{GIVEAWAY} Delta Legend by Kelan O'Connell

Hey book lovelies!!

Guess what?? I have another giveaway for you and this one is... awesome!! Kelan O'Connell has graciously offered to give away 1 ebook of her book Delta Legend along with a signed poster and something very unique. An origami crawdad! I know isn't that so cool :)

What's Up For Grabs:

An ebook of Delta Legend by Kelan O'Connell (either mobi. or ePub)

1 signed poster of book cover

An origami crawdad (click link to see images of it)

Delta Legend
By Kelan O'Connell

"When 16-year-old Oakland California teenager, Calvin Pierce, makes a bad decision and winds up getting arrested, his mother is quick to take action. Determined not to lose a second son to the drug and gang violence of the inner city, she sends Calvin to spend the summer working for his great uncle in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

There in the predominately-white region of agriculture and recreational boating, Calvin’s a fish out of water with a chip on his shoulder. But when severed body parts start floating to the surface, his summer of proving himself takes on new meaning.

Something deadly is lurking in the deep, murky waterways of the Delta. Now the daunting task of containing the living incarnation of a mythical creature falls to Calvin and his ragtag posse of oddball characters." - Goodreads

Rules:

This giveaway is international and will end on May 14, 2012

Winner will be picked randomly

Winner's email address will be forwarded to author (this way you can get your prizes!) It will not be shared with anyone else!!

To enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter below!

Oh and more more thing: Good luck! And my the odds be ever in your favor (huge HG fan here <3) !

Power Within by C.L. Causer

Power Within (The Lazarus Children #1)
By C.L. Causer
Published March 12th 2012 (Kindle)
Recieved PDF from author (thanks!)
400 pages

"Charlotte 'Charlie' Gordon wants nothing more, than to be a normal girl. But having a near death accident as a child, she finds out that she has powers. After accidentally electrocuting her sister and blowing up her mother's kitchen, she suppresses her powers for ten years. Unknowing that there are more people like her out there. A lot more.

That is until a secret group of them try and hunt her down because of her unusual abilities. Forcing her family into hiding, she goes on the run. Having to learn about her powers and her past, she meets many new friends along the way. But you can't run forever. She learns that someone has betrayed her to the very people she is running from." - Goodreads

I hope I'm wrong when I say: This is one of those books that probably will never get the recognition it deserves; this is a book that should belong in the market, sitting on shelves at all bookstores. Yes, I think that Power Within is one that many people will enjoy. I certainly did!

Charlotte "Charlie", is a great main character. A girl who wants nothing more than to be normal and to keep others safe, she is a true fighter. When her "powers" start to get stronger, she must run from people who want nothing more than to hurt her, meaning she must leave her family behind. Charlie is a very relatible character and I easily connected to her. A quick thinker and strong willed, you know Charlie will not go down without a fight. Her family and friends, although not going into too much detail, were great to have in the story. Sometimes I found it difficult to keep everyone straight in my head but generally, the important characters stick in your mind. From the people she leaves behind, to the people she meets: they are all interesting to read about. I was surprised by some characters, especially at the end. What I really enjoyed were some of the conversations with Charlie and the friends she makes: they act and speak like real university/college aged teens!

Power Within did start off a little bit slow. Until the first confrontation, I had a hard time getting into it but as soon as we pass a point, I simply could not stop! I was on the edge of my seat and hooked.  I finished the 400 page ebook in one day. The way the story progresses, with the dreams mixed in there (Charlie's), the foreshadowing was impressive. I loved the chunk of the book that contained Charlie's 'on the run' experience. It was like I was watching a movie unfold. All the different settings we are taken to throughout her journey were described well.  Now, the "powers". I thought they were really cool and explained ok. I didn't fully understand how they came to be but I think, since this is a trilogy, it will be explained even more. I want to just mention the ending. (Author note: your cruel you know that?) it was a cliffhanger. And oh my, I was NOT at ALL expecting that revelation at the end. It just kinda made me shock-still... and pained me. I will be looking out for the second book!

I'd highly recommend this for para-normal/sci-fi, romance, action, and mystery fans. It was an incredible ride and I hope others will hop on the train!

Excerpt:

Their tiredness evaporated when they parked the car. They felt safe in the car. Now they were here, and had to go out on foot, it made Charlie feel exposed. The fact that they were parked in a dark tower block with no windows and limited exits, made them reluctant to move. It was an ideal setting for a cliched horror movie story. Or in their case, an ideal spot for Mr. Collins and his goons to grab them.

"We'll get some food in the shopping center," said Jake not moving from the driving seat. They both just sat staring out of the front window.

"Right," Charlie said looking out the car window seeing if there was anyone around. The car park was pretty full with workers and commuter cars. Nobody drove in the city center unless they had to.

"No offence. But if they are going to get us, I don't think these doors are going to keep them out," he said watching Charlie look out the windows. She pulled a face at him and got out of the car. Zipping up her jumper she looked around the car park level. It was even creepier standing there. Just as they walked away from the car, there was this almighty clang, echoing in the hollow building. Charlie's heart raced as they both jumped out of their skins. Whipping around, they saw an old lady picking up a can of beans as she got out of the elevator.

"Oh God," whispered Jake, hugging Charlie from behind, "Run! Run for your life."

"Get off me you idiot," she smiled shaking him off, trying to calm down her racing heartbeat.

Talisman of El by Alecia Stone

Talisman of El
By Alecia Stone
Published by Centrinian Publishing Ltd
Release Date: May 20th 2012
Review copy from Publisher (via NetGalley)
364 pages

"WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds.

Population: Human ... 7 billion.
Others ... unknown.

When 14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He's afraid to tell any­one. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.

Char­lie doesn't know why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary life. The prob­lem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others." - Goodreads

Talisman of El took me to an unexpected place, through an unexpected way with unexpected circumstances. It is quite the unique read!

The characters in this book were awesome and I loved the ease in which the reader can just sink into this story. Charlie Blake is an orphan who turns out to be more than he seems. I really connected with Charlie and he made an impression on me but I have to say, the secondary characters were my favourite. Especially Alex, who is a feisty, free-willed girl that befriends Charlie. Their relationship as best friends and the conversations they had made this book feel real. This is a mythology book, and the conversations between Charlie and Alex, or Charlie and Richmond, or all three together - they ground the story. Through all the adventure, these three friendships stay the same and grow stronger. I simply fell in love with all the characters.

Talisman of El is an adventure story to the max. There is never a dull moment but what I found was that the action/reveals were perfectly spaced. So it wasn't bang, bang, bang in a row. I did get a lost for a few moments in between just because there is a lot of information and quite a bit to take in. I can't testify that the mythology is based on real myths but it was really detailed! That brings it to the writing. Very smooth, the descriptions weren't too overwhelming and the dialogue was witty at times (eased up the heaviness of the book). We do travel to many different settings and the plot unfolds in a way that is logical, one event leading to the other. It was nicely paced. I can't go into too much detail without giving anything away!

This book surprised me, I did not expect to like it as much as I did. Although it is out of the norm for me to read, it was very interesting. Don't let the cover fool you! There is quite the story locked between the pages! I'd recommend this to fantasy, mythology, and adventure lovers. Be warned though, this is going to be a trilogy (but the ending isn't too bad)!

Excerpt:

He glanced at her outstretched hands and then looked back at her face, puzzled.
'Okay, I'll choose." She looked at both fists, her expression pensive, and then lowered her left hand. Opening her right fist, she revealed a circular sweet in a shiny golden wrapper. "It's chocolate with a marshmallow centre - Chocomallow." She gestured for him to take it. "It's not poisoned, I promise." When he didn't take it, she rolled her eyes and placed the sweet in his hand. She then opened her other fist and revealed a matching sweet.
Charlie smiled. "Thanks."
Alex gasped. "He does speak!"
A weird, fluttering feeling churned in the pit of Charlie's stomach. "I'm Charlie."
"I know. We're in the same French class. Welcome to Oakwood."

Book Trailer:

The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle {GIVEAWAY}

Hey everyone!! I was contacted by Krista Holle who wondered if I could help promote her book.........

Of course I said yes! Her book sounds great, see?

The Lure of Shapinsay
By Krista Holle

Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant.

Unexpectedly, Kait is awoken by a beautiful selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure.

Kait obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or has she simply been lured?"-Goodreads

 Here is also the trailer for it:



Now for the giveaway part.......... You want to win this? Signed? While supplies last?



TO WIN THIS: Go to Krista Holle's site and on the right side of the page is the details on how to contact her and get your signed book marks and book plates!! It's that simple: a few follows and you will be able to recieve your signed swag free! (And, you know you should totally get the book!)

G'luck to all and I thank you all for reading! I have a lot in store for you all :)
Happy reading!

Follow Friday

Question of the week: What is one book that you would be nervous to see a movie adaption of because you think the movie could never live up to the book?

I've heard that Divergent by Veronica Roth is going to be made into a movie - without her participating in the script. She said she's going to let them (the movie people) take it where-ever they want. Me nervous? Oh yeah!!! It's one of my favourite books ever and I really hope its not going to be a big flop in the movie adaptation! No way will the movie EVER live up to the book. The book is always better than the movie. Its a fact.




Happy Friday & thanks for reading!

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Where It Began
By Ann Redisch Stampler
Published by Simon Pulse
Read on PulseIt
384 pages

"Sometimes the end is just the beginning.

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.

And Billy's nowhere to be found.

All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way.

It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.

Especially if it means everything changes." -Goodreads

Where it Began has a big message and a lot of heart. It lives up to its genre of contemporary, with its characters facing emotional, yet realistic situations.

When reading Gabby's story, I was compelled to feel the need to help her and try to work things out for her because........she didn't have a brain. I got that she had an accident and had a head-closed-injury but she recovered well enough to get some common sense, right? I wanted to slap and scream at her for being so naive. It doesn't take a genius to see that somebody has something to hide and that somebody is clearly not good for you and somebody should be listening to their friends. What I did enjoy was the way the author brought out her insecurity - many girls today are trying to please parents/boyfriends. As the reader we see how how Gabby is always trying to please someone, somehow, and is always afraid of doing something wrong. I would have liked to see more of her friends because I really enjoyed their presence in the book, and how much they stuck by her.

The plot was a bit frustrating. I loved the concept and I was always trying to figure out the mystery of what actually happened on that night (I had an idea but not the details). The last few pages of the book were the best for me. Why it was frustrating was because all Gabby talks about is Billy, Billy, Nash, Billy Nash. Arrgh, it drove me crazy. I get all the blind devotion and stuff but how about focusing on other friendships or her art? The writing was unique, I loved Gabby's overall voice. The author threw in some [ ] with little humorous things, which gave Gabby personality. It made it fun and there were plenty of descriptions.

I'd recommend this book to contemporary lovers and readers who enjoy slower paced books. It does have a strong message and the characters are realistic in the fact that you will find teenagers like them in the real world. I did feel that it was missing something and that it dragged on a bit but in general it was a good read.

Excerpt:

By now I am overwhelmed by the mystery of the situation. Although, I am in command of several key facts:
1. My name is not Bunny.
2. I have ten fingers, or at least I have six, and none of them actually seems to be missing.
3. I might or might not be in a hospital somewhere.

******

"Gabby," Vivian whispers, "do you remember what you did? Even the tiniest, teeniest detail?
Nope.
"Well, the doctor says that with this kind of head trauma and all those, um, substances, you might not remember... I guess you might not remember yet."