Arrived This Week [Jan.23 - Jan.29]

This is another IMM. I had a lot of new arrivals and most of them are print books, so I am very excited! Let's begin...

E-books:

I got both for free from Amazon. I already read and loved The Viscount and the Witch, you can find my review here, I can't wait to get my hands on the actual books of The Riyria Chronicles.

Won from Addicted2Heroines:

I can't wait to read them. They all sound amazing! :)

Bought:

I bought these three used from Awesomebooks.com. Don't be fooled by the 4.50 sticker on the first one. I paid less than 2.50 each. And even though I had them all in ebooks I couldn't resist getting the print versions.

I was expecting this one a week ago when all the other books of the Iron Fey Series arrived but it came a little early, now I have them all and can't wait to start reading them.

This one I got from a bookstore here. I almost never buy books from bookstores in Greece cause they don't have that many English ones and I hate to read the translated. But when I saw this one I remembered all the great things I heard about it and even though I didn't have it in my to-read list, I decided to buy it.

So these are all the books I got this week I am very excited to read them all!

What was on your mailbox?

Strength of a Giant by Tony Passarelli

This is more of a 2.5 but I didn't want to give it two stars.

This wasn't really for me. It was a bit confusing and it took me quite some time to finish considering it's not that big, it's actually pretty small. It's a shame I didn't enjoy it that much, cause I really liked Passarelli's other short story Nash of the Thieves' Guild. This is why I don't really want to say anything negative about it. I am now waiting for more on Nash's story, of which I am a fan.

★★★☆☆

book 6                     book 3

The Outsiders Tour (Interview & Giveaway)

Today it's my stop of The Outsiders Trilogy Blog Tour. Before you go and read the interview and enter the wonderful giveaway, let me tell you first that I really enjoyed reading Swirls (can't wait for the next one) and that I also really enjoyed working with F.A. Hershey on her banner and button. Yeap these babies are mine! Anyways let's start with the Interview.

You can find my review here.

1. Let's begin with your book, can you tell me a few things about Swirls? 
Swirls follows Julia’s story as her family decide to move away to the Amazon. Julia is a native tribe’s descendant, and as much as her father sees this opportunity as a good way for her to go back to her own roots, she isn’t very keen on abandoning her life in London for a forest she’s never been to. To top it all, she’s being haunted by a strange recurrent dream where she is abducted by a female red-head who will change her life forever. There is a lot of “family roots” theme in this story and Julia is in the centre of it. Folklore, friendship, self-discovery and a lot of mystery is also there, needless to mention a good romance – though it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before!

2. What triggered the idea of the series, where did it all begin? 
It all began with a very vivid dream I had of being abducted by a strange female red-head. I don’t remember ever having such a realistic dream in my life. It will haunt me for the rest of my life, I’m sure. I have re-created the same dream as best as I could and made it Julia’s. That was the start point for the series. I didn’t have a plot, I didn’t have any characters, I just began to imagine what someone else would have made of this dream, and what if it hadn’t been a dream at all.

3. How did you create your main characters, are they based on anyone? 
They are not particularly based on anybody I know, but I suppose I have picked up traces of people I love – and secretly hate – and put the pieces together to form my characters. The only character that I can say that was mostly inspired by someone is Halola, which is very much like my best friend back from High School. We’re still in touch nowadays, but she doesn’t know how greatly she inspired this adorable character. “Halolas” DO exist!! 

4. What about the natives? Have you ever been in a native village in the Amazon? 
I have never been anywhere near a village in the Amazon - I was born and raised in Sao Paulo State, in the countryside southeast of Brazil, and I’ve never had a chance to travel to Manaus. But from primary school, we learned a lot about the native people from our country and so I suppose that has made me extra aware of these people’s constant struggle to survive “outside” intervention on a daily basis. 
When working on the plot for Swirls, the idea of linking Julia to tribe people, with their own unique stories and superstitions, just came naturally. I don’t know how I thought about it. It just popped in my mind and it fit. The fact that native people in Brazil today are survivors of the modern world and that they cling to their own ways and traditions no matter what, made me start imagining that they might be more open to what’s really out there. What if stories and superstitions were true? That’s what triggered my imagination. And so I created the Kanuayed tribe from scratch. 

5. In Swirls a somewhat common belief that aliens had already visited our planet comes to life. Do you believe in Aliens? 
Firstly, I strongly believe it would be such a tremendous waste of space in the universe if other living and intelligent beings – similar to us or otherwise – didn’t exist anywhere else but on Earth. And secondly, I believe them to exist somewhere out there – or maybe right before our eyes, who knows! – until I’m proven otherwise. ;-)

6. Where do you usually draw inspiration from? 
I read a lot (usually YA, but some adult fiction too), but I also like to watch a variety of films and TV series and listen to talk shows on the radio. These are great inspiration sources and a great way to hone my skills as a writer. 
Also, when I walk to the supermarket, or anywhere else for that matter, I observe people, and start to think (almost unconsciously): Are they happily walking to wherever it is they’re going to? Is the person smiling? Crying? Whispering on their mobile phones? What could be going on in their lives? Is that woman married or single, maybe a widow? Maybe she is looking for a job.... and these thoughts can get anywhere, sometimes leading me to think of a situation that could potentially be a starting point of a new story. 
I keep an ideas file on my computer (if you do that too, don’t forget to back up your files) and many notebooks around the house and one in my bag for when I go out.  I also build a mental file of people’s appearance in my head so that I can draw from them when building a whole new character.  
I listen to music a lot. My tastes vary according to mood. When I’m writing a romantic scene, for example, I adjust the music genre accordingly. I find it very helpful and inspiring.

7. What do you think is the best and what's the worst thing about being a writer? 
The best thing is the actual writing process, the creation part. Being efficiently able to get into words what’s cooking up inside my head is the best part of it, for me.
The worst thing about being a writer is that it can get lonely sometimes and I had to learn to be self-soothing as away to give myself motivation to go on. It’s also scary when I get stuck. Creepy thoughts begin to worm themselves inside my head, trying to convince me that if I’m stuck, it’s because my story isn’t good enough. But I’ve learned not to fret about it. I give it time, have some coffee, play with the dog, breathe in the fresh air in the back garden, and when I come back to my piece, I feel invigorated and ready to tackle the challenge.   

8. How was your trip through writing and publishing so far?
From drafting to publishing, the journey has been long but quite rewarding for me, in many ways. The day I finished my novel, I stared at my computer screen and thought: I made it. This is it. I wrote my first novel. It’s hard to describe the feeling. I was mostly scared. Scared of the next step, because I knew that becoming an indie writer wouldn’t be an easy path to take. But after a lot of reading, research and about a tonne of sugar and litres and more litres of coffee, I finally published Swirls. 
The cover of Swirls was a “love at first sight” kind of thing. The amazing artist Claudia McKinney from Phatpuppy Art simply knows her craft, and I fell in love with the white horse on the cover the moment I laid my eyes on it. 
But now that book 2 (Threads) is almost reaching publishing stage, I feel a lot more confident. I thank the support of bloggers though. I wouldn’t have fared well without their amazing enthusiasm and unconditional passion for books, at all.

9. Do you have any tips or suggestions for new writers? 

Persevere, and then persevere some more. It’s absolutely essential to believe in yourself even when you think things couldn’t get any worse during the writing process. You just have to find the courage to run over your troubles and make yourself keep going forward.

10.What should we expect from you in the future? When does the second book on the series coming out and are there any more projects under construction? 

I expect Threads (The Outsiders #2) to be out soon (within a couple of months). Threads will continue to follow Julia’s story as she gets deeper and deeper into the world of the Guardians. 

Book 3 (nameless for the time being) is being planned at the moment. I hope I can publish it at some point this year, but right now is hard to be sure of dates. If there is one thing I’ve learned from Swirls is that there is no need to rush. So I will take my time and make sure that when it’s ready, I’ll be able to deliver a story you will come to appreciate and recommend to your friends and family. 

So this was the interview part, I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I did. And now...time for the giveaways. F.A. Hershey is kindly giving away two e-copies of her book Swirls. So it's open International and the only thing you have to do is fill the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Viscount and the Witch (The Riyria Revelations 0.5) by Michael J. Sullivan

When I picked this one up from Amazon for free, I thought I should give it a try, cause I got curious about the series and omg I loved it!

Even in the few pages of it I fell in love with the two main characters Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater. I love that we mostly see the story through Hadrian's eyes, its like his Dr. Watson to a medieval Sherlock. Now don't get me wrong they don't solve mysteries or anything, but the character of Hadrian is simple, caring, trusting and lovable while Royce is more mysterious and dangerous and always has the answer, just like Sherlock! 

Anyways this is so short and perfect (and free, click the image to go to the page) so if you are searching for the new epic fantasy to read go ahead and give this a try it won't dissapoint. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the first book and read more about the awesome duo.

★★★★★

book 5                     book 2

Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum by Stephen Prosapio

Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum is my dream life inside a book.

This is the story of Zach, the host of Xavier Paranormal Investigators, a show that investigates paranormal, visits haunted places and sets the trapped spirits free. Zach is very excited about his next mission. The Rosewood Asylum has been one of the most haunted places around Chicago and has been off limits to everyone. The only thing bad about the new mission is that he has to join forces with another investigating show, The Demon Hunters, and besides that his uncle, who has been possessing him since age three, can't seem to keep his thoughts for himself. Everything is about to go from bad to worse when the investigation begins and a lot of things seem out of place. In order to solve the mystery behind Rosewood and a series of fires, Zach has to first figure out who is on his side.

I really loved this book. It was everything I hoped for and even more. I loved the team of investigators, so many different persons, although at the beginning I could tell which tech guy was which. Maybe to many tech-guys? Anyways, my favorite character, even if we don't get to see a lot of her was Shelly, a kind of CSI girl. I hope there will be more of her in the next book.

The haunted asylum was... well, haunting. I love haunted places, castles, houses, whatever, give me a haunted place and a mystery to solve and I am happy! The mystery was well spread throughout the book, there were so many details add on from chapter to chapter and so many questions and possibilities of what will happen next. Maybe the book wasn't scary enough, since I expected a haunted asylum to be extremely creepy, but the mystery made up for it. I have to say the preview of the next book was damn scary!

★★★★★

 

book 4                       book 1                      book 1

Arrived This Week [Jan.16-Jan.22]

Since most of my X-mas orders haven't arrived yet I am back on the weekly IMM. I got three e-books this week.

NetGalley:

I loved their blurbs and have been waiting for them for a while now, so when I found them on NetGalley I couldn't resist, even with all the reviews books I have lining up.

Smashwords:

This is one of the recommendations from my Smashing Words Giveaway. It was FREE and I liked the blurb so I got it immediately. 

That's all for this week!

What was in your MailBox?

Smashing Words Giveaway

As I have said a few days ago I found out about Smashwords Give as a Gift option only recently and been dying to give it a try. So, what better way to do it than with a giveaway.

There will be two winners, the first one will win Prize Pack #1 and the second one Prize Pack #2, depending on who the rafflecopter picks first and who second. (Obviously these are all e-books!)

Prize Pack #1

Prize Pack #2

I'll keep it very simple for this one, no button grabbing, no posting, just a few simple entries. I have a new FB page so I hope you guys will "Like" it. If you have one of the books listed above you can tell me so when you win and I have my list of smashwords reads that you can choose from. (The Amulet is free and can't be replaced, that's why I am giving it away with its sequel.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Arrived This Week [X-Mas Version Part.2]

This the second part of my X-Mas IMM, and even though I am still waiting for some orders I made before christmas to arrive this one is for everything I got from Amazon.

I am still waiting for The Iron King to arrive but received all the other books of the series. I think it's about time I start this one.

As you can see I also got Supernaturally, I really liked the first one and I thought I should get it too.

And finally I couldn't complete The Iron Fey series without the Novellas.

Now I only need the first book, which will probably arrive next week, and I can start reading....

Want to see what ebooks I got for X-mas? Arrived This Week [X-Mas Version Part.1]

Cover Reveal: Eternal (A Holloway Pack Prequel)

The blurb:

An unmarried woman living in a house of men breeds hearsay and lore. If only the villagers knew the truth.

It’s not Jem Stonehouse’s marital status that brings unwanted strangers to town. Rather, it’s that she is the only female werewolf in existence — a prize to any pack.

Sean Holloway, the love of Jem’s life, has gone to great lengths to protect her. As a new attack becomes imminent, Sean realizes he must take greater measures with Jem’s safety or risk losing her forever.

His first task must be to marry her, but a force greater than the largest werewolf stands in his way.

Her mother.

You can find the book in Goodreads and the publisher's website J.Taylor Publishing

Other books in The Holloway Pack Series:

Click on the images to see their goodreads page.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Woooowwwww!

That's the only thing coming out of my mouth right now, although my head is filled with thoughts. This book was simply...wow! I loved it. It's like it took an empty part of me and filled it with so many emotions.

But let's stop talking nonsence and get straight into business. At the beginning I was a bit confused about what was going on, and honestly I thought it might not be as good as I hoped. See, I love dragons and desperately wanted to read a book about them. Fortunatelly I kept reading and after I got through the first couple of chapters the story started drawing me in. I was hooked.

This is the story of Seraphina, a talented sixteen-year-old girl working at the palace as a music assistand. But Seraphina has a big secret, one that is starting to be imposible to keep to herself, and everything is about to fall apart at the most important day of all is closing in. The treaty's anniversary, between humans and dragon, has everyone in the palace going crazy, especially after the prince is murdered in a suspicious draconian way. But who is the real enemy and will Seraphina be able to hold her secret to herself while finding out who wants to destroy the peace?

I loved the characters of the book, especially the two main ones, Seraphina and Lucian Kiggs. They are both smart, logical and loyal. Both brave and ashamed of what they are. You know when you read a book and you wander why the main character can't realize what's going on while it's so obvious to you? Well, this never happened in this book. The characters where true to themselves and refreshingly smart and witty. 

Finally the world that Rachel Hartman created is so beautifully described that it came to life. I especially loved all the Saints and religion, the Quighole and every other detail that made the world more real.

Definetely something you want to keep your eye on! I can't wait for the next one.

★★★★★

book 3                     book 2

Arrived This Week [X-Mas Version Part.1]

I had a lot of great new arrivals during the holidays or a little bit before and after them, so I thought I should list them all in an X-Mas Version of posts.
Part.1 is all about the ebooks I got. Click on the images for the goodreads page of each book.

I won the whole Insight Trilogy by Jamie Magee! Plus I got two signed bookmarks and a x-mas card. :D

I received Blood Warrior by H.D. Gordon and Straight to Hell by Michelle Scott for review.

I got a few Galleys too.The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers, Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey and Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel.

Lastly, I bought a couple of e-books from Smashwords. I couldn't really resist. I got Sacntion Chronicles: And So It Begins by Dylan Strickland, Elise Massad, Gregory Mark Henry, Terry Kate and Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand.

These are all the ebooks I got in X-mas. What was in your Mailbox this week/christmas?

P.S. I just realized I have 666 followers... lol... I am the devil's blog!