Pretty Sacrifices Blog Tour: Review

Book: Pretty Sacrifices

Author: Devin O Branagan

Publisher: Cornucopia

Pages: 283

Second Book in The Legend of Glory Trilogy

Received book from author as part of the blog tour

I was really excited to read Pretty Sacrifices, the second book in The Legend of Glory Trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Glory,  (You can check out my review here ) so I was expecting the same with Pretty Sacrifices and I wasn't disappointed. I couldn't put it down!

In Pretty Sacrifices what is left of the worlds population is trying to rebuilt their lives after the pan-plague killed billions. Glory is trying to settle in back home after saving the world and is starting her senior year of high school. Along with this she is coping as best she can with the loss of her father and the whole saga of the pan-plague. Her mum is a shell of herself as she blames her self for the pan plague, as the pharmaceutical company she worked for created the virus that killed billions of people. Glory is a strong character and she is thinking forward to the future, being strong for her mum. However not everything is as straight forward. Demoness Nyx and her sidekick Micah arrive in her hometown of Union and are out to destroy Glory's family and friends as much as she can. Glory soon realises that the pan plague was just the start of things to come.

The story is told though two characters. Glory in Union who is trying to deal with Nyx and Micah with the help of hunky Angel Nicky who has returned with his angel family, Sasha and Rebekah. And Witch Kaia at the Moonstone Coven who is coming to terms with a premonition from her friend Rory which will change her life forever. Glory and Kaia's lives intertwine again and what we learn takes the story in an amazing and unexpected direction.

There was some great new characters in Pretty Sacrifices one of which has to have a special mention as the most cutest character ever, Belle Starr. I can't wait to see where her character goes in the next book.

The love story between Nicky and Glory is so beautiful, I love Nicky! However vampire Zane is still a problem in the growing love of Nicky and Glory as Glory loves them both, but eventually she is going to have to decide and I hope she picks Nicky.

Overall Pretty Sacrifices was an epic read and many sacrifices where made which has changed the lives of many characters. The characters where great, the good and the bad, the writing and flow of the story is prefect and has great twists and turns that kept me hooked. If you haven't checked out the series yet, I highly recommend you do. I can't wait for the last book in the trilogy Genesis!

5/5 STARS

PRETTY SACRIFICES is available in both print and eBook formats.

www.GloryLegend.com has links to most of the places where PRETTY SACRIFICES may be purchased: http://www.devinwrites.com/legendofglory.html And while there, check out photographs of all the characters from the novel and see a very cool book trailer video!

Facebook Legend of Glory Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/GLORY-The-Legend/363913134890

Devin on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/devin.obranagan

Devin on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/DevinWrites

YA Feature: SC Langgle

This weeks YA Feature author is SC Langgle author of March 2013 release, Alice in Everville. Check out my interview with the author and why not add Alice in Everville to your goodreads list!

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got into writing?


I’m originally from Baltimore, Maryland, but I’ve been living in Los Angeles, California off and on since 2006, when I moved here to attend the Master of Professional Writing Program at USC. I’m currently living in Hollywood, only a block from the Walk of Fame (where all the stars with celebrities’ names line the pavement), and I love it! I’ve been working as a freelance editor and writer for a while—I’ve written educational study guides, press releases for musicians, and more, and I edit a lot of romance novels!

I’ve always been a huge reader, especially of children’s and young adult books, and that’s definitely how I got into writing. I’ve actually never enjoyed the process of writing—it kind of feels like knocking my head against a brick wall over and over!—but I guess through reading so much, I developed some talent for creative writing that teachers remarked on in middle and high school. As a result, I ended up studying writing in college and then in graduate school, but I still wasn’t sure about becoming a novelist. Honestly, I don’t think I would have attempted a novel if I had a secure full-time job, but with the economy in its current state, I felt I had no choice but to try writing a novel…and now I’m on my fourth! It’s still difficult, and I still prefer reading, but reading doesn’t pay the bills! And of course finishing a book feels very satisfying once you’re done.

　
Your debut novel Alice in Everville releases next March. Can you tell us a little about it?

Alice in Everville is a hard story to summarize…luckily my amazing publisher helped me come up with the perfect blurb, which is below. However, since I know some people (like, um, me) tend to space out when it comes to reading blurbs, here are a few tidbits:

It’s a YA novel (although I think upper-middle-grade readers would enjoy it as well) about a fourteen-year-old girl named Alice Little.

It takes place entirely over one day.

While it’s a realistic novel, there’s a slightly surreal, quirky, larger-than-life feeling to it…one reader compared it to Dr. Suess’s Whoville, which I think is fairly apt.

The text includes poems which contain a code the main character solves to reveal a secret message.

The novel includes many plays on words and some original song lyrics.

And if that’s not enough for you, here’s the blurb:

A poem can seem like a labyrinth, a maze of words you can lose yourself in. The key is to find a thread to hold on to, to guide you in your reading, to lead you into and out of a labyrinth of words…

　

Alice Little thinks she’s read every word the world-famous poet Sylvie Plate published before her untimely death…until she discovers a coded message hidden in Sylvie’s final collection of poems--a message that may explain the poet’s mysterious demise.　　

All she has to do is decipher the code and she knows she can convince her beloved English teacher, Miss A, that Sylvie’s message is real. Unfortunately, she only has one manic day at Everville Mall to do it. And between keeping track of her fountain-splashing, havoc-wreaking sister, finding a new copy of Sylvie’s poems, and…oh yeah…dealing with the blue-eyed, guitar-playing, majorly swoon-worthy Jaden Briar, who keeps popping up everywhere she goes, Alice wonders if she will ever finish deciphering in time.

Where did the idea for Alice in Everville come about?

This may sound silly—and/or familiar—but I pretty much dreamed the first scene of this book exactly as it appears in the finished novel. I’m sure some of my inspiration came from a friend who’s obsessed with the poet Sylvia Plath, but in the dream, my main character wasn’t reading Sylvia Plath—she was reading “Sylvie Plate.” From that detail, I knew my book existed in a slightly altered, surreal, exaggerated world, even though it’s ultimately a realistic story at heart. That insight allowed me to create heightened situations (i.e., every single person in the town of Everville goes to the mall on Saturdays), and I had a lot of fun coming up with names. For example, the Everville Mall contains Never 22 rather than Forever 21, the Flowering Vale department store rather than Bloomingdale’s, and a very popular coffee shop called K. Cubrats (read it backwards!). As for the larger plot arc, it developed pretty naturally from the original scene I dreamed—I knew my heroine was dealing with family issues and that the secret message in Sylvie Plate’s poetry would somehow illuminate her own family relationships.

How has the process been for you from writing the book to getting a publisher?


While Alice in Everville is the shortest book I’ve written so far, it was also the most difficult to write, I think because it was my first—and because, as mentioned above, it has this slightly surreal element to it and a lot of plays on words/hidden codes/etc. Although I do have an agent now, I didn’t when I sold Alice in Everville, so I queried my publisher (Pendrell Publishing) directly and was thrilled when they offered to publish the book. The head of Pendrell Publishing is actually located near me in Los Angeles, so I’ve been able to meet with her several times and work with her closely on the book production, which is great—definitely not an opportunity you’d get with a huge publisher! Pendrell is also going to publish my second novel, which I’m thrilled about—I’ll have more info about that on my blog in the future.

How would you describe you writing style?


My style varies according to what I think my characters and current book need to tell their story in the best way. Alice in Everville has a chatty, upbeat, young-teenage style in spite of the serious subject matter, while my next two books were written in verse and have a slightly darker, more poetic style. And now I’m working on a historical fiction YA, which is completely different! Whatever I’m writing, I like to use vivid language and imagery that illuminates the characters and their emotions. I also tend to be a fairly spare writer—I think there’s power in what’s left unsaid, and I like to let readers draw their own conclusions and meanings rather than spelling everything out.

What is a typical writing day for you?

Uh…I don’t really have one! When I’m working on a project, I always want to get it done as soon as I can, so I try to write as much per day as possible before I burn out. Unfortunately, that’s not very much—1500 words would be a very, very good day for me! I also edit a lot while I’m writing, so by the time I’m finished most of the prose has been through at least three edits. And I mull over plot and character problems even when I’m not writing.

Some bookie questions to get to know the author!

Favourite 2012 YA read?

Hmm, that’s a hard one! If you mean a book that came out in 2012, I loved My Book of Life by Angel by Martine Leavitt, which actually isn’t coming out till later this year (I was lucky enough to get an early ARC). If you mean a book I’ve read this year, I adored Song of the Magdalene by Donna Jo Napoli.

Favourite YA genre?

Contemporary, fantasy, urban fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction…sorry, I can’t narrow it down any more than that!

Favoruite book as a child?

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

A book that has taught you something?


I think pretty much every book I read teaches me something! But a recent read that had an amazing amount of historical and cultural detail was The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. I was never too interested in the history of Jerusalem and Israel, but this book makes it all FASCINATING.

A YA you would reccommend we check out?

The Weetzie Bat series by Francesca Lia Block—these definitely don’t get the attention they deserve!

Quick Fire questions:

Beach or lake?

Both!


Ice-cream or forzen yogurt?

Both, but soft-serve fro yo is the best.


Heels or converse?

Heels, but only because I have a weird aversion to tennis shoes…my actual answer would be flip-flops.

　

La or New York?

LA—I live here, after all! We have the beach and the great weather!

　

Ebook or paperback?

As long as it has the same words, I don’t care how I read it…although I do get tired of ebooks if I read too many in a row!

　

　

Check out SC Langgle on her:

Blog
Twitter
Add Alice in Everville to Goodreads

Author Interview: Lisa Nowak

Hi Lisa, Welcome back to the blog, since we last had you on the blog your have released the second book in the Full Throttle Series. How has the response been with the release of the second book in the series and is there any plans for more in the series?


Thanks for having me back, Megan. My second book, Getting Sideways, has been well-received by fans of Running Wide Open, and the reviews have been great. I have five books planned for the series. Running Wide Open is currently free on Amazon.com and other retailers, if any of your readers would be interested in downloading it to see if my series is right for them. (It’s not free on Amazon UK yet.)




In May you released a new novel called Driven, can you tell us a little about it?

Driven is actually book 3 in the series, and though it shares characters, it has a new protagonist.

Sixteen-year-old Jess wants to be a mechanic, but no one will take her seriously because she’s a girl. She’s never even considered having a boyfriend because she thinks no guy would look twice at her. When she lucks into the opportunity to work on a race car, she’s befriended by a boy who doesn’t mind the grease under her fingernails (Cody from the first two books) and drawn into the family-oriented speedway community. These new friendships make it increasingly difficult for her to keep her mom’s alcoholism and neglect a secret—something she must do at all costs to avoid gettingstuck in a foster home.

Where did you get the idea for Driven?

I’d already written the original version of Running Wide Open and wanted to do something more with the characters, and I also had an idea for a book about a girl mechanic from a broken home who street raced a tricked-out Gremlin. I melded the two ideas together, but made the Gremlin into a Pinto because it’s much more impressive to cram a V-8 into a 4-cylinder engine compartment. A Gremlin engine compartment is actually quite roomy. I’m sure that’s more than you wanted to know about the mechanical aspects. :)

We know you write coming of age books that somehow involve amateur stock car racing but is there another genre you would like to explore?

I’ve got a first draft written of a dark paranormal YA book, and I’m also working out the details of a series of YA paranormal novellas about a girl who’s a plant whisperer—she can hear plants talk. Of course there’s a whole mythology to it, and a threat to the world as we know it. And a hot love interest.

　

Why should we read Driven in one sentence?

Driven is a deeply layered, character driven book that covers some serious subject matter while containing plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a touching account of first love.

　

Are you working on any other books at the moment?

I’m doing edits to the next book in the Full Throttle series, Redline (which has some real emotional sucker punches).

Summer questions!

　
What are your plans for this summer?

Editing Redline, doing some in-person speedway promotions (I sponsor a 16-year-old race car driver), running my landscaping business, and learning Photoshop. There’s a lot of graphic design stuff I’ve been wanting to do with my blog, newsletter, Facebook page, etc. and I hope to have time to tackle that, too.

Beach or Lake?

I really love the ocean (I live about a hundred miles from the north Oregon coast), but it’s usually so much warmer inland at a lake. I guess it depends on the time of year. In the summer I’d go for the lake. Any other time I’d go for the beach.


Ice-cream or ice-lolly?

Is ice-lolly the equivalent of our American Popsicles? I’d have to go for ice cream.

Favourite holiday destination?

The place I went to college, Eugene, Oregon, which is also the setting for my books. I love that town, and someday I plan to live there again. It’s a hundred miles from my current home, but I go down to visit several times a year. They have this incredible little chocolate shop there, Euphoria Chocolate Company, so I have to go get my truffle fix from time to time. Oh man, I just drooled on my keyboard.


Favourite thing about summer?

Warm weather, long days, bright blue skies and golden sunlight. Days like that make me feel like I won the lottery.

　


Buy Lisa Books @

Amazon.com



Amazon UK



Barnes & Noble


Smashwords

Stalk the author:



Blog: http://lisanowak.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lisa_Nowak
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LisaNowakAuthor












　

　

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway

Mod Podge Blog Tours kicks off with Gabrielle Carolina's favorite debut of 2012, Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield.

7/9- Kick-off & Giveaway at The Mod Podge Bookshelf
7/10- Interview at Rescue Reads 
7/12- Review at The Story Siren
7/13- Guest Blog at author Kelsey Sutton's Blog
7/15- Debut Author Spotlight Interview & Giveaway at Page Turners Blog
7/16- Guest Blog at 365 Days of Reading
7/17- Guest Blog at Magnet For Books
7/18- Interview at Steph Su Reads
7/19- Giveaway at YA Bliss
7/20- Interview & Giveaway at Reading or Breathing
7/21- Review at The Mod Podge Bookshelf
7/22- Giveaway at Midnight Garden
7/23- Guest Blog and Giveaway at Reading Away the Days
7/24- Giveaway at Books to Consider
7/25- Guest Blog at Words Like Silver
7/26- Review at Making the Grade
7/27- Interview at Book Chic
7/28- Guest Blog at The Mod Podge Bookshelf 

For more info on future tours, as well as author info for being hosted on MPB, please check out the new Mod Podge Blog Tour Page on The Mod Podge Bookshelf.

***

When Megan asked me to guest blog about my writing preferences and peculiarities as part of the AMELIA ANNE IS DEAD AND GONE tour, I thought, "Peculiarities? PSH. I don't have peculiarities! I have charming idiosyncrasies and an artistic temperament!"... after which I spent several hours dancing down the street to the Rocky soundtrack while eating macaroni and cheese out of a football helmet.

Okay, not really. And actually, when it comes to the when, where, and how of my working habits, it's all business as usual. Like most writers, I have a few tried-and -true habits for working effectively. For instance:

I take deadlines seriously.

Not that this stops me from completing all my work in the final three seconds before said deadlines arrive. (You call it procrastination; I call it Quiet Do-Nothing Thinky Time.)

I watch my diet.

The more deeply involved I am in a project, the less I forget to eat. During the height of my first major rewrite of AMELIA, my lunch consisted of licking the plastic liner from inside a box of Cheez-Its more than once.

I'm always ready when inspiration strikes.

I used to keep a notepad and pen by my bed so that I could write down any brilliant ideas I woke up with in the middle of the night. This lasted as long as it took me to try it once, wake up the next morning, and discover that what had seemed like a great idea at 3am was actually just a poorly-articulated plot summary of "Austin Powers 3: Goldmember".

I take breaks.

I have a charming medical condition known as chronic urticaria (this is fancy medical-speak for Giant Itchy Hives Everywhere, All The Time); my writing schedule requires a day-long nap every 2-3 weeks because the pills I take for it turn my brain into soup. At this point, I just kind of go with it.

I dress appropriately.

Fifty percent of my work is written without the aid of pants.

...Okay, eighty.

...Okay, all of it. I'm pantsless as I write this. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Thank you Kat for the great post and to Gabrielle for setting up this tour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promo and Giveaway- Empyreal Fate Blog Tour

This tour was organised by Kerry-Ann McDade @ Reading A Little Bit Of Everything



Length: 425 (estimate)Date Released: April 2012
Publisher: Hydra Publications

Book Blurb:

Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.

The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of mans’ mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate’s decree can allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity.

Behold: A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate – Part One.

Author bio & links:

Born in 1993, Rachel Hunter has always been fascinated with words and the intricate way in which they combine. Since a child, she has been an avid writer, winding vibrant tales and elaborate stanzas on folded bits of paper.

As the years passed, her love of words never died; her adoration for reading fared no equal. Always with her nose in a book, Rachel took fondly to works spanning all genres. Yet it was the compelling grasp of fantasy and science fiction that wrenched her fascination above all.

In March of 2012, Rachel published her first short story with Trestle Press, titled, "Perfect Nothing", which recounted her harrowing relationship with an eating disorder and was also fueled by her passion for psychology. But her writing does not end there. While currently pursuing a degree in psychology and in the medical field at the University of Oklahoma, she aspires also to illuminate the creative spark of eager readers. In her desire to incite intrigue, she is simultaneously exploring new worlds and creating vast empires of her own. "Empyreal Fate" is only the first in her Llathalan Annal series. Indeed, it is only the beginning.
Website: http://www.rachel-m-hunter.yolasite.comBlog: http://www.rachel-m-hunter.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/young_author
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762735.Rachel_Hunter
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Hunter/170131499766376
Purchase Link: Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Empyreal-Fate-Llathalan-Annal-ebook/dp/B007WWB24W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335264877&sr=1-1
Hydra Publications:

http://www.hydrapublications.com/empyreal-fate/

Giveaway is an eBook of Empyreal Fate! :)

Leave a comment with your email address. Giveaway ends 31st July 2012

Goodluck!

YA Feature: Lisa Orchard

This weeks YA author is Lisa Orchard. Lisa is the author of The super Spies series! Enjoy the interview and leave a comment for the author.

*Please note* I am holding a tour for The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer on August 6th though to August 12th. I have a few spaces left for interviews, guest posts or book excerpts. If your interested please contact via my email which you can find in the contact section*

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got into writing?

I became hooked on Nancy Drew Books at a very young age, and by the time I reached fifth grade I was writing my own mysteries. To this day, I love mysteries and thrillers. So it was very natural for me to choose the mystery genre for my debut novel, "The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer". Even though I knew I wanted to be a writer since I was young, I didn’t start pursuing that dream until I stayed home with my kids. I’m so glad I did! Not only was The Super Spies series born, but I’m also able to be there for my kids. That’s important to me. 

Can you tell us a little about your novel "The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer"?


It’s a story about three girls who discover the dead body of the "Cat Lady" during an innocent game of Truth or Dare. They are discovered at the scene and taken into custody by the police. The story unfolds from there as the girls form their own detective squad and try to snare the "Cat Lady" Killer.

Where did you get the idea for the book?

I got the idea for the book from some of my own exploits as a teen. Of course, they’re greatly embellished in the story. I wanted to be a detective when I was younger and I even formed my own detective squad with my friends. Needless to say, we didn’t investigate a murder, but we still had fun!

I like the cover of "The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer" it has a slightly creepy feeling to it. Who designed it and did you have much say in the designing process?

Elaina Lee is the designer of the cover and when I filled out my paperwork for Astraea Press they asked about my ideas for the cover. They also asked who I wanted to design the cover. I gave them my ideas and Elaina Lee came up with what you see today! I loved it as soon as I saw it! She really hit the nail on the head!

What genre would you class your book as? YA what?

I would class it as a YA mystery or a YA thriller.

The second book in the series releases next week. Do you plan on writing any more books in the series after this?

Yes, I do. The third one is in the planning stages! 

Why should we read your book "The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer" in one sentence?

Hmmm…good question. Because not only is it a great story, but there are life lessons that the reader learns right along with the characters. It’s full of suspense! Readers couldn’t put it down.
 I know…I know….I was supposed to only use one sentence. 

Some bookie questions:

Favorite book as a kid and why?

I would have to say "To Kill a Mockingbird". I loved Scout’s spunkiness and Atticus Finch’s ability to stand up for what he believed in. It was a great story.

A book you could read over and over again, and why?

I would have to say the first book in The Hunger Games series. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was very well written and I had a hard time putting it down.

If you could have written any book what would it have been and why?

When I was in Jr. High we read the book "Where the Red Fern Grows". It was a very emotional story and I loved it. It was about a boy and his relationship with his two dogs. I find relationships intriguing, especially the bond between a child and his pet. The book was able to capture the essence of that bond and I would have loved to have been the one to illustrate that to the world.


　
If you could invite two authors to dinner who would it be and why?

I would invite Harper Lee because I want to find out why she published only one of her books. And I would invite Stephen King. I would love to hear where he gets his ideas for his stories.





Final word from the author:

The second book in the Super Spies series is scheduled for release on July 26th and it's titled " The Super Spies and the High School Bomber" and it's a doozie! Check it out!

If you enjoyed the interview and maybe want to try it out, it is only $0.99 on sale! You should give it a go!

Buy Lisa's book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Stalk the author:

www.lisaorchard.com

Twitter

Facebook

Empyreal Fate Blog Tour: Character Profile

Full Name: Amarya Duravyn-wren

Special Gift: She is attuned to Nature's divine spirit - and the spirit inside herself - thus enabling an internal connection akin to magic


Physical Description:
(If it's okay, I added an excerpt of when Darrion first met Amarya):

As he lowered his gaze, something from the corner of his eye snagged
Darrion’s attention. Jerking his head, he glanced closer at the forest floor and was
startled to see a young woman lying at his feet beneath the solid oak - nearly
camouflaged by the surrounding foliage. Motionless in sleep, she lay -statuesque.
Darrion held his breath as he gazed upon the woman, unsure of how to
react. Instinctively, he thought it best to leave her and continue silent on his way. But
something held him fast; his limbs were heavy. He found he could not help but
admire the strange contentment of the woman’s stillness.
The streaming sunlight cast a faint glow upon the figure’s delicate features,
revealing high cheekbones and a proper nose. Overflowing locks of bronze hair
caressed her petite frame, gently spilling about the surrounding grass. The woman’s
porcelain complexion, striking now that Darrion defined it as separate from the forest
shroud, accentuated the graceful curves of her careful body. She was almost godtouched,
an unclaimed wonder of nature’s invaluable possession. Ever still, she lay
all but exposed to the open world.

-Scene from Empyreal Fate (Part One of Rachel Hunter's 'A Llathalan Annal' series)


Background
She is an elven Royalblood of the kingdom of Androth, daughter of King Sethran and Queen Nardrissa – a line of Duravyn-wren blood.

Who she lives with:
Amarya lives at the elven palace in Androth with her father, King Sethran, and the palace attendants.

Where she lives:
Kingdom of Androth - elven realm within the Forest Illex (located in the land of Llathala)

Likes:
Communing with Nature and embracing the divine connection within.

Dislikes
The vanity of mankind - their childish, destructive ways.

Mysteries
You must read on until the very end... No spoilers here~

Blurb:

Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.

The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of mans’ mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate’s decree can allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity.


Behold: A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate – Part One.

Author bio & links:

Born in 1993, Rachel Hunter has always been fascinated with words and the intricate way in which they combine. Since a child, she has been an avid writer, winding vibrant tales and elaborate stanzas on folded bits of paper.

As the years passed, her love of words never died; her adoration for reading fared no equal. Always with her nose in a book, Rachel took fondly to works spanning all genres. Yet it was the compelling grasp of fantasy and science fiction that wrenched her fascination above all.

In March of 2012, Rachel published her first short story with Trestle Press, titled, "Perfect Nothing", which recounted her harrowing relationship with an eating disorder and was also fueled by her passion for psychology. But her writing does not end there. While currently pursuing a degree in psychology and in the medical field at the University of Oklahoma, she aspires also to illuminate the creative spark of eager readers. In her desire to incite intrigue, she is simultaneously exploring new worlds and creating vast empires of her own. "Empyreal Fate" is only the first in her Llathalan Annal series. Indeed, it is only the beginning.


　

Website: http://www.rachel-m-hunter.yolasite.com

Blog: http://www.rachel-m-hunter.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/young_author

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762735.Rachel_Hunter

Review: Betrayed by Ednah Walters

Book: Betrayed
Author: Ednah Walters
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 336
Series: The Guardian Legacy (2)
Received book from publisher for review!

I was very excited to receive Betrayed from Spencer Hill Press for review. I loved reading Awakened the prequel to Betrayed last year, (A Prequel is a story containing events that precede those of an existing work) it was a great paranormal read with great characters so I was expecting the same from Betrayed and I wasn't disappointed!

Betrayed kicks of a few months after the events in Awakened. Lil the main protagonist is trying to balance her two lives, the one with her human friends and her duties and training with her Guardian friends. When Lil is thinking everything is starting to balance out her evil father walks (well rings) back into her life and everything starts to go wrong. There is a trader in the Guardian academy, Lil's human friends are being manipulated and one is being used as a physic "conductor"  and to top it of her hot boyfriend ( I heart Bran) is acting strange! What is a girl to do in these situations, well if your Lil Falcon, deal with the situation as best she can and fight back!

Betrayed was a fast paced adventure which I loved. Lil was as feisty and amazing as ever. She is a protagonist that everyone will like. She may act like a typical teenager like not wanting to do her training etc and hang out with her boyfriend and friends but when things are bad she doesn't hid away from them, she fights though it showing strength and determination.

I loved her relationship with Bran. Even though they have to overcome issues in Betrayed they get though it though love and hope and I hope they continue to do this in the next book as there troubles are far from over.

The other characters in Betrayed are as great as ever. My favourite Guardian guy apart from Bran is of course Sykes. He is such a great character, he is so funny, charming and he really does care about the team even though he sometimes acts like he doesn't. We are also introduced to some new characters in the book. The evil Solange who I disliked, however I did feel a tinie tiny bit sorry for her at one point, but only one point :) and cute Angelina one of the awesome gifted demon children which I can't wait to hear more about in Hunted. She was so cute but also very feisty, honest and a little scary :)

Overall I really enjoyed Betrayed. I loved the characters and the story was fast paced and exciting with a lovely and heartfelt romance thrown in. I can't wait for the next book in the series, Hunted!

5/5 Stars