tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14764377713596754512024-03-12T17:25:34.113-07:00Post-Apocalyptic Playgroundindie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-11562273399929509052018-02-17T12:05:00.000-08:002018-02-17T12:05:13.392-08:00Review of The Ultimate Agent by Derek Borne: by Reviewer Katrina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Review of The Ultimate Agent by Derek Borne by Playground reviewer Katrina:<br />
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<i>"WARNING: THIS MISSIVE CONTAINS CLASSIFIED INFORMATION</i><br />
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<i>Your Mission:</i><br />
<i>Undertake an adventure of epic, global, and dire proportions</i><br />
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<i>Agent #524 - Devon Bertrand</i><br />
<i>Once a normal civilian, Agent Bertrand has been recruited by the Ultimate Agency - a secret arganization of the world's best spies. Now, after undergoing genetic upgrades, he has become a superhuman agent dedicated to fighting against all threats against he nation he now calls home.</i><br />
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<i>Agent #146 - Brett Gallagher</i><br />
<i>A brilliant scientist, Dr. Gallagher invents and utilizes technologically advanced gadgets and weapons to fight against national security threats like a modern day superhero</i><br />
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<i>The Target - Mazimus Romanov</i><br />
<i>Employed by a mysterious Russian Terrorist group, Romanov is a superhuman operative wreaking havoc in the United States.</i><br />
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<i>Mission Data - Confidential</i><br />
<i>Join Agent Devon Bertrand and Agent Brett Gallagher on a mission to stop Romanov from destroying the United States. As Bertrand and Gallagher work to discover why Maximus harbors a deep hatred towards America, they uncover a conspiracy brewing against the Ultimate Agency, and one man will make the ultimate sacrifice"</i><br />
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Review:<br />
The Ultimate Agent is a novelized comic book with all of the flair and excitement that comes with them. There is plenty of testosterone and an awesomely competitive bro-mance, making it a great read for young adult males. It's also a very clean love story with intelligent, strong, and daring female protagonists, and even through they occasionally came off a bit dramatic, it all fit very well with the genre of the book. Some of the romance gets built quickly and has the potential to feel a little chaotic and rushed, but the relationships round out in a way that is undeniably cute and ready to continue flaring into the next book. Not to mention that although the lines between good and bad never blurred, the poignant story line of the villian forces the reader empathize, just a little, with evil.<br />
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The writing style is very well done, keeping secrets while maintaining omniscience, a tricky feat. It feeds the 007 meets D.C. Comics feel, and even though some of the willing ignorance of the characters (by choosing not to read a mind, for example) was a bit of an eye roll, it keeps things classified while the reader zooms through the fast-paced thrill. All the while, little secrets and loose ends pop out, leaving plenty of open ends to make the sequel another great read. With a little nitpicking, it could be said that some of the writing gets repetitive on occasion with the same adjective appearing twice or more on the same page for the same scenario or that a few of the time jumps feel off, but it's nothing atypical to a superhero's story. Overall, it was an awesome book, and I think Stan Lee would agree that it gets 5 stars.</div>
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The Ultimate Agent is available now on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Agent-UA-Book-ebook/dp/B01N254UQN">Amazon</a> for .99 or free with Kindle Unlimited!</div>
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-53912406312620845032018-02-09T06:07:00.001-08:002018-02-09T06:07:35.631-08:00Review Team is open for Submissions!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you for your patience with me over the last week whilst I have been making these review team arrangements. I'm pleased as punch to announce that 4 lovely reviewers will be joining me, Stephanie, Fleur, Katrina and Beverly. All are avid readers and experienced reviewers who share my blog ethos and I can't wait to start sharing their reviews with you!<br />
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In light of that ****drumroll**** Post Apocalyptic Playground is now open for arc submissions!!!<br />
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Submission protocol.<br />
1. Please ensure all submissions are blog appropriate. We are accepting submissions of Dystopian, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sci-fi and paranormal. YA and Romance within those categories is accepted but please no erotica.<br />
2. All submissions must be provided in a mobi or epub format. Because of the cross country restrictions on amazon gifted books we cannot accept arcs in this format.<br />
3. Once submitted arcs will be placed on a list for our review team to select from. Whilst this doesn't guarantee immediate review it means our reviewer will want to read your book, rather than having to just because it is next in line.<br />
4. We will only post reviews to the blog that are 3* and above (on a 5* scale) This does not guarantee you a minimum 3* review - if it is felt that the book warrants a low review this will be discussed with you by way of constructive feedback if you wish.<br />
5. Please send all submissions and submission enquiries to <a href="mailto:postapocalypticplayground@gmail.com">postapocalypticplayground@gmail.com</a><br />
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All reviews will be posted to the blog and also shared to our facebook and twitter accounts within 2 weeks of book receipt (if you require a shorter turnaround this could be accommodated please ask!). Reviews will also be posted to amazon as standard and other platforms will depend on additional accounts accessed by individual reviewers.<br />
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If your book is not yet released then still please get in touch with an estimated release date so we can do our best to have a release day review available for you.<br />
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Any questions please feel free to get in touch at the above email address!indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-25242797403634982292018-02-09T05:45:00.003-08:002018-02-09T05:45:50.248-08:00Outliers Cover Reveal with Kate L Mary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Title: Outliers <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author: Kate L Mary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Genre: Adult Dystopian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Publisher: Twisted Press<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Publication Date: Mar. 6<sup>th</sup>, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hosted by: </span><a href="http://ladyambersreviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Lady Amber’s PR</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Blurb: <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In the dusty ruins of the world, three groups exist: the Sovereign, the Fortis, and the Outliers. Within their walled city, exclusive access to the only remaining technology gives the Sovereign an advantage that seems impossible to beat. In exchange for meager scraps and free reign outside the walls, they use the brawn of the Fortis to their advantage while the Outliers struggle to survive. Living on land that has not healed from the poison of the past, and surrounded by dangers too numerous to count, the Outliers have adapted - but to the Sovereign and the Fortis, they are nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Indra is an Outlier. Each day she braves the wastelands, making the dangerous journey from the wilds where she lives to the City so she can serve the Sovereign in order to give her family a better life. Inside the walls, she has no rights and no freedom. Not only is she powerless to resist the Sovereign’s harsh rule, but she is also unable to do anything to save her people from the brutality of the Fortis. For centuries they have made their abuse of Outliers a sport, but when Asa comes to Indra’s rescue, she sees something different in him. Something that marks him as so much more than just a Fortis guard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">But as Indra’s world begins to unravel, even the quiet alliance she has formed with Asa cannot save her from the wrath of the Sovereign. In one life-altering moment, everything Indra has ever known is ripped away, forcing her to face a world even more harsh and unforgiving. Broken and scarred, Indra finds herself on a journey that will challenge everything she’s ever been taught, learning along the way that she’s stronger than she ever imagined. Maybe even strong enough to free her people forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38342679-outliers"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTnkOmjQe5I2C0bGpNzxIFkziCk4nloQmOT01jfvc5i5PdSQdFdkGd_GPHWe4aRBGSvJc5w9AuE3Z6VN-mGrT9q1McaofHTDHIIhFvEUKuYeif8nNAA4vY6PZKmTHpsS-_EFS9OUlT-8y/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Kate L. Mary is an award-winning author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, ranging from Post-apocalyptic tales of the undead, to Speculative Fiction and Contemporary Romance. Her YA book, When We Were Human, was the 2015 Children's Moonbeam Book Awards Silver Medal Winner for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction, and the 2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult Science Fiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author Links: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/KateLMaryauthor"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/KateLMaryauthor</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Website: </span><a href="http://katelmary.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://KateLMary.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/kmary0622"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/kmary0622</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Instagram: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/zombieauthormom/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.instagram.com/zombieauthormom/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon US: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2FQl4m1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2FQl4m1</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon UK: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kate-L.-Mary/e/B00K48N5EQ/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kate-L.-Mary/e/B00K48N5EQ/</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Newsletter: </span><a href="http://bit.ly/1utg3pW"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/1utg3pW</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Bookbub: </span><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-l-mary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-l-mary</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8185415.Kate_L_Mary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8185415.Kate_L_Mary</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Buy Links: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon US: <a href="http://amzn.to/2nN7zwC">http://amzn.to/2nN7zwC</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon UK: <a href="http://amzn.to/2DJD7JS">http://amzn.to/2DJD7JS</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“He is in love with you,” Mira finally said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The statement warmed my cheeks even though I had already come to this conclusion. “I know.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“And you?” She glanced my way, not turning her head completely when she did it, as if she thought it would make me more likely to answer her honestly. As if she thought I was hiding something from her. “Do you love him?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“I know nothing about him, but the answer would be no either way. I love Bodhi. I would not have married him otherwise. Plus, no matter what Asa does to help me, an Outlier cannot be with a Fortis. It is impossible.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Why?” Mira asked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I turned my body to face her, walking sideways so that my back was to the Lygan Cliffs even though I had been taught to never lose my focus in this way. “Because we are not the same.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Now you sound like one of the Sovereign.” Mira’s blue eyes rolled in their sockets, but her lips pulled up into a smile that helped to ease some of the sting her words had brought to me. “We are the same, Indra. We are all people. We have just been trained to believe that we are different.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I opened my mouth to argue with her, but no words came out. She was right. Sovereign, Outlier, Fortis, we were all just people. The only thing that kept us apart were the walls that had been constructed years ago, both the physical ones and the ones that existed only in our minds. Those were built on oppression and prejudices so old that no one alive today had a clue why they even existed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A click echoed off the rocks at my back, followed closely by a few more. In front of me, my friend’s body went rigid. I spun to face the cliffs, the knife in my hand up and ready as more clicking rang through the air. But there was nothing in sight. Not yet, anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Where is it?” Mira hissed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At my side, she too had her knife up. This was a position we had been in before, and as long as there was only one of the creatures, we knew what to do to defend ourselves. The problem would come if they were hunting in a pack. One lygan was dangerous enough, but four or five? We would not be able to beat that many.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">We remained still. The clicks grew closer together and louder, but with the way the sounds echoed off the rocks, it was impossible to tell how many there were until the creature—or creatures—decided to show themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Be ready,” I said for my benefit as much as for hers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The hiss came first. It was a sound that was low and seemed to come from the deepest part of the animal’s belly, and it was followed only a beat later by the appearance of the lygan itself. The creature was bigger than average, its tail as long as my arm and its body only a little shorter. Its claws clicked across the rocks as it scurried forward, seeming to move at an impossibly fast speed considering its stunted legs. The red and purple scales shone even in the limited light of the evening as the lygan twisted between the sharp rocks that made up the cliffs. Now that it was closer, the click of its claws seemed twice as loud, and when it hissed a second time, the sharp points of its teeth were visible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Readying myself for a fight, I planted my feet. I knew from experience that the creature would pounce without warning, that was how Mira had been injured before, and I was ready when it finally flew through the air, headed right for me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I slashed my knife up and the blade hit home on the lygan’s stomach. It screeched just before its body slammed into mine, and when I flew back a cry retched from my body on impact. We went down together, my back slamming into the dry ground and the lygan landing on top of me. It was injured and my knife was still in its belly, but it had not given up yet. The animal wiggled and snapped its jaw, and his teeth came close enough to my nose that I felt its moist breath against my face. His yellow eyes were focused on me, the black pupils dilated to slits. The scales were smooth against my hand when I grabbed its neck in an attempt to hold him back, and his claws scratched at my body as he tried to get the advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“Indra!” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Mira’s voice seemed far away, but I knew she was nearby and ready to help. Just as I had been with her the day she was attacked. Her face appeared above me. The setting sun shone down on her blond hair, making it glow, and in the brilliant light her passage markings seemed twice as dark against her pale skin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The sun reflected off the metal when she raised her knife and I had to turn my head away. My hand was still on the lygan’s neck, holding the thing back as it snapped its teeth, but even before Mira had stabbed it I could feel its strength waning. Then she did, and when the knife entered the lygan’s body, the creature let out a shriek that left a ringing behind in my ears. The lygan jerked and its claws clamped down on my stomach, puncturing my dress and forcing a scream out of me. Mira pulled her knife from the creature and brought it down again, and this time the animal let out a drained wail that was preceded by its entire body going slack.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When that happened, its claws relaxed as well, freeing me from the piercing hold it had on my body. I shoved the animal off and it rolled to the ground at my side. Mira was panting, as was I, and for a beat neither one of us moved. She stayed frozen, standing over me while I remained on my back, staring up at her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-62737041191920423082018-02-08T05:39:00.003-08:002018-02-08T05:39:38.967-08:00Bookish Ramblings Part 25: Calm before the storm!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Firstly I am sorry for being so quiet but I have been so busy planning away for this blog that actual blogging has taken a back seat - not the best I know! However I have had a fabulous response to my request for readers to join my review team and I have 3 lovely readers joining me! I am so blessed to have been contacted but such lovely readers who share my passion for sharing the books they love, I can't wait to start sharing their reviews with you all.<br />
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Secondly, I will be moving the blog from it's current home on Blogger to Wordpress. I think that the Wordpress site will offer me more freedom and creativity within the blog, allow me to share with you what is happening across all my social media and be more user friendly for you to find reviews and articles.<br />
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I hope to have the review team live by Monday and whilst I will be doing a full post opening up for submissions over the next few days, if you are reading this and you would like to make a review submission please email me at <a href="mailto:postapocalypticplayground@gmail.com">postapocalypticplayground@gmail.com</a> and I can get you added to our schedule.<br />
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Please bear with me during this transition phase, I truly appreciate the time you all take to read about my adventures in books and hope to resume normal service within the week :)indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-90459055040818266932018-02-06T13:00:00.002-08:002018-02-06T13:00:17.612-08:00Type X Release Day Blitz with M.A. Phipps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Title: Type X<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Author: M.A. Phipps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Genre: YA Dystopian Thriller<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cover Designer: Nathalia Suellen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Editor: </span>Catherine Stovall (CLS Editing)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Publisher: </span><a href="https://www.7sisterspublishing.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">Seven Sisters Publishing</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hosted by: </span><a href="http://ladyambersreviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt;">Lady Amber’s PR</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Blurb: </span></b>
<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">No matter what I do, no matter what steps I take to avoid it,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">I'm always playing right into somebody's hand.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Playing the role I was destined for.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Two years have passed since her willing return to the DSD, and Wynter Reeves is no longer the timid girl who only wanted to blend in. Strong, confident, and in control of her once debilitating powers, the world trembles at her feet while news of what she's capable of spreads like fire among the State's enemies. As the death toll rises and Dr. Richter further warps her into a weapon of war, Wynter is forced to embrace the daunting reality of what she's become. With the remnants of her humanity hanging on by a shoestring, she must choose between the one sacrifice that could lead to her salvation or the dark path of destruction from which there can be no return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Torn between two sides of a war she never asked for, will Wynter find her freedom, or will she be doomed to remain a monster forever?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36913352-type-x"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTnkOmjQe5I2C0bGpNzxIFkziCk4nloQmOT01jfvc5i5PdSQdFdkGd_GPHWe4aRBGSvJc5w9AuE3Z6VN-mGrT9q1McaofHTDHIIhFvEUKuYeif8nNAA4vY6PZKmTHpsS-_EFS9OUlT-8y/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnqHAvnldktAPCj0wCdSHZKdTx3EQsGmozZMXrZThY0ZxwA4c79h2SikEd5SZ0Nydv48J-ZEo22MZGMMSLnbXsd6q94rL938s9xGkWJim_EZORxoeZ2qSQ0v70IaMW4F6lgxOe-7rI3Y8/s1600/Author+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnqHAvnldktAPCj0wCdSHZKdTx3EQsGmozZMXrZThY0ZxwA4c79h2SikEd5SZ0Nydv48J-ZEo22MZGMMSLnbXsd6q94rL938s9xGkWJim_EZORxoeZ2qSQ0v70IaMW4F6lgxOe-7rI3Y8/s200/Author+Photo.jpg" width="112" /></a><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">M. A. PHIPPS</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is an American author who resides near the ocean in picturesque Cornwall with her husband, daughter, and their Jack Russell, Milo. A lover of the written word, it has always been her dream to become a published author, and it is her hope to expand into multiple genres of fiction. When she isn’t writing, you can find her counting down the days until the new season of <i>Game of Thrones</i>.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Author Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Official Webpage: </span><a href="http://www.maphipps.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.maphipps.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authormaphipps/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.facebook.com/authormaphipps/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Official Fan Group: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/436191730095124/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/436191730095124/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/authormaphipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://twitter.com/authormaphipps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13682371.M_A_Phipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13682371.M_A_Phipps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Instagram: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authormaphipps/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.instagram.com/authormaphipps/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Youtube: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/MAPhipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.youtube.com/c/MAPhipps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Pinterest: </span><a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/authormaphipps/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://uk.pinterest.com/authormaphipps/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2sF4HC5"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">http://amzn.to/2sF4HC5</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
BookBub: </span><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-phipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-phipps</span></a><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Buy Links for Ultraxenopia:</span></b>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2uZ0fPJ"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">http://amzn.to/2uZ0fPJ</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Nook: </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultraxenopia-ma-phipps/1126583754?ean=2940154402023"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultraxenopia-ma-phipps/1126583754?ean=2940154402023</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">iBooks: </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/ultraxenopia-project-w-a-r-1/id1245702057?mt=11"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/ultraxenopia-project-w-a-r-1/id1245702057?mt=11</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Kobo: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ultraxenopia">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ultraxenopia</a></span>
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</span></b> <b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Buy Links for Type X:</span></b>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2DI2QDu"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">http://amzn.to/2DI2QDu</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Nook: </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/type-x-ma-phipps/1124421899?ean=2940154640326"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/type-x-ma-phipps/1124421899?ean=2940154640326</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">iBooks: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/type-x/id1336562426?mt=11">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/type-x/id1336562426?mt=11</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Kobo: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/type-x">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/type-x</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-43527829429915869122018-01-30T07:30:00.001-08:002018-01-30T07:30:13.005-08:00Review of Broken World by Kate L Mary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Marshall Law is in place in North America, a mysterious virus has struck down most of New York State and only essential travel is authorised. 70'% of the population are quite simply not going to make it and all the checkpoints in the world can't stop it from spreading. For Vivian only one thing matters, getting to California to see the child she was forced to give up 4 years before. Armed with travel papers, obtained through a lie, and a vehicle which is barely mechanically sound she hits the highway.<br />
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Her journey doesn't go quite the way she planned and soon she finds herself part of a small band of survivors trying to put together the pieces. Where you come from and all the money you had become meaningless, survival puts everyone on equal ground.<br />
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Broken world pull no punches right from the start, I enjoyed that we start with Vivian halfway through her journey and right into the heart of a nation gripped with fear. Her feelings and fears are so well written that I felt them with her, her encounters as a lone female travelling through a nightmare put my heart in my mouth and that was just the first few chapters! She's had a tough lot in life but she is determined to do one thing right by getting to her daughter, even if that means teaming up with with strangers who may or may not have her best interests at heart. Vivian is a strong and fiesty character even if she needs a bit of time to let those strengths show through, she is as human as the rest of us and I love how all the characters remain this way too, giving you an affinity with their reactions.<br />
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The book is essentially a road movie with characters joining and leaving the group along the way, Vivian and the Brothers Axl and Angus remain the constants, with Vivian having battle with containing both her attraction and revulsion for each brother who couldn't be more different from one another. There are some really strong set pieces, most notably the section where they find shelter within a luxury hotel and there are some real heart stopping moments too, are the dead moving again? A too good to be true proposition presents itself and the group find themselves on a journey which could lead to either shelter or suffering, either way it's the only option left.<br />
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This book is both full of action and emotion and whilst it has plenty of tried and tested apocalypse moments they feel right in the context of the story. It could have been a little longer however and I felt that it only ended where it did for maximum impact. The series is quite a long one and this book does feel that it is a lot of "set up" for the characters and story arc for the rest of the series. I hope that I'll have the opportunity to read more in the future when my tbr reduces!<br />
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4*indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-70282700756983753052018-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:002018-01-29T08:30:00.799-08:00Bookish Ramblings part 24: Fairyloot "Talk Faerie to me" unboxing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After feeling a little let down by last months box, January's box made up for it in spades! Promising to be a box for fans of Sarah J Maas, this didn't disappoint and I think every item is superb! I also liked that there were more UK suppliers this month as obviously for me this suppliers will have cheaper shipping so more likely to want to check them out for future bookish purposes!<br />
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The first item on opening the box was the most amazing cushion cover, it contains a quote from A Court of Wings and Ruin "Only you can decide what breaks you." It was created by <a href="https://society6.com/evieseo">Evie Bookish</a> and the quality is so good! This was an announced supplier so whilst I knew it was coming I didn't know the quote, which is perfect. I can't wait for pay day to roll round so I can get an insert and have it with me whilst I'm curled up reading! The next item was a set of magnetic bookmarks from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/dreamyandco">Dreamy and Co</a> they feature Feyre and Rysand, this item was a complete surprise and one that I was so happy with as I have been checking out their bookmarks for a while, I can't wait to start using them in bookstagram posts. The next UK supplier object was a fab lip balm from <a href="https://geekyclean.com/">Geeky Clean</a> (fact - I love lip balms) This was a random item and came in either Seelie (which I got) and Unseelie. I love Geeky Clean, they are 100% cruelty free and vegan!<br />
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If you have followed me a while you will know that last year I got into colouring books in a big way so a big smile broke out when I saw that the next item was a faerieland colouring book by <a href="https://www.mombooks.com/">Michael O'Mara</a> an independent UK publisher. All the images are fabulous and I can't wait to start colouring - although Little Miss Playground has her eye on it too! There were 2 art prints included in this months box and whilst prints aren't up my street I can appreciate the talent and they are wonderful pictures, again the are based on Sarah J Maas, this time from the Throne of Glass series. The last item was a real surprise, not so much in that it was a candle (all the boxes I have had have had a candle so far) but that it was from Meraki Candles. This company ceased trading at the end of 2017 so it was nice for them to have a little last hurrah, the candle is inspired by "Price Cardan" and links in with this months book, the fragrance is a little masculine but that was the point!<br />
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Finally, this month's book was The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, my fellow Fairylooter Rebecca Gibson, guessed this way back when the theme was announced. Holly Black was not on my radar until then, she's been dubbed the Faerie Queen and I'm excited to be able to read one of her works, so stay tuned for a review hopefully soon! (although I am slowly being crushed by my tbr!)<br />
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It was an amazing book by Fairyloot this month, I'm so glad I kept up my subscription! <br />
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Also, if you haven't already seen my post searching for reviewers to join my review team, check it out <a href="https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/bookish-ramblings-reviewers-wanted.html">here</a> I would love to have like minded readers to help me :)indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-55031300078734857722018-01-28T05:24:00.000-08:002018-01-28T05:30:53.021-08:00Bookish Ramblings: Reviewers Wanted, apply within!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For a few weeks now I have been considering adding a review team to the blog, I'm struggling to keep up and I feel bad turning down ARC offers. I'm now also aware that that my current penchant for YA is perhaps not covering a diverse enough range of reviews for my followers. So my considering has become a reality and I would like to open up the opportunity for 2 to 3 readers to join me in reviewing for the blog!!<br />
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For anyone who may be interested in this opportunity I'd like to give you a bit of information about my review policy. At Post-Apocalyptic Playground I am all about Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and YA versions of the same. Whilst I'm happy to review books with a romance element, I don't go so far as to accept erotica within the genres. I am also passionate about sharing the books I love! I will never post anything less than a 3* review - writing a book is hard, it's the authors baby and after all not everyone will love every book. That doesn't mean that you have to give every book a 3* or more, as part of the team if you feel a book is deserving of either 1* or 2* I would explain to the author that a review wont be posted to the blog and give feedback if appropriate. You would still be welcome to post your review to your personal amazon and goodreads accounts. I would be grateful if you could commit to reviewing each book within a 2 week period.<br />
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If you feel that this is an ethos that you can get behind and that this is a blog you would like to be part of then please get in touch at <a href="mailto:postapocalypticplayground@gmail.com">postapocalypticplayground@gmail.com</a> I am happy to answer any questions or give you more information about reviewing with me!<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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Gaynor :)indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-85221856032216921982018-01-25T12:23:00.001-08:002018-01-25T12:23:24.519-08:00Review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I know I said I wouldn't be reviewing long published books but oh my word I just had to for this one! Combining my love of dystopian and gaming, with a whole ton of geeky pop culture references it was probably the most perfect book for me!<br />
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The year is 2044, the world has burnt through it's fossil fuels and the effects of global warming has left the world in decline, many turn to drugs and crime to survive and to cope with the world around them. Tech giant James Halliday offers humanity an escape in "The Oasis" a virtual universe where you can pretty much do anything you want and mostly for free. When Halliday dies he has no heir to his vast fortune and announces to the world an elaborate game, the first to win and find his "easter egg" inherits everything. The game however is fiendish and after 5 years without a single clue answered, many have given up searching until one day, Wade Watts, becomes the first to enter the scoreboard and the race to win explodes back into everyone's lives.<br />
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I think it's safe to say I devoured this book! Whilst set in a future world, most of what takes place is within the Oasis itself as Wade is a "gunter" (an whittled down name for egg hunter) he dedicates his life to the search for the egg, living on a diet rich with 80's pop culture his knowledge is great enough to rival Halliday's himself. He is far from alone in this though, many are still searching and the race is on against corporate egg hunters, the Sixers, who want to take the egg purely for profiteering. I loved Wade as a character and whilst everything seems overwhelming for him the writing never feels so. You feel everything he goes through, willing him to solve each riddle, sharing his frustration at each dead end and his joy when something goes right. It's almost as if Wade becomes the readers avatar. The 80's references are many as well as throwbacks to all kinds of gaming which I loved and there was many a knowing smile and laugh out loud moment for me whilst reading. I loved how the solving of each puzzle was well laid out and researched (apart from the Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters that is) and how the story felt comfortable moving away from it's linear path, sometimes surprisingly so.<br />
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It's quite lacking in female avatars though which I think is a little sad, other than Art3mis it's pretty much a lad zone, which given that female gamers now make up over 40% (various sources) of the gaming populous makes it feel that the book was written for a male stereotype (and stereotyping crops up a lot). Not only is she the only female avatar but it feels like she is only there to be the "love interest" despite her being a formidable gunter. It's not all bad, she is pretty much the most kick ass of all of them but I just wished there was a more even presence. There is also sadly a fair bit of tokenism going on and I felt some minority groups were marginalised.<br />
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It didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book at the time which I read pretty much every opportunity I got, but now having had time to reflect I'm going to have to knock a star off for everything I mentioned above. If you grew up in, or have a good knowledge of the 1980's and have a thing for retro gaming this will tick a ton of boxes for you. If you didn't or don't, this is still a great adventure that will pull you in and you will likely discover a whole new world of games, films and TV that you may find yourself wanting to check out!<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-73412377893922271272018-01-22T08:37:00.002-08:002018-01-22T08:37:18.748-08:00Type X Pre Order Blitz with M.A. Phipps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Title: Type X<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Author: M.A. Phipps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Genre: YA Dystopian Thriller<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cover Designer: Nathalia Suellen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Editor: </span>Catherine Stovall (CLS Editing)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Publisher: </span><a href="https://www.7sisterspublishing.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">Seven Sisters Publishing</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hosted by: </span><a href="http://ladyambersreviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12pt;">Lady Amber’s PR</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">No matter what I do, no matter what steps I take to avoid it,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">I'm always playing right into somebody's hand.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Playing the role I was destined for.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Two years have passed since her willing return to the DSD, and Wynter Reeves is no longer the timid girl who only wanted to blend in. Strong, confident, and in control of her once debilitating powers, the world trembles at her feet while news of what she's capable of spreads like fire among the State's enemies. As the death toll rises and Dr. Richter further warps her into a weapon of war, Wynter is forced to embrace the daunting reality of what she's become. With the remnants of her humanity hanging on by a shoestring, she must choose between the one sacrifice that could lead to her salvation or the dark path of destruction from which there can be no return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Torn between two sides of a war she never asked for, will Wynter find her freedom, or will she be doomed to remain a monster forever?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnqHAvnldktAPCj0wCdSHZKdTx3EQsGmozZMXrZThY0ZxwA4c79h2SikEd5SZ0Nydv48J-ZEo22MZGMMSLnbXsd6q94rL938s9xGkWJim_EZORxoeZ2qSQ0v70IaMW4F6lgxOe-7rI3Y8/s1600/Author+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnqHAvnldktAPCj0wCdSHZKdTx3EQsGmozZMXrZThY0ZxwA4c79h2SikEd5SZ0Nydv48J-ZEo22MZGMMSLnbXsd6q94rL938s9xGkWJim_EZORxoeZ2qSQ0v70IaMW4F6lgxOe-7rI3Y8/s200/Author+Photo.jpg" width="112" /></a><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">M. A. PHIPPS</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> is an American author who resides near the ocean in picturesque Cornwall with her husband, daughter, and their Jack Russell, Milo. A lover of the written word, it has always been her dream to become a published author, and it is her hope to expand into multiple genres of fiction. When she isn’t writing, you can find her counting down the days until the new season of <i>Game of Thrones</i>.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Author Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Official Webpage: </span><a href="http://www.maphipps.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.maphipps.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authormaphipps/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.facebook.com/authormaphipps/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Official Fan Group: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/436191730095124/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/436191730095124/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/authormaphipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://twitter.com/authormaphipps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13682371.M_A_Phipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13682371.M_A_Phipps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Instagram: </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/authormaphipps/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.instagram.com/authormaphipps/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Youtube: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/MAPhipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.youtube.com/c/MAPhipps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Pinterest: </span><a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/authormaphipps/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://uk.pinterest.com/authormaphipps/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2sF4HC5"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">http://amzn.to/2sF4HC5</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
BookBub: </span><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-phipps"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-a-phipps</span></a><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Buy Links for Ultraxenopia:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2uZ0fPJ"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">http://amzn.to/2uZ0fPJ</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Nook: </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultraxenopia-ma-phipps/1126583754?ean=2940154402023"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultraxenopia-ma-phipps/1126583754?ean=2940154402023</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">iBooks: </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/ultraxenopia-project-w-a-r-1/id1245702057?mt=11"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/ultraxenopia-project-w-a-r-1/id1245702057?mt=11</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Kobo: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ultraxenopia">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ultraxenopia</a></span>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Pre-Order Links for Type X:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2DI2QDu"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://amzn.to/2DI2QDu</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Nook: </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/type-x-ma-phipps/1124421899?ean=2940154640326"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/type-x-ma-phipps/1124421899?ean=2940154640326</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">iBooks: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/type-x/id1336562426?mt=11">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/type-x/id1336562426?mt=11</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kobo: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/type-x">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/type-x</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-15176067296693297842018-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:002018-01-19T10:00:05.630-08:00Touching Smoke Sale Blitz with Airicka Phoenix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpN99lF0J5tnocOLvQ0aFNK-Y6wiN-klnBr4WGedrHb4elaENlxSHsCADGDNAuwGMgRNW7j-74SV9ISHGEvswS3bQYdbNKHh12TJ3lfKC4dcSjw848s57UkVCvF80KthjN2Rf_SXIztwBJ/s1600/Touching+Smoke+by+Airicka+Phoenix+-+Sale+Blitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="880" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpN99lF0J5tnocOLvQ0aFNK-Y6wiN-klnBr4WGedrHb4elaENlxSHsCADGDNAuwGMgRNW7j-74SV9ISHGEvswS3bQYdbNKHh12TJ3lfKC4dcSjw848s57UkVCvF80KthjN2Rf_SXIztwBJ/s400/Touching+Smoke+by+Airicka+Phoenix+-+Sale+Blitz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Title: Touching Smoke</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author: Airicka Phoenix</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Genre: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">YA Urban Fantasy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Cover Designer: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Airickas-Mystical-Creations-462373910480084/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Airicka’s Mystical Creations</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hosted by: </span><a href="http://www.ladyambersreviews.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lady Amber’s Reviews & PR</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBRdb_Q-EFf9Ne1W-5lT124e_UL4_rgOiiEbokI9r4-T4SXlmKI8Z4Wl18gBXAPlBoBuzVmKv_TZywZj69Dyomb4Cq3yNQoD2LvPbqvxhyphenhyphend9GXjTadOfwJf_TiHBWirTdFBcfDE8cuV1T/s1600/Touching+Smoke+-+Amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBRdb_Q-EFf9Ne1W-5lT124e_UL4_rgOiiEbokI9r4-T4SXlmKI8Z4Wl18gBXAPlBoBuzVmKv_TZywZj69Dyomb4Cq3yNQoD2LvPbqvxhyphenhyphend9GXjTadOfwJf_TiHBWirTdFBcfDE8cuV1T/s400/Touching+Smoke+-+Amazon.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Blurb: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I assumed I was human.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I assumed wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I dream of death and warm blood on my hands. I dream of the day I burn the world to the ground. I dream of the day I will finally die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Running is something my mother taught me to do very well. I never knew why until the night I cause an earthquake and meet Isaiah. My shadow. My protector. My other half. I need him. I need his blood. He is the only one who can keep me hidden from the man who created me. The man who created the monster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The world is depending on me not to fall in love. But what happens when the temptation becomes too great and falling is my only option? Can I live knowing I will destroy the world because his touch is the only thing keeping me alive?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And how can I trust someone as lost as I am?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Touch Passion. Touch Power. Touch Smoke!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2h5cLtg"><img border="0" data-original-height="41" data-original-width="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTnkOmjQe5I2C0bGpNzxIFkziCk4nloQmOT01jfvc5i5PdSQdFdkGd_GPHWe4aRBGSvJc5w9AuE3Z6VN-mGrT9q1McaofHTDHIIhFvEUKuYeif8nNAA4vY6PZKmTHpsS-_EFS9OUlT-8y/s1600/AddtoGoodreads.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzzYkdFL6eNrkEXg9k1Y1CGlMH_JwukbYvysacJB50darxq-4Zl3VxUDBub3DF0qC-Cowcpi3RoqfjMYziX5lE7PcqPXkzeNIgsdUsZODcVc2hf4cSN5LTc8Cjg6LvD7cW3ycPqZ5RA8k/s1600/Touching+Smoke+-+Teaser+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzzYkdFL6eNrkEXg9k1Y1CGlMH_JwukbYvysacJB50darxq-4Zl3VxUDBub3DF0qC-Cowcpi3RoqfjMYziX5lE7PcqPXkzeNIgsdUsZODcVc2hf4cSN5LTc8Cjg6LvD7cW3ycPqZ5RA8k/s320/Touching+Smoke+-+Teaser+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Airicka Phoenix is a multi-genre author of novels starring strong female leads and sexy alpha heroes. She started her journey after never finding the type of books she wanted to read. Her love of tortured souls and forbidden romance carried her into writing her own hard-earned happiness. Currently, she lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her babies and can be found hard at work on her next project.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For more about Airicka, visit her at AirickaPhoenix.com<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">FOLLOW AIRICKA’S NEWSLETTER <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">for updates, new releases, sneak peeks, and more.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">(no spamming. Promise)<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">AIRICKA’S NEWSLETTER → </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2xeO3Pl"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/2xeO3Pl</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">JOIN AIRICKA ON . . . </span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui symbol" , sans-serif;">☆</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> INSTAGRAM → </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2hmbhLO">http://bit.ly/2hmbhLO</a></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui symbol" , sans-serif;">★</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> FACEBOOK → </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2hqScFG">http://bit.ly/2hqScFG</a></span>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">»Touching Embers (Book 3):</span></span></div>
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indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-57526455050409289292018-01-19T00:30:00.000-08:002018-01-19T00:30:25.023-08:00Final Death Trailer Reveal with Rose Garcia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiwi8WHyrMJdy4rya82polU8yYn2vCJ0Q4AzpBzJKAFbSr2xp2soWvy_NV6EEKf59gfkMyTgBP0hkTNstGtZMQ6LkKpkQ98_7YE5JJaUmZftIy6lopoTgpQu6CrsU2el9HcoQoS_UtBkJ/s1600/Final+Death+by+Rose+Garcia+-+TRAILER+REVEAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="880" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiwi8WHyrMJdy4rya82polU8yYn2vCJ0Q4AzpBzJKAFbSr2xp2soWvy_NV6EEKf59gfkMyTgBP0hkTNstGtZMQ6LkKpkQ98_7YE5JJaUmZftIy6lopoTgpQu6CrsU2el9HcoQoS_UtBkJ/s400/Final+Death+by+Rose+Garcia+-+TRAILER+REVEAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Title: Final Death<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author: Rose Garcia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Paranormal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hosted by: </span><a href="http://www.ladyambersreviews.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Lady Amber's PR</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Blurb:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Dominique has conquered the evil within her, only to find her one true love now has to kill her. Desperate to save her friends and loved ones from sharing her fate, Dominique ditches her companions in an effort to protect them. With Trent left for dead in the past, she has no idea that Infiniti and Fleet have banded together, facing their own adversity as they struggle to find her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sure of nothing, and trusting someone from her first life who promises to be on her side, Dominique decides to set out on her own mission: kill before being killed. With time running out and her friends in hot pursuit, Dominique is hell bent on finishing what was started nine lives ago. Or finally face her final death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="82" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhtlJf0qdAjiOXQAJUSyfa-RNt24Mjz_Bnd8Q1qxgnFz3QYsT8miCf4Zwnb4CkTlQBSEfq8IgjEGdVLp9q_00fDWnGyXNe1aCCbirOx9kaCwz6aXdIiADskEGL_Ngl9LKbI7bSOKP8dCm/s1600/Author-Bio.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Final Life Series—a Young Adult science fiction/fantasy series about people who have the ability to control the energy in and around them. Rose is known for bringing richly diverse characters to life as she draws from her own cultural experiences. Rose lives in Houston, Texas with her awesome husband and two amazing kids. You can visit Rose at </span><a href="http://www.rosegarciabooks.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">www.rosegarciabooks.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author Links:
</span></b><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Facebook Author Page: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRoseGarcia"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRoseGarcia</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/roseonprose"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://twitter.com/roseonprose</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Author Amazon Page: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2BVum1D"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2BVum1D</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Goodread: </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829367.Rose_Garcia"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829367.Rose_Garcia</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Pinterest: </span><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/roseonprose/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://www.pinterest.com/roseonprose/</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Instagram: </span><a href="http://instagram.com/roseonprose"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://instagram.com/roseonprose</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">YouTube Channel: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC31j2JGzXaX76pLA2bmGSsg"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC31j2JGzXaX76pLA2bmGSsg</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">BookBub: </span><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rose-garcia"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rose-garcia</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Web: </span><a href="http://www.rosegarciabooks.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://www.rosegarciabooks.com/</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Newsletter: </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2hfmUCC"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://bit.ly/2hfmUCC</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Buy Links for Final Life Series: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Final Life: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2BOwypr"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2BOwypr</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-B&N: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/ov96wy" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/ov96wy</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Kobo: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/91FLQF" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/91FLQF</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-iTunes: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/5MYm6W" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/5MYm6W</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Final Stand: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2zbpMXL"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2zbpMXL</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-B&N: </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FJnm8fs&h=ATMCsodfo3A8bhBR8eCnK1LP32LbmWHOQf3VB3vXvfjzIKEGtSoXe3p-mrQKsKRsvvCZcfwspfalevOf__BGnbaXtj7ogaKhHZh1eQnRsExrL1vkPQUKZqsitz8zQ2OiV5IrO8gc9uihNctMXZdfxd2hG9rB4YbOkoa0ovEsmscMV4NTvVNTAZrneuxxBTYdd7miKaaofNg_PolQdUlo_GTIF9CEDliqMV2e9HCJeSQjDgZlFNgmnslHDDuKgc204_l2J8WmeeeZigx-LHPQrwzFWn1fHmlvlxMo6Wcdgw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/Jnm8fs</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Kobo: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/7YdKCT" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/7YdKCT</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-iTunes: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/2JdPfP" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/2JdPfP</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Final Death: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2BLsrdq"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2BLsrdq</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-B&N: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/TjyzVE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/TjyzVE</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-Kobo: </span><a href="https://goo.gl/Wxn4NE" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/Wxn4NE</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-iTunes: </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoo.gl%2FESNLQX&h=ATPtCoEZC0BMzIYWBSpcw-mcukLJuQXnW-D25hbL6t4p-WxNbkBZObzr0S3SShM0-mrCOMJ-np_jcE0xc0lxdw-xdp0lovhW8gafOZViAenbse4ubHfKSps0_VAp9eDfa_zWgP3MwZGydS_XN_yyNYj_LFHlzZCGnPHVgQ4So_tSHBLM0_vm2aFlqSeTBUEGoRzBYsSm-3hQyc-WRXar-q9dK0u50VUXzTu61q9LVsch0LZYRXTzdJdt2y7iNES7TtaBlcDFRwTBP7iWJu4fN3wLS2IXMsoDUMqHe2LPPdRI6H0g" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/ESNLQX</span></a><span style="color: #131313; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">First Life Pre-Order Link:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2BKTmpJ"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2BKTmpJ</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Bookbub: </span><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/first-life-the-final-life-series-book-4-by-rose-garcia"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">https://www.bookbub.com/books/first-life-the-final-life-series-book-4-by-rose-garcia</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">B&N: </span><a href="http://www.goo.gl/2aoyUn"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/2aoyUn</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
Kobo: </span><a href="http://www.goo.gl/yLJSp9"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">goo.gl/yLJSp9</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
iTunes: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.goo.gl/HYFuKk">goo.gl/HYFuKk</a></span>
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indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-1507556810530292232018-01-17T08:36:00.001-08:002018-01-17T11:26:47.593-08:00Bookish Ramblings part 23: Book mail is a go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been very blessed with bookmail this week! There are 2 indie authors who I am a huge fan of and I received goodies from both. Firstly from M.A. Phipps! I took part in a takeover she was hosting a little while ago and I was lucky enough to win a signed paperback copy of Ultraxenopia, which is book 1 in her Project W.A.R trilogy, what was even more awesome is that it has the new release cover from Seven Sisters Publishing. As I am such a huge fan, I am also part of her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/436191730095124/">Phipps Phanatics</a> group on facebook. If you are in this group and you have reviewed Ultraxenopia you can apply for exclusive trading cards - 2 will be available for each book in the trilogy and I have started off my collection with Wynter and Ezra!<br />
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The next bookmail was from the ever wonderful Jo Michaels. At the end of last year Jo released Utterances, a NA Fantasy with one hell of a twist! You can check out my review <a href="https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/review-of-utterances-by-jo-michaels_87.html">here</a>. I was not only lucky enough to be part of her ARC team but I was also honoured to host a read along with my fellow advance readers. Through being part of that team I was able to get my mits on an exclusive wrap bracelet which is beyond beautiful and as an extra special surprise I also received a signed paperback copy which I was blown away to receive, thank you so much Jo!<br />
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I think the only dampener on this week was the discovery that the great and powerful Zon has again shoved a wedge between authors and readers. A couple of ramblings ago I spoke about a great facebook book release party I had attended, I was so excited as I won 3 ebooks from taking part in that and I was really looking forward to entering a new to me genre of Steampunk. Sadly all the authors were only able to gift to me from amazon, who no longer allow US accounts to gift to UK accounts. I invited the authors to redraw so others could get the chance, but this was a little sucky for me. I'm determined to find the time to give this genre a go though, and who knows maybe it will be another avenue for this blog to move into in the coming months!<br />
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Breaking news: I have just been auto approved by a publisher on netgalley - I had no idea such a thing existed, I'm so happy!indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-14098648476444451802018-01-16T11:38:00.000-08:002018-01-16T11:38:02.161-08:00Review of Protogenesis (Before the Beginning) by Alysia Helming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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17 year old Helene Crawford is a California girl struggling to fit in with her peers, she lives with her mother and their hoard of cats. After a day at school like any other, Helen comes home to chaos, her mother is missing presumed dead and in the space of just a few hours, she goes from school girl to running for her life - the only person Helene can go to is a Godfather she has never met or even heard of before.......who lives in Greece. When Helene arrives she is swept up into a world of myths and legends whilst trying to find out what really happened to her mother and balancing that with rebuilding her life in a new Country.<div>
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There is a ton to love about Protogenesis and for the most part I didn't want to put it down. It's a fantastic adventure full of mysteries to be solved, hidden rooms, strange portals, Gods and Monsters. There is a seamless science fiction element woven into the mythology which I really enjoyed. Helene is a difficult character to pin down though, at times I really enjoyed her snark and her willingness to boldly jump into all sorts of situations to help her in her quest. But she is also incredibly ditsy and I often struggled to reconcile the fact that she was so easily distracted from her task of finding her mother. Granted, her search is hampered by her Godfathers insistence that she attend school but her all encompassing distraction by the "Greek boys and their eyes" gets a little tiresome and is one of my biggest pet peeves - what I did enjoy however is that the author herself has a little tongue in cheek dig at this, which was refreshing. I enjoyed the school element however, it really drove the plot forward and I liked seeing Helene being able to open herself up in way she never could in her old school, it brought balance to her life and I found this more believable than a 17 year old being allowed to run amok in a strange country on her own.</div>
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I sometimes found it difficult to put an appropriate age bracket on this book and I'm mindful that I am not the target audience, in light of that I found it easy to forgive a lot of the angst and bratty elements but there was one paragraph that was filled with really bad language which was really out of tone and felt a bit forced. </div>
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The start was shaky but once we got to Greece this book really comes into it's own, it gives you a nice little reminder of Greek mythology and I found the world building nicely paced with just enough information to really have you wanting more for the next book in the series. Keep an eye out for Bestat, she is a bit of a scene stealer! This is a really light and easy read which quickly pulls you in and despite the bits which weren't really for me (it's quite tropetastic in places) I found it actually quite a joy to read and it's a series that i will want to stick with!</div>
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4*</div>
indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-44135154011764002362018-01-15T12:12:00.001-08:002018-01-15T12:13:13.171-08:00Bookish ramblings part 22: I'd like my honest review with a little less honesty please.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been dabbling in twitter now for about a couple of months, I'm not finding it the greatest of mediums but it's one hell of a way to soak up time. The other day something caught my eye, which had pretty much died down when I saw it and the offending account had been deleted. The bulk of my understanding came from #authorsriseup where an "author" had campaigned against a blogger in response to a negative review on Goodreads. I like Goodreads, it has a lot to love about it, however, I have always said that when it comes to reviews though it can be like a no holds barred playground for negativity. As bloggers, we have have all seen it - authors offering an ARC in return for an honest review but then not really enjoying the honesty part of it if someone has something unflattering to say.<br />
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Of course there are ways of a reader saying they didn't like your book which are tactful and educational and there are ways which are, quite frankly, not. I can imagine it was a review which fell into the latter category that prompted #authorsriseup to post. I'm not sure what was to be achieved by it. From the user name it appears that they were after some solidarity and for other authors to add their voice, unfortunately for them, bloggers banded together and the opposite happened. If you put your book out there to the masses you're going to have to take the rough with the smooth, treat things as a learning experience and keep you head held high. I know an author who printed out and framed both her first 1* and 5* review as a reminder that with good comes bad and visa versa. At the end of the day attacking someone because they didn't enjoy something will achieve nothing, especially if they have parted with money for your book; they are under no obligation to write a good review.<br />
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Now the thing that did sting in the tail for me a little bit was when I was reading through the comments thread. One user said that they didn't trust reviewers that never posted a bad review and that reviewers should have balance. I have balance, I just choose to not publicly stamp all over someones dreams. I did find it concerning though that perhaps, to some, my reviews may not be taken seriously because I never "balance them out" with kicking people in the teeth. I'm always 100% clear about my policy of only sharing reviews about the books I love, but perhaps to the casual observer that may not be clear. I don't think that there is anything I can do about this, but I would hope that followers of this blog know what to expect from me and to not judge me on it.<br />
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I think it helps me that I don't sign up for every arc under the sun, I am careful about what I sign up for and have only just started venturing back out there with receiving books for the sole purpose of review. I have to love the blurb, the genre, and the feel I get for it when I look at the cover, that way I have the best chance of being able to leave a good review. Life is to short to read books that I am not going to enjoy and it's certainly too short to start a campaign against one person because something they said on the internet. To any authors out there reading this, not everyone will love your book but to some readers out there it will rock their world, let those readers be your focus and who knows what will grow from it <3<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-46136962828941608232018-01-13T06:04:00.002-08:002018-01-13T11:13:38.719-08:00Bookish Ramblings Part 21: Finding a balance and a new route for reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you know from my end of 2017 round up, one of things I have been struggling with is finding a balance between reading and reviewing Indie alongside Traditionally published. Towards the middle of last year I fell out of love with indie publishing, not because of the books but because the amount I was doing as part of the community had wrung me out. I'm getting back out there now and whilst I am still sad at how easily I had been forgotten by many, it has given me a clean slate with building new relationships and solidifying those who have stayed with me.<br />
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A couple of days ago I took part in something that I had not done for a long time. I took part in a facebook book release party. For a long time I stopped attending these as I found they weren't engaging and facebook had become saturated with them. This one though was a breath of fresh air! There were a ton of readers in attendance, the authors were funny and engaging and their posts were fun! I even made some new author friends out of it and plenty of connections insofar as content for this blog is concerned. I felt part of the community again and it felt good.<br />
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Where is all this leading to you ask? Well it's made me realise that there are still a ton of indie books out there that I want to read and the easiest way of finding a balance is to simply take it in turns. I have decided that I will alternate between reading a traditionally published title and an Indie title, that way I am dedicating the same time to both, and helping this blog stay relevant in both book communities. I am also going to try and feature an indie title at least once a week in my bookstagram photos although that is a collection I need to build on if i'm looking at getting some in paperback.<br />
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So how does this impact on reviews. Simples, you will see more indie reviews from me and i'm also going to cut down on publishing reviews on traditional titles for books that have been out for a long time (for instance I read City of Bones by Cassandra Claire last week but it's been out for 10 years so I doubt i'll have anything fresh or new to say about it!). I am also reconsidering the way I write reviews but I that's still something I'm musing on. One thing that won't change however, is that I will still only post reviews for books that I have really enjoyed. I am still dedicated to not slamming peoples hard work and I will only post reviews that are 3* and over.<br />
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I have a couple of beta reads to do in the immediate future but I fully plan on starting this new system at the beginning of February so watch this space!<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-59154244725356323342018-01-12T08:17:00.002-08:002018-01-12T08:17:35.509-08:00Bookish Ramblings part 20: Why I can never part with my Kindle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For those of you who have recently joined me you won't know that I had a bit of a renaissance with print books last year. I had spent pretty much most of 2 years reading solidly indie titles on my kindle. Since then I have pretty much left my kindle to gather dust in favour of print.<br />
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Recently though I have started to miss my old Kindle, not so much because of the reading experience it gives me as a device, (as I don't think I can move away from print entirely again now) but because of the world of books available to me on it. My love of Indie writing hasn't gone away and e-readers remain the number one device to read Indie on. <br />
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Why is this? Digital is a cheaper medium, new authors can put out their work for 99p or even for free which is attractive to readers. Readers are more likely to take a chance on a new to them author if they don't have to part with a lot of cash - I could go on about this, but it's not the point of this post. In all honesty, digital is the indie playground and traditional publishers can't touch it. Indies control their costs and can amend their pricing to reflect what they want, indies can pitch their book at 2.99 and still be competitive against their traditional counterparts. Indies are also the lifeblood of Kindle Unlimited, I subscribe from time to time and it's basically an indie all you can read buffet. If you're after a traditionally published ebook on there though, you're likely out of luck. I'm not sure why this is. Traditional publishers also just can't get the pricing right. For instance at the moment you can by Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone for £5.99 for ebook but at £4 for print - which would you choose? On the flip side the first book in my favourite indie paranormal series is £1.49 on kindle, but £11.23 for print - see what I mean?<br />
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Sadly the print on demand business model for indie published print books just can't be competitive. They don't benefit from huge print runs to bring the cost down so as a reader you are paying for every single printed page. For most standard sized books there isn't too great an increase (maybe £1 or £2) on what you would pay at a rrp retailer such as Waterstones, but for your 600 pagers it's likely to end up costing you more that a traditionally published hardback. It's this business model that needs to be reformed, I would love to purchase more indie published print books (the ones I have, I have managed to get at signings or have been lucky enough to win) but sometimes the print cost on bigger books makes it a hard sell. I would love to petition amazon about this, after all if they are printed via their own createspace service they get a portion of the profit. Surely it's in their interests to make indie print books a bit cheaper? Print has seen a huge upsurge especially when you factor in the huge bookstagram community. But it's likely that they wouldn't even give me a response.<br />
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So as long as I love indie I will also love my kindle. It is accessible and allows those who may not want to be traditionally published to have a voice. I have discovered some amazing authors and made some great friends through the indie world and all because of one little device <3<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-66174990563017507652018-01-10T12:35:00.002-08:002018-01-10T12:35:48.127-08:00Bookish Ramblings part 19: Banishing my January bookish blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You might remember that last month I got myself so bookish goodies on order to arrive in January to make up for the fact that January is often a bit of a quiet month after the excesses of Christmas and New Year. There is still one thing left to arrive but I don't think <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BookAndNook/items">Book and Nook</a> dispatch their boxes until later in the month. The first thing to arrive, much earlier than expected was my new Funko Pop, which is Sarah and Worm from Labyrinth - it's my favourite scene of the film and by complete chance is was also on the TV the day it arrived!<br />
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Next were my beautiful goodies from <a href="https://www.inkandwonder.com.au/">Ink and Wonder</a>, I got two of their trademark woodmarks. "Purrmione" was a gift to Little Miss Playground as she reached the level of free reader at school, the school library is her oyster now! The second features a quote from my favourite read of last year, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas. "To the stars that listen and the dreams that are answered" even reading that quote gives me shivers thinking about that glorious scene. Finally, and sticking with the ACOTAR theme, I ordered a beautiful map of Prythian. I'm really happy with all of these, they are really high quality and considering they came from Australia the shipping was really fast and reasonably priced.<br />
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When I received my first <a href="https://www.fairyloot.com/">fairyloot</a> box, one of the items was a fruit tea from <a href="https://www.bookishteas.com/">Bookish Teas</a> and it tasted fabulous. Sadly the tea I got was a fairyloot exclusive and i'm nearly out - wah! But on their website they offered Mysteary Boxes for less than 16 Euros and with a 20% first order discount code this was an absolute steal. I received 5 teas and some amazing bookish extras, considering their tea is normally 7 euros per bag this was amazing value (although I see that these boxes now contain 3 teas - which is still a bargain IMO). The owners are fabulous, I let them know which fandoms I was into and I got a ton of Throne of Glass inspired teas and goodies as well as teas based on the lunar chronicles (I'm drinking Cinder at the moment - it smells lush as it's plum and cinnamon) and one of them almost tastes like my original fairyloot tea which is good enough for me! I can't compliment this small business enough, they are so sweet, their teas are amazing and their boxes are packed with goodies. They are based in Germany but again shipping was reasonable as the teas are lightweight and the box arrived really quickly. I'm definitely going to be buying from them again.<br />
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These lovely deliveries have already brightened up the beginning of January for me, be sure to keep an eye out on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/postapocalypticplayground/">bookstagram</a> to see them being featured in posts!!<br />
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Have any of you treated yourself to anything (doesn't have to be books) to brighten up your new year?indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-71286303515054165562018-01-07T06:17:00.001-08:002018-01-07T06:17:23.040-08:00Bookish Ramblings presents: My most anticipated reads for 2018!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2018 promises a wealth of awesome new reads and I'm still utterly in love with my rebuilt relationship with traditional publishing and paperback books. I still have a special place for my Indie roots though and there are just as many great books coming out from my Indie favs too!<br />
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Highest on my list is "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J Maas, this is a novella set between the aftermath of ACOWAR and the new books focusing on the relationships outside of Feyre and Rhysand. *****Spoilers***** This is pegged to be set during the rebuilding of Velaris after Hyburn's attack and whilst I'm hoping that for the most part this will be a light hearted retrospective from the characters, I'm also hoping that it will reveal Rhysands plan to actually not allow members of the Night Court access to Velaris in quite the way they hoped. Sarah J Maas was my break out, new to me author of 2017 and I can't wait to soak up more of her work in 2018.<br />
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Next up is "Legendary" the follow up to Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I have to say that I thought long and hard about adding this to my list. Caraval was an awesome read, I loved the world and the creativity and how I found myself trying to solve all the riddles myself (yet always coming up short) and ultimately missing the important clues I needed. But I found that Scarlett's easy distraction from her task by boys irksome. Even with that though, Legendary is a book that I'm looking forward to reading, I loved the concept of Caraval, the beautifully woven world and the characters, if there is more of the same to come with Legendary then I'm going to be a very happy girl.<br />
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"Subject Zero" by M.A. Phipps is the conclusion to the Project W.A.R trilogy. The books are now being published through Seven Sisters Publishing, the first book Ultraxenopia has been through a re-release already, With Type-X being re-released soon, both with gorgeous new covers. I'm so excited to get to the conclusion of Wynter's story, she has been through so much already; going from normal a girl to a science experiment, to a weapon and to a rebel, it's hard to begin to fathom what she could be faced with next. Details are few at the moment but given how much I love the first two books I just know I'm going to love it.<br />
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Deranged Angels and Cannibal Hearts, book 3 in the Dead things series by Martina McAtee. This is such a gorgeous series with diverse characters and plenty of snark. I have been lucky enough to get some sneak peeks of both the cover and some excerpts though her fan group on facebook, Martina's Deadlings. If the teasers I have seen are anything to go by, I'll be dropping everything when this releases.<br />
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My final book that I am looking forward to is back to Sarah J Maas and her contribution to the DC Icons series. Catwoman, Soulstealer has a back story I already know (I struggled last year with Leigh Bardugo's Wonderwoman as I didn't really know much about the character) I can't wait for the direction that she takes with this as it's likely to be the most contemporary book she has written.<br />
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I was able to briefly chat with Lydia Sherrer as I was hopeful that another instalment of the Lily Singer Adventures might be on its way, she is super busy with projects at the moment so we may not see more from Lily herself in 2018 but I have my fingers crossed!<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-60444313695539489922018-01-06T15:11:00.000-08:002018-01-06T15:11:13.623-08:00Review of Our Dark Stars by Audrey Grey and Krystal Wade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Talia is a Starchaser. Eldest sibling in an ailing dynasty her 18th birthday should be a time to celebrate, however, it marks her shift in adulthood and sovereign in waiting. Her first task? She must accept a betrothal to the cruel Cassius, a lesser match but from a planet rich with Ore. Up until this time Talia has had a steadfast companion to share her dream, not a human but a "mock." a humanoid droid named Ailat. When Cassius forces her to chose between saving her family and saving her best friend, Talia makes the only choice she believes she can. Her choice is far reaching and through a series of events Talia finds herself in an escape pod, floating into space.<br />
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100 years later, Will Perrault and his rag tag crew of misfits are on the hunt for salvage and after discovering Talia's pod they suddenly discover that they are targets with some very high profile hunters on their tail. A lot has changed since that fateful night for Talia and the tables have turned completely as mock became master and human became slave. As Talia awakes she cannot even begin to comprehend what has happened. As the truth of both the length of time Talia has been in stasis and the uprising of the mocks unfolds before her, Talia must fight to put right the wrongs of that terrible night.<br />
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Our Dark Stars is a gorgeous read, from the beautiful cover design to the words themselves. Talia is a wonderful character, full of both strength and vulnerability, she is able to hold her own and put aside her fears and grief to put right her wrongs. The chapters covering the fateful night 100 years prior are full of real heart pounding and also heartbreaking moments as Talia must choose between loyalty to her family and loyalty to her friend. Will's crew are a great bunch of characters, if you were a fan of the show Firefly you will find a lot to love with them as they bring humour to the darker sides of this story<br />
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Whilst I saw the reveal coming a mile off, it didn't spoil the enjoyment of the moment, which was terrifying in the face of how Talia came to be in that position. Our Dark Stars has some truly epic moments from space battles to strip clubs, but it is also a story about friendship, betrayal and redemption and how hope can be found in the most unlikely of places.<br />
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I really loved this book, I read it in 2 sittings and struggled to put it down. It's such an easy read, page after page just flow together - i'm glad the story was rounded off well but i'm also intrigued that there could be more of these characters story to come.<br />
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5*<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-35303402171839296322018-01-05T06:00:00.002-08:002018-01-05T06:00:52.510-08:00Review of Everless by Sara Holland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The estate of Everless is formidible in Sempera. For Jules it is a symbol of what life was. Both she and her father had been cast out several years before and now live in squalor in the village of Compton, struggling to survive. In Sempera however there is a way to make money, it is terrible and dangerous and has brought her father close to death - blood iron. Time distilled through bloodletting. An hour, day or even a year can be taken but clearly with a toll for those who rely on it to as a means to survive on only the most basic of means. When an opportunity arises to gain work on the Everless estate, Jules sees an opportunity to lift her and her father out of debt, as long as she can remain unnoticed by the Gerling children, her childhood playmates. However, the work being offered is preparing the estate for the upcoming wedding of her childhood beau Roan and the Queen of Sempera's Ward, Ina; will Jules be able to stay away from her past?<br />
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As Jules becomes more embroiled in the wedding preparations she finds herself forging an unlikely friendship with Ina and stumbling down a path that reveals more about her past than she ever could have imagined and also a danger which shakes her to the very core.<br />
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Everless for me was a really enjoyable read. When I read the first chapter, I had to eye roll massively as we start out with Jules, the young female protagonist out as a huntress in the forest, searching for food for survival, this was thankfully one of only a few tropes and it quickly found it's own feet. Despite the shaky start for me, Jules is an immensely likeable character. She feels horribly wronged by the Gerlings and with good reason, she saved Roan's life, but in one of Everless's best kept secrets she was simply blamed for the burning down of her fathers forge on the estate and they had to flee. Her father, once highly skilled, has now suffered so greatly by the giving of time through blood iron that he hangs on by barely a thread. She shows immense bravery by wanting to attend the blood letters herself to pay the rent debt, but like so many things in the story her best intentions are always taken out of her hands. Only just 17 and having been treated so badly in the past, she is incredibly trusting, despite outwardly projecting otherwise. I was surprised how easily she was able to forge friendships, however there is much to be said for solidarity.<br />
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Her inquisitiveness far outweighs her common sense though and despite many warnings she continues to follow a path of investigating her heritage born out by a strange ability to slow the passing of time when she is emotionally heightened. The twists and revelations in relation to this are fantastic, there was so much I didn't see coming and I really enjoyed the excursions out of the Everless Estate (perhaps a lovely map wouldn't go amiss in book 2) which really helped prevent the story becoming stagnant in a single setting.<br />
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Everless was a huge page turner for me, I really love this kind of traditional fantasy and although there were a few points that didn't really work for me (like why would she throw away a year blood iron into the lake a breath after saying she would search through the mud if she has lost one) for the majority I found the story to be utterly engaging with a huge amount of originality. I am looking forward to hopefully having some aspects of the story explored further in book 2 as the true story of Jules's heritage for me was captivating.<br />
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4*indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-70717048428482313782018-01-04T15:16:00.001-08:002018-01-04T15:16:55.430-08:00Bookish Ramblings part 18: Happy New year and trials with Audiobooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow it's 2018 already and I've realised that I have not done a traditional bookish ramblings for a little while now, So here is a happy new year post, cunningly disguised in a ramble about audiobooks.<br />
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Before Christmas I decided to give Audible a go, I had a ton of children's Christmas presents to wrap and I was a bit full to bursting with Christmas music (my usual go to wrapping background) so I decided to take up an Audible free trial. I have a lot of time for the concept of audio books, earlier last year Mr Playground and myself were thinking of starting up an audio book business, given his skills, but it didn't really amount to anything, sadly. But during that process I realised that I had never actually listened to an audio book in totality. So I chose "This Mortal Coil" by Emily Suvada as I had been utterly pulled in by it's tag line of "There's no DNA code for run like hell" when it formed part of some swag contained in a fairyloot box. I went in with an open mind about it and had it merrily playing along in the background as I wrapped. Trouble is that by completing another task at the same time I wasn't giving the story my full attention so I was missing things and had to keep on pressing the "go back 30 seconds" button. The other thing that made my mind wander was the monotone of the narration - now, i'm not banishing the narrator; reading aloud for hours is a skilled process which needs to be measured, I get that. Again however, I found myself distracted by the fact that I would have put a different inflection on the end of a sentence or pulled a completely different tone from the written words being spoken aloud. I decided at that point that my stress at getting the gifts wrapped in time to go and see the new Star Wars may have been the problem, so I switched to listening in the car, which was pointless as I had to (obviously) concentrate on the road, so again I was missing important information, and when driving it was not cool to start hitting the back button, even with it's handy car feature.<br />
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Throughout this tribulation, one thing that stood out for me though was that this was an awesome story, it was heart stopping in places and all I could think throughout was how much I wanted to actually read this as a book!<br />
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So with 6 hour of audio left, I decided to delete the app and cancel my audible subscription. I went to Waterstones with my Christmas gift card and picked up a good old fashioned paper copy (with gorgeous formatting that I need to learn how to do.) Why? Because even with my 50/50 attention to the story I loved it and I knew I wanted to read it in my own voice. I didn't want to spoil the ending for myself so I did what I should have done hours of listening ago. <br />
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It's currently in my TBR pile and I'll probably get to it in a few months but I'm ok with that, I feel that through my many distractions there was a large percentage of the story that didn't sink in and that it will be like reading a brand new book when I get to it, and I still have no ending spoilers!<br />
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If you are an audio book lover please don't feel affronted by this, Audio is fantastic medium for books, just not for me. I am too easily distracted and I can't just sit and listen to a book for hours without doing something else. The only true relaxation and enjoyment of books I get is by sitting and reading either a paper or kindle version<br />
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I'm glad I've given it a go, but I'll be sticking to paper from now on. How about you? Have you given audio books a go, do you rate them? Do you have any tips on how to minimise distraction?indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-36990613550455187132018-01-01T11:59:00.001-08:002018-01-01T11:59:30.193-08:00Bookish Rambings: Becoming Bookish, both a look back and a look forward.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this is going to be a long one, sorry, but it's best I get it all out now so I can move on. I started typing this out last night after a few glasses of Prosecco and had initially titled it "2017 a Retrospective" but then I realised that there was a lot that went on for me in the book community last year which wasn't so great and I didn't want it to become a whiny meandering post. Lets just say I started last year a large part of something which had been good, but had become something which took up the lions share of my time. It was also something I was doing entirely for free for the betterment of others which for the most part had become an utterly thankless task. As a result I shut myself out of the Indie community; the saddest part is that out of the many that I have helped, I can guarantee that about 90% haven't even realised i'm not around any more.<br />
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So, whiny stuff out of the way, how did I get to talking to you about this now? I can say that it all started at Chapter.con in London in August. Although I was only there for a small part of the conference, it had a huge impact on me. At this point I had pretty much decided to jack it all in, but I had the opportunity of seeing a dear friend who had travelled over from the USA, and no matter what I was feeling about the book world I just wanted to spend time with my friend. Chapter.con concluded with an awards ceremony, which I was humbled to have been nominated for in 2 categories. One gave me the closure that I needed and one gave me a huge shock. I had no idea that I had been nominated for best blog! Through inspiring talks with others over the weekend and having this surprise nomination gave me a real sense of purpose to not only carry on with blogging, but to also completely change up the way I was doing things.<br />
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It's fair to say that when I started blogging I actually had a very twisted view about what a book blog did. Much of my blogging experience had come from facebook page blogs, which contained mainly promo for authors (which is of course amazing as it's getting those names out there) but not always as much talk about books. Which is why for so long I didn't really know what I was doing and followed suit. Whilst thinking of how to reinvent my blog I came across a term, which actually made me feel right at home. I am "bookish." I realised that this is a platform for more than just promo and reviews, it's away to communicate with other bookish people and people in general.<br />
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I love this term so much and it makes me feel both part of something bigger and also that it's ok that I am now doing all this just by myself. I love my bookstagram account, through which I have discovered a whole world of bookish merchandise (I'm currently drinking a tea blend from <a href="https://www.bookishteas.com/">Bookish Teas</a>) and have also rediscovered my love for actual paper books. <a href="https://www.fairyloot.com/">Fairyloot</a> has also helped me on my way by meeting tons of great people through their associated groups. I'm still struggling with Twitter, but hey, I can't win them all! I have retained a few friendships from my time doing other things last year, which I am grateful for. It keeps my connection to not only them but also to the Indie community that I so nearly lost entirely. <br />
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What will 2018 bring then? Well, I'm happy to say that I'm still going to be doing this on my own. I have never felt happier in the book community since my choices last August, i'm doing things in my own time, in my own way and in a way that also lets me spend time with my family. I will be happily continuing with my bookstagram, my sister facebook page and I'm also pleased that I have just been accepted again by Netgalley! Twitter, well......<br />
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The hard thing for me this year will be to try and bring balance to blogging both about Indie and Traditionally published books. Being involved in one inevitably leaves the other behind. I think for Indies, the challenge is going to be battling high "print on demand" costs for their paperbacks. This is something that I really hope gets rectified soon as I have a feeling that I am not the only one who has moved away from reading from a screen. Either way, I am going to ensure that I try and dedicate equal time to both and hope that I don't alienate each audience by doing so.<br />
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I step in to 2018 full of hope for this blog and where it takes me, I would love to get to a point where my followers start to comment on my posts and I can connect with them more personally. But really, just knowing that people continue to read about me talking about books is plenty. If you're still reading, thank you for sticking with it and here's to an amazing 2018 for us all!indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-47748397877457718612017-12-29T13:28:00.004-08:002017-12-29T13:28:46.293-08:00Bookish Ramblings presents: My Top 5 reads of the year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2017 has been an interesting year for me in terms of reading, for about 2 years my reading was all done via kindle and was exclusively indie. That all changed in May of this year when I picked up A Court of Thorns and Roses and realised that there was a whole wealth of traditionally published books that had passed me by and I have spent half the year falling back in love with print books and discovering a number of awesome new authors. Below is therefore is a selection of my favourite books/book series that I have read in 2017 (not all are 2017 releases) which brings together my discovery of new traditionally published authors and my love of Indie publishing.<br />
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Where better to start than in January where I read the conclusion of the Treemakers Trilogy by Christina L Rozelle, The Seekers Keys. This was a standout series for me, it really triggered back my love for YA fantasy/dystopia and whilst this series contained a lot of mature themes it was very much true to its roots. I do credit it as a series which really pushed me forward with this blog and fully engrossing me back into these types of books. I loved the way that it inspired utter terror in it's pages at what the characters had to go through, wanting to turn the page again but not wanting to at the same time. Truly uniquely terrifying characters and also stepping up the expectation for all female protagonists to come, it's a series that had me hanging on every page. Because it would be unfair to give you a review for book three, i'll start you off <a href="https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/review-of-treemakers-by-christina-l.html">here</a> with book 1.<br />
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After having it on my kindle since release in 2016 I finally got round to reading 7 by the Federation of the Ferocious Five, which is comprised of Jo Michaels, Tia Silverthorne Bach, Nichole Green, Kelly Risser and Casey L Bond. It was a completely new take on the 7 deadly sins, through the reincarnation of the same man, Thomas, throughout history and being faced with choices which strike a familiarity with the sins. This was a book which had me thinking long after I had finished and challenged me as a reviewer to really put into words the emotions it left me with. You can check out my eventual review <a href="https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/review-of-7-seven-deadly-sins-by.html">here </a><br />
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Then in May I ventured out of my indie zone and into the world of ACOTAR, at this point I have to give massive thanks to Rebecca Gibson for tuning me into this series. I wanted a paperback to take with me camping as I would have little resource to charge my kindle and despite the camping being not so fun I was utterly captivated by Feyre and her unlikely induction to the realm of the Fae. I read all 3 of the books currently out this year, book 2 "A Court of Mist and Fury" being my favourite. To say the series left me an emotional wreck is an understatement. It is a series that transcended simple fantasy and dealt with so many issues that are usually either brushed under the carpet or even romanticised when the reality is far from it. Whilst I didn't review the books individually I did post about the series as a whole, summing up what made it great for me and you can see it <a href="https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-ruining-me.html">here</a> if you haven't already.<br />
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One of my biggest surprises of the year from my Indie catalogue was Love Lies and Hocus Pocus: The Lily Singer Adventures by Lydia Sherrer. I had read her short story "Hope" much earlier and loved it's unique take on the apocalypse seen from the side of immortals. The original covers for this series however were lovely illustrations but a little cartoonish which made me think they were for a younger YA audience. I was so wrong! Everything about these stories was just fabulous, the layout of the books with unique and darker interlude sections really stood out. Lily herself becoming a deeply complex character facing many challengers and tests of loyalty set to a background of discovery. There is a great twist on the traditional witch/wizard viewpoint, which like everything in this series, is explained beautifully and without condescension. It's a fabulously built world and one that I can't wait to return to! My reviews for all 4 books and the novella are all available on this blog.<br />
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The final book that blew me away this year returns me to the traditionally published world with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I got off to a shaky start with this author as I started off reading her DC Icons take on Wonderwoman which wasn't my cup of tea but thanks again to the lovely Rebecca Gibson I picked up Six of Crows and honestly could not put it down! I was reading snatches here and there wherever I could. Imagine Oceans Eleven in a fantasy world but then times it by 10, it was THAT GOOD, you can read my ridiculously gushy review of it <a href="https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/review-of-six-of-crows-by-leigh-bardugo.html">here</a><br />
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So there you go! I'm hoping that whether you are a fan of either Indie or Trad published there will be something here for you or I have inspired you to try something new. I have loved so many books this year but I wanted to condense it down to just 5 otherwise you would be here all week! Check back soon as I will be talking about my most anticipated reads for 2018 and I would love to know if any of them are on your lists!<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476437771359675451.post-59222246949273454542017-12-25T12:28:00.000-08:002018-01-09T11:23:05.290-08:00Review of Cinder by Marissa Meyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cinder is a cyborg, looked down on by society and that's by the one's who can even bring themselves to look at her. A gifted mechanic, she spends her days as a ward of her widowed stepmother in a market booth, mending communications systems and other devices - ipads of the future. The Lunar Chronicles are set in a future where the world has come out of it's 4th world war, the planet is battle scared and it's people are battling Letumosis; a plague with no cure. On an otherwise seemingly normal day, 2 things happen in Cinder's life that will start her down a dangerous path. Firstly a visit from a disguised Prince Kai, searching her out to fix his broken droid and secondly another market worker being struck with the plague. Rather than sit out the quarantine, Cinder makes off from the market with the prince's android in tow, a decision which has far reaching consequences for those that Cinder then comes into contact with. A series of events then start unravelling everything that Cinder has ever known about herself and what she thought her future held, can she make it to the ball on time and get to the charming prince?<br />
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The Lunar Chronicles is a series that I have had my eye on for ages, so on a whim I picked it up from the bookshop and I am so glad I did. Far from a traditional reimagining of the Cinderella tale, this does have a few nods to the source material, some glaring and others more subtle, but is very much it's own unique story. I could not put it down, it was an light and easy read for me, a ton of content but non of it weighty or overly complicated, which many parts of the story could have been. It's a world full of strong characters and in this instance I felt a pang of sympathy for the "wicked" stepmother, although it's clear that the big bad in this incarnation is the Lunar Queen Levana rather than Cinders adopted family.<br />
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I was hoping that Cinders story would be wrapped up in this episode but it becomes clear that hers will be an overarching story in how these books play out, so I'm off to get Scarlett (book 2) as soon as i'm able. This is a perfectly paced story with lots of twists and foundations being laid for future books in the series, characters that you will love and hate and heart stopping moments that will keep you turning page after page.<br />
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5*<br />
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<br />indie books gone wildhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05957032637366268556noreply@blogger.com0