NERD BLAST and GIVEAWAY for Reunited by: Collen Houck

IT IS FINALLY HERE!!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS FINAL BOOK OF THE REAWAKENED SERIES!

Synopsis 

After surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to the Afterlife are all distant memories.

But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.

With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.

Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.

It is time for Lily to find her sunset.

Praise for REAWAKENED Series

“[A] must-read for thrill-seekers and fans of alternate worlds.”—RT Book Reviews

“Rick Riordan fans who are looking for another series will delight in this fantasy.”—SLJ

“Littered with Egyptian mythology and snappy dialogue, this romantic adventure is a good choice for graduates of Rick Riordan or fans of Houck’s Tiger’s Curse series.”—Booklist

“Fans of paranormal romance will love the Egyptian spin on this story of devotion and sacrifice, and Lily’s humor, combined with plentiful dangerous escapades, will keep readers engaged.”—VOYA

“The author weaves her story out of Egyptian lore, cinematic magic, selfless love, and . . . is clever enough to remain surprising even to the last sentence.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Houck’s moving depiction of the love between Lily and Amon is memorable.”—Publishers Weekly

“Wonderfully written and…the heart-pounding adventures are topped only by the heart-melting romance.”—The Deseret News

“A sparkling new novel with a fully imagined world and mythos, and crackling romance! Egyptian mythology has never been this riveting!”—Aprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wings series, onReawakened, book one in the series

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.

 

Photo Content from Colleen Houck

WEBSITE: http://colleenhouck.com/
TWITTER: @ColleenHouck
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3097905.Colleen_Houck
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenRayHouck

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/colleenrayhouck/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/colleen.houck/

HERE IS AN EXCERPT FOR MY READERS:

There’s no help for one such as me. My nature makes me what I am. And what I am, is hungry. His eyes changed. The very countenance of his face blackened even darker than his shiny skin.

Come to me, young one, he said silkily, his voice making all the noise of the ship and the churning water around me disappear. You are the tincture that will soothe my parched throat. Come into my mouth and I will cover you like a storm covers the sea. You will drown in me but it will be a peaceful death, like lying on a carpet of moss as the pale moonbeams slowly drain the life from your body.

I obeyed. I climbed up onto the mossy hill and lay down, cushioning my head on the spongy bed. It was peaceful. The voice was right. This was my path, my purpose. My body would feed the hunger of the cosmos. There was a horrible sting, a pressure on my leg. But soon I forgot about it and rested again. My mouth tasted funny, like I’d bitten into a rotten peach. The bitter, swollen taste turned into a burning that licked my veins with fire. I whimpered.

Then a great explosion rocked me violently from my bed. It was dark. Just a strip of light at the base of the door. My leg was pinned to the bed and it hurt, badly. Suddenly, the door flew open but it opened the wrong way. The thing poking my leg wrenched away and I realized exactly where I was. In the mouth of the snake.

 Copyright © 2017 by Colleen Houck

GIVEAWAY

—Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

 

– 1 Winner will receive the entire Signed REAWAKENED series (four books in total) by Colleen Houck.

ENTER HERE:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e849f7751240/

CHECK OUT THIS Book Trailer

 

LINK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=CpNBC6yKsbk

FOR MORE INFO OR TO SIGN UP TO BECOME A JEAN BOOK NERD TOUR HOST CHECK OUT: http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2017/08/nerd-blast-reunited-by-colleen-houck.html

Manga Art by: Mark Crilley

ABOUT MANGA ART from penguinrandomhouse.com

The world of manga (Japanese comics) has captured the imagination of artists, both aspiring and professional alike. Now best-selling artist and art instructor Mark Crilley presents the most complete look yet at the variety of creative options available in the world of manga. Crilley fills each chapter with gorgeous, original artwork created with a variety of tools (pencils, colored pencils, digital art, pen and ink, and more) and in a variety of manga-inspired styles. He pairs each piece with information on the materials used and the inspiration that led to its creation. Manga Art provides readers a one-of-a-kind chance to hear from one of the leading artists in the field of manga instruction, as he reveals the unlimited possibilities of manga and the creative secrets behind over 100 pieces of original, never-before-seen artwork.

Mark Crilley

Photo: © Mary Moylan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Crilley was raised in Detroit, Michigan. After graduating from Kalamazoo College, he traveled to Taiwan and Japan, where he taught English for nearly five years. It was during his stay in Japan that he created the Eisner Award–nominated comic Akiko on the Planet Smoo, which spawned a series of graphic novels and prose novel adaptations. In 1998, Mark Crilley was named to Entertainment Weekly’s It List of the 100 most creative people in entertainment.

 

My Review:

This is a beautifully illustrated book that combines the various manga artistic techniques with a bit about the authors time in Japan.  My daughter has a vast love for all things Japanese and I am thrilled to share this book with her.

It is very stunning to look at as well as informative in both an artistic way (techniques that are used) as well as culturally.  It is nicely bound and presented.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a love for Manga whether you are an artist or not.

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received this book from Bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review.

See What I Have Done by: Sarah Schmidt

Description from the publishers through Netgalley:

Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother forty whacks
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

Or did she?

In this riveting debut novel, See What I Have Done, Sarah Schmidt recasts one of the most fascinating murder cases of all time into an intimate story of a volatile household and a family devoid of love.

On the morning of August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden calls out to her maid: Someone’s killed Father. The brutal ax-murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts, leaves little evidence and many unanswered questions. While neighbors struggle to understand why anyone would want to harm the respected Bordens, those close to the family have a different tale to tell—of a father with an explosive temper; a spiteful stepmother; and two spinster sisters, with a bond even stronger than blood, desperate for their independence.

As the police search for clues, Emma comforts an increasingly distraught Lizzie whose memories of that morning flash in scattered fragments. Had she been in the barn or the pear arbor to escape the stifling heat of the house? When did she last speak to her stepmother? Were they really gone and would everything be better now? Shifting among the perspectives of the unreliable Lizzie, her older sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, and the enigmatic stranger Benjamin, the events of that fateful day are slowly revealed through a high-wire feat of storytelling.

Recognition

 August 2017 Indie Next selection

My Review:

Before reading this, I really didn’t know anything about Lizzie Borden and the horrific details of her life.  I went into this book thinking it would be a good mystery based on a true story.  This is a debut novel for this author and it was a good first book.

I am not sure how I feel about the story.  I did find myself interested in what happened but it did drag at times for me.  I was thoroughly annoyed at the ending of the book I feel as if the author ran out of things to say.  I do understand that the conclusion of the Lizzie Borden case was one in which everyone felt satisfied with, but for me, the book ended abruptly.

I gave this book 3 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Drinking at the Movies by: Julia Wertz

It has been a few weeks since I read this graphic novel and I am sorry to say that I can’t remember anything about it.  It was not memorable in any way.  I think while I was reading it , I was just trying to get through it.

I am struggling with finding graphic novels that I enjoy.  Maybe this genre isn’t for me but I will keep trying to see if anything clicks.

Any suggestions?

I gave this book 1 crown.

Wrap Up

Books Read/Listened to:  12

5 crown reads: 4

4 crown reads: 7

3 crown reads: 1

DNF: 2

I apologize for the lateness of this wrap up.  I was on vacation for 2 weeks with my family and after returning, I contemplated if I should put this up at all.  Obviously, I decided to do that, my organizational mind wouldn’t let me continue to post without continuity.

This was a great month of reading.  I really enjoyed what I read and had a good mix of genres.  How did you do?

Happy Reading!

The Goddesses by: Swan Huntley

Description from the publishers through Netgalley:

The Descendants meets Single White Female in this captivating novel about a woman who moves her family to Hawaii, only to find herself wrapped up in a dangerous friendship, from the celebrated author of We Could Be Beautiful.

When Nancy and her family arrive in Kona, Hawaii, they are desperate for a fresh start. Nancy’s husband has cheated on her; they sleep in separate bedrooms and their twin sons have been acting out, setting off illegal fireworks. But Hawaii is paradise: they plant an orange tree in the yard; they share a bed once again and Nancy resolves to make a happy life for herself. She starts taking a yoga class and there she meets Ana, the charismatic teacher. Ana has short, black hair, a warm smile, and a hard-won wisdom that resonates deeply within Nancy. They are soon spending all their time together, sharing dinners, relaxing in Ana’s hot tub, driving around Kona in the cute little car Ana helps Nancy buy. As Nancy grows closer and closer to Ana—skipping family dinners and leaving the twins to their own devices she feels a happiness and understanding unlike anything she’s ever experienced, and she knows that she will do anything Ana asks of her. A mesmerizing story of friendship and manipulation set against the idyllic tropical world of the Big Island, The Goddesses is a stunning psychological novel by one of our most exciting young writers.

My Review:

Wow!  I finished this book this morning and I am stunned.  I was emotionally invested in this story and these characters, it was as if they were people I knew.  Nancy was going through a difficult period in her life and she found a friendship with Ana that she desperately needed.  Ana was a free spirit who showed Nancy a different way to live.

Nancy struggled to decide if she wanted to be the woman that she was in the States or if she was going to reinvent herself.  Ana made that choice easy for Nancy.  As their relationship became stronger, Nancy’s home life started to fall apart.

This was a psychological thriller that read like contemporary fiction.  I was hooked.  I highly recommend this book.

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received an E-ARC of this book from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Marriage Pact by: Michelle Richmond

Description from the publishers through Netgalley:

In this relentlessly paced novel of psychological suspense, New York Times bestselling author Michelle Richmond crafts an intense and shocking tale that asks: How far would you go to protect your marriage?
 
Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.

The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . . 
            
Never mention The Pact to anyone.
            
Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples.

And then one of them breaks the rules.

The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule.

For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.

Recognition

 August 2017 Indie Next selection

 July 2017 LibraryReads selection

My Review:

This took a simple marriage and turned it into a nightmare.  What would you if you received  wedding present that promised a happy marriage above all else?!  For Alice and Jake, they decided to sign the contract and join the Pact.

They had to memorize rules and procedures and if they screwed up in any way, they were punished.  The events and repercussions that Alice and Jack and the other members of the Pact participated in were outrageous.

This was an interesting twist to a story about a cult-like organization.  It has a suspenseful atmosphere and is categorized under a few different sub-genres.  I would read something else from this author.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

 

I received this e-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.