Waiting on Wednesday: Embers & Echoes by Karsten

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spineand spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Ashline Wilde is about to discover that when you’re the reincarnation of a Polynesian volcano goddess, “new beginnings” are just a myth.

Leaving the fiery ruins of her sophomore year behind her, Ash travels to the sizzling beaches of Miami, hot on the trail of the little sister she’s only seen in visions. But her happy family reunion isn’t all palm trees and paradise. A cult of evil gods-on-earth, known as the Four Seasons, has kidnapped her sister to use in its terrifying new religion. Soon, the streets of Miami erupt in chaos and violence…and Ash gets caught right in the tropical crossfire

Ash isn’t without help, however. Unexpected romance arrives in the form of Wes, an Aztec god of night with his own vendetta against the Four Seasons. As memories of Ash’s previous life begin to flicker into her dreams, the boundaries between ally and enemy, life and death, and love and hate all bleed together. And when a mysterious trickster from her past reappears to derail her new quest, Ash must choose between the echoes of a once-forgotten yesterday and the embers of an uncertain future.

Because when old flames return from the dead, even a volcano goddess can get burned.

Expected Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Hardcover: 320 pages

What are you waiting on?! Leave me a link so I can check it out!! 

LACRIMOSA Paperback Cover

Ok so as you all know (or should know) I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! Now I really loved the

Hardback cover but this one.... Well really do I need to put words to it?  I am now torn

between two covers that I Love!!!

Now if you haven't seen my EPIC review of this book you can find it HERE.  Also here is a

little bit of info on Christine's books and where you can find her.  I mean I know you want to find

her right?! Just look at the cover and try to say no!!

Just Released:

LACRIMOSA - Book #1 in the Requiem Series (Compass Press)

“LACRIMOSA reaches out, grabs readers by the heart, and takes them on an emotional journey from the first page to the last. The last novel you’ll need to read to understand true sacrifice.” ~Elana Johnson, Author of POSSESSION

Available now

DIES IRAE - A Requiem Prequel Novella (Compass Press, Feb 2012)

“Dies Irae is the perfect introduction to Christine Fonseca’s Requiem series. The beauty of the words will tempt you, the tragedy of the story will break you, and the love, woven throughout like music through the trees, will haunt you for days afterward. Dies Irae promises a tale unlike any you’ve read before.”  - Ali Cross, author of BECOME 

Other Current Releases:

101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids

Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students 

Find me online at my Website and my writer's blog

*REVIEW* Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

REVIEW

  I have read this book 3 times now and am still not sure I can do it justice in a review.  Especially after reading so many amazing ones from wonderful bloggers across the world.  Jennifer has created a mind blowing read that has you turning the pages just to get a little more of the story.  At first when I heard Aliens I was a little hesitant.  I mean Aliens?!  However the more I heard about the HOT aliens, the more I wanted to give it a try.  Let  me say, I am so glad I did.


  The chemistry between Katy and Daemon is undeniable.  I mean you would have to be fairly blind not to see that and even then you could tell.  Though he is infuriating in so many ways as well.  I mean he is hot as hell but has the stability of a hurricane.  No I do not mean he goes a psycho and tears stuff apart it's more one moment he is a jerk and in the next moment he is making Kat ( and every other member of the female population) swoon.  His jerkish moments are there for a reason though.  He is protecting his sister as well as others of his own kind.  Jerk moments turn into moments where you are just irritated and then finally you to give in.


  Katy is probably one of the strongest and easiest to connect with characters I have ever read.  I love many but Katy just slides right on in with my favorites.  I think what started my love for her was the fact that she didn't give in to Daemon whenever he felt like it.  She holds her ground even when he is only half dressed and being all gorgeous and stuff.  She doesn't let his good looks get the better of her and she holds her own when Daemon starts in on her.  Did I mention that she is also a fellow book lover/blogger.  How could you not love her for that?! 


  The story is fun and fast paced through out the entire novel.  Jennifer took aliens to an entire different level for me.  They went from being something that is stereo typically over done to something new and fun.  How she did this and made it so amazing is beyond amazing.  I would like to say Jennifer L. Armentrout has brought on an entire new meaning to out of this world!  I could honestly recommend this book to anyone and walk away knowing that they wont be let down.

Weekly Report May 13-19

This is my weekly report to share what I got in my mailbox and also what is

going on, on my blog.  I will post the reviews, contests and whatever else 

happened this week.  I will also make sure that all on goig contests are posted 

here so you can just go straight from here to there!!

This Week I Got in My Mailbox:

From Marisa at The Writing Dancer for her 2012 Release Giveaway!

Thank you!! 

Purchased

From an undisclosed friend... THANK YOU! 

Purchased

 Purchased

Purchased

Pruchased

Purchased

Won from Goodreads First Reads 
from Harper Teen.  THANK YOU!




This week on the blog:

I Reviewed: 

Nightshade: Poison Diaries #2 by Maryrose Wood- HERE

Tangled by Erica O'Rourke- HERE
Intangible by J. Meyers- HERE

Contest Type Stuff:

MY Swag Giveaway of Epicness- HERE

Contest Feature Friday- HERE

Random Posts: Cover Reveal, Meme's and Such:

Waiting on Wednesday Pick- HERE

Cover Reveal: Allegiance by K.A. Tucker- HERE

Thanks for stopping in!! Once again sorry for the post being such a mess I am currently
trying to find a collage maker that is easy and works for me... So far no luck :(
If you have a minute link me up to whatever is happening on your blog or what
books you got this week!! 

*REVIEW* Intangible by J. Meyers

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.










  
   There is so many things I would like to say about this book that I wont.  Not because it's negative but simply because I am afraid if I start I wont stop and I totally want to remain spoiler free.  This was such a fun paranormal read that there really want much room for things that you don't like.

  This book was written from both Sera and Luke's point of view.  I love this because you actually got to know both of them and not just see one through the other.  They have some similar qualities but are also different in so many ways.  Both struggle with what they can do but can be themselves when it comes to being around each other.  They are a lot of fun to read about and are very easy to like.


  There is also a little romance.  I mean it is the earth moving, mind blowing, world shattering instant love but a more developed and thought out kind.  Not that it is perfect or honest but it is what it is.  I really enjoyed what bits and pieces of it that there was throughout the book.  I totally loved the main interest and I routed for him from the first time he even thought of Sera.  Luke didn't really have much of a romance but there was girls everywhere he went that thought he was totally swoon worthy.


  All of the characters in this book were well written and really fun to read about.  To be honest even the shadows were interesting.  This is a paranormal read but if you took away their special abilities you would have a wonderful contemporary book but I love it as a paranormal contemporary lol.  I do realize that, that isn't really a genre but it's kind of how I feel about it.  Overall this was a fun and easy read and I can't wait for book 2.

CONTEST FEATURE FRIDAY: Hippies Beauty & Books.... Oh My!

This week on Contest Feature Firday I am going to share with you this awesome May

New Releases Giveaway brought to you by the wonderful Hippies Beauty & Books... Oh My!

This site is wonderful!  They almost always have some sort of awesome giveaway going and

have EPIC reviews there!! They don't do the star rating system on the blog and I 

LOVE that.  Any way here is a pic of what you can win:

Awesome right?!  Now that I have shown you I know you want to rush off and enter right?! 

Well I have made it easy.  All you have to do is click their button below and you will go

 straight there!  While you are there check out some reviews and grab their button.  How could

 you not want a small piece of their epic blog on yours?!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Habibi by Craig Thompson

It's the Feast of the Ascension today and I've been enjoying the day off as this is a national holiday here in Finland. I finally managed to start my running season this morning with a 6 km run (two previous attempts failed due to rain). It felt great and I must say I feel pretty pleased with myself! :)

I have also been reading The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker today. It's a 700+ tome and when I brought it home from the library I thought only to browse it, but it proved so interesting that I just have to read it form cover to cover. I'm nearing the halfway point, but we'll see how it goes from there. I probably will not manage to finish it before my upcoming trip, so it might be June before I'm done with it. As I said The Seven Basic Plots is very interesting, but the problem with such a long nonfiction book is that I started to crave some fiction. (I've been concentrating on The Seven Basic Plots in order to get it read as quickly as possible.) Well, today I gave in and spent the evening with Habibi, a 665 page graphic novel by Craig Thompson. And boy, aren't I glad that I did!

Habibi tells the story of two child slaves in a timeless world that could be somewhere in the distant past with harems and slavery, were it not the modern cities, cars and construction sites that are also featured in the story. The book is a veritable feast of images and ideas. The artwork is stunning. (Click this link to take a closer look at some of Thompson's drawings.) Thompson uses Arabic calligraphy and Islamic ornamental art to great effect in his drawings.

Habibi is a story full of stories. Thompson includes numerous stories that are familiar from the Bible and/or the Quran, thus reminding his readers of the common heritage of Christianity and Islam. The magic of storytelling and the beauty of Arabic writing is very well illustrated in both the text and the drawings in this book. Basically, however, Habibi is a love story. Through all horrors it is love that endures. Habibi = My beloved.

If you like thought provoking graphic novels with amazing artwork then do read Habibi! I can highly, highly recommend it!