Book Spotlight: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallow

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

From goodreads.com

Seriously, I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I can sum it up with a few sentences. Carrier is Fabulous. Yes, with a capital F. The characters are fun, real, and intense. Leigh is brilliant. Alright, I’m done.

But seriously. I loved Carrier so very much. The characters in this book have a definite pull to them. Megan is a girl who had a trouble past but she still looks at life through rose colored glasses. When she moves to a new place, she meets people who help her discover a bit about herself. She learns about her destiny, and takes charge of it. Megan is a strong character who doesn’t run away from things she wants. Such as Adam. Oh Adam. Insert swoon fest right there. I swear people need to stop writing all these wonderful guys into my life. He’s a definite pull to the story. He is also not afraid to fight for what he wants and I find that drool worthy in a man. 

I loved Megan and Adam’s relationship. They are pulled together by something outside of their control and yet they make sure that what they have is real. That was a special touch in their relationship that made me sigh more than once. 

Also, I enjoyed all of the characters in the story. Megan’s best friend and her girly problems kept Megan grounded. Then there was Adam’s family who are all very interesting individuals. The whole element of the story was unique and pulled me right in. 

Carrier is a wonderfully written debut. Leigh’s words pull you in from the first pages and keep you addicted for more. Entertaining, intriguing, and passionate Carrier will take you to a world like none before, leaving you breathless. The magic of this book will stay with you long after you read the last page. 

Carrier of the Mark is out October 4th. Get it, read it, love it!!! 


PS. Special thanks to Alex Bennet for sending me the ARC!! *Hugs and kisses* 
PSS. Let me know what you think!!!

Book Spotlight: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.
From Goodreads.com

I’ve been hearing so many wonderful things about this book for months. Naturally, I wanted it. When I received it in the mail I was deliriously happy, and a bit apprehensive. You see, sometimes when you hear about a book and all its wonders, it falls short. Half-Blood did NOT disappoint. Honestly, this book BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER!!!

Half-Blood is a story of Alex. She is a kick-arse kind of a girl with troubles following her everywhere she goes. She’s been on the run for years with her mother, when daimons finally reach them, ripping her life even more apart. She is returned to Covenant for training, where she meets some interesting people while reconciling with old friends. Since she needs extra help for missing training so long, she trains with Aiden. And that’s when the real fun begins. 

I don’t know how to talk about this book without giving everything away. The characters are amazing. Their relationships, their banter, even their fighting is all genius. You get pulled in from page one and cannot put it down until you know what happens. Alex is a strong character who, even though is a bit irrational, can take care of herself. Aiden. Well, that’s all I have to say right there. Anyone swooning yet? Seriously, he is perfection. I can’t even elaborate on that because this review will turn into a book. 

Now, one of my favorite parts of the book is all the fighting. The scenes are amazing. Emotional. Real. I’m stopping there.

Overall, this book is the best book I’ve read this year. I’ve loved so many out there, but this story just took a place in my heart and won’t leave. Jennifer is a genius with words. Her sense of humor is fabulous, and the conversations these characters have will go down in for their epic-ness in the Book of Epic. She weaves a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, leaving you begging for more the moment you stop reading. Honestly, it’s an obsession. Fun, brilliant, fabulous! You all need to read that book the moment it comes out! I’m not even kidding!!! That’s an order. If you don’t do it, I’ll send Aiden after you! Oh, Aiden *swoons*

Anyway, go grab a copy!! You won’t regret it! 

Caution: 

This book may, and probably, will accelerate your heart rate. May cause severe perspiration and restlessness. Read at your own risk.


Much love, 
Valia

In My Mailbox #16

You guys are the best! You know that right? I thought I'd mention it to you anyway!

Remember, contest soon!!!

What is in your mailbox?

Much love,

Valia

Official Cover Reveal and Blurb: OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hey guys,
I am privileged to be part of the official cover and blurb reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's new book out December 6th! This girl is a genius! I can't wait for all of you to read Half-Blood. That book is gold! But anyway, here is the blurb:

Starting over sucks. 

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, outhouses, 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 marked me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and the mark he left on me has me lit up like Las Vegas strip to the bad guys. 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. 

And then things got really bad…

Ready for the cover???? 

Are you???

Are you sure???

Alright, here it is!

How awesome looking is that? I can't wait to read this book!!! Now, here are all the important links!

Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578077-obsidian

Entangled Publishing Page: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

And I think you guys should really grab this countdown widget and stick it on your blog. Just saying! :)

Here are all the important Jennifer links! Follow her! She's the best!
http://twitter.com/#!/JLArmentrout
http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/jenniferlarmentrout
www.acovenantnovel.com

Alrighty then!! I'm super delirious for this book! Have I said that already? Huh...
What do you think? Let me know!!!

Much love,
Valia

In My Mailbox #15

Umm...so....so....umm....

Ya I might possibly have speaking issues today!!

Special thanks to:
Rebekkah @ http://prettydeadlyreviews.blogspot.com
Alex @ http://www.electrifyingreviews.com/

What did you get in your mailbox?

Happy reading,

Valia

Writing and Time....A Constant Battle!

So I’m sitting on the couch, computer on my lap, and Suits episodes on TV. Now this is the life. I have to say that I miss days when I can just write. Do nothing but concentrate on my work. 

This is me hugging my new job!

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE my new job! Adore it. Treasure it. Delight in it. I cant even tell you how blessed I am to have it! 

However, with the schedule that I have right now it’s hard to do other things I love, such as write. 

People often ask me, “How do you find time to write?” Here’s the truth: I have no idea. I know that sounds strange but it’s the truth. Sometimes I feel like I’m pulling time out of thin air because I need it. Writing is a need. If and when I miss my writing times I feel like I’m missing something. It may not be rational but it is who I am. It is what I need to do. Does anyone else feel like that?

I honestly believe that readers can tell if you’re writing in order to write or if you’re writing from the heart. The good books, the books that make a difference in your life are those written as if they’re ripped from the depth of the writer’s soul. Sure, there are those written because they are good at the storytelling aspect. They can make lots of money spinning words into stories. Then there are stories that get in your brain and stay there forever. There are examples of these types of books I can name. The most recent example of a series that stayed with me is The Hunger Games. I loved dystopian before it was a big deal. 1984 was probably one of my favorite books growing up. 

All of this is to say that I want to be that kind of a writer. My writing is a part of me, however, I have to work at it. It doesn’t come easy. Just because something makes sense in my head doesn’t mean it will make sense on paper. This is why time is so important. I have to write and I have to make time to better my writing. It may be a constant battle to squeeze in a few words here and there, but it is a battle worth fighting. 

This is me hugging all of YOU!!! I love my wonderful followers!!!

Now, I am off to get those words on paper. I can’t wait to share my recent project with you! All in due time. I leave you with this question:

What books have made a difference in your life?

Much love, 

Valia

In My Mailbox #14 - The Quicky Editon

Hello loves,

This week, yet again, I will not be doing a vlog for IMM. I know, you are all so disappointed but I'm just seriously running out of time! Maybe in the next few weeks I'll get back into the groove of things. Anyway, here are the few books I received this week!

This came as part of the RAK! Thank you Ashley for your 'wondrous' gift :) I just finished book one and I cant wait to get into this one! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This book came from Julie herself, with a little special note inside. The note has something to do with The Iron Knight so I'm going to have to wait to share that with you. I loved The Iron Knight! I cant wait till all of you read it in October! Anyway, it definitely made my day! I adore this series!

Special thanks to:
Julie Kagawa @ http://juliekagawa.blogspot.com/
Ashley @ www.whollybooks2.blogspot.com

Well, that is actually it for me this week! Which is a really good thing because I am way behind on reading/reviews!

How is everyone doing? I feel like I've been neglecting you all!!! *Hugs*

What is in your mailbox?

Any book recommendations you'd like to share with me?

Much love, 

Valia

Book Spotlight: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

It could happen tomorrow... 

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed." 
Can one teen really survive on her own? 

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human... 

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse. 

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.
From goodreads.com

Wow. Ummm. Wow. End of review.

But seriously guys, I don’t even know what to say about this book, because it blew me away! 

Its beings with a girl named Alex going on a little hike. She’s struggling with some things in her life and need a bit of time to figure things out. That one hike changes her life forever. The whole world changes. An EMP sweeps through the sky killing most of the population and leaving many “Changed.” Alex meets Ellie and Tom. Together they create a family of their own, trying to survive. 

I loved the relationships in this book. Each character is real. I expected good story as soon as I started reading. What I didn’t expect was zombie. But I loved it! The way Ilsa writes, it’s breathtaking. The reality of the savageness of these used to be people is outstanding. I’m definitely privy to one guy in the story, but I won’t reveal who that is just yet. Alex is a strong character who fights for others before she fights for herself. 

The story pulls you in from the opening pages and keeps holding on till the end. The last words of the book, oh my goodness, are unbelievable!!! Ilsa leaves as with the biggest cliffhanger since the time of cliffhangers and I want book 2 now!!!! This books will leave you wanting more. So much more! It’s a dark, edgy read that is unique and entertaining. This book comes out September 6th. I highly recommend it! Buy it. Read it. Love it. 

Happy reading, 

Valia

P.S. I’d like to hear your thoughts! :)