Release Blitz: Forget Me Knot by Ruth Silver @writeawaybliss

Forget Me Knot (Royal Reaper 2)

by Ruth Silver

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: June 23, 2015

  Don’t mess with death. When Wynter explores his newly developed dark angel powers, regret soon fills his heart and mind. Saving a soul isn’t what he imagined it to be, and it puts the grim reaper he loves in grave danger. Obligated to take the throne as Queen, Mara must face the truth and unravel secrets she may not be ready to accept. The second book in the Royal Reaper saga takes you on a paranormal fantasy adventure into a world of grim reapers, dark angels, and undead trucidators.

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Death crept into the castle. Mara could feel its darkness pressing her down. As she walked to her father's bedchamber, the thought of marrying a man she did not love weighed heavily on her. All the invitations had been sent out months ago. Just as her life was beginning to almost feel normal, her father, King Philip, had fallen ill along with the court of Casmerelda and much of the kingdom. The second wave of the plague violently spread, leaving a trail of death and burning corpses for the living to clean up.

Her father had been bedridden for three days. His fever spiked and his skin glistened. He grew delirious, falling in and out of consciousness. As much as she despised him for what he’d done to her sister’s boyfriend, he was still her father. She didn’t want to be left alone.

“You must marry Astin at once.”

Mara cringed. “I can’t.” Her lips hidden as she wore a piece of ivory cloth against her nose and mouth, the slightest bit of protection from the disease that had taken over the kingdom. “I don’t love him. Please don’t do this to me.”

“Don’t be selfish.” The words struggled to reach his lips. He coughed and heaved, his chest rising and falling quickly as his pulse raced. “I’ll be with your mother soon…”

“You’ll be dead.”

Taking in several deep breaths, he opened his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper. “You will be reigning queen. Mara, you must act the part. Marry Astin and forge an alliance with the country of Morro, for the sake of Casmerelda. Your people need you.”

“I need you,” Mara said, gripping her father’s hand. She frowned, studying the tips of his fingers, a blackened hue lacing his skin.

“You shouldn’t touch me.” He tried to pull away, unsuccessfully. Her grip remained tight, but more significantly, he’d grown weak from the disease ravaging his body.

“I haven’t been infected, and I’ve been at your bedside every night.” Mara ordered the servants to bring more water and rags. It had done little good to break his fever or alleviate the discomfort he must have been experiencing, but it was all she could think of to help.

“Marry Astin.” His words were rough slipping past his lips. He wheezed, trying to speak, but Mara rested a hand upon his chest.

“Don’t.” She didn’t want to have this conversation again.

“For the sake of the kingdom,” he said, pleading with her.

Mara refused to answer. Marrying Astin wasn’t what she wanted. “I have no desire to be queen so young. You will pull through, do you hear me?”

He’d fallen into a deep slumber, unable to answer her.

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series: Royal Reaper and Orenda. She also writes The Federal Agent Chronicles and Palace Secrets, both of which are adult romance under the name Ravyn Rayne for Blushing Books. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. Follow Ruth here: Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here: Blog- http://ravynrayne.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn

Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

(The Girl at Midnight #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound]

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen,
an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and
magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

  Oh my gosh. There are 378462756232 reasons why I LOVE The Girl at Midnight. Seriously everything about this book was perfect and amazing and mind blowing. There's never a dull moment in this beautiful story blending the real world with a mysterious underworld comprised of feathered creatures and scaled beasts. I was wholly transported into Melissa Grey's world and I was so sad to be pried from the pages whenever The Girl at Midnight came to an end.

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  I don't think I've met a main character this year that I've loved as much as I love Echo. Her Tolkien references had me squealing out loud constantly. Her character growth was astounding. I was proud of her. I can only imagine how she'll evolve in the other books in this series, and I cannot wait to find out! So much is thrown at her and she is so fluid in her reactions. I love her wit, her ability to adapt, and her spirit. Gosh. I need more Echo in my life. AND SHE LIVES IN A LIBRARY, YOU GUYS. Need I say more?

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  The relationships in The Girl at Midnight are amazing and so well thought out. The budding relationships that begin to bloom over the course of this book made me smile so much. (And laugh!) There are a lot of complex dynamics between the characters, especially those between the Avicen and the Drakharin. Instead of snowballing into a world of crazy, the author really listened to the characters. I'm so appreciative of it. Everything felt so organic and natural.

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  The Girl at Midnight is beautiful. Besides the amazing characters, there's an amazing world to discover. I already want to get lost in it again. Melissa Grey writes so vividly that you feel like you're at Echo's side. It's an incredible experience. There are so many layers to this book and with each that you peel back, you'll just find one more reason to fall in love with The Girl at Midnight.

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  This book was written for YA fantasy fans. It cleverly reminded me of how much I love this genre. But it isn't just for fantasy fans. It isn't heavy handed. It finds the perfect balance to satisfy fantasy lovers while being balanced enough for any reader. The Girl at Midnight is one of my favorite books of 2015. You do NOT want to miss this!

**I received this book for free via NetGalley for an honest review with no compensation.

Review: Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier

Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
(The Silver Trilogy #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble]

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone
statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yep, Liv’s dreams
have been pretty weird lately. Especially this one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys perform dark magic rituals.

The really weird thing is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where’s she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But they seem to know things about her in real life that they couldn’t possibly know, which is mystifying. Then again, Liv could never resist a good mystery. . . .

  I just never got into Dream a Little Dream. At first, I thought I'd love it. I'm not sure if I just didn't like the writing style or some things got lost in translation, but the story really bottomed out and dragged for me.

  I'm a very character driven reader. And these characters just didn't do it for me. Instead of connecting with Liv, I spent a lot of time frustrated with her. She didn't stop to think, and I wanted to shake some sense into her! There wasn't much on the romance front, either. There were definitely hints at something that may unfold in future books in this series, though.

  The dream sequences were so strange for me. I think it may have been the translation. I felt like I would have liked them if they had been described more concisely, but they were too vague for me. Or maybe that's all because of my lack of interest in this book.

  A lot of people are fans of this author's other series, and I think that group will enjoy this book. But I'm not so sure that the masses will enjoy it. It could use a better translation with more attention to detail to make it really shine. That being said, this isn't a bad book. It just wasn't for me and became boring for me because of that.

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Tour: Southern Fried Wiccan by S.P. Sipal @HP4Writers

Southern Fried Wiccan by S.P. Sipal

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Cilla Swaney is thrilled to return stateside, where she
can hang up her military-brat boots for good. Finally,
she’ll be free to explore her own interests—magick and Wicca. But when she arrives at her grandma’s farm, Cilla discovers that life in the South isn’t quite what she expected. At least while country hopping, she never had to drink G-ma’s crazy fermented concoctions, attend church youth group, make co-op deliveries...or share her locker with a snake-loving, fire-lighting, grimoire-stealing Goth girl…

…Who later invites her to a coven that Cilla’s not sure she has the guts to attend. But then Emilio, the dark-haired hottie from her charter school, shows up and awakens her inner goddess. Finally, Cilla starts believing in her ability to conjure magick. Until…

…All Hades breaks loose. A prank goes wrong during their high school production of Macbeth, and although it seems Emilio is to blame, Cilla and Goth pay the price. Will Cilla be able to keep the boy, her coven, and the trust of her family? Or will this Southern Wiccan get battered and fried?

The Southern Fried Wiccan's Top Ten YA Reads

by S.P. Sipal

The books we read and love affect us throughout our lives, but perhaps more deeply and long-lasting when we are young. There are stories I read years ago that I still remember clearly today because they both touched my heart and steered me toward my future. So my list of top YA includes not only books I've read recently, but books I devoured when I was a teen and still have not forgotten.

Here they are, in no particular order, my favorite YA reads:

Compulsion by Martina Boone – As a Southerner, this story reminded me a lot of the spooky tales my grandfather used to tell my dad, and my dad passed on to me, of strange lights that rose from an old graveyard and floated over the peanut field beside my great-grandfather's farm house. Or of the voices speaking to my great-grandfather from natural springs and hollow logs, spirits telling him where to find old family treasure buried during the Civil War era. (Which I'm still looking for!) I'm looking forward to Boone's next book of the trilogy, Persuasion, which I've been lucky enough to have a sneak peek of.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare – In the days when I was a teen (and I won't say how long ago that was!) YA was not a thing yet. We did have a few, but most of us just went from children's books direct to historical romance novels. I think I remember The Witch of Blackbird Pond fondly because it was a bridge between the two. I loved the history (loved the witch element even then), the brave and compassionate character of Kit, and the forbidden romance between her and Nat.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – I'm always fascinated when an author can take an ancient myth and reinterpret it for today…or, in Collin's case, the future. It was the character of Katniss whom I found particularly appealing…how she could take such an awful situation she was thrust into and still be true to herself.

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman – To be honest, Pullman's trilogy is a little darker than I like most of my reads. I think what drew me to this series was the depth of his meaning and his twists of theology. Plus, his world building was deeply inspired.

Soul Crossed by Lisa Gail Green – I love it when an author can take two polarized characters, with a true conflict between them, and still draw them together in a way that makes sense. Green did this with Josh and Grace. This book was at times quite chilling and dark, especially with the "soul" they were both fighting to attain, but always engrossing. Loved the high stakes and how Green envisioned her angels and demons.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – I loved Jo, just loved her. I don't think a character had quite captivated me as much since I'd graduated from the Little House books. Jo's passion for reading and her tomboy personality are probably what I identified so much with. We love to see ourselves in the characters we read.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine – I loved the whimsy of this book. And the theme of obedience being a curse was wonderful. Plus Levine's twists on certain fairy tale and adventure tropes made this a delightful read for me.

Forever by Judy Blume – I include this iconic book mostly because of certain awkward memories associated with it…memories I can now laugh at. I'll never forget how it was surreptitiously passed around under desks when I was in seventh grade with certain pages dog-eared. I also vividly remember a guy I liked laughing at me when my face turned bright red from reading those pages. The perils of a pale complexion!

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg -- I know this is technically probably more MG than YA, but I have to include it in my list because it was one of my favorite books of all time when I was younger. I read this book over and over. I think it was the exquisite combination of mystery and adventure that drew me in, coupled with two kids taking care of themselves alone. I loved the details. I still remember Claudia and Jamie fishing for coins in the museum's fountains and crouching on toilets to stay out of view of the night guards.

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling – The Harry Potter series tops my collection of best-loved books. Besides the actual books themselves, I loved not only being a part of the generation who got to experience the magic and mystery of these books as they were released, but especially having experienced it with my children. They grew up with the feel that a book release was a rock-star event and that debating the mysteries of a book and predicting the next was how things should be. I'll always be thankful for that. Of the seven books, I'd say Goblet of Fire was my favorite.

How many of my favorite books have you read? I'd be very curious what your reaction to them was as we always experience a story in such a unique, personal way.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Susan Sipal had to travel halfway across the world and return home to embrace her father and grandfather's penchant for telling a tall tale. After having lived with her husband in his homeland of Turkey for many years, she suddenly saw the world with new eyes and had to write about it.

Perhaps it was the emptiness of the Library of Celsus at Ephesus that cried out to be refilled, or the myths surrounding the ancient Temple of Artemis, but she's been writing stories filled with myth and mystery ever since. She can't wait to share Southern Fried Wiccan with readers in March 2015.

[Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter]

Blitz + #Giveaway: Orenda by Ruth Silver @writeawaybliss

Orenda by Ruth Silver

(Orenda #1)

Published by Booktrope Publishing

Publication date: December 5th 2014

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

*Free on Amazon and iTunes!*

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes]

Join forces with a parallel universe.

Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can’t exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for.

A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages.

What’s your favorite, go to, writing website?
YA Highway is a fantastic resouce for all writers. You don’t have to be just a YA writer to find it beneficial. Here’s the link: http://www.yahighway.com/p/publishing-road-map.html

What inspired you to write Orenda?
I wanted to write a fantasy appropriate for middle grade as well as young adults. I loved the show Fringe and how they brought a parallel world into the mix. I wanted to do something similar and yet completely different with Fae, dragons, and magic.

In a few brief words, tell us how you market your novels?
I’m a huge believer in social media. I use Twitter and Facebook a lot. You can always find me on there. I’m also a book blogger, I run the website Write Away Bliss and Ravyn Rayne Reads. I connect those blogs to Triberr, which helps my posts get seen. I believe in both helping other indie authors and self-promoting. Aside from that, I create teasers, run promos and ask other blogs to help with those postings.

How can a new writer get published?
Get a publisher. Seriously. Write a great book, then query it to publishers and/or agents. You can self-publish but you’ve got to have it professionally edited, formatted properly (study similar books and look at text size/font/format), and market the crap out of it. Even then, you still won’t have all the resources of even a small press company. It’s tough, I’m not going to sugar coat it. I’ve done both and I would never go back to self-publishing or co-op publishing. Resources are key. There are connections you can’t get on your own.

What the heck is a Query letter?
It’s not a cover letter or a synopsis. It’s a selling point. You’ll start with a blurb that will entice the reader but not give them every detail about what your book is about. Overall, a query explains why the publisher/agent should read your novel. Often it compares your novel to two or three similar books that would be next to it on a bookshelf. You’ll also include word count, genre, and if you bring something special to the table that they agent/publisher should need to know (i.e. You’re a YA librarian and writing a YA novel). Check out that link above (YA Highway) for sample query letters, even if you’re not a YA writer.

 

Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She has written under three unique pseudo names and penned well over a hundred stories.

She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.

Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling.

[Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook]

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Review + Author Interview: Bright Fire by @MJAustinBooks

Bright Fire by M.J. Austin

(Bright Fire #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Delfia thought she was a normal girl about to
turn sixteen until her adoptive parents are
murdered by creatures from the underworld. Her life gets thrown into chaos as she teams up with her best friend, a strange guy, and a prophetess. She soon discovers her biological father, Hades, ordered the attack on her and her family because a prophecy names her as the one to take him down. She must first complete a set of tasks to free Persephone, her mother, from the underworld and defeat Hades. Will she be reunited with her mother or will she get sucked into the underworld?

  Hello, Greek Gods, amazing heroine, and a whole bunch of intrigue! Bright Fire was such a fun and quick read. It was definitely an amazing addition to my Greek reads list. It started off a bit unsteady, but the author finds her footing fairly quickly. You can't help but get lost in her world once that happens!

  Dell goes through a lot of development and changes in this book. It was very interesting to watch how she really bloomed in this book. I'm always a fan of strong characters and authors that know how to handle them. Bright Fire did not let me down in that respect!

  There are so many great elements to this story. The secondary characters are so fitting and a wonderful addition to the story. MJ Austin really knows how to paint a picture with her words, and I got so lost in her descriptions. The only real downside was the beginning for me like I said. There are a few other places that could be tweaked to flow better, but overall Bright Fire is solid. I enjoyed it so much, and I think YA fans will as well!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

1. Describe Bright Fire in one word.
Spunky

2. Where did the original idea for Bright Fire come from? What inspired you the most?
I was reading Everneath by Brodi Aston and loved her spin on Persephone. I have always wanted to write and I have always loved mythology, so it just fit. I was scared to even try because of all the statistics of failure with self publishing, but Amanda Hocking's story inspired me.

3. How similar are your main character, Delfia, and yourself?
I would say I infused a little of me in her. My eyes are my best asset and I have overcome some hard situations. And boy am I sassy.

4. Without giving away any spoilers, can you tell us what your favorite scene to write was?
My favorite scene was the drugging scene. No it's not as bad as you might think, it was only Melatonin, but still, her reaction is priceless. The ending comes in close second, only because of the reactions I have gotten.

5. Do you base any of your characters off of people that you know? If so, do they know?
Lyla is based off my best friend. Yes she knows and cried at my dedication. We did actually have Binge Nights as children. Cass and Alec are mixtures of people, so I don't think they know, if they doo they haven't said anything.

6. If you could take one character from Bright Side to dinner, who would you pick?
Endeis, because she is wicked smart, and I have a soft spot for Chiron.

7. Dog-eared pages or bookmarks?
Bookmarks, I use anything within reaching distance. I've even used a sock once. Clean of course. I have dog-eared, but it gets to me and i have to smooth it out.

8. What's up next for you? Any projects in the work or upcoming releases?
I am working on Book 2 and a novella featuring Cass.

M.J. Austin has always found the world of fantasy preferable to the real world. She channels this love of mystical worlds and creatures into her writing. She is an avid reader and proud bookworm. She has a Master's Degree in Project Management, but her true passion is writing. When she isn't working or writing she is diving into random projects as often as possible. She lives in Tennessee with three children, husband, and three dogs.

[Website | Twitter]

Blitz + 2 Giveaways: Exaltation by Jamie Magee

Exaltation by Jamie Magee

Publication date: February 10th 2015

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult

[Goodreads | Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook]

Fate is a twisted b*$#@, at least his was.

Was one soul worth the lives of millions? The quandary was one that Rydell King had no choice but to face. No matter the answer, the truth remained—innocence was created to destroy him. She was beautiful…extinguishing her to save his people seemed impossible, and maybe it was. As an immortal, his focus was to destroy the curse upon his people, as he devoured the emotion that bore him—exaltation, no matter the cost. She made him question everything.

Mercy had never been crueler.

Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she’d never been, introduce her to people she’s never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her.

[Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter]

You have two different ways to win with the Exaltation blitz! I'm giving away an ebook of Exaltation below thanks to the generosity of the author! And the blitz wide giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card, paperbacks, and swag is underneath my giveaway!

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Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

(The Lone City #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble]

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty.
The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the
Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

  First things first, look at the cover! It's gorgeous! Before I even looked at the blurb, I knew I'd read this book based on the cover alone. I'm a sucker for the girls in pretty dresses trend. And this one knocked it out of the park with that!

  Moving on! The Jewel sounded eerily similar to a book that I read and loved last year, Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch. As I read The Jewel, I realized that it was more like the love child of Perfected and The Hunger Games. While I enjoyed the latter two more, I still found The Jewel to be a satisfying read.

  There were parts of it that were easily predictable, but that didn't take away from the story for me at all. It's rather simple to figure out how the story is going to unwind early on. But Ewing managed to sneak in a few twists that were much needed and enjoyed. The pacing was well done, and I found myself reading this book as much as I could throughout the day.

  Violet, or lot 197, is a pitiful girl. She is one of few girls selected to be a surrogate for the royalty of her nation against her will. I found it absolutely barbaric how she and the other surrogates were treated. It's truly frightening to consider a world where the life of one is so easily discarded in such an open way for the advancement of an "elite" group. I had a lot of sympathy for Violet, and I was constantly hoping that her situation would improve.

  There was an array of secondary characters that left a lasting impression as well. My concern for Violet was matched only with my concern for her friend and fellow surrogate, Raven. The glimpses of Raven's treatment that I got while reading were enough to cement my disdain for the royalty.

The romance in this one was a bit of a let down. It didn't happen until much, much later in the story. And as soon as it did come up, it took off way too fast. Just not my taste, and I couldn't sense a real genuine connection between the two.

  All in all, The Jewel was an enjoyable read. It ended on a major cliffhanger, and I'm definitely going to be picking up the next book in this series.

Pretty Little Indies: Katarina West

Hi, lovelies! Today I'm really excited to share the beautiful Witchcraft Couture and Katarina West!

Keep scrolling for my review!

Witchcraft Couture by Katarina West

Genre: Fantasy 

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble]

Oscar Pellegrini is a talented fashion designer with
a deadly enemy: his own critical mind. He destroys
much of what he designs and has been drifting for years, gradually retreating from the fashion business he loves but holding on to his dreams of success.

A chance meeting with a former girlfriend triggers a creative crisis so deep that Oscar escapes to Russia, where he drinks and despairs like never before. Just when he thinks he has lost everything he discovers a magical machine that turns ordinary outfits into irresistible sartorial triumphs. Oscar takes the machine back to Italy – and before he knows it, he has become famous for his designs, and celebrities and socialites are fighting to be first to wear his gorgeous garments.

But the happily-ever-after ending for the fashion messiah turns into a nightmare when his dresses acquire a life of their own, gaining energy and evil as time goes on. Haunted by his creations, a dark secret he is no longer able to hide, Oscar finds himself fighting for his life and sanity, and searching for the answer to a question he never knew existed.

Is there such a thing as stolen genius, and if there is, can it turn against the very person who stole it?

  Wow! is my first reaction to Witchcraft Couture. This is such an intriguing book and truly unlike any other that I've ever picked up. At first, I was worried if it'd grab my attention. But boy, did it! I was quickly swept up in the world of Oscar and his antics. The writing was so well crafted and I easily got lost in the pages of Witchcraft Couture.

  Oscar is such a fitting character. He's full of life and character, and I loved that the story was written in a way to give such an intimate peak into his mind and life. I enjoyed the layout of the book, like a journal, and think it was clever of West to write this way.

  Again, this is something entirely unique. It was an amazing read and really surprised and entertained me the entire time. If you're looking for a refreshing read that is written flawlessly, look no further!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Katarina West is a novelist, journalist and the author of Witchcraft Couture, a fantasy novel about a fashion designer who becomes an overnight success thanks to magic (out in November 2014).

She was born in Finland, has studied in London and Florence – where she completed a doctorate in political science and published a book based on it – and now lives in an old, isolated farmhouse in Chianti with her husband and son, and a German ghost. (Yes, you might hear some German murmured on a moonlit November’s night…)

Katarina is currently working on a new novel – and, writing and country life permitting, tries to read anything and everything well-written that comes into her hands.

[Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook]

Pretty Little Indies: Rebecca Chastain

Happy January, y'all! I'm so excited to share Rebecca Chastain' novella, Magic of the Gargoyles, today! Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Magic of the Gargoyles by Rebecca Chastain

Genre: Fantasy

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Someone has kidnapped a nest of helpless baby
gargoyles and is using them as pentagram focuses,
devouring their magic—and their lives—for a horrific, illegal power boost. Swept into the dangerous underworld of black magic, earth elemental Mika Stillwater must cobble together her limited resources and skills to have a chance at being the hero the baby gargoyles desperately need. If she fails, the city will be at the mercy of the gargoyles’ murderers and their overwhelming destructive magic.

But pitting herself against powerful black-magic villains is proving just as deadly for Mika as for the gargoyles.

  I was absolutely blown away by Magic of the Gargoyles and blown away by Rebecca Chastain. The descriptions of the world that Mika resides in immediately caught my attention. From the very beginning, I was hooked! The book weaves together a tale with magic in a way that reminds me of why I love fantasy. 

  Mika was a great character! I loved her resolve at helping the baby gargoyles. I hope that I can read more about Mika and her magical worlds from this promising author. You cannot go wrong with Magic of the Gargoyles if you're looking for a quick fantasy read!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Rebecca Chastain has found seven four-leaf clovers to date, won a purebred Arabian horse in a drawing, and once tamed a blackbird for a day. She has been employed as a VHS sales clerk, bookshelf straightener, government pseudo-employee, professional finder of lost sporting goods, and strategy guide wrangler in the video game industry. Dreaming up the absurd and writing stories designed to amuse and entertain has been her passion since she was eleven years old, and she’s incapable of stopping. She lives in northern California with her wonderful husband and two bossy cats. To find out about new releases, sales, and freebies, sign up for Rebecca's newsletter: http://www.rebeccachastain.com/newsletter/

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