Showing posts with label dystopian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dystopian. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Ozarks Indie Book Fest - First Panel Announced

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I have some exciting news to share with you all today. OIBF's official blogger, The Katy, announced the first panel and moderator for the conference in 2017 (October 19-22)! See the video embedded below.


Want to join in the fun? You can grab your tickets to OIBF on the website here.

Interested in being a sponsor or want an item in the welcome bags? Check out this quick rundown of sponsorships currently available!



I'll be there, and I know a ton of other people who will be there, too!

If you think you'd like to be a part of the OIBF anthology, write a quick 1k words and enter it here. Blind judging will choose the top ten! Deadline for entries is 9/30. Deadline for completed short stories is 12/31. Coolest thing about it? ALL the proceeds will be split between two charities: Loving Paws Rescue and Companions for Heroes. Oh yeah! What are you waiting for?



I do hope to see you all at the conference! It's gonna be a BLAST. You don't wanna miss it.

What do you think? Did you enter? Planning to?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, August 11, 2016

New Release - Friction (Frenzy #4)

Title: Friction (Frenzy, #4)
Buy now!
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Paranormal
Cover Designer: Cover Me Darling
Model: Daniel Wells
Cover Photography: Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: A cure has been found for both the Infection and Vampirism, and Porschia Grant must take this news out of the colony. Between her friends volunteering to go with her and a well-planned route, the first journey should be easy. But when they make it to Mountainside, things are strange. The people are frightened of female night-walkers and won’t say why.
When the excursion takes a wrong turn, Porschia’s friends make a decision that will impact the rest of their lives. They expect to save Porschia from the evil contained in The Manor; they don’t expect to have to save her from herself.
When everything goes wrong, who will be left to pick up the pieces and save Ford from a threat no one could have seen coming?
What will happen when they risk everything to save one?
Award-winning author Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction. You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links: 
Buy Links: #Free with #KindleUnlimited

Friday, March 11, 2016

New Release - Frantic

Happy Friday! Well, you all know you need a new book to read this weekend, and if you've been hanging around the blog, you know Frenzy was a recent five star read of mine (check out my review here). Well, Frantic has hit virtual shelves everywhere, today!

If you haven't read the first one, I urge you to do so here. You won't be disappointed. Zombies and vampires in one novel? Yes, please! And it's just $0.99!

Let's get to the information!

Title: Frantic (Frenzy #2)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Dystopain
Length (print): 195 pages
Buy Links: Kindle $1.99 (KU readers get it FREE)

Blurb:
Porschia Grant is in Frenzy. The hunger is constant. It’s all-consuming, as is the pain and sickness. Something went wrong when she turned. Perhaps it was the fact that an infected bit her moments before, or maybe it’s something else entirely.

One thing is certain, if Porschia can’t learn to feed, she will die. If she can’t learn to control her extreme emotional swings, she will kill someone. And that would destroy her.

How long can the night-walkers keep her turning a secret from the Colony? Will Saul stand beside her now that she’s changed? And what will happen when she re-enters the forest?

~~

You know you need more! If that's not enough to convince you, check out this snippet from Ethan over on OGG2GR:


Here's the link to his whole review: READ ME

Or how about a teaser image?



What are you waiting for? You need this series in your life.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Cover Reveal - Regress

Happy Tuesday for the second time! There's one more post coming shortly, so keep your eyeballs peeled. This one is a cover reveal for Regress by S. F. Benson. Let's get this party started, shall we?

Title: Regress
Author: SF Benson
Genre: Mature YA Dystopian Thriller
Cover Designer: Regina Wamba at Mae I Design and Photography

Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb: Tru Shepard is a teenager committing acts of treason living in war-torn New Detroit circa 2025. The New Order, a government run by scientists and technologists, has banned creativity in favor of STEM education. In the eyes of the American Republic’s leaders, creativity is a waste of time which doesn’t foster a strong society. Besides Creatives have a tendency to speak out against the government.

Tru gambles with her life every time she steps foot in the Underground, a restricted warehouse district where Creatives congregate. She breaks the city-wide curfew to hang out with friends enjoying banned music and expressing herself on ancient sketchpads. Recently, the New Order has issued sweeps of the sector to find renegades.
But being picked up by the NDPD, New Detroit Police Department, is the least of her concerns. In ten days Tru will be seventeen, the age scientists consider a government-mandated inoculation to be totally safe. Although officials claim the vaccine is the country’s best defense against another worldwide pandemic, stories circulate amongst Creatives about individuals who lose their abilities after its administration.
Tru has her Inoculation Day orders. Failure to report is punishable by death, but if she can’t express herself artistically, she’d prefer dying.
Just when she despairs on what to do Zared Aoki, someone from her past, enters her life. He may be just as dangerous as the vaccination Tru needs to avoid. He claims to know the real reason behind the vaccine—a government project tampering with the fundamental design of humanity.
The two set out to prove the true nature of the vaccine and alert the public to its devastating effects. But is the world ready to listen?
SF Benson resides in Georgia with her husband, a human daughter, and a couple of miniature fur kids (two female short-haired guinea pigs). At one time she wrangled a household which included three Samoyeds, saltwater fish, a hamster, and three guinea pigs. When she’s not busy playing Doctor Doolittle, she enjoys answering the question “what if” by writing mostly Dystopian/science fiction and paranormal stories for young adults and new adults. And if a spare moment happens, she morphs into a bookworm and devours a few books simultaneously.
Author Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BensonSF/
Instagram: @authorsfbenson
I lost track of how much time passed. A pleasant warmth, cozy and inviting, replaced the cold. My head jerked back. Zared sat beside me with the blanket draped around our shoulders. When did he move? It didn’t matter. I won.
            My half-open eyes met his. “What are you doing?”
            “Dealing with it.” His voice sounded scruffy.
            “No funny stuff.” It was more of a personal warning. My gaze fixated on his mouth. As a kid I never had the opportunity to kiss his perfectly shaped lips—slightly full with a deep dip on the upper lip. Would they be moist and soft? Or hot and spicy? Would it be possible to reignite feelings I’d forgotten about? When we moved away I thought my crush disappeared as well. Wrong.
            “I don’t plan on it.”
            I reached around inside my purse. My hand landed on the leather sheath containing the double-edged knife I always kept with me. What if he told the truth about living on the streets? A hard life changed people. I pulled it out and tucked the weapon into my waistband.
            Zared’s eyes followed my movements. “The latest in fashion accessories?”
            I winked and patted the blade. “I don’t leave home without it.”
            He raised his eyebrows. “Can you use it?”
            I grinned. “Care to find out?”
            “Not particularly. Y’know, you never answered my question.”
            “Which one?”
            “Will you help me?”
            “Can’t we talk about something else?”
            “Do I have your help?”
            He didn’t know how to change a subject. I played with my jacket zipper. “With what?”
            “Exposing the New Order.”
            I folded my arms over my stomach. “Did I hear you right?”
            His brown eyes locked on to mine. “Yeah. You in or out?”
            “Seriously?”
            “Seriously.” He leaned closer brushing against me. The heady scent of sandalwood drew me to him like the first notes played on a Stradivarius. Intriguing. Arousing. A tingle raced down my spine.
            “What makes you think we can do that?” Good looking and dumb. Questioning the government was stupid. Challenging it was a death wish. Now I sounded like Ko.
            “Trust me. It's possible.”
            I shook my head. “No, no, no. Exposing the government will take a lot more than trust.”
“I know things. Valuable things. We can do this. Together.” Listening to him speak reminded me of a small kid with a new toy. Enthusiasm shone in his eyes like a Fourth of July sparkler.
            How do we do the impossible? He must have watched too many movies. We were teens. Just a couple of kids. We challenged our parents, our teachers. Not the leaders of the country.
            “I don’t know.”
            His smile revealed deep dimples. Sorry gorgeous, my help required a lot more than devastating looks.
            “Promise me you’ll think on it.” His voice was smoky, suggestive. Just what did he want me to think about?
            He had a crazy, somewhat credulous idea. But, what he contemplated was dangerous. Riskier than anything I’d ever done. People who went against the government were traitors. They were tortured and killed. We couldn’t do this. It gave a whole new meaning to the word wrong.
            “I’m going to sleep.”
            “Tru?”
            “What?”
            “Will you think on it?”
            “Fine! I’ll think on it. Go to sleep.”
#
 I’d left the warehouse district an hour ago. My shoes echoed on the deserted rain slicked sidewalk. The quiet night air was cold and smelled of moist dirt. Once again, I’d missed the train and had to walk home. Big mistake on my part. Sure, I had protection but it wouldn’t stop….
The familiar electronic hum approached from behind me. I was out in the open with no place to hide. Without any warning, the air above me filled with drones coming from every direction. I had no choice but to surrender. I knelt on the wet asphalt with my hands up.
           The police dragged me into an unfamiliar, abandoned building. The walls and floors gleamed white. I gagged on the smell of fresh chlorine. My eyes stung from the intense, white lights. Fiery pain ripped through my arms. Smoke escaped my lips. So cold. My teeth chattered. My body kept shaking.
           I lifted my head. A man in the trademark navy blue suit of the CHA stood in front of me. My insides quivered. A metallic voice announced I was a traitor and a danger to society. But it offered me a choice—immediate administration of the vaccine or death.
It didn’t matter. Either way killed a Creative.
           Someone held a syringe filled with a golden liquid.
           A flash of dark steel. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against my temple. If I chose me, my family would be heartbroken. If I…too late. Someone else made my choice. I didn’t get a say in the matter. A man pulled the trigger.
            I woke up sweating and shaking. My vision blurred. I blinked. My knife pressing against my side reminded me of my surroundings. I had fallen asleep with my head on Zared’s shoulder. I sat up and inched away from him.
            “What’s wrong?” He rubbed his eyes.
            “Nothing.” I found my voice. “Just a bad dream.” Understatement. It was my frequent nightmare about the vaccine. It began a year ago. The closer I got to my birthday, the more frequent the dreams got. Now they came every night.
            Exposing the government might not be such a bad idea. With exposure, nobody else would face another Inoculation Day. All Creatives would be safe, and my nightmares would end. But, it was risky. Death would be our reward if we failed. Well, Zared would face certain death. Me? There would be a syringe with my name on it. Failure was not an option.
            “You okay?” He tapped my knee.
            I flinched. “I’ll be fine.”
            “Do you want to ta…?”
            “No.” I stared at the floor. Was he a moron? Talking about my dream might make it happen. Yes, it was superstitious, but I was clinging to it. I had ten more days of believing whatever I wanted. Ten more days to be me. I swallowed a sob.
            “Tru?”
            “What?” I turned my head.
            “I’m not selling you out to the authorities.”
            I searched his face for a trace of sincerity. “Seriously?”
            “Seriously.”
            “I hope not. I have problems with liars.”
            “I’m not lying. I won’t turn you in.” He spoke so low, forcing me to move closer. “Your nightmare was about Inoculation Day?”
            “How did you know?”
            “Your file.”
            Of course, my artistic ability was in a file. Color me stupid. The learning center administered annual behavioral and intelligence tests. The tests pinpointed Creatives. Remember, I said dreams have a way of becoming reality. I knew what was required of me.
            “Zared?” My stomach twisted and turned.
            “What?”
            “I’ll help you if you help me.”
            His body stiffened. “With what?”
            “A way to avoid my Inoculation Day.”
            “Done.”
            “Are you sure? It won’t be easy.”
            “I know.”
            “So you’ll help me?”
            He touched my arm. “Yes.”
            I raised my head. “Now, what’s your plan?”

What do you think? Are you excited?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

The Heatstroke Line by Edward Rubin

Happy Tuesday! Today, I have a new author for you all to check out. I got an email from Mr. Rubin's PA, and I agreed to share with my lovely subscribers all the details about this new novel. So, grab your cup of Jo and let's get rocking and rolling!

About Edward Rubin:
Edward Rubin is University Professor of Law and Political Science at Vanderbilt University. He’s been a science fiction fan since fifth grade and currently teaches a course at Vanderbilt entitled “Visions of the Future in Science Fiction.” In addition, he was one of the organizers of a science fiction reading group at the Law School. Rubin has spoken about administrative law and legal theory at numerous academic conferences and workshops and has served as a consultant on administrative law to the People’s Republic of China.

Visit his website here.

Now, a little about Mr. Rubin's latest book.

Title: The Heatstroke Line
Author: Edward Rubin
Genre: Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Length (print): 229 pages
Buy Links: Paperback $14.95 Kindle $2.99
 

Blurb:
Edward Rubin explores an America ravaged by the disastrous effects of climate change. Coastal cities have become uninhabitable, sweltering heat devastates the interior and an ensuing civil war has broken the nation into smaller successor states and dozens of tiny principalities. Canada, where the climate remains tolerable, dominates the fractured remnants of the former United States.

Amid the chaos, scientist Daniel Danten ventures into the region below the Heatstroke Line (the former Southern states) to investigate the source of flesh-eating insects that afflict the remaining population there and threaten to invade the remainder of the country. The bizarre and brutal people he encounters when he is taken prisoner reveal the real horror that this environmental disaster has produced.

“We need to realize that climate change will have catastrophic effects on our own country,” said Rubin. “It’s not a remote problem, in either space or time.”

“The Heatstroke Line” stands apart from other global warming “cli-fi” novels by depicting an imaginable future, where modern homes, governments, schools and political conflicts still exist. The intent is to avoid the usual tropes of post-apocalyptic fiction, and confront the reality of climate change in a manner that will motivate believers to action and persuade climate change deniers to rethink their position.

Rubin was inspired to write the novel after a conversation with a colleague who shared his frustration with the apathy and opposition regarding climate change. The goal of his new book is to provide an engaging and entertaining story that induces people to think seriously about the impending disaster.

This is a novel that shows what climate change will do to the United States. It is intended as a warning. Many Americans are willing to deny the reality of climate change because they think that it will only affect tropical countries and oceanic islands that are far away from us. The Heatstroke Line depicts a United States that with its coastal cities flooded and its remaining land sweltering under debilitating heat. It has broken into smaller units that are in conflict with each other and it is dominated by more northerly nations, such as Canada, that now have temperate climates.

What do you think? Gonna check it out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Reap is FREE - Resist and Reclaim on Sale

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Wow, have I been busier than a one-armed paper hanger! Today is playing catch up. But, I ran across this amaaaaazing sale I have to clue you in on. Ready? Get your clicking fingers ready and let's get going!

Today is award-winning author Casey L. Bond's two year authorversary. (HAPPY AUTHORVERSARY, CASEY!) To celebrate, she's offering a sale on the second two books in the Harvest Saga series. Just 99 cents each! That's right, for the low price of $1.98, you can read all three books right now!

It's a good day for readers everywhere. Rating?

4.7 Happy Stars on 79 customer reviews.

Yeah, it's that good. As an added bonus, it's YOUNG ADULT dystopian. That's right, it's a clean read.

So, here are the links you want:

Reap - FREE on Kindle
Resist - $0.99 on Kindle
Reclaim - $0.99 on Kindle

What are you waiting for? Do you need to see the cover? Okay, here it is:


Now get off your bums and get on over to Amazon!

HAPPY READING!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, May 18, 2015

Cover Reveal - Waterproof - The Water Crisis Chronicles

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your weekend was fabulous and relaxing. Today, I have a wonderful cover reveal post for you from Amber Garr. This is such a unique series. Ready? Get those eyeballs prepared for all the pretty things, and let's get going!

Ever wonder what would happen when the world runs out of drinking water? Civil unrest? Global nuclear war? All of the above?

The Water Crisis Chronicles by Amber Garr presents one possible scenario for this all-too-real local and global issue.

Waterproof, the original novel, won Best Science Fiction Novel of 2014 at the Royal Palm Literary Awards and fans of the book asked for a prequel novella - Waterfall. Well, now Waterfall has been expanded into a COMPLETE FIRST NOVEL which will be released in next month.

In addition, the whole series received an updated look that better reflects the two narrators: Zach and Vivienne and the love story woven into a world set on destroying itself.

Waterfall will be re-released as a full novel in June (stay tuned for more info), and Waterproof is available now. Watermarked, the final book of the series, is due for release in September 2015!

A special thanks to Emma Michaels for her excellent front covers! Find out more about Amber Garr at her website, on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.



And, now for the full wrap cover!

What do you think? Nice, huh?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, May 15, 2015

Cover Reveal - Catalyst

Happy freaking Friday, everyone! Weekend time! Oh yeah. Today, I have a cover reveal post for you all from the awesomeness that's Casey L. Bond. This book is a prequel to the Harvest Saga, but it's also a standalone. Let's get going!


First, info!

Cover Model: Josh McCann
Cover Photography by: Mandy Hollis/ MHPhotography
Cover Design by: Pink Ink Designs/ Cassy Roop

Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: YA Dystopian
Expected Publication Date: June 3rd, 2015

Blurb:
The city of Confidence is surrounded by a thick, concrete wall. These walls are built to protect those within and to keep dangers outside. What happens when the only danger to the citizens within is its leadership?

When a young man on a suicide mission meets a young woman with a terminal illness, both of them use one another as a means to their own ends. They never expect to become friends. They never expect to become so much more to each other. Their backgrounds and the secrets they uncover are more dangerous than any plans they could make together or separately.

Revolution begins with a spark.

‪#‎Catalyst‬ What's ‪#‎yourspark‬?

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25481291-catalyst

Now, it's time for the pretty!

And the full wrap:

How about a teaser?

What do you think? Excited yet?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Saturday, May 2, 2015

The Harvest Saga Re-Reveal - New Covers

Thanks so much for checking out the blog today! Casey L. Bond is revealing brand new covers for her Harvest Saga trilogy! Check these bad boys out.

The covers were designed by Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs
Cover photography by Mandy Hollis of MHPhotography
Cover models are Mandy Hollis and Amee Thompson. 


If you're interested in reading Reap, here are the links:

REAP



If you're interested in reading Resist, here are the links:

RESIST


Reclaim is currently being edited. A release date will be announced very soon.
 When Reclaim is released, the boxed set will also be released! Isn't it pretty?



Thank you so much for checking out the blog today! If you want to go stalker on Casey, just follow her at the links below!

Casey L. Bond resides in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.

You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:
Twitter: @authorcaseybond                
Connect on tsu, Instagram, Google+ and LinkedIn!

Available or Soon-To-Be Released Books:
Winter Shadows
Pariah, Book 1 in The New Covenant Series
Paradox, Book 2, The New Covenant Series
Devil Creek
Shady Bay
Reap, Book 1 in The Harvest Saga
Resist, Book 2 in The Harvest Saga
Reclaim, Book 3 in The Harvest Saga
Sin (Serial Series)
Light in the Darkness (YA Anthology)
Fractured Glass (Novel Anthology)
Crazy Love
Dark Bishop (Serial Series)
Prep For Doom (Dystopian Anthology)
Catalyst 
Temptation (Serial Series)
Water Witch

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Book Review - Altered

It's book review Wednesday, everyone! How excited are you? This is a novel that wasn't listed on my TBR for the year, but I'd started reading it end of 2014 and happened to finish back at the beginning of January. I've been toiling away on my massive list for this year! I'll have another of those for you next week. If you missed my review of the first book in the Crewel series, check it out here. Are you a member of the 2015 Time for Books Review Team? If not, why is that? It's easy to join! Just head to the signup page here, grab our cool badge, add your information to the linky thing at the bottom, and get to reading and reviewing. Your reviews will be included in the huge roundup I do each week for my Flipboard magazine, putting your thoughts in front of thousands of readers.

Anyway, let's get going with some information about the book up for review today!

Title: Altered (Crewel World #2)
Author: Gennifer Albin
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Length (print): 401 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Hardcover $13.42 (as of the date of this review)

Synopsis:
Deadly Secrets
Tangled Lies
Woven truths

Life. Possibility. Choice. All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

 ***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Gennifer told us in her keynote at utopYA Con 2014 this book has origins in a painting where women sit at looms and weave the construct of our world. How cool is that? To get an idea for what's, so far, an awesome series of novels from a painting. Yeah, that kinda blew me away. But, I totally get where she's coming from. Sometimes, it takes us seeing something imaginative to kick our writerly brains into action. How much do you love this cover? So pretty!***

Time to get to the review portion of my post!

I actually snagged book two of this series while I was at utopYA Con in June, 2014. Because I didn't wanna start in the middle, I bought book one, Crewel, and dove in. I was totally hooked on the story by the time I got to Altered. Albin has built a beautiful world that's kept me engaged from page one of book one. I'm eager to sink my teeth into the third, and final, installment of this series. Getting to the good stuff now.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Oh my goodness I love Adelice. She's strong, determined, and kind. Those are the best qualities of a great main character. But, what I adore is that the girl has serious flaws. She lets her compassion rule her head when she needs to be ruthless, and it creates some interesting situations. I'm at the point in this story where I kinda wish she'd make up her mind about which guy she wants to be with already. There comes a time when it's put up or shut up. Hoping book three will bring some closure there.

World building is incredible. How Albin kept all the details of how the looms worked between Arras and Earth is beyond me, but it's well done and painted vividly. If you're one who loves a ton of description, you probably won't take to this novel. Albin focuses more on the central conflict and creating rounded characters than she does giving you every detail about the world they live in. Your imagination is your only limit. Unlike book one, this novel takes place on the ruined remnants of Earth.

Plot and pacing were also bang on. There are no middle of the series blahs to be found here. Full of action, emotion, and deception, Altered will leave you wondering who the bad guys really are. Like Crewel, Altered is written in first person, present tense. I haven't read a ton of novels in this style, probably because it's difficult to pull off, but this series is nicely done.

From an Editor's Perspective:
All good, as a trad-pub book should be.

Rating:
1 Star for the awesome cast of characters
1 Star for world building
1 Star for plot and pacing
1 Star for leaving me wondering who Adelice will give her loyalty to
1 Star for excellence in editing
Overall, 5 out of 5 stars! Highly recommended if you love YA Dystopian.

What do you think? Have you read it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, September 5, 2014

Winners of Iron Pendulum and a Freebie

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have the winners from my Rafflecopter giveaway and announcement of a freebie for you all. Get strapped into that chair and let's get going!

First up, the winners!

Each of these lovelies win an e-copy of Iron Pendulum by Megan Curd.

Alana M.
Wendy P.

Bummed you didn't win? Well, you kind of did! Why?

Steel Lily, book one of the Periodic Series, is FREE right now!

Information about the book:

Title: Steel Lily
Author: Megan Curd
Genre: YA Dystopian with hints of Steampunk
Length (print): 314 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon—FREE Kindle  B&N—$0.99 Nook

Synopsis:
AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She's a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued. But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn't any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

...Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything...including the fate of your world.

Link to my review of Steel Lily: http://jomichaels.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-review-steel-lily.html

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend of reading! Go get that book now and start your journey into the future.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, August 29, 2014

Book Review - Iron Pendulum

Happy Friday, everyone! Today, I'm bringing you a book review and a giveaway (because I loved this book that much). If you recall, I did a little giveaway of my five star reads for the year a couple of weeks ago on my birthday. Happy birthday to all of you! *grin* This time, I'm giving away two Kindle copies because I wanna. No special reason other than I think you'll enjoy this book immensely.

A little about the book up for review:

Title: Iron Pendulum (Book Two of The Periodic Series)
Author: Megan Curd
Genre: Young Adult Steampunk Dystopian
Length (print): about 335 pages

Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Six months ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.

But six months can change everything.

After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn't even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she's uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do.

Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.

And they’re blaming Avery.

Six months can change everything. Another month could wipe out all of Dome Four. The clock is ticking.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere: Wow at the cover for this book. I love the monochromatic color scheme. It makes me want to squeal and happy dance. Love what the designer did with the cogs, too. Steel Lily was yellowish, and I imagine Copper Phoenix (book three) will be orange tinted. Keep an eye out for that one, too! If you're curious, I wrote a review for Steel Lily on the blog last year. You can check that review out here.***

Onward and upward!

If you read my review of Steel Lily, you'll know I had mixed feelings about it. There were some errors in the writing that threw me out of the story, and left me sad. But, I wanted to give the author, Megan Curd, another chance to win me over because I was very fond of the story, the characters, and the steampunk world she'd built. I bought Iron Pendulum the day after it went on sale because I was so eager to find out what happened next. Well, I wasn't disappointed! Let's get to the review.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Twists and turns and revelations, oh my! So much was explained in this story that was left dangling in the last one. I was caught by surprise a number of times as the tale unfolded on the page (not an easy thing to do with me because I can see most twists coming). Avery redeemed herself more with every page I turned. Middle of the trilogy blahs can't be found in this novel. You get action, reaction, and scenes that will leave you needing a hankie after you read them. Curd outdid herself with the emotion she threw into the story. Pacing is awesome, and I found myself totally engrossed in the story. If you don't like cliffhangers, beware! There's a big one at the end of this book. Of course, that leaves me frothing at the mouth to get hold of the next installment. If you haven't read Steel Lily, I suggest you do so before picking up this book. There are a few things that tell you the history, but you need to immerse yourself fully in the world so you have that connection with the characters that can only be built over time. Chills and thrills await you!

From an Editor's Perspective:
Nowhere near the issues of the first one. A misplaced pronoun here and there, but that's to be expected. Nothing that pulled me out of the story, and nothing that contradicted the first book. Nicely done.

Rating:
1 Star for clearing up the love triangle I hated in the first book
1 Star for world building
1 Star for ripping my heart out of my chest
1 Star for pacing
1 Star for lack of errors
Overall 5 out of 5 stars! You'll enjoy this book if you love clean young adult novels that keep you guessing.

See that five star rating? Yeah, now you know why I'm doing the giveaway. Get your fingers ready to do some clicking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What do you think? Will you check this book out?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Book Review - Resist

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm bringing you another book review. No, this one isn't from my review list. I'm working on Scott Marlowe's The Five Elements (The Alchemancer: Book One) in that pile. I think, from this point forward, I'm gonna put all the titles in a hat and draw one every time I finish the one I'm reading. His book, I'm about halfway through. So we're getting there. If you're late to the party, I'm referring to my 12 Days of Christmas review pile that's part of my list on the Indie Fever 2014 Reading Challenge. We commit to reading a certain number of Indie books every year and reviewing them. I love taking part. It's really an awesome thing to give back.

As always, I'll start with a little bit of information about the book up for review:

Title: Resist (Harvest Saga - Book 2)
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Length (print): About 213 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
Abby Kelley returns home from the Greater city of Olympus to find that things in Orchard Village are bad, very bad. The Olympian Guard has taken over village affairs. The Lessers are being worked to the bone in the coldest winter Orchard has seen. Villagers are being dragged away for the slightest indication of what they call “resistance.” She needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. But, it’s so hard to do when everything within you screams rebellion.

Kyan is coming on strong, trying to convince her to take a chance on him. Shocking news of Crew’s activities in Olympus sweeps through the Villages. When Abby is taken away by the Olympian guard, Kyan sends word to Vesuvius for help. But, no one could have predicted their idea of help or what they might expect in return.

Who will be left to pick up the pieces of Abby’s heart?

Resist is the second book in The Harvest Saga series by Casey L. Bond. It is highly recommended that you read Reap (book one) before reading Resist.

***Will not appear in review elsewhere. Holy wow at the covers on these books, huh? While the type treatment is weak, the imagery is awesomesauce. I can't wait for the third installment. I must know how this ends! I reviewed Reap and you can see that on my blog here.***

I ran out and bought Resist the day it went on sale. I loved Reap, and couldn't wait to continue the story of Abby, Crew, and Kyan. Casey is quickly becoming a go-to author when I'm in the mood for a great story. Enough of my rambling! I'm sure you're eager to hear about the story.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Let me tell you, there were some major shockers in this book. They had me putting my hand to my mouth and gasping for air. This is an edge-of-your-seat read for sure. Many times, I find the middle book in a series lacking punch. They kind of go tra-la-la to move the plot along, and there's nothing interesting on the pages. Resist isn't one of those books. It'll keep you biting your nails, cringing, and tearing up over and over again. Pacing is spot on, and I wanted more when I hit the last page. As in Reap (book one), the world building is awesome. I love that there are more than one Greater factions in control of the Lessers. It made the twisty plot even more of a page turner. Warning! There is a cliffhanger. It's a big one. So, if you don't like that sort of thing, wait for the last book to come out before you start reading. If you don't mind, pick up these books ASAP.

From an Editor's Perspective:
So many errors in the writing. Mostly punctuation and pronoun confusions, but there were a few oops moments that should've been caught. Example: Even though it was only a rouse, she would be hurt. This should read: Even though it was only a ruse, she would be hurt. Sadly, what would've been a 5 star book, is dropped to 4 because of the errors. I had to turn my inner editor off.

Rating:
1 Star for keeping me on the edge of my seat
1 Star for awesome twists I was blindsided by
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing and wonderful conflict
-1 Star for editing
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A fantastic read that'll keep you gripping your chair despite the writing errors. Recommended if you can look past writing errors and really get into a story.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo