Book Haul: The One with All the ARCS - October 13, 2014

Hey lovelies! I know I haven't posted a video in awhile. Please forgive me though, I've been working and going to school full time! Its a little stressful, but here is what I have received recently!

From Work:
Rooms by Lauren Oliver
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang
You by Caroline Kepnes

Bought: 
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
The Murmurings by Carly Anne West
Empty by K.M. Walton

Thanks for stopping by!

Review: Icarus by Danika Stone

Icarus by Danika Stone
Publisher: Dancing Dog Productions Co.
Release Date: August 1, 2014
Book Format: Paperback
# of Pages: 232
Synopsis: Being the ‘new kid’ at school is hard, but for Tess Novak - who’s moved more times than she can remember - it’s a role she knows by heart. Transferring during senior year means yet another place she’ll eventually leave, more classmates she’ll forget.
Fate, it seems, has other plans.
From the moment Tess is introduced to honor student Drew Martinez, she is convinced she has met him before. But when? Confident and attractive, Drew is exactly the type of ‘rich kid’ Tess’s father hates, and Tess avoids. Thrown together by a class project, their tentative friendship sparks a smoldering attraction. Tess tries to keep Drew at arm’s length, but in weeks they are drawn into a scorching romance.
Fearing her father’s volatile reaction, Tess insists on keeping the relationship a secret. Meanwhile, she begins to uncover the mysterious connection which hearkens back to the half-forgotten days of her dark childhood, a past which appears to be connected to Drew. As each new puzzle piece falls into place, and the threat of discovery increases, Tess must decide whether she wants to keep living a lie, or expose the horrific events which tore Drew out of her life so many years before.

Meet The Author: (Used from Goodreads)
Danika Stone is a writer of contemporary fiction with a focus on strong female narratives. An educator, artist, and mother of three, her involvement in the Arts and New Media has spanned a decade and a half. Danika's personal experiences and numerous friendships with contemporary artists are the inspiration behind Intaglio, while her teaching and technology background founds the basis of Icarus and Ctrl Z. She is represented by Morty Mint of the Mint Literary Agency, Nelson, BC.


Ms. Stone's books are all available for purchase, both in paperback and digitally from Amazon. Resources for Intaglio, Icarus and Ctrl Z and previews for her next series, Tathagata, can be found on www.danikastone.com. You can chat with Danika at @danika_stone on twitter.   

My Review:

*I received this book from the publisher and or author and this is my honest review.

Before getting into this book, I knew nothing about the story of Icarus. I did not even know it was anything until a friend whom I was talking to this book about told me about the story. I probably should have familiarized myself with the mythology before reading, but I was pretty much able to stay with the story even if I had no knowledge of the story of Icarus, even though the prologue and epilogue were a bit confusing.

    Icarus is the story of Tess, a teenager stuck in a abusive home with no way out. In a way she believes that she deserves this treatment which is why she stays in this situation instead of getting herself out. Soon she meets Drew a boy that will change her mind about the world in more ways than one.

    I want to start by saying it did not take me awhile to read this book because it was bad. I started reading it while I was starting my first year in college, so my life got a little hectic. The book was actually very good, and I am glad I got the opportunity to read it. I loved Tess as a main character. She stood out with her blue hair and the abuse she was taking from her dad. It was not so bad in the beginning but by the end, what he was doing was unbearable and I felt the need to cover my eyes and or cringe even though I was only reading.

    Throughout the story were flashbacks, these went back in time to when two children were roaming through an air force base on their own. Being children and just having fun. There were a ton of these throughout the book, and I have to say they were quite confusing at first but by the end of the story I understood completely.

    Tess and Drew had a complicated, but in my eyes sweet relationship. The love story in this book was not like the typical love stories, and I think that is one of the reasons why I liked this story so much. When they met Drew knew he was going to like Tess but she was not so sure. Tess did as much as she could to stay away and not fall for him. But in the end she catches herself not being able to not love him.

    One other relationship I wanted to talk about is Tess and Kyle. For awhile, I wondered if this was going to turn into a love triangle with Drew. I was kind of hoping that were the case because Kyles character was sweet to Tess too. It was unmistakable that Kyle loved Tess and I wondered how Stone was going to work with that in the story.

    Overall I believe this book deserves a solid 5 out of 5 stars. Even though I had to keep putting it down because of school work. When I was able to read it I loved every second. It was a page turner and I could not put it down. 

  

Book Blitz: Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above by Robert A. Polk

 

OPERATION TREE ROPER: AN EYE ABOVE 

By Robert Polk

Adventures, Anaiah Press

Twelve-year-old Declan Parker was only born with one eye, but all he seems to have trouble seeing in proper perspective is himself. All he wants is for kids to see him as normal before he starts a new school in the fall. To that end, he sets out to make money helping with his dad’s tree care business.

Unfortunately, when his dad lands in the hospital after a climbing accident, Declan’s surgery hopes are wrecked. His only hope remains in a neighbor girl and her uncle, a wounded army veteran. Can they help him save his dad’s business, or will Declan’s once-courageous drive turn into total despair?

Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above is a well-crafted story about a strong, dauntless young man who redefines the value of self-reflection. Declan is a character you won’t be able to forget.

Welcome to your new favorite book...

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Buy Now!

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Smashwords 

Add it on Goodreads!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22388584-tree-roper

Guest Post:

The Best and Worst Things About Being a Writer.
By Robert Polk

At any given time, writing can be exhilarating, painful, relaxing, and on and on. For this post, here are a few of my favorite things about writing, followed by my least favorite.

For me, the physical act of settling into a writing space and typing words onto a screen has increasingly become a sought after endeavor. Carving out that time can often be my biggest challenge, but I make the time, because I find writing fun. (Before writing for children, the only writing I enjoyed was college recommendation letters for my students.)

Also, I absolutely love putting my characters into “what if” scenarios and then observing their behavior. Their actions and discussions often surprise me, and I frequently wonder where that character’s decisions or comments came from.

I also take a sick sort of pleasure in placing my characters into situations where they must struggle with a moral or ethical dilemma. I think as I follow along with their process of resolution, I learn a bit more about myself in relation to the world around me. I like that, for who am I to judge?

One of the most obvious negative aspects of being a writer, is the pay. You see, well, it’s not very good. Unless you’re a very famous author and in high demand (which most writers are not) you’re going to need another source of income for those things like food, shelter, and clothing. Although that’s reality, it’s not cool.

Like I mentioned earlier, carving out the time in my day to write can be a challenge. Therefore, choosing what I must give up in order to write has to be another big downer for me. Why must I give up cooking or sleeping or washing clothes in order to write? I don’t have to, but sometimes I do.

Thanks for having me on Comfort Books today and remember, though we’re all living different lives, we’re all trying to make sense of the same world. And that’s really why I write.

 

Read Chapter 1 Here: http://www.anaiahpress.com/Roper.html

Author Bio:

Robert Polk lives in western Nebraska where he shares his love of books and the great outdoors with his wife and seven children. He is a former school counselor, business owner, and tree climbing arborist. Robert participates in his church and local community, currently serving on several non-profit boards. 

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Enter the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway