Tuesday 27 March 2012

Burn Mark by Laura Powell review

Burn MarkBurn Mark by Laura Powell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I knew as soon as I started this book I would love it! Glory and Lucus make for two amazing characters. Glory has always hoped that she would some day become a witch like most of her other relatives so when she finally get her wish you think she would be overjoyed but being a witch is not all it’s cracked up to be. When the Inquisition hunts unlicensed witch's down and the head coven leader has his own plans for you, life looks more like a danger than fun. Then Lucas the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition gets the Fae the same day as Glory and two lives are turned upside down.

I have to say the storyline was something new and very different while I would normally think of a group of witch’s as a coven in this book I come to think of them as a gang. People feared and respected them and I enjoyed seeing how the author made witches much more modern and fun to read about. I like how the normal humans cope by making police that deal with the witch population. The Inquisition that hunts the unlicensed witch and burn the evil ones.

I soon come to see that normal people see the Fae as like a horrible virus that changes normal humans into a witch. While I thought of it as a gift I could understand that witch craft might seem scary to those that could not use it. The book held a magical Quilty but it had to be the family life and drama that really got me. The way Glory was with her family and how they worked together and then Lucus that has always been so shore of his future than having to confront the fact his whole life has changed.

Excellently crafted book which lots of love and enjoy.
The book was a massive hit for me and I would happily reread and recommend to others.
5 stars.




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Wednesday 21 March 2012

A Million Suns by Beth Revis review

A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)A Million Suns by Beth Revis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed book one across the universe so I was overjoyed to get my hands on the next book A million suns.

Godspeed is dealing with the after mouth of the last book. Eldest is dead and Elder now is in charge the drug that normally keeps everyone under control has been taken away giving Godspeed people back their freedom but things are worse than ever. People are angry and lash out while others have slipped into a deep depression. Elder struggles to keep order and control over the people he's meant to look after. While Amy is grappling with her fear and loneliness. After what Luthor nearly did to her that horrible act still lingers in her mind and is only made worse by the fact that people on Godspeeds seem half out of their mind by their new freewill.

I can honestly say that book two was even better than book one. I found that I really loved the growing suspense and mystery. Orion leaves a trail of bream crumbs for Amy to follow I was so excited by the thought of finally knowing the big secret I was not disappointed. Even with Orion is frozen and out of harms way he still very much involved with the book and still in his own way making trouble which kind of made me smile that he's still very much in everyone's minds.
There are also lots of drama regarding the shift of power and that leads to a lot of nail biting confrontation. I was gripped completely by the story the author wove and the emotions that were running so high in the book. People are at their craziest and ready to do some stupid things.
I have to say when I finally got to the end I was open mouthed in shock. The things that had happened and by the way the book ended has left me with this burning desire to know what will happen next.

Beth Revis is one amazing writer and she has to be one of my favourite authors. While I’m reading her books nothing else exist but space and Godspeed.
5 stars

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Penguin Children’s Books Announces Global Deal with Game App Whale Trail

Penguin Children’s Books Announces Global Deal with Game App Whale Trail




Penguin Children’s Books today announced a global publishing deal for the critically acclaimed app, Whale Trail.

Eric Huang, Publishing Director, Media & Entertainment Group, has acquired publishing rights (world rights all languages) for Puffin. Created by digital design studio, ustwo, Whale Trail is a psychedelic, surreal and highly addictive flying game. Players control Willow the Whale through a magical rainbow world, dodge angry clouds and escape the evil Baron von Barry. Whale Trail also includes a soundtrack by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals.

Penguin Children’s has pioneered creating book programmes behind digital brands (Club Penguin, Moshi Monsters, Skylanders). Partnering with ustwo to create the narratives for the books, a digital picture book will be released October 2012 followed by further publishing - both digital and physical formats - in 2013. This collaboration between Penguin and ustwo marks the first publishing deal behind a brand that has debuted as an app.

Eric Huang said, ‘I discovered Whale Trail from Gruff Rhys’ music video.  When I downloaded the app, I was hooked. There’s something so fresh and cool about the art direction. I wanted to know more about Willow and his world and thought, we should publish a book! And since Whale Trail is a digital brand, it made sense to lead with an ebook.’

mills, co-founder of ustwo adds, 'Whale Trail was all about creating something that brings joy to users throughout the world. Penguin genuinely and passionately share our enthusiasm for developing the brand further, and the coming together of the traditional publishing powerhouse and our first game IP, is a match made in heaven. The ingredients are now ready to be mixed together to make something truly mind-blowing and this is just the beginning.'

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Robert Sadler author guest post.

Best books would like to welcome Robert Sadler to the blog. His kindly spared some time to do this wonderful post just for the blog. 


Hello everyone, my name is Robert Sadler and I have recently released the first in a series of books titled Rebirth Of The Chosen. I would like to talk about the book a little bit today starting with the identity of the main character and how he was developed.
Quillen Ware, or Q as he prefers to be called, is a monster of a man physically. Surprisingly, he has spent much of his life silently suffering because of his sheer size and power. While Q has had the luxury of walking through life without fear of any man, he has spent his life lonely and isolated. Ok, this is where it gets interesting. Q’s personality and emotional state is based on mine. This is something I’ve never said aloud before.
At 6’6” and over 300lbs I am a very large and intimidating man, the fact that I am a no nonsense guy and speak my mind only adds to the problems. Throughout my life I have found that most men (especially short ones) are either afraid of me or intimidated by me. My old fashioned sense of loyalty has made it difficult to keep friends.
On the flip side it takes a strong, confident woman to look past my outward appearance. I needed a woman that could see through my brash, confident nature and find the sensitive, passionate, and at times insecure man hidden beneath. This is the power of Q’s character. While Q is powerful and confident, a natural born leader of men he is also afraid of making mistakes, of making poor choices and hurting the wrong people along the way.
Writing about Q is second nature to me because in a way he is me. I can put myself in his place and say, “What would I do? What would I say?” Creating his companions was as simple as asking myself, “Who would you want to surround yourself with? What kind of men would you trust to watch your back?” The women I created in the book are both the kind I would desire physically, as well as the ones that would terrify me just to approach. It gives the relationships and the interactions an emotional reality that I love.
Creating the protagonists was just as natural. What do I hate about mankind? What traits make me angry and disturb me more than any others? These qualities are in the mindset and make up the very foundation of my villains. Cruelty, selfishness, exploitation and an all encompassing desire for total dominance drive them to be what they are. While the book is full of paranormal elements and creatures ranging from gnomes and trolls to the more traditional vampires and shape shifters—I want the readers to see through the edge of your seat action and the steamy passion to what lies beneath it all. I can only hope that people feel the emotion I tried to instill in each character, to understand what drives them and what events and circumstances have shaped them.


I would like to thank Annmarie Ager for inviting me to stop by Best Books! I hope everyone who likes fast-paced, hot and exciting paranormal adventures will check out Rebirth Of The Chosen and for you fans of psychological thrillers with a touch of horror check out my collection of short stories: Vengeance The Collection. Thanks again for having me and I hope you enjoy my books!


Rebirth Of The Chosen paperback: https://www.createspace.com/3750197



Vengeance The Collection paperback:  https://www.createspace.com/3798180


Vengeance is also available for the Nook and on Smashwords


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Monday 19 March 2012

Jane Was Here by Sarah Kernochan review

Jane Was HereJane Was Here by Sarah Kernochan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I would like to start by saying I normally only really read young adult books so it was a nice change to read something for adult readers and it was such a magnificent book.

There were a LOT of interesting and exciting characters in the book and while I really enjoyed reading about them what I fell in love with was the story that blazed through the whole book. The mystery that surrounded Jane in her quest to find out the truth about herself. Who is this strange old fashioned talking young women and why are all her memories so fragmented. I loved reading as the story unfolded into something so jaw droppingly stunning.

There was religion in the book but do not be put off there is the demonic horror folded in with the story that will give you chills to the bone. The whole way through the book I was on the edge of my seat waiting to learn the truth. I could feel myself getting excited the closer I got to the end knowing I would soon know everything and oh my goodness what a conclusion this book had. I know one this book will linger in my mind for weeks to come.

A fantastic mix of mystery, supernatural, faith and horror all combined together to make one hell of a book!

5 stars



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Saturday 17 March 2012

Fever by Dee Shulman review

FeverFever by Dee Shulman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh my god! What a book when I think of this book one saying comings to mind ‘’the course of true love never did run smooth’’ that really does sum it up.

This book showed that love is not always easy and if you really are truly in love you do some silly thing to hold onto the people you love. I found myself one hundred percent falling in love with the book and Sethos and here are some reasons why.

The story flicks from present day with Eva as the main character. She is super smart and dropped dead beautiful but she sometimes finds that the beauty part can be a curse when guys are always chasing you makes making friends at school hard and being expelled seems to become a pass time for Eva. Eva seems happy to be invisible to everyone and I liked the fact she was not stuck up and did not think she was better than everyone else. Eva also had a hard family life and that was easy to relate to for me and made Eva an easy character to like.

The story then flicks to Sethos that I’m sure you are all going to call him Seth in no time. He's a young and very sexy gladiator in the year AD 152. He's a slave he has been pulled away from his home and owned by someone that uses him to fight to the death as a gladiator. All the women seem to want him but Seth is not interested in anything apart from keeping fit and being with his only friend Matthias but then he sees Livia and the meaning to his life changes. Seth was easy for me to fall in love with his determination and unwavering love for Livia just blow me away and I felt jealous that someone could love a person that much.

Now as a story can go this is one of the best love stories I have read its divided into three parts and you watch the two characters lives unfold which helps you relate to them and get to know them. There was also so much more than just love in this book there was action and conflicted and drama and a strange illness that raged through the story but you are going to have to read the book to find out more. While at the start it felt like two stories you found that the two entwined together for a spectacular ending that you are all going to love.

If you like your love stories with a twist I recommend you read this!
5 stars.




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Friday 16 March 2012

soulstone by katie salidas, Earc review by alice


It’s a desperate time for rookie vampire Alyssa, and her sanity is hanging by a slender thread. Her clan is still reeling from the monumental battle with Aniketos; a battle that claimed the body of Lysander, her sire and lover, and trapped his spirit in a mysterious crystal. A Soulstone.

Unfortunately, no amount of magic has been able to release Lysander’s spirit, and the stone is starting to fade. Weeks of effort have proved futile. Her clan, the Peregrinus, have all but given up hope. Only Alyssa still believes her lover can be released. In despair, Alyssa begs the help of the local witch coven, and unwittingly exposes the supernaturals of Boston to unwanted attention from the Acta Sanctorum.

The Saints converge on the city and begin their cleansing crusade to rid the world of all things “Unnatural.” In the middle of an all-out war, but no closer to a solution to the dying stone, Alyssa is left with an unenviable choice: save her mate, or save her clan


TO BE RELEASED!!!!  
i was very lucky to get a Earc from katie to read and review. i LOVE this series :)
it keeps getting better and better with what alyssa has to go thru, her trials to keep her and the clan going, cant say much without giving anything away but i suggest that if you are looking for a different vampire story then this is the one for you, keeps you on the edge of your seat, the writing style, everything is amazing, i feel as if i am there with alyssa living in her world
cant wait for the next one :)






 about katie

 

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.
 And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…
Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.


http://www.katiesalidas.com/  


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916 

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro  

 http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

 


DON'T read the sample chapters if you havent read the first 3 books

 

CHAPTER 1


Down the creaky steps I walked, alone, heading for the basement.
Visiting Lysander had become my nightly ritual. I’d wake up in my bed, reach out to the empty sheets, and feel nothing but crushing emptiness. It’s hard to believe that the absence of someone can bear such a heavy weight on one’s soul, but it does. That’s when realization would hit me, and I’d relive that terrible memory of seeing Lysander, my love, my mate, dive into the flames. Only after coming downstairs to the dark, dungeon-like basement, would I feel better.
I took a deep breath and stepped down onto the cold concrete floor. To my already tepid skin, the ground felt icy. Winter’s chill had frozen everything, and the basement was no real shelter from the cold. I probably should have worn something more than socks, but in my desperation to see him, I’d ignored basic necessities. I shook off the chill working its way up my spine and continued on.
“Good evening sweetie.” I said it as if he could hear me.
His spirit could, I guess, but Lysander had no voice with which to respond. Still, it made me feel better to talk to him as if he were alive and in front of me.
“It’s snowing outside. Boston is a winter wonderland. Zuri took us shopping for coats and boots.” Lysander had lived the last fifty years in Las Vegas. I had grown up there, before becoming a vampire. So for desert rats such as us, snow was as infrequent as rain, which made them special. Now that we were on the east coast, both were very common but neither had lost their beauty, at least to me they hadn’t. “I wish you could see it, honey. It’s just gorgeous out there. Everything’s covered in white.”
No response, as always. Not that I had really expected one. Hoped for, yes. But, at this rate, my hope was beginning to wear thin.
Too much time had passed since he’d been trapped inside the crystal that now served as his prison. The fragile hope I held of saving him was almost gone. I grew restless for a resolution. His spirit felt weaker. The warmth of his presence was almost … transparent.
Ariana, our resident witch, had not yet come up with a solution. She’d managed an impressive feat, trapping Aniketos back into the Pandora’s Box. But because she’d used her own spells instead of the original ones from the old scrolls, Lysander had been trapped too. His spirit now resided in a large blood-red crystal.
She’d said her coven might be able to help; however, weeks later, we still had no resolution. Others in the house had already given up. I could feel it in the way they avoided any talk of Lysander or the crystal. They’d always find a way to change the subject. A few times, I had the sneaking suspicion that they were purposefully avoiding me so as not to have to talk about it.
I reached up and pulled the chain, flicking on the overhead light. The basement was small and bare. Brownstones in the Back Bay area of Boston were built tall, not wide, so the basement didn’t take up much square footage. Lysander’s coffin sat in the middle. Just a plain pine box that reminded me of ones from the old westerns I’d watched as a kid.  It had been quickly constructed, and wasn’t a showpiece; just a simple, almost flimsy box, only meant to hold Lysander until we could find some way to release his spirit.
Seeing it there, sitting all alone in the cold dark room, caused my heart to seize. Each time I set eyes on the coffin, for a brief moment, my world crumbled into dust—like everything important had been destroyed, except the reminder of the act that put him in this coffin.
For as long as he’d been lying there, I hoped he was comfortable. Part of me felt guilty, like the others and I should have gotten him something a little nicer to sleep in. That thought too made the permanence of death seem more real. A tear welled up in my eye, and I wiped it away.
The pine box is fine. He won’t be in it much longer.
I pushed aside the lid and leaned it against the side of the box. Inside, Lysander lay, looking as if he were sleeping off his terrible injuries.
Where his body wasn’t scabbed or bruised, the skin appeared ashen in color and almost plastic-looking, as if not really skin at all, but a sort of waxy coating. I shivered at the gruesome sight. He’d been so beautiful before the fire charred him. His once-gorgeous chocolate-colored hair had been singed away in the blaze, leaving only a few patches here and there to remind me of its original color. The tips of his fangs poked down from behind dry, parched lips. I’d tried to give him blood, hoping it might restore him, but it hadn’t had any effect. His body was frozen in the moment his spirit had left it.
The fire had almost destroyed him before his spirit had been caught. Ariana had suggested to me that Lysander had already died and his spirit was moving on when she trapped him. She told me that if we freed it from the crystal, he might not return to his body.
I wasn’t ready to accept that. I could still feel his presence, though weak, emanating from the large soda bottle-sized crystal. Whether in his body or not, his spirit was still with us. That had to count for something. He was still here with us and alive, for all intents and purposes. And until we knew otherwise, I did not want to hear talk of him “moving on.”
I hoped and prayed to every deity out there that when Ariana did find the answer, Lysander could be returned to his body. Even if he remained charred and burned, I’d still love him. I didn’t want to face eternity without him.
I’d placed the crystal on his chest and folded his arms across it. There it had rested for the last two weeks while I tried to find answers. I hoped keeping the two together like this would help in some small way.
“Alyssa the widow is back to mourn again,” said an overly chipper voice from the top of the stairs. “Shouldn’t you be wearing black?”
I craned my head to look up and found Ian standing at the top of the stairs. As usual he was dressed for a night out: raven-black hair slicked back with just a few strands framing his face, skin-tight t-shirt and tight-legged jeans to ensure nothing was left to the imagination, and topped off with a leather coat. I often wondered if he had been a greaser before being turned. He certainly looked the part.
“Widow implies death, Ian,” I said with as much snark as I could put into my mournful voice.
“Widow also implies… available.” Ian beamed down with his thousand-watt smile. “I’ve had enough of this moping. You’re coming out with me tonight.” He took the stairs at a trot.
“No, thanks. I don’t need to hunt tonight.” I looked down at Lysander again. “You have to come back, honey. Look what you’re leaving me with.”
“I’m not taking no for an answer.” Ian’s breath blew across my ear. I felt the closeness of his body almost pressing against my back. “And I prefer to be the one on the hunt.”
I jumped in response, and my head collided with his. “Ugh. Ian! Stop it. I’m not one of your waitresses or barmaids. Leave me alone.” A spike of pain radiated through my skull. I could only hope I’d done more damage to Ian. The nerve of him, hitting on me in front of Lysander.
“No, you’re not. Which makes the hunt all that much more fun for me. Tricky little prey, aren’t you, Alyssa?” If I had injured him, he didn’t show it. In fact, whatever pain I’d caused him, he might have even liked.
I groaned in frustration and rubbed the sore spot on the back of my head. 
“Oh, c’mon. Try me. You just might like it.” He winked.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “I don’t want to try anyone, especially not a sleazy vampire that’ll sleep with anything that breathes.”
“Not fair. I didn’t sleep with your human friend, Fallon.”
“That’s ’cause she’s with Aiden.”
Ian grimaced for a brief second before his smile returned. “She’s off limits.”
“And so am I.”
“Just come out and have fun.”
“Fun for you is getting in the sack.”
“Look, you might see me as sleazy. I prefer the term ‘promiscuous’; it has a nicer ring to it.  But the bottom line is, at least I’m out there living life, not moping around in some dingy cellar, waiting for a man who’ll never return.” His typically cheerful tone had all but vanished. “I’m trying to help you.”
It was the first time I had ever seen Ian serious. Beyond that, he almost looked angry. His blue-gray eyes narrowed on me and his lip curled ever so slightly. “You have to know when to give up.” He inclined his head toward the coffin. “Let a lost cause go.”
I stared at him while anger and grief fought each other to be the dominant emotion inside me. My jaw quivered. I mashed my teeth together so it wouldn’t show.
“Lost cause? Lysander’s not a lost cause.” My eyes watered. I blinked and turned away. I didn’t want to melt down again. I didn’t want anyone seeing me like this.  
“Look, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” Ian said, softening his tone. He smiled at me, but it didn’t have its usual brilliance.
  “You don’t know what this feels like. To know that your mate is here, lying as if dead. But I feel him. I know he hasn’t gone yet. Yes, Ian. I can feel his spirit. Right here.”
I picked the crystal up, off Lysander’s chest, and held it for Ian to see. “He’s not dead and gone. I know you can’t feel it, but I can. That’s what makes this so difficult.”
“I get it. You’ve been so maudlin lately. I’m just trying to lighten things up. Put a smile on that pouty face.”
I huffed. There was no getting through to that man. How could I expect him to understand the loss of a mate? He was the pathological playboy of the immortal world. Sex was his answer for all life’s problems.
“I’m sorry. Let’s try this again.” Ian’s wide eyes suddenly narrowed on the crystal. “Hey, didn’t that used to be all red?”
“What?” I pulled it closer to inspect. When Lysander had been trapped, the crystal had gone from completely transparent to a deep red color, as if it were made from blood itself. To my surprise now, the tip had turned clear.
“What does this mean?” I mumbled more to myself than to Ian.
“Good news, probably. Maybe the longer you keep that thing on Lysander’s chest, the more his spirit can seep back into his body.”
Oh, how I wished he were right! Ever the optimist, Ian had given me a little more hope. Maybe the spell would reverse its self after a short while, and Lysander would heal and return to us.
“Ariana is coming by later. You can show her then.”
I gave Ian a genuine smile.
“There it is. That’s what I’ve been looking for. You look so pretty when you’re not moping. Now, let’s go out and celebrate this good news.”
Part of me wanted to. I’d been cooped up for the last two weeks, researching and staying by Lysander’s side. It would be nice to get out and enjoy the city.
Ian took a step, closing the gap between us. He was a tall man, six foot or better. He pulled me into a hug and cradled my head to his chest. “It’s not a crime to go out and have fun. You have to live too. Otherwise, what’s immortality good for?”
I pulled back and looked down at the crystal in my hands. It seemed to pulse, as if Lysander were trying to tell me something. The warm, tingling sensation of his presence briefly flashed through me. Maybe he was saying the same thing: You shouldn’t forget to live.
I held it up and gently kissed the smooth sides. “I’ll be back soon,” I said, and then placed it against his chest.
“Atta girl.” Ian’s full blinding smile returned. “Let’s turn that frown upside down, permanently. We’re gonna hit the town and have a little fun.”
“I’ll go out with you tonight, on two conditions,” I said as I closed the lid to the coffin.
“Name them.”
“Quit with the cheesy lines. You need some new material.”
“Ouch. I think I might be insulted,” Ian quipped.
I shook my head. “Oh, poor baby. It couldn’t hurt that bad. I doubt anything in the world could damage that ego.”
“You’re so feisty and full of anger. I know a way to relieve some of that tension.” He waggled his eyebrows.
I gave him my best I-don’t-think-so look and drummed my fingers on the top of the coffin.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying. Either way, you’re still smiling.” He smirked. “What’s the other condition?”
“That you talk Zuri into coming with us.”
“Spoil sport.” Ian shot up the stairs, leaving me alone with Lysander’s body.
I had to laugh. Ian just didn’t give up. That, in its own funny way, gave me more hope. Maybe he was right and Lysander might actually make a comeback. That was a reason to celebrate, even if it was with Ian. I took one last look at the coffin. “Are you sure I should go out with him?” I mumbled to the box. As expected, there was no response, but I still felt Lysander spirit.
I wished, just once, that he would answer. With a sigh, I headed to the stairs, pulling the chain for the light as I walked by. “I’ll see you later honey. Don’t you go waking up without me, okay?”




CHAPTER 2


As I went upstairs to get ready for my night with Ian, I stumbled upon my clan members seated around a large cherrywood table in the formal dining room. I stepped inside to see if any of them wanted to join me for a night out on the town. I opened my mouth to speak and caught the awkward glances that Nicholas, Crystal, and Drew were giving me. Silence enveloped the room, as if my presence were unwanted.
“Did I miss dinner?” I asked, hoping to break the awkwardness of the moment with a little humor, but none of them laughed at my bad joke.
Nicholas folded his hands in front of him on the table. He shook his head and clenched his jaw as if he wanted to say something but was holding back. Drew looked down at the dining table, pretending to be intensely studying the grain of the wood, while Crystal sat back in her chair, picking at her long, manicured fingernails. If I wasn’t mistaken, they seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me. This was one of those many times I wished I were an older vampire and had developed the ability to read thoughts. Being a newbie, as I was, I had almost none of the nifty abilities that the more experienced vampires had. I could sense emotions, but that wouldn’t do me much good here. I did, however, have the sneaking suspicion they’d all been talking about me.
“Okay then,” I said to break the silence. “Lysander’s crystal is in the coffin if anyone is looking for it. I noticed something different about it today. Possibly a good thing. Fingers crossed. When Ariana gets here we need to have her take a look at it. Maybe the spell is reversing itself. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Crystal glanced up for a brief second and smiled awkwardly at me.
Drew cleared his throat and it sounded like he said, “Okay,” but didn’t bother to turn and look in my direction.
I found it odd that none of them bothered to comment on what I had said about Lysander or the crystal. Come to think of it, they’d been acting funny for the last few evenings; avoiding me, ignoring me, and spending a lot of time in their own little group. Did they know something I didn’t? And if they did, why weren’t they telling me? I wanted to blurt these questions out but knew better. If they were trying to hide something from me, the direct approach wasn’t going to get me any answers. I’d have to keep a close watch on them to find out myself.
“Anyway… Ian is dragging me out of the house. We’re going to hit the bar. If anyone else wants to join us, I’d love to have you. Please come.”
Crystal shook her head and folded her arms across the table, but maintained her silence.
“Drew, Nicholas, either of you guys want to tag along? Don’t make me go out with Ian all by myself.” I figured that would at least get a rise out of one of them. They’d been like overprotective brothers, and Ian was just the kind of guy that brothers kept away from their little sisters.
 “Actually, that might be best.” Drew said in his usually chipper tone. “You get along well with the Boston crowd. I feel you should go out with them more often. It would do you good.”
“I’m sorry… what?” To say I was startled would be an understatement. “Remember we’re talking about Ian here. Mr. Wannabe Casanova. You want me to go out with him tonight?”
 “You can handle him,” Drew responded.
“What I think Drew is trying to say,” Crystal said softly, “is that we want to see you going out and having fun. We’re worried for you. The Boston crowd is younger, and you can relate to them better. Maybe that’s what you need to move on.”
“Move on!” I said a bit louder than I wanted to. “Nicholas, back me up here. Have you moved on from Rozaline?”
I realized about two seconds too late that I probably shouldn’t have reopened that wound. And I was right. Nicholas’s face tensed. His jaw clenched. His eyes zeroed in on mine, and without needing to hear the sound I knew he was still screaming in pain on the inside.
Rozaline, Nicholas’s mate, had died days before Lysander had been charred and trapped in the crystal. We’d all watched her decapitated and drained at the ghostly hands of Aniketos. Her death had been gruesome and very final, and I doubt even the coldest heart out there could have gotten over that pain so quickly.
“Sorry, that was wrong of me. I didn’t mean it to come out like that. All I’m trying to say is, she died and he is allowed to mourn. Lysander isn’t dead, and you all seem to want to act like he is. There is nothing for me to move on from.”
Crystal stood and walked purposefully toward me. “We just feel like you might be holding false hope. We don’t want you to hurt more if things don’t work out.”
“At least I have hope.” I couldn’t hold back the raw emotion in my voice. “At least I want things to be better. What are you all doing? Have you lost your humanity completely? This is no different than if he were in a coma in a hospital. If we were human, I’d be by his side every day, because I love him. That’s what you do when you love someone.”
She put her arm around me. “You’re not wrong to care. And we do want things to be better. Even if that means letting go.”
I jerked away from her.
“Not of your hope,” she added. “Let go of some of the pain. Don’t forget you have to live too. Transfer that energy into something productive, so you’re not constantly dwelling on the uncertainty of his situation.”
“And what if I’m not ready to let go of the pain? What if all I have is my pain?”
“You know that’s a lie.” She pulled me back into her arms. “You have us. We care… in our own way.”
Drew stood and joined us. His massive height dwarfed both Crystal and me. “So go out tonight. Have fun with Ian and Zuri and anyone else you can drag along with you. Get out of this house. That’s all we want.”
“Then I want you all to come too.” If I was to be forced into going out and having fun, they should have to go too. It was only fair.
“We’ve already hunted,” Drew said with an obviously fake smile. “And I don’t really care much for the dance clubs here.”
“There is nothing you can say that will get me to go to another bar,” Nicholas said with a note of finality.
I knew better than to push him. We shared a common pain, though not exactly the same, and I wouldn’t blame him at all for locking himself away to mourn. Losing a mate with whom you have shared eternity is not something you can just walk away from. He’d been ready to join her, offering himself as a sacrifice, but that too had been stolen from him when Lysander took his place.
“Well, I know Crystal will go with me.” I gave her my best you’re-not-getting-out-of-this look. Crystal liked to go to parties and clubs. She’d been the first to take me out dancing after I’d been turned. “No excuses. If you don’t go, I don’t go.”
She sighed and for a brief moment, I almost believed she was angry at me for giving her an ultimatum; but then a smile blossomed from her tight lips. “Oh, all right. I’ll go out tonight.”
Drew cleared his throat. “I thought we had our own plans for tonight.” He put his arm around his mate. “Remember, just the two of us?”
She stammered for a moment and looked up at her mate with confusion in her eyes. “Oh… yes… I completely forgot. Alyssa, let’s have a girls’ night some other time.”
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but they were all acting very suspicious. I sighed in disappointment. “Fine. I’ll see you all later. Will someone call me if Ariana gets here before I return?”
“If we’re home.” Drew said with a cocky tone that didn’t suit him.
Something was definitely up.
“Yeah, okay. If you’re around, give me a call,” I said, and then turned and headed toward my room to get ready. 


Thursday 15 March 2012

The Intern by Dillon Khan Review

The InternThe Intern by Dillon Khan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jay Merchant is struggling he can’t pay his full rent and his current job at the foot locker is not his dream job and does not pay enough. Then he lands on his feet when he gets accepted as an intern at the Beats.

The Beat’s is known world wide and jay soon learns how lucky he is to get a chance to intern there when so many people are dying for the chance to be a part of this music phenomenon but like most things working at the Beat’s comes with a price.

This book was really easy to get into thanks to the witty and funny conversations the comical thoughts that jay has during the book. Jay was a cool character that did not think he was better than anyone but he did change during the course of the book and he grows as a character.

While this book is not my normal paranormal or fantasy type that I normally read I was not disappointed this book has something else a taste of Jay’s life and while the book is fictional to me it felt very real which made this book brilliant. Jay works so hard to keep the job of his dreams to get the good money to be someone important and while all that is amazing what got to me was while he was working so hard and putting in so many hours he slowing had less time for everything before the Beats. I have to say this book had a really good taste of real life and how working and juggling with your social life and everything else can be hard. I loved that the author did not sugar coat everything and I felt that was another reason the book was so good.

5 stars

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Beth Revis guest post

Best Book would like to thank Beth Revis for this wonderful guest post. 

Goals for the Future
 One thing that seems to surprise people is just how long it takes to get published. I’ve been billed as an overnight success, but the thing is, people usually just see the books suddenly showing up in bookstores. They don’t see the ten years I wrote or the ten books I wrote (none of which were published, despite my best efforts) before that.

  I say this not to complain or bring in a rainy-day cloud, but to say that having my books published is the culmination of more than a decade of hard work and a lifelong dream. When I think about any goals I have for the future, the answer is simple: I would like to still be writing books that people are reading.
 The most important thing to an author is having her works read by others. The very best thing that’s happened to me since publication isn’t quitting my day job or going to signings or anything like that—the very best thing is meeting or hearing from people who have read my books.
 So the simple answer of my goal for the future? Just keep having my words read. That’s all any author really wants.

 Some more specific goals I have are to finish the Across the Universe trilogy (I’m working on Shades of Earth right now, and the end is in sight!), and then work on a new project (it’s a fantasy, and I’m itching to write it), and after that…I don’t know! One of the joys of writing is not knowing quite what story will come next!

Wednesday 14 March 2012

2000 likes mega giveaway!!

OMG can you believe it!! Best books on Facebook have reached 2000 likes and we just celebrated our 1 year birthday. So I’m now going to do a Mega giveaway for you amazing people that have showed your love and support for Best books.

The first prize winner gets to pick one of the three prize packs below...Let's call them the gold prize packs.

The Second winner gets to pick one pack from the silver prize packs.

And the third winner gets to pick one book out of a choice of three.  
When you leave you comment please pick a prize pack from each section. 

First prize winner gold prize packs
Prize pack one.
Above by Leah Bobet 
Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers
The selection by Kiera Cass
Prize pack two 
Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
Croak by Gina Damico
Prize pack three
Swift By R J Anderson
Dark Eyes by William Richter
Dark storm by Sarah Singleton. 

Second winner prize packs.
prize pack one
The selection by Kiera Cass 
Dark storm by Sarah Singleton. 
prize pack two
Croak by Gina Damico 
Swift By R J Anderson 
Prize pack three
Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
The pledge by Kimberly Derting.

And finally prize winner three you only get to pick one book out the ones below.
1.Dark storm by Sarah Singleton.  
2.Croak by Gina Damico

3.Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
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The give away is open to anyone that can get free shipping on book depository. All prizes come out of my own money so please show some love and share the give away as much as you can. 
Please leave a comment saying which prize you would like from each section.
Finally feel out raffle copter form and good luck everyone. 
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Reading in the woods

Reading in the woods
Like most readers I love to read before bed which really helps chill me out, Also the kids are asleep by then and there is no noise but I just wanted to share one of my all time favourite reading spots ever. In the summer in the UK (summer in the UK is hard to get at the best of times) my granddad and nan like to go out in the car so I sometimes tag along but one of my favourite places they go is Thorndon park. Thornton is a really nice place in summer a lot of families go there but the place is so huge you always get a lot of peace. There are trees upon trees as far as the eye can see and a beautiful pond that has ducks and fish. There are not words that I can say that can describe how beautiful and calming the place is so I’m hoping to do my best in this post.

Thornton is simply massive you can walk or bike for miles and miles and while there are lots of paths and seat’s some of my favourite places are off the beaten path and not always easy to get to. I also take a nice big book and a cold bottle of drink ready for the long walk. While the walk is fun I normally take lots of photos and look at the wildlife around me. The spot I'm after is a place that’s so breath taking it’s like I have walked into one of my books. Once I get there I find a comfy place to seat and before opening my book and getting lost in its pages I look around and gaze at natures beauty. The place that I’m seated in is in the shade but the sunlight filters through the trees giving my spot a feel of magic and while I'm seated here I feel like I have stepped over into an author's imagination and that maybe this place is where fantasy leaks into reality.

While I read here in my spot warm inside and out I feel happy and content like maybe I have a place in this word that really is heaven or maybe I have stumbled across some kind of barrier into another world.









What's you favorite place?
Please let me know what you think of my post thanks. 

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi review

Tomorrow LandTomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A post apocalyptic joy ride of horror, survival and romance.

I loved the book from the very start the technology in the world has now become amazingly advanced and the world seems all but perfected but Payton’s dad is saying the world is going to come to an end and they all ended to be ready for the worst. Payton’s friends think her dad is out of his mind. No one’s laughing when some kind of illness out brakes and within a short time people are changing turning into zombie like monsters that are attacking anything that moves. The world went from save to deadly in a blink of an eye and I loved reading every second of it.

Over the course of the book each chapter flips from the past when the out brake happened to the future four year in front. Payton comes out of her safe bunker after four years and her mission is simply find her dad and start making their world again but the strangest thing happens she bumps into her long lost love the person she hurt the most before she was locked away in safety.
The book had lots of everything a post apocalyptic them with a great back story, Horror that makes you keep the light on. A touch of love that warmed your heart and some secrets that could change everything. In this new world it’s all about survival.

The author has a great writing style and I love the way she mixed the past and present together. There was a lot in the story and you have no time to get bored with such a fast paced book.
I would recommend this book to other and happily reread the book too.
5 Stars




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Saturday 10 March 2012

Starters by Lissa Price review

Starters (Starters, #1)Starters by Lissa Price

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The world changed after the spores war which killed everyone between 20-60. This left lots of young people parentless and alone. Like Callie and tyler that had no elders to look after them so they struggled living on the street with the friend Micheal.
Life as a squatter is hard they are always running from renegades that would love to catch them so Callie does the only thing she things will make their life better and heads to prime destination.

Prime Destination or the body bank as most kids think of it where Callie can rent her body out to elders. It like the Elders use Callie’s body for a holiday getting them out of there 100 or 200 year old body. After that Callie will get a massive pay out and be much better off. Thing go wrong when Callie wakes up and is back in her body but in the life of the renter, sports cars and lots of money but why has Callie taken her body back?
Callie soon learns she in a lot of trouble and the more she learns the worse things get and the boss of prime destination has a dark plain that could mean the death for lots of unwanted teens.

The first thing that got me interested in this book was the imagination and idea’s that the author put into this book. While the book is based in our world the war has changed so much that it took my breath away. The author writing style also helped towards the easy flow of the book and that fact that the book was not over described to the point that it becomes boring the author made shore you knew that facts but not to the point of you losing interested.

The story was a mix of everything teen drama, action, danger, high emotions and lots of secrets and lies and it was all put together in a beautiful and imaginative way that kept me hooked the whole way through.
The main character Callie was easy for me to like she spends her time trying to do what is best for her young brother Tyler. I did feel she lost track of herself sometimes but I felt that was all part of her journey in the book. After facing poverty then being faced with all that money it would be hard for anyone not to change.

Over all I felt the book was filled to the max of everything any reader could want I know that I was really happy with this book and did not want to put the book down. I would recommend the book to others and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series. I can’t find any part of the book I did not like and I’m happy to say that book for me was faultless.

5 well earned stars




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Sarah Kernochan guest post.

Best books would like to welcome Sarah Kernochan author of Jane Was Here which is available to buy now ill add purchase links at the bottom of this post.  
SNORKELING IN THE OZONE 

I’m a bad swimmer. I never learned how to suck breath with my head turned to the side. I would either inhale water or gulp only enough oxygen for a couple of strokes more, at which point I would be gasping for life. So I swim with a mask and snorkel tube.

It feels like I can go on forever this way. Usually there’s not much to see on the bottom of the pool or the bay where I paddle in summers. And you can’t see anything above the water, so there’s a certain trust involved that sharks or jet-skis are not going to remove some crucial limb. What’s mesmerizing is the sound of my own breath. Slow, deep, rhythmic, life-giving. Like meditation practice, it leads you inward. You enter the cosmic creative flow.

Here is the natural habitat of imagination, ideas, words, stories, solutions, endlessly regenerating, as if they already exist and are drifting about for the taking. You don’t always find what you’re seeking on the first try, but you trust in its presence; surely the next few tries will succeed.

But you can’t type underwater.

I know some writers who do employ meditation to get into the “zone.”  Others choose the music that bests suits the tone of their material – for example, soundtracks of scary movies, or Bartok, for writing horror.

I use earplugs. Shutting off external sound puts you in the realm of your own breathing. Gradually, into the primordial deep you go, merging with the current. Your unconscious welcomes you, the writer, the fisher.

I’m wearing earplugs as I write this. Next stop, the deep.


About this author (goodreads)

I decided to be a writer at age 14. The books I loved made me want to draw love in the same way, to beguile and woo a reader away from the sensory world. I don't think of myself as an author but rather as a storyteller. I have only published two books because I got sidetracked into film. That career reached its peak with my directing a movie from my own script called "All I Wanna Do" [original title: "The Hairy Bird"] with Kirsten Dunst and Lynn Redgrave. The other peak was winning a second Academy Award for documentary.

I worried that, when I eventually returned to writing novels, screenwriting would have ruined my prose style. I found that, instead, it had sharpened my ability to plot and shape a story. I felt more confident about constructing the intricate mystery of JANE WAS HERE and to keep readers turning pages.

Because of several personal experiences with ghosts, as well as past-life flashbacks, I became interested in reincarnation and the paranormal. Over time I developed my own spirituality and rapport with the divine, and I drew upon all my beliefs when writing JANE WAS HERE. This makes the novel so much more than an entertainment to me. I am still trying to lift people out of this world!

Recently my husband James Lapine and I purchased a house on Martha's Vineyard, on a private beach where four generations of Kernochans have reveled since the 30's. This place is, and will be for the rest of my life, my portal to creativity. If I should become a ghost, this is where I would linger


JANE WAS HERE is a suspense story which brings reincarnation, karma, and the paranormal into the mix. What if someone was born with a fragmentary memory of a life before, and refuses to adjust to their new identity? What if she is driven instead to find the rest of those memories so that she can know what happened to her 150 years ago when she mysteriously disappeared?

A young woman arrives in the small rundown community of Graynier, Massachusetts. She calls herself Jane, though she was christened by another name. She can point out the house where she grew up, and yet she has never been to Graynier in her life. Thus begins Jane's mission, to retrieve the puzzle pieces of a former life, groping her way through the past and the present simultaneously.

The inhabitants of Graynier are unwittingly drawn into the mystery, as it becomes clear: someone must pay in the present for what happened in the past. For somewhere in this town is her killer, who also has come back incarnated as a different person.

Will Jane meet the same fate as she did in the other time? Or will divine justice be served?

Buy your copy today

Also check out Jane was here website

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