Shelf Candy Saturday #106: The Kingdom of Gods, by N.K. Jemisin

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful book covers,

and provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

just click HERE.

Here's my choice for this week!!

The Kingdom of Gods

(The Inheritance Trilogy, #3)

N.K. Jemisin

Trade Paperback, 624 pages

Orbit

(An imprint of Hachette Book Group)

October 27, 2011

Fantasy, Mythology, Romance,

Young Adult Fiction

Why do I love this cover?

I can't help but love just about every cover I see in which the color blue is the main one....  So this cover would of course catch my eye right away!

There are more visual elements to this cover, however, that make it so vibrant and appealing.  For instance, the two clusters of buildings, that at first appear to be two towers, thrust upward as if they were rockets about to take flight.  The brilliant, yellow-orange haze at the base of these buildings heightens that illusion.  The buildings are actually repeated images superimposed on each other, which also helps to heighten the illusion of upward movement.  The sweeping arcs of light to the left and right of the cover also contribute to the illusion.

The font is classic, and reminds me of Roman letters on ancient monuments.  Of course, that's entirely appropriate, since the book's plot includes mythology.  The font is perfect for this cover, too, as it is not in any way intrusive.

There are two things I would change about this cover, though; I would not have placed the descriptive lines at the top.  Nor would I have included the endorsement, which is placed near the top of the highest building, on the right-hand side of the cover.

I must sadly report that, once again,  I was unable to get any information about the cover artist, although I did check out this book in the Amazon online reader.  No information about this very talented person is available on the book's credits page.  Sometimes, information about the cover artist is available on the book's back cover.  Well, no image of the back cover is available on the Amazon reader, either.  I guess I'll just have to wait until this book becomes part of my collection to find out who the artist is!

What do you think 

of my choice this week?

Leave me a comment 

and let me know!

Blog Tour Spotlight: Breaking Lauren, by Jordan Deen

 

Welcome to this stop in the tour for Breaking Lauren, sponsored by Innovative Online Book Tours!!

About the Book

Breaking Lauren
(The Lauren Series, #1)
Jordan Deen
Trade Paperback, 320 pages
CreateSpace, January 31, 2014
Contemporary Romance, New Adult Fiction



Book Synopsis:  Seventeen-year-old Danny Cummings' life is far from a fairytale, but that's okay since he doesn't believe in happy endings. After spending a year in juvenile hall for maliciously beating his sister's boyfriend, Danny embraces his badass image. Spending most nights drinking, fighting and collecting gambling debts for his Uncle, Danny's life is out of control. His addiction to the bad boy lifestyle won't let him do anything about it, even with his family begging him to go straight. But, when fifteen-year-old Lauren McIntosh stumbles into one of his nightly escapades, the self-proclaimed anti-romantic can't concentrate on anything except Lauren and the fact that she's on the same path his sister was on. Danny knows true love happening for the villain is as common as gamblers paying their debt on time, but he's never backed away from a challenge before and he hates the idea that history will repeat itself. 

Growing old with the man she loves-in the small town where she was born-is the only dream Lauren McIntosh has ever had; that is until her family is practically run out of town amidst rumors of arson and adultery. So, when she meets Danny at her new school and hears the rumors about his activities from her new friends, she wants nothing to do with him or the gossip that seems to follow Danny everywhere. After a dangerous and ill-fated attempt at sneaking out, she develops unwelcomed feelings for Danny that he seems to reciprocate. But, Danny's unrelenting pursuit makes Lauren nervous, especially since he's the only one that wants to know the secrets surrounding her family's move. Lauren can't tell if Danny's intentions are true or if he has other plans for their newfound and unlikely friendship. The only way to figure it out is to let him in and that could destroy everything, including the popularity and social acceptance she desperately seeks.

Amazon US/Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

 Book Quotes

Danny

I feel like the big bad wolf trying to get her to open up to me so I can blow her house down.  Her skin is rippled with goose bumps.  I have no idea what to talk about.  Something tells me regaling her with the fight at DJ's isn't an option, and I don't know what the latest pop-cuture trends are.  She looks terrified, and talking is the best way to get her mind off things.  Besides, strangely enough, I want to hear her voice.

My heart is dangerously close to beating out of my chest, to relocate to her body to give her strength and take away her pain.  Tears trail long pathways down her cheeks, and I feel more like an ass than I have in my entire life.  She's being real, and I want to soak up every bit of the emotion she's showing me -- like a glimpse into her soul.  I shouldn't, but I stare into her bloodshot eyes, fascinated, yet lost for the words to fix what I've broken.  This would be easier if I had taken another shot earlier, when I had the chance, but I don't want to forget a minute of tonight.  I don't want to forget one inch of her face or her letting me into her world.  Closer to her, the real her -- not the act she puts on at school.

Lauren

Trying to figure out my next move, I bury my face deep into the pillow.  It is hard and warm and comforting -- but in a different way.  I tug at it and he groans, "Careful, I'm bruised there."  Danny's voice sounds like velvet in the dark.  He half-chuckles and moves his hand from my side to the curve of my back, letting the tips of his fingers caress my thin tank top.  My cheek rests on his chest; the warm skin of his side burns my palm.

 

Jordan Deen

 About the Author

Jordan Deen is a Young Adult and New Adult Fiction writer from a small suburb of East St. Louis, Illinois.  Her novels are a mixture of urban fantasy, paranormal, and edgy contemporary.  In her free time, she loves to read, bake, attend concerts, travel, and play with her two-legged and four-legged sons.  She is known for her love of quirky clothes, multi-colored hair, and has a fondness for tattoos, high heels, and cupcakes.  In addition, she is a tech junkie that can be found most morning and early afternoons on her tablet, talking to folks on Facebook and Twitter about books, current events, and music.  Her debut novel, The Crescent, was a 2010 Reader's Favorite Award winner.  Her third, novel, Breaking Lauren, was a Texas Book Association Finalist in 2013.    

Online Links

 Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon 

Twitter

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participating blogs, just click

on the banner below.

Be sure to scroll down the page

until you find the tour.

Waiting On Wednesday #95: Catalyst, by S.J. Kincaid

This is a weekly event hosted by

Jill @ Breaking the Spine!!

It showcases future releases which

we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!!

Here's my choice for this week!

 Catalyst

(Insignia, #3)

S. J. Kincaid

Hardcover, 432 pages

Katherine Tegen Books

October 28, 2014

Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction,

Young Adult Fiction

Amazon US/Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Book Synopsis

The explosive conclusion to the series reviewers have likened to Ender’s Game and “Hogwarts-in-Space”.
This exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.

Tom Raines and his friends are eager to return to the Pentagonal Spire to continue training for the elite Intrasolar Forces, but they soon discover troubling changes: strict new regulations and the revelation that the Spire is under new military control. What begins as an irritating adjustment soon reveals a dangerous shift in reality. Those now in control are aligned with corporate sponsors and their ruthless agendas. And when the military academy begins welcoming new cadets with suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, Tom is desperate to stop it, even if that means keeping secrets from his closest allies.

Then a mysterious figure, the other ghost in the machine, begins fighting against the corporations, but with methods even Tom finds shocking. And when the enemy comes for Tom, how much can Tom endure in the battle to save himself? He must decide if he can still fight when the odds of success seem to be sliding from his grip.

Previous Volumes

Why am I waiting on this book?

I've just discovered this series, and I 

already love it!!

It's an exciting, dystopian tale

which also involves a

coming-of-age story, together with

a look at the far-reaching effects

of technology in human life.

And it also has a bit of romance...

And those covers!

They're mind-blowing!!

I think this book, as well as the whole series, 

will be a great way to escape my 

sometimes dull and boring reality....

What do you think 

of my choice?

What exciting book(s) are you 

waiting on this week?

Blog Tour: Interview/Giveaway!! E. Van Lowe, author of the Falling Angels Saga

Welcome to this stop in the 

Falling Angels Saga Tour, 

sponsored by 

Bewitching Book Tours!!

E. Van Lowe

Author Interview

Maria:  Have you always wanted to be a novelist, or did you decide to become one after doing other kinds of writing, such as your work for famous TV shows?

E.:  I've wanted to write books since I was ten years old.  Throughout my career in TV and film I always knew I was going to return to my great love one day.  Now I'm back to writing books, and it feels great.  Home at last!

Maria:  Do you feel that your TV, play, and screenwriting experience has influenced your novels, and/or vice versa?  If so, how?

E.:  Working in TV definitely influenced my ability to write the way I do today.  Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to write for Bill Cosby and "The Cosby Show".  It was there I learned how to interject humor into story-telling.  I knew how to tell a good joke before then, but writing humor was new to me.  If you've read any of my novels, you know how humorous they are.  I learned that very important skill writing for "The Cosby Show".

Maria:  How do your characters present themselves to you?  Do they suddenly appear, full-blown, in your mind's eye, or do they whisper in your ear, letting you know that you have to follow them down the yellow brick road if you want to get to know them better?

E.:  My characters appear as strangers at first.  It's as if I get a glimpse of them across the room and our eyes meet, and we both know we have to get to know one another.  I always think I know them much better than I do when we first meet.  Even as the creator of these characters, I'm often surprised by the differences in them as I get to know them.  Part of the fun for me is getting to know them just as you (the reader) are getting to know them.

Maria:  What prompted you to choose the young adult genre?

E.:  I wasn't planning on writing YA.  The genre kind of chose me.  In 2001 I developed a show for the Disney Channel -- "Even Stevens".  I discovered during the process that I remembered my teen and pre-teen years as if it was yesterday.  Not so much the actions of those years, but the intense emotions.  After "Even Stevens", I came up with an idea for another TV show that Disney didn't buy.  I tried to sell it to Nick At Night, but there was no interest there, either.  So I decided to write it as a novel.  A third of the way in, I abandoned the idea, and wrote Never Slow Dance With A Zombie (an idea that came to me out of the blue).  I've been writing paranormal YA with humor ever since.  By the way, I never went back to the original idea.

Maria:  What wild and zany adventures would you enjoy having, if you could?

E.:  While wild and zany things may happen to my characters, I, on the other hand, like to keep things pretty calm.  Lying on a beach with a tropical drink in my hand is my idea of adventure.  I'll restrict the zany adventures to my characters for others to enjoy.

Maria:  Do you think it's important to balance drama with some humor, in novels with a predominantly dramatic plot?

E.:  I believe every good story needs what I call a dramatic underpinning.  This underpinning has more to do with a character's emotions and emotional needs than a plot line.  Plot and humor must come after this.  If you don't make an emotional connection with readers, humor won't matter.

Maria:  While writing these novels, did you at any point find yourself asking a character, "Now WHY did you that?"  If so, did the character give you a good reason for their behavior?

E.:  I've never asked that question.  I'm kind of an observer.  However, I can't tell you how many times I've stopped and said, "I wish you hadn't said or done that."  Because sometimes my characters do or say things and I have no idea what comes next.  This can be frustrating, but it's also what keeps the journey interesting for me.

Shelf Candy Saturday #105: Of Sea and Stone, by Kate Avery Ellison

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!!

This is myweekly feature

showcasing beautiful book covers,

and provides information,

if available, on their very talented creators!

For more information

about Shelf Candy Saturday,

just click HERE.

Here's my choice for this week!!

Of Sea and Stone

(Secrets of Atlantis, #1)

Kate Avery Ellison

Trade Paperback, 258 pages

CreateSpace

February 18, 2014

Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, 

Young Adult Fiction

Why do I love this cover?

So here we have another beautiful blue cover!  This one perfectly evokes the sound and smell of the sea, as the wind whips the young woman's dress up in a swirl that transforms the billowing folds into an exotic seashell.....or is it rolling sea waves?

The sky is the same color as this gorgeous dress, with the same light and dark tones.  The dress even seems to be trying to flow up into the sky.

The young woman is obviously distressed, as the wind whirls around her.  The turbulence of nature echoes the turbulence of her emotions.

I love the design used for the title!  The font is a standard one, but it looks very artistic because of the different letter sizes.  Enhancing the title's visual appeal are the bar it's been enclosed in, as well as the light, lacy scrolls on the top and bottom of the bar.

Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing who created this beautiful cover.... I did check the Amazon reader, but the very talented artist is not identified on the copyright page.  I would love to find out who created this gorgeous cover image!

What do you think 

of my choice this week?

Leave me a comment

and let me know!