old Warren Wilkes unearths a treasure deep in the Cascade Mountains while fleeing the law, learns about the Denelai and Gaia’s periodic visits, and finds that on one such occasion in 1550 AD, the tribe was attacked and the Earth Goddess wounded. The Indians were slaughtered and Gaia lost her memory and vanished into the wild.

As Warren soon discovers, Gaia is still alive and still trapped in human form. What’s more, the beast that attacked the Indian village 500 years earlier is on it’s way back with an army bred specifically to capture Gaia, unlock her secrets, and seize control of the planet. Warren must fight or see his whole world destroyed.

Readers seem to like the idea of a paranormal thriller with a thinking, feeling Earth at its heart. The feedback has been tremendous. Humbling. On November 24, THE GAIA WARS rose to #17 on Amazon’s list of Top 100 Best Sellers in Children’s Action & Adventure.  The Second Book of The Gaia Wars, BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, (just released) is also doing well. A huge thank you to all the wonderful readers giving these books a try!

Find The Gaia Wars;
On Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Find The Battle For Cascadia:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

“Sam thinks she’s months away from freedom. After spending her life in a secret school, rented out to the rich and powerful as a paranormal spy, she is ready to head to college like any normal eighteen-year-old.

But will their powers be enough to save them before it’s too late?”

I read this book in one sitting, curled up on my couch and sipping my first cup of coffee of the day. You know a book has to be interesting when I can read it before I’ve really had a chance to wake up!

The story is very well written; I didn’t notice any typos and the style is both easy-to-read and engrossing.

It is technically a young adult novel, but it’s not the kind that I would recommend for the younger teens. In fact, in my opinion this book should be 16+. Not that it is particularly graphic but it has some unsettling content that my younger self would have dwelled on for far too long.

That being said, this book was a great introduction to an author whose works I have never read before, (though I’ve been following her on facebook/twitter for a while now). It’s always exciting to discover that an indie author you have been curious about can write as well as you have hoped. No disappointment here!

I look forward to the sequel!

/5

Find this ebook:
On Amazon (Kindle)
Smashwords (Multiple Formats)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)

“Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival–an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.”

The Author, Emlyn Chand

The new ebook ‘Farsighted‘, a YA paranormal mystery, is the debut novel of Emlyn Chand. I’m delighted to be part of the official ‘blog tour’ for the release!

The beginning: The POV offered in this book is rather unique as it is the first person perspective of Alex, a blind teenage boy. Now, I don’t normally care for first person POV’s, but after a few pages I had to admit that for this story, it works. It really helps you imagine what the main character ‘sees’ — definitely the right choice for the novel!

It was very easy to get lost within the story, and I think you would enjoy it whether or not you read YA novels on a regular basis.

Every once in a while I found myself disliking the main character for not being as noble as I wanted him to be. Brownie points to the author for writing him realistically rather than ‘perfect’.

I think 14+ would be a good age group for this novel. There is nothing explicit or too graphic, but there is definitely some violent content and unsettling imagery in Alex’s visions. As with many paranormal books there are the less pleasant aspects to deal with as well as all the ‘cool’ abilities.

When it comes to grammar and typos, you shouldn’t be concerned. If there were any, they weren’t very noticeable – this is one of my biggest beefs with ebooks and for once I have no complaints!

No vampires, werewolves, faeries or undead in this novel; it’s just straight up paranormal, which is a nice change.

And the end? Well lets just say that if there isn’t a sequel… I’ll be very, very disappointed!  

/5 

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK:  Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t.  When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).  

THE CASH PRIZES:  Guess what? You could win a $100 Amazon gift card as part of this special blog tour. That’s right! Just leave a comment below saying something about the post you just read, and you’ll be entered into the raffle. I could win $100 too! Please help by voting for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll. To cast your vote, visit the official Farsighted blog tour page and scroll all the way to the bottom. Thank you for your help with that.  

THE GIVEAWAYS:  Win 1 of 10 autographed copies of Farsighted before its paperback release by entering the giveaway on GoodReads. Perhaps you’d like an autographed postcard from the author; you can request one on her site.

THE AUTHOR:  Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There’s more fun below. Take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

“The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.” 

I first became aware of this story when it was made into a movie, I didn’t run across the book until a few months ago when I was shopping for books for my nephew’s birthday. He was turning 10 and is an absolutely voracious reader, a fact which pleases me to no end. (Seriously, you have no idea how happy it makes me!)

He read this book and loved it so much he tracked down the second book “The People of Sparks” at the library. It was then passed onto my mother, who also enjoyed it, and then to me.

It was fabulous.

Not just as a kids book, of which the goods ones seem to be getting harder and harder to find, but as a story in general. The writing is simple and straightforward, though not overly dumbed down to the point that it is actually irritating to the better readers. The descriptions are vivid and yet not over done and the characters are superb.

The description on the paperback reads as follows;

“Citizens of Ember shall be assigned work at twelve years old… 

Lina Mayfleet desperately wants to be a messenger. Instead, she draws the dreaded job of Pipeworks laborer, which means that she’ll be working in damp tunnels deep underground

Doon Harrow draws messenger — and asks Lina to trade! Doon wants to be underground. That’s where the generator is, and Doon has ideas about how to fix it. For as long as anyone can remember, the great lights of Ember have kept the endless darkness at bay. But now the lights are beginning to flicker…”

This is straight up adventure; no overly disgusting bad guys, no unnecessary violence — just a fabulous story. Perfect for any age.

/5

Find this ebook on:
Amazon for Kindle
Barnes & Noble for Nook
Kobo Ebooks

“16 year old Eden Matthews has been in and out of private schools for the last two years. She can’t seem to stop herself from closing them down. Kingsley is her last chance to finish high school and the last private school willing to accept her. She is focused on just getting through graduation until she realizes Kingsley is not like the other private schools she’s been to. The students may be different, but so is she. And after meeting Kiran Kendrick, the boy who won’t leave her alone and seems to be the source of all of her problems, she is suddenly in a world that feels more make-believe than reality. To top it off, she is being hunted by men who want to kill Kiran and her best friend Lilly is taken away to a foreign prison. Eden finds herself right in the middle of an ancient war, threatening everything she loves. She alone has to find a way to save her best friend and the boy who has captivated her heart. Reckless is an intricate story about mystery, adventure, magic and forbidden love. Eden Matthews is an unlikely heroine determined to save the world and be with her one, true love before it’s too late.” 

This is the young adult book that I was referring to in my last review. I’ve finally gotten around to reading it and I have lots to say. Some good. Some bad.

The good: The story is a great teen novel. Imperfect characters, forbidden love, the angst that wanting the impossible brings. It’s a good storyline and it has a lot of potential. I enjoyed it from an adult standpoint and could definitely appreciate it from a YA one.

It is interesting to the point that it makes you want to read the second book in the series right away, a detail that I always find important. (If you don’t really care about the second book, then how good was the first one really?)

The bad: The grammar. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about this, but the grammatical mistakes in this story are quite prolific. Normally such mistakes would have me deleting a book from my kindle within a few pages, and I would never review it — this one was different. The writing in general was much better than books normally are when they have these kinds of mistakes. By the time they really started bugging me, I was already too far into the story to turn back. It seemed to me that the first half of the book was better than the second half. I’m still glad I read it; and if at any point this novel is edited, I will happily increase my rating of the story.

If you don’t tend to notice grammar mistakes, then definitely check out this novel. You can give it a test just to see: the first book in this series of four is available for free. If you have read it, I would appreciate it if you would let me know your opinion!

/5

Like I said — if I ever find out that the grammar has been fixed, I will absolutely increase my rating! The story deserves much more than just one potion.

Find this ebook on Amazon