Werewolf Descent by: Elizabeth Kolodziej

Werewolf Descent is the 2nd book in The Last Witch series by Elizabeth Kolodziej. Vampyre Kisses being the first. It is said that the books can be read as "stand alones" but I honestly recommend reading them in the order they were written. There are lots of things in Werewolf Descent that I would not have understood had I not read Vampyre Kisses first.

Elizabeth's writing has matured significantly between the two books. I was very pleased with this one!

Faith seems to be a very popular witch this time around! Lots of people acting on the desire to kiss her :)

Werewolves from Zou Tai's pack are popping up dead and nobody can figure out why. It appears to be a heart attack but that's not possible for werewolves is it? There are other werewolves being kidnaped, but by whom? Everyone seems to notice a change in Morgan's behavior but nobody can figure out what brought on those changes.

A new character, Vincent the psychic vampire, is introduced and he happens to become my favorite character of all! He is mysterious and always calm. 

The end of the story is breathe taking and leaves you anxious for the next book!

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 14. There is one "sex scene" that is a little too intense for "tween" readers in my opinion.

~Christy

Fifty Shades of Grey by: E. L. James + GIVEAWAY

Fifty Shades of Grey by: E.L. James is a TERRIFIC book! I wasn't fully expecting the type of information I got out of this book but in the end I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to read Part 2. This is a VERY ADULT book! It is very steamy and the story is amazing.

Anastasia Steele is about to graduate from WSU. She's never really had any feelings for a man before. Ana's roommate Kate has an appointment, which it has taken her months to secure, to interview the most eligible bachelor in Seattle. Kate is sick the morning she is supposed to interview Mr. Christian Grey so she begs Ana until she agrees to go do the interview for her.

Ana goes to this interview with no idea what she has gotten herself into. She has absolutely no insight on Mr. Grey at all. Ana realizes immediately that she should have had Kate brief her or she should have done some research on her own. Ana is a clumsy person and Mr. Grey is a very intimidating young man. Ana can't believe how intimidating he is.

Mr. Grey can't seem to stay away from the alluring Miss Anastasia Steele. She has completely bewitched him. He doesn't understand his feelings for her.  He tries to warn her to stay away from him. He tries to tell her that he is not the "knight in white" that she has always invisioned herself falling in love with. He is by far the opposite.

Ana refuses to believe that Christian is a "dark knught". She is completely and utterly enthralled by him. Ana can't stand the thought of ever losing Christian. She is sure that at this point she will do anything to keep him in her life. Even if it means signing his "contract".

***This is a VERY ADULT book! NOT recommended for anyone UNDER 18***

Free ebook copy of Fifty Shades of Grey to not one but FIVE lucky commenters! Make sure you comment on this post and leave your email address! You must be a follower to win! We would appreciate it if you would share the contest with your friends as well! The five lucky commenters will be announced and emailed on Friday, July 8.

eReader Runner Up

OK guys, we regret to say that the winner of the eReader never contacted us :( Today was the deadline so we are forced to try again. The Runner UP is...Kelly McQuay! We will need your mailing address by Wednesday at 10 pm Central time. Congratulations!

Book Review: Marked: A Bitten Twice Novel

The first thing I want to say is WOW.. This book was a great pick me up read :)

The next thing I am going to do is.. well tell you about it DUH!!

I loved the paranormal aspect of the book, but the best part about it is the unusual twist it brings to paranormal. A lot of PN books these days are basically all the same, either a werewolf, vampire, fairy, ect.. You get my point. But this book brings in a new group and with them come the oh so HOTT King of Cats!!

King Xor mated with a woman of the People, not one of his Pride. He did this for a few reasons but mainly because of the prophecy. Her being the one who will bring into the world the three who will maintain the balance of peace.

Mother Ova sacrificed her life for the love of her King, the love of her young, and the belief and knowledge that she was indeed doing what was right. When the young were born, they were immediately taken to the Pride where King Xor announced Sharizar his Other on the throne and charged her with making sure the babies survived and grew to be strong.

Flash forward centuries, and now King Xan rules the Pride. The King of Cats with his two sisters, Ari and Ova, named for her mother, by his side, have made their place in the world as peaceful as possible.

When a routine trip to New York City suddenly turns into a fight for their lives for the ones left back home in Africa, Xan and the rest of the Knights of Templar take charge. Demon activity is a definite, but who or what demon it is remains unknown. Worst still is no one knows exactly what the demon is after.

Meeting Catherine could be the very death of King Xan. He has an attraction to her beyond anything he has ever felt. She in turn has fallen for him as well, but is scared of his world. Ari has also fallen in love, but with her brother's long time foe slash friend. Last but not least Ova has found a mate as well, the personal body guard of her brother the King.

With all the love in the air, emotions run high and minds may not be as clear to understand the dangers and threats as they should be. In the end it comes down to how far love can withstand, and how strong the King of Lions really is.

I would really REALLY love to hear more of this story. More of Ari's story def!! I hope there is a sequel, there were so many unanswered questions in this book, it is killing me to think of what could happen next!!
-Danielle

The Book Trail week 6

Here we are in another week. Last week we gave away 2 books because I forgot to post the week prior. This week though we are back to the original rules :) and only one book will be given away.

1. Only one entry per person per week
2. You have to respond to us by Sunday night after you are announced the winner ( if you win )
3. You may choose more than one book, ONLY if it is part of a series, but you have to pay for the additional shipping!!

Good luck everyone, have fun and happy reading!!!

-Christy and Danielle

150 Follower GIVEAWAY

So guys we made it. 150 followers, wow. Thank you to everyone who is a part of this blog, and everyone who has helped us to make it this far. We are doing something we love, and we hope that you guys enjoy what we put out there!!

For the giveaway, we have been announcing over the past few weeks that we will be giving away an EREADER. And that is exactly what we are going to do!!

We will be giving away an Ereader, but that's not all. This particular reader has an MP3 function on it :) Sooo, you guys get the Ereader, we are going to load it with 100.. yes that is ONE HUNDRED Ebooks, as well as 50 music files :)

We will ask the winner what is their preference in music is before we load it, that way they get stuff they like :)

We LOVE doing things like this, and we hope you guys love it too!!

Now on to the rules. Actually there are no rules for you guys to follow, haha. Just by following the blog you entered to win the reader!!! Yep, that's right you guys were entered to win the minute you decided to follow our blog :)

Soooo, now that we have gone to random.org and have had a winner generated ....

Oh, one more quick thing :) if you are announced as the winner, you will have 3 days to get back to us with your information. If by the third day you have not gotten back to us for whatever reason, you will have forfeited your winnings and the next person up will receive the reader.. We will do this 3 times. If by the third time no one has claimed the prize we are going to withdraw the giveaway and hold it again at another time. I know this sounds snotty in a way, but we do have to keep things organized.

So now to announce the winner... Congrats go to .....

Jolene and Family

Thank you everyone who has become a follower and make sure to always check back in, you never know when we are going to do random out of the blue giveaways, and plus our weekly drawings for the Book Trail!!

-Christy and Danielle

The Book Trail week 5

Congrats to this weeks winners. Yes, I said winnerS lol. I totally forgot to put up the post last week for the Book Trail sooo this week we are giving away TWO books :) Sooo...

Christy.. Who was our 152 follower :)

&

Brittany

Get back to us by Sunday evening with your shipping info and we will have these books out to you ASAP!! Thanks for participating and we hope you enter again for next week!!!
- Christy and Danielle

Change is a GOOD thing!

I hope you all check out the changes that we have made to our blog recently! These changes were made for the benefit of our readers as well as the authors that want us to promote for them. Most changes were made to the "Request Form" page, the "About the Authors" page, the "Our Current Reads" page, and the "Home" page! Please let us know what you think!

*keep in mind that we throw random "giveaways" all the time! The more posts you comment on the better your chances of winning one of our random giveaways!*

The Book Trail Week 5

Well guys, I have umm been a bit behind.. and a bit forgetful.. So sorry, next time I forget to post this REMIND ME lol...

But since I totally forgot last week, this week we are going to give away two books. So get to commenting and on Friday we will announce the winners :)

Just remember there are only 2 rules:
1. You must be a follower of our blog
2. you must get back to us no later than Sunday after the winner is announced in order to claim your prize ( iF you are the winner )

Thanks everyone, have fun and good luck!!
-Danielle and Christy

Book Review: Graveminder

So guys, I finished Graveminder last night. I am soo glad that Ms. Marr is such an AMAZING author. After reading the last couple books, and being disappointed in the end. I picked up Graveminder needing a good reading fix, and like always, she did not let me down.

Rebekkah has run from Claysville for as long as she can remember. She lived there once, for a few years, a long time ago. But after her sister's suicide, she ran. Her grandmother, on her step dad's side, has always been the only family she ever really connected to. So she kept going back. Just short visits each time, and then she ran again, for as long and as far as she could.

Byron ran as well. The Undertaker's son, and a native of Claysville, he never could stay away for long. But he did the same thing Rebekkah did. He would come and visit, and then run as fast as he could. His reasons were the same as hers but completely different at the same time. He was running from Rebekkah as much as running to her.

When Maylene dies, Rebekkah has to go back to Claysville. She doesn't want to go, but she does at the same time. She needs to see Maylene put to rest, and she needs to know what happened.

Byron is there when Rebekkah gets home, even though they have promised each to stay away from each other, the pull is too much. They love each other, no matter how much she wants to deny it. And now they are forced to be together, they need to find out what happened to Maylene.

With Maylene passing, Byron's father, the current Undertaker, needs to go as well. There are things about Claysville that are kept secret, things that Rebekkah and Byron are now in control of. The secrets should have been told to them years ago, but now the two of them are thrown into a world that make them question their sanity, even though they know with every ounce of their being that it is the truth.

Stopping the dead before it kills them all is no problem for the Graveminder and the Undertaker. But if it's not the dead causing the problems, it's the living, they may all be in very real danger. And going into this blind may be the undoing of generations of the secrets.
-Danielle

Book Review: Sea Change

I'm going to start this review off but telling you guys that I have always secretly wished I was a mermaid :) As long as I can remember I have loved the water, and wanted to have fins. I wanted friends like Flounder and as I got older wanted to meet some really hott merman and have a happy little mermaid family.

But alas, I am cursed with this darned appendages called legs, lol. But it's actually turning out pretty good here on the land, so I won't complain too much.

Now on to the review. I initially picked this book up because well I love mermaid stories. I was intrigued by the cover and what I read about the book so far definitely peeked my interest. Unfortunately I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was younger, and maybe still understood the inner workings of a teenage mind. The biggest complaint I have is the anticlimactic ending. I felt as if I was left on the edge with nothing to hold on to. I really hope there is a sequel.

Miranda Merchant is a science geek, and the daughter of two other science geeks. Well, her parents aren't really geeks.. anymore, they are really well off surgeons. Still, Miranda is different from the average teenage girl, mainly because she isn't just good at science, she LOVES it.

When a grandmother that Miranda had never met dies, she and her mother are left with a huge inheritance. Her mother's childhood summer home on Selkie Island. Their roots may have come from the south, but Miranda is definitely a northern girl now, she has never wanted to leave New York.

On the trip to the island, Miranda is given a short story about the ' creatures' who inhabit the island. Both in the water and on land. Of course she waves it off as a tourist trap and thinks that this is going to be a crappy summer. Until she sees her mom on the docks waiting for her, and realizes the sun and salt air has already begun to transform her into a whole other person.

With the only other teenagers on the island being ripped strait from teen vogue magazine, Miranda feels as if she is doomed for the entire time she is here, until she runs into Leo one evening on Siren Beach. All of a sudden things change for her, and she doesn't know if all the tall tales she has heard since she stepped foot on the island are real or not. But then again, does she even care?
-Danielle

Book Review: Cryer's Cross

Just finished up Cryer's Cross last night. This is from the same author of the Fade, Wake, Gone trilogy ( in case you guys didn't know :) )

Anyhow, I loved how the book was written in third person form, it was so interesting to see things from outside the box. I got a bit confused at times about the passage of time, at one point I thought more time had passed, then came to find out it had only been like a month. Also at the end of the book, when the ' boggy man ' is revealed, I kind of felt cheated. I had built up this big imaginary monster in my mind, but was let down in the end. Other than that the story was great, the characters were amazing, I loved the fact that Ms. McMann gave such strength to an illness such as OCD.

Kendall has had a few problems her whole life, the main one being her OCD. Seeing her shrink has helping tremendously, but there are things she still has to do everyday to get by. Like show up first at school to straited the desks and make sure the classroom is clean.

Ever since Tiffany disappeared the entire town has been a bit on edge, and that includes Kendall. She has spent the entire summer working the plows and tractors on her farm, daydreaming about what actually happened to Tiffany, and if she is ever going to return. Even though everyone knows it's never going to happen.

The first day back at school isn't exactly the easiest, but it's not necessarily harder than any other day. Kendall has Nico, her best friend, and if you asked him, her boy friend. They have known each other since they were babies, and do everything together. He knows about her OCD, he understands it, and he still loves her.

There are two new students this year, one junior and one sophomore. Of course the Junior is another guy. She is the only girl her age in the entire town.

After making it through the first day of school unscathed, Nico begins to act different. He seems spacey, distant. Of course Kendall's OCD has her worried that he is angry with her for some reason, especially when he begins to avoid her, and only give her vague answers when she asks what is wrong.

Then Nico disappears.. just like Tiffany.

Kendall's life couldn't have been more destroyed. Her one rock in the world is now gone. She feels like she is afloat with no lighthouse to shine her way back home. Days go by without any luck locating him, and then days tune into weeks. Everyone knows he is gone just like Tiffany. Some even suspect he did something to Tiffany and then ran away, others think they planned the disappearances and ran away together. Kendall knows better.

It's only the warm of Jacian that helps Kendall start to feel again. But when Kendall allows herself to sit at Nico's desk, she starts to hear him calling to her, she can feel his pull. If she doesn't figure out how to overcome her grief and move on, Kendall may be lost to everyone as well. Whatever or whoever that claimed both Tiffany and Nico has now come for Kendall.

I liked this book, but it's not a favorite. I would recommend it to ages 12 and up. It's a good suspense paranormal YA read.
-Danielle

Book Review: Die for me

This was a great introduction into the series, I would have preferred a little bit more action or maybe a little bit higher body count.. teehee.. but overall it was satisfactory within the YA realm :)

Kate's life has never meant less to her. With the death of her parents still clutching at her heart, and the recent move to the city of Paris, Kate can't pull herself out of the ice cold depression she has encased herself in. Her sister Georgia is just as depressed as she is, but her idea of mourning means to go out to as many parties as she can and dance away her sorrows. If only Kate had the energy to do that.

Burying herself in her summer reading list for the upcoming school year brings her to a local cafe. It's at this cafe where she first sees Vincent. Besides being the most breathtakingly beautiful boy.. er man she has ever laid eyes on, he is also dangerous looking. Before the death of her parents Kate would never have given him a second thought, but now... now she can't seem to stop thinking about him.

Once Vincent is secured in Kate's life, she can't help but to question things about him. Why he is so secretive, and how he always manages to evade questions about himself. Then while doing research at the library she comes across an old news article. It features a picture of a beautiful young man that died in a fire, almost 40 years ago.

All of a sudden Kate seems to be thrust into the middle of a paranormal universe. Within the universe there is a battle of good and evil. She knows she is on the side of good, but now she finds out her sister may not be so lucky, and the only way to save her may just be by sacrificing herself.

I loved the way the characters are described, and the way the descriptions of the surroundings make them town come to life. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone 14 and older :)

-Danielle

A Note about Review Requests

ok guys soooo...
We have been receiving quite a few requests lately to review books. It's something we absolutely LOVE... but...

There are some ground rules we need to lay down before this gets way out of hand. As much as we love to read a book and post a review and even an interview at times, we have to remember the whole reason we started this blog. It was because we want to share our personal experiences of books with all of you.

Unfortunately as of late we aren't able to sort as much pleasure from the books from the 'work' we are being given. Now that's not to say that the books we are given to review aren't good to read, it's just that we aren't being able to choose for ourselves what we are reading, it feels more like we are being given assignments.

So from now on we are going to make some adjustments to the way we review books that are sent to us, and we want to apologize in advance if it causes any inconvenience to anyone.

The first thing we are going to do is limit the amount of review/interviews we are doing from outside sources to once every two weeks. So when you submit your request for the review/interview you MUST give us a date that you want it posted. We will then send you an email letting you know if that date works for us, or if not we will give you the dates that will be available on our blog. At the moment we have about ten lined up and it is a bit overwhelming, especially considering we DO have other things occupying large amounts of our time. The second thing we are doing is guaranteeing a spot to open ended dates. That's to say if you want a review/interview done but are not picky about the date it is posted then it WILL get done!!

Now when you send us your requests we are going to do it first come first serve.. for the most part...

If we find your book especially intriguing, if you really sell it to us, you just may get bumped up on the list. Now we know this seems a bit unfair, but we started this blog out of the love for books, and that is exactly how we are going to continue it. We want to love the books we post about, and we want you guys to love them as well!!

Like I said before we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but we beg you to understand where we are coming from and to understand that we do this out of our passion for reading!

Thanks,
Danielle and Christy

Blogger Cook Book, Guest Post!!

Soo here is an amazing new book that is out. We had the wonderful opportunity to review it, and we also have the privilege of being featured in it as well. It's not just a regular book, it's a Cook Book.. but it is also a book review... book. :)

These fun filled pages have lists of books that have been published within the last few years, but they are not just any books, they are books that are devour worthy reads !!

Miss Amanda Hocking did a great job with the forward in this book, and the author Christy Dority is a sheer genius!! She even gave us a few tips to hand out to you guys explaining exactly what you are supposed to do when it comes to a blogger cookbook.

Reating is what it's called, and I have never heard of a better idea, combining my two favorite past times, eating and reading.. ahh what a woman she is!!

Before I let you in on the tips Christy Dorrity gave all of us, I'm going to give you guys the WEBSITE where you can go and purchase this awesome book for your Kindle. It has some great recipes, like I hate Chocolate Cake, Raised by Magic Quick Bread, Sevenstar Gingerbread... and many many many more!!

Now without further ado Tips from the wonderful Christy Dorrity!!!

Tips for “Reating”—The Fusion of Books and Food.

One of the greatest pleasures in life is the combination of good food and good books. When all of the kids are in bed and the lights in the kitchen are off, get ready for some “me” time. Snuggle up with a good book and something yummy! Some people say that it is unhealthy to eat while you are reading, but if you follow these helpful tips, you can give yourself permission to enjoy the fusion of great reads and great eats.

5 “Reating Fusion” Tips

1.       Choose a Great Book—one that you can’t wait to get into. If you need help choosing a read, there are loads of great book bloggers out there that give honest reports about what’s great and what’s not.

2.       Pick a food that is a treat for you. My favorite reading treats are chocolate, if I’m craving sweets, or chips and salsa when I want something salty. My husband prefers to have seconds of dinner for his dessert—especially when we have tacos.

3.       Portion out your treat into a serving size that makes sense for you. If you are going to have a treat that comes in a large container, such as a bad of potato chips or a box of malt balls, take out a sensible amount and put away the extra. That way you won’t mindlessly munch during the intense action scene in your novel.

4.       Find a comfortable place to snuggle up. Some of my favorite spots include bed, a cozy couch with a soft-glow lamp, the back deck, a bench in the forest or park, and a hammock on the beach (I wish!).

5.       Relax and enjoy yourself. Immerse yourself in the experience of a tasty read and adventurous foods. 

What’s your favorite Reating Fusion blend? 

To answer this question is actually kin of hard to do, I guess my favorite ( Danielle ) would have to be French Vanilla Latte with Raisin Bread :) .. I'm a breakfast person.. even at 11pm haha

Book Review: Star Crossed

I LOVED this book... ok well maybe not like OMG I can't live without it, but it was definitely up there on my GOOD books list :)

Helen has always been different, and she has always hated that fact. With it just being her and her dad, she has never really had anyone to talk to except her BFF Claire. Now there is a new family in town, and for some unknown reason Helen hates them, and she knows it has something to do with the reason she is different.

The first time she ever set eyes on Lucas, Helen wanted to rip him apart. She had never met this boy before in her life, but a hate so intense ran through her blood like nothing she had ever felt before.

Hating each other with such a heated passion didn't stop the fates from bringing them together.. Over and over again. Without any luck to stay apart, the fury and rage finally took over. Only the anger wasn't just happening to Helen, Lucas was having the same emotions course through his body as well.

When they finally couldn't take it anymore, they killed each other... Thus ending centuries old cycle of blood for blood. At least it ended the cycle where it concerned Claire and the Delos family. Others of her kind aren't so lucky.

Discovering what and who she is is more of a relief than a shock. Helen can finally come to terms with the fact that she is different, and she is finally surrounded by others who are just as strange as she is. Unfortunately all this new found power is also a curse. Without perfecting her abilities and treading careful water, the whole world could be at stake.

It all depends on how much she is willing to risk, and if Lucas and her are selfish enough to repeat mistakes of the past.

I would def recommend this book to anyone over the age of 15. It is a GREAT story and I can't wait for a sequel!!
-Danielle

Vampyre Kisses by: Elizabeth J. Kolodziej

Vampyre Kisses is the first installment of  "The Last Witch" series. This is a YA series that is suitable for teens.

I was asked to be a part of a tour for Book 2 so I figured I'd better read Book 1 *teehee*  At first I thought that I had gotten in over my head, I didn't think I was going to like the book at all and I hate to give a bad review and I WON'T do a bad review as part of a tour! But I really didn't want to back out since the Author seems to be a genuinely nice person :)

I'm really glad I stuck in there though :)

In the beginning of the book it didn't seem to go forward very much. The charachter perseption changes in each chapter but it seemed as though I read the same thing in Chapter two as I read in Chapter 1. Don't worry though this DOES CHANGE! After maybe the first 4 chapters I was really able to get into this book. I really enjoyed it from there on out. I know, I know...you have to have the information in the beginning though and a lot of REALLY good books are hard to get into in the beginning! Elizabeth did a GREAT job keeping my interest though.

Faith seems somewhat content with her life but feels there isn't enough excitement. She is tired of doing the same thing day in and day out. Faith doesn't know her true abilities until she meets the love of her life who introduces her to a trainer who shows her the most inportant things she needs to know about being a witch. The vampire race's Blood Gem has been stolen along with the werewolf' race's Moon Gem. It is up to Faith and all her friends to find the gems and return them to their rightful owners.

Faith and her friends overcome many obstacles including finding out that Faith's own mother is one of their biggest enemies and that Faith herself would have to fight her. The battle is short in the end but keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I am pleased with the way the book ended and can't wait to start Book 2 

Recommended for anyone 13 or older.

~Christy

Book Review: The Warlock

This is book five of the series. If you haven't picked up book 1 yet.. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??!!?? Haha, I love these books, but imagine my surprise when I thought this was the last one, but get to the end and it's like OMG it CAN NOT end that way!! Luckily next summer the final book comes out.. Whew!

Nicholas and Pernelle are dying. Without the Codex their fate is sealed. Josh and Sophie are lost to each other, which breaks both their hearts. The only thing that is really standing between them are the forces of good and evil.. they just can't seem to figure out who is who.

The twins of destiny have a full plate and the problems don't stop, every time they seem to get one step ahead, they feel like they are falling 2 steps back. With Dr. Dee wanting to overthrow the Dark Elders, and Ms. Dare wanting to rule the worlds, it is only a matter of time before someone self destructs.

The old ways are disappearing, and half of the team seems to be thankful for that. The other half of the team wants nothing more than to destroy the world as we know it and conquer all. Sophie wants to save her brother, she just can't figure out how. Josh is completely confused as to what to do, he is not an evil person, yet evil seems to follow in his wake, or maybe the wake of those he surrounds himself with.

When the twins are finally reunited, it is through a battle, and then they are taken into the distant past and come face to face with family which gives them a surprise of a lifetime. Everything will change now, it is just a question of which team will come out the victor.

The most infuriating thing a book can do is leave you with an intense cliff hanger. That is exactly what this book did. Luckily the book itself was good enough that it made up for that small defect by giving me more of the story than I had.

-Danielle

The Swag Contest WINNERS!!!

Ok guys.. sooo here is the announcement you have been waiting all week for!! The 3 winners of the Swag packs we are giving away are none other than...

Michelle Bledsoe

Athena

Rhonda

Congrats girls, I am so happy to be giving these out to you!! Send us the correct answers to the differences via email at middleroadreviews@yahoo.com  and make sure to include your mailing address so we can get these to you ASAP!!!!!

Winner of the Book Trail week 4

Well folks, this has been the biggest turn out so far since we started this giveaway!!! YAY that gets me excited!!

Now, the winner of this week's book is.....

Brearne Busco

Brearne, make sure you get us your mailing info and your book choice no later than Sunday!!!!

Thank you everyone who entered this contest, and make sure to go back next week and enter again!! The only thing you have to do is LEAVE A COMMENT!!!

-Danielle and Christy

Book Review: Rage

So most of you that know me, know that I am big into Psych.. especially teen psych illnesses. It's something that not only fascinates me but it's something I want to spend my life involved in, trying to help if I can. While at the store a few weeks back I ran across two books that I think will go a long way in helping some teens with some serious issues that come up in almost everyday life. The first book was Hunger, I already did the review of it, and LOVED that book. Now I am on book 2 and I couldn't put it down.

Rage is about teen cutting, and the dramas and hardships that come along with it. From what can cause it to start to finding away to beat it. I adore these books the most because they not only send a message about how harmful these conditions can be but they do it in a way that isn't bogged down with lecture and judgement. If it were up to me I would put a book like this in every teenagers hands in the world.

Missy cuts. She is miserable in her life... most of the time. She doesn't want to die, so it's not a suicidal thing. She wants release, to be free of the ball that tightens in her chest and threatens to control her. So she cuts, the slide of the blade across her skin, the sight of the bright red blood as it flows out gives her exactly what she needs, a release.

Adam is a jerk, the worst kind of jerk. He told he loved her, but when faced with her secret, he ran. Not only is he a jerk, but he is a coward. If that wasn't bad enough, Missy's lifelong friend, Graygirl, the family pet, dies as well. The pressure is entirely too much, so she cuts.

The night everything gets ruined beyond compare, Missy decides she needs to cut. Even after going a few days with trying her hardest to not do it anymore. That night is different, and she cuts too much, and too deep.

When Death comes to her, she knows it's time, until she is reminded of the package he brought her. If she will embrace her inner Horseman, then she will live. But once she becomes the physical manifestation of War, there is no going back, and it not only becomes a war on the outside, but she struggles more and more each day with the new internal battles.

It all comes down to if Missy is truly strong enough to win against herself. If she can beat her own inner demons then she can take on War with not problems. She just has to get to the point where she can forgive herself, and move on. Unfortunately she might not be strong enough.

I ADORED this book, Jackie Morse Kessler did a fantastic job of getting across a message that needs to be heard. She did it in a way that makes more ppl want to listen, specially the ones who may be stubborn teenagers :)

For every book that is purchased a portion of the proceeds will go to Write Love on Her Arms. This is a nonprofit organization bent on helping ppl with illnesses such as self injury, among many other problems. You can visit the website http://www.twloha.com/ to find out more information of these issues, and to find ways that you may be able to help someone who desperately needs it.

I recommend this book and is predecessor to EVERYONE. Especially the parents of teenagers, and the teenagers themselves.

-Danielle

Book Review: Personal Demons

So we've all got them, personal demons... Unfortunately non of ours are nearly as HOTT as Frannie's!!

I haven't fallen this hard for a book in a LOOOONG time, it completely had me hooked, I started it yesterday morning and I finished it this morning ( taking time out to get a good nite's sleep of course ). I haven't been able to eat a book up like that since I started school back up, I have just been too busy. But Personal Demons was just too good to put down!!

Frannie has been carrying around a weight on her shoulder's for years now, a weight that she can never forgive herself for. But there are things about Frannie she doesn't know yet, and forgiving herself may be the only way to fix everything.

Luc starting high school all over again is completely ridiculous, the only reason he is even attempting to play at this mortal existence is the fact that his target is in this school somewhere and unfortunately no other lower demon has been able to track her. Then Luc meets Frannie... and everything starts to go to hell, literally and figuratively.

Gabe wants nothing more but to protect Frannie from Hell, and to tag her soul for Heaven. He can't do that without Frannie's cooperation, and she is unwillingly not cooperating! Until she forgives herself she can't be tagged, after all forgiveness really is the key to everything.

A mortal with a rare but powerful ability has the chance to change the world for the better. First she has to realize what and who she is, and then come to terms with the fact that she is falling in love, even though she doesn't believe in love... and that the person or persons she is falling in love with may not necessarily be what they seem.

I could probably rant about this book for hours, but I don't want to sound like some weird person ;) However, I will say that I LOVE this book and can't wait for the next in the series from the lovely Lisa Derochers.. Original Sin.

-Danielle

Book Review: Lover Unleashed by: J. R. Ward

Lover Unleashed is an AMAZING addition to the Brotherhood series! I absolutely loved this one just as much as I loved the others!

Payne is the center of this story. We are by her side throughout her time with her doctor after being injured during her sparring with the king in the last book. (I won't tell what happens) *teehee*

There are many revelations in this book with many differnt characters including Manny Manello, Butch, V, and a few others. I never saw the relationship between Manny and the brotherhood before the amazing "Warden" revealed it! It is breath taking! As is the rest of the book...wait no...the rest of the SERIES!

I for one cannot wait for the next book! Lets hope it comes out SOON!

**Not recommended for anyone under the age of 18!

~Christy

Book Review: Angelfire

Just finished Angelfire about 10 minutes ago. Great read!!! I'm not sure if I am absolutely unbiased about this book because the author, Ms. Courtney Allison Moulton is such an AWESOME person, but the book totally rocked!!

Ellie has been having nightmares for awhile now, her parents even took her to a shrink to see what was going on. Unfortunately the problems are a little more difficult that what a normal shrink could fix. Ellie is the Preliator, it's latin for warrior, even though she feels anything but warrior like after the dreams.

Will is doing everything he can to protect Ellie, as her Guardian he is supposed to have her safety as his number one priority. But after spending over 500 years watching out for her, and losing her time and time again, his feelings have changed to something much deeper.

Lying to her family, friends, and well everyone else who comes into her life is something that Ellie can't stand, but knows is necessary. She wants to be just a normal human girl, with normal human problems, and she really wants Will to kiss her, even though she is pretty sure he doesn't feel that way about her.

After facing one particularly ugly Reaper, they find out about the Enshi. An ancient evil that not only eats souls, but destroys them so they are never seen again. And as Ellie is the Preliator, and reborn each time she dies into a new human body, the last thing she needs is the Enshi getting a hold of her soul.

Setting out with Will, Lauren ( a real psychic ) and Nathanial ( another Angelic Reaper ), they set themselves up to rid the world of the Enshi, if they can find it before the demonic reapers do. They have to find it first or else the Apocalypse will be among us, and all will perish.

I loved this book, and can't wait for book 2 in the trilogy!!!!

-Danielle

Book Review: Summer's Crossing

Sooo, Ms. Julie Kagawa brought us another tid bit in her amazing Iron Fey series. Summer's Crossing is book 3.5, and it is told from Puck's point of view ( my secret love ).

It isn't a full book :( , but a small novella. That doesn't matter in the least though, it is still absolutely amazing!!

Puck and Prince Ash are now in the mortal realm, searching for Grimalkin, he is really their only chance of getting back to Meghan. Unfortunately, whenever you are needing to get something doe quick, something else always happens to postpone your plans. And today is no exception.

Saving Meghan in the past has not always been the easiest of tasks, and in order to get it done, Prince Ash decided to make a deal with Leanansidhe, the Queen of the exiles. Of course today is the day she decides to cash in on her favor.

When it comes to fey bargains there is no such things as a ' small' favor, no, when one is asked to do something it usually ends up with a beating, maiming, and occasionally death. That is why Puck is so blown away at the fact that Ice- Boy Prince Ash ever made the deal in the first place.

Going back into the Summer court wouldn't be so bad for Goodfellow, I mean it is his home after all, and his King would take him back.. A small punishment might ensue, but nothing he couldn't live with. However getting the Prince of the Ice world into the Summer court is a whole other ballgame, lucky for him, Goodfellow is the best trickster in the land.

I loved this little novella, and I am dying for The Iron Knight to come out!! Julie Kagawa has out done herself with this series!!

-Danielle

Book Trail Week 4

Wow guys we are already into the 4th week of this giveaway :) It is sooo exciting each week to put the different numbers into random.org and have a winner generated!! I love that so many people out there love to read as much as Christy and I!!!

This weeks list is the same as last week's, except for the book that this week's winner chose!! If you haven't looked at the list lately go take a glance, we have added a few new books since we started this thing up!!

Have fun and good luck everyone :)

-Danielle

Congrats: Book Trail Week 3

The winner of this weeks Book Trail goes to...

DRUMMM ROLLLL.....

RACHEL!!

Get back to us within 48 hours with your mailing address and book choice and the book will be on it's way ASAP!! Thank you for participating, and don't forget to enter again for next week!!

-Christy and Danielle

Swag Contest!!

Hey guys!! So I have a bunch of SWAG here and I want to give it away to THREE lucky winners :) the contest will be going on for ONE week, and there are only 2 requirements :)

1. You have to be a follower of at least one of our pages... either here, FB, Twitter or Goodreads
and
2. You need to find the differences between these 2 pictures :) ( you can save them to your computer to make the images larger if needed )

There are only 4 differences, one for each person in the pic... I tried to make it fairly easy :) Once you find the differences comment below with your name and the saying " I FOUND THEM " only DO NOT put the answers on this page, it will be deleted and you will be disqualified... sry but that's how it goes.

Next Friday I will go through the names, and use random.org to pick three winners, once announced they will have 48 hours to respond to us with the correct answers. I for some reason they don't have the right answers then I will go on to the next person. If you would like to go ahead and have your answers submitted ahead of time without having to wait in case you are announced you can inbox us via either Twitter, email, or FB!!

I hope everyone enjoys this contest and has fun!

Here is a picture of what you will win once the contest is over :) The Swag Pack includes, bookmarks, buttons, stickers, and temporary tattoos !!! I LOVE IT

Touring.. and Eating After Dark!

So last night I went to Westlake Ohio, I was headed to the After Dark Tour featuring Leah Clifford, Courtney Allison Moulton, and Lisa Desrochers and it was..... THE BEST BOOK SIGNING YET!!!

I almost didn't make it, due to unseen complications, I was running very very late. I called the book store at 8:27 PM last night, knowing that Ms. Clifford had said they should be there until 8:30ish... Thank goodness they were still there, and since she had known already that I was supposed to come, the wonderful ladies that they are decided to wait.. it didn't hurt any that I was already there, just trying to find a parking place ( there was like NONE ).

After rushing inside and running up the escalators, I finally made it to the signing area, and got to meet the three amazing stars of the evening. People I will tell you, it was great, I was flustered from rushing ( kinda embarrassed too from being so late ) but they were sooo nice about it. All three of the ladies signed our books, and the swag ( which we will be handing out to you guys ) and they were all smiles the entire time.. well except Leah when it was confirmed that the Mexican restaurant was indeed closed for the evening :)

After spending all of 10 minutes in the Barnes & Nobles the Authors and their entourage headed out to eat. The Cheesecake Factory was were we went, and the food was delicious. I was a bit lost at first, they don't exactly have a menu, they have a book of items for you to choose from :) but other than that it was great.

Spending the evening with these ladies was such a wonderful time. I am soo glad that I was able to come along, and got to see a little bit of how they are when it's just them and everyday life. It's good to know that even when someone has fans they are still just as goofy as the next person, and can still be themselves!!

Thank you Leah, Courtney, and Lisa for all the great conversation last night, the laughs, and the memories. Oh and don't forget whenever you need a cheerleader for getting together a group of authors in Northeast Ohio I am your girl!!

-Danielle

P.S. Everyone keep you eyes open, we will be announcing a unique contest here within the next 24 hours to win a fan pack full of swag from these three authors PLUS Carrie Ryan, and J.R. Ward :)

Book Review: A Touch Mortal

Ok, so here is my review on A Touch Mortal... I was going to post it yesterday but decided I would wait until today... I get to meet the Author of this AMAZING book today, so what better reason to wait?

First off, I want to say I loved the book, it was completely out of the realm of what I normally expect from a paranormal story... i.e. there are no vamps, weres, fey, or anything else of that nature, yet it is still very much in my favorite genre :)

Secondly, I read this story via my android on the Kindle application, and I was so into it that when I turned the page and all of a sudden it said EPILOGUE ... I literally screamed!! I can not believe it ended when it did, but it makes a perfect opening for a sequel!! I just wanted MORE right then and there :)


Eden is depressed. Her friends are angry with her, her mother acts like she doesn't exist half the time, and it's almost the end of summer. Yeah, she is bummed. She's thought of killing herself before, but usually she pushes the thoughts away, not tonight. Tonight Eden let's them in, she really considers what life would be like if she wasn't here anymore.

Az is full of cheesy pick up lines, and Eden is soo turned off that she can't help but laugh at him. Before she realizes that she is actually kind of flattered by him. Az is exactly what she needs to not kill herself, and she has no idea how much he needs her to keep himself from falling as well.

Az has a history of losing his girlfriends. Not just letting them go, or them dumping him, but losing them in terrible ways. Gabe wants to make sure this isn't going to happen again before Az gets too involved. Unfortunately he is too late, Az has already fallen in love. Even worse Eden is pre doomed, just like the rest of Az's girls, only she doesn't know it yet.

The night Az reveals himself to her is terrifying for him, he just knows she will leave him, never love him again. But it doesn't happen that way, Eden loves him no matter what. Then the unthinkable happens, and Eden is left alone and more depressed than she was before she met the guys. With nothing else to do and no where to go, she finalizes her plans and decides the world is better without her.

When Eden wakes up in unfamiliar territory with a party going on downstairs, confused isn't the word for it. Scraping together what little sanity she has, she makes her entrance into a world where she is the most powerful person alive.. sort of. Only she doesn't know any of this, and to her it's all too scary, and sick, and sad to deal with, she just wants Az back.

Learning who your true enemies are, saving the ones who love you, and the ones you love become the choices Eden has to make. But making the right choices and keeping everyone she loves safe is not going to be easy, and she isn't sure she will be able to succeed at all.

I LOVED this book!! and can NOT wait for the next installment of this planned trilogy!!

-Danielle



Between by: Cyndi Tefft, Interview with the Author, GIVEAWAY!

Between is very different than what I am used to reading. Sometimes, like in this case, different is a WONDERFUL thing.

Aiden lived in the 1700's and was refused the glory of walking through the gates of Heaven when he died. Instead, Aiden was stuck between Heaven and Earth as a transporter for three hundred years. Then he met Lindsey. Lindsey died in a car accident so Aiden was supposed to show her the way to Heaven's Gate.

Aiden and Lindsey spent time together in the magical place between Heaven and Earth and they fell in love.

An angel told Aiden long ago that the love of a special woman would redeem him and he would be able to join her in Heaven. Aiden and Lindsey knew that woman was her.

While Aiden and Lindsey were in the middle of having smores one evening in the magical place between Heaven and Earth, doctors on Earth were busy recovering Lindsey. She disappeared right before Aiden's eyes. When Lindsey woke up she was lying on a hopsital bed and she had no memory of Aiden at all.

Will Lindsey ever get her memory of Aiden back? Will Lindsey and Aiden ever have their Happy Ever After?

Well I guess you will have to read the book to find out for yourself! LOL

This book was utterly amazing and I recommend this book for ALL young adults. This one is a very YA novel.

~Christy

Interview with Cyndi Tefft



First of all we would like to say thank you so much for the opportunity to interview you and host a giveaway for your book. We really enjoyed reading your book Between. It was an extraordinary book.

Now for the good stuff:

Where are you from?

I live in Seattle, though I’ve only been here for about three years. I grew up in Oregon and have lived in the Pacific Northwest most of my life.

How did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I didn’t!  *grin* Actually, I’ve always wanted to be a singer. Writing, singing, acting, dancing—all of the creative expressions have come more easily to me than math or science. However, I am straight-up awful at physical art like drawing or painting. My mother and my daughter both have that skill in spades, but it’s one that skipped over me!

How many books have you written?

Between was my first novel. I’ve written poetry most of my life (very little of it is any good!), mainly as a way to express my thoughts so they don’t rattle around in my head for too long. My blog is useful for that as well.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I was watching a video of Stephenie Meyer in early 2009 where she mentioned that Twilight started from a dream she had. She decided to write it down and then just kept going. She seemed pretty normal to me—not a rock star celebrity or anything—so I got to thinking that maybe I could do that, too.

Can you tell us where you got the idea for Between?

I wanted to write a good-versus-evil story but I felt that angels and demons had already been done quite a bit. The grim reaper is a well-known concept, but hasn’t shown up much in romance novels. I figured that I could do whatever I wanted in the afterlife, since there are no set rules. The hero is Scottish because I was reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series at the time and was completely enamored with Scotland. Still am!

Do you have a “day job” or is writing your career?

I work full-time managing employee benefits for a mid-sized corporation. I never intended writing to be a career and I’m not sure it would be fun anymore if I had to depend on that to pay the bills. I like writing when the urge strikes, rather than being a slave to deadlines.

If you had to choose one character from the book, which one would you say is most like you?

Lindsey is very much like me, as a matter of fact. However, I intentionally gave her traits I don’t have (like the fact that she can cook and I could burn water). Still, the way she thinks and reacts is often how I would, under the circumstances. There is a little of me in each of the characters (both good and bad).

Other than your own, what are some of your favorite books?

I mentioned Outlander already (my all-time fave). I love historical fiction and romance. Nora Roberts’ Born in Fire trilogy is stellar.  Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl is a fascinating read. In the YA category, Twilight, the Vampire Academy series (particularly Spirit Bound) and Anna & The French Kiss top my list of faves.

If you had to choose, which author would you consider your mentor?

That’s a tough question, since I think of a mentor as someone who comes along side you and teaches you. Diana Gabaldon is the author who has influenced my writing the most, but I’ve received helpful feedback and critique from Elizabeth Isaacs, the author of The Light of Asteria.

What book are you currently reading?

I just started reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I’d heard good things about it online, so when I saw it at the bookstore, I picked it up.

Which new authors have grasped your interest?

Stephanie Perkins (of Anna & The French Kiss) had a fantastic debut. To be honest though, I rarely look to see if an author is new or has a bucketful of books when I start reading. Mostly, I make my book selections from recommendations (Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, friends, etc). Often, I only realize that an author is new when I finish one book and look to see if there are any more!

How did your interest in writing originate?

My mom is a great writer so I think it was just always something around me as I was growing up. I’m a lot like her (even more so the older I get). We both like writing and singing, and are horrible cooks to boot. Ha! As a teen, I journaled nearly every day as a way to “scream” on paper the things I couldn’t say out loud.

What would you say is the most challenging part of writing?

The hardest part of being an author is the vulnerability that comes with sharing your work. Rejection is guaranteed at some point along the way and no matter how many people love your book, there will be those who don’t. Learning to deal with rejection and move past it has got to be one of the most difficult parts for me. Still, there are NY Times bestsellers that I have rated as one star, so it’s important to remember that everyone has different tastes. It doesn’t mean the work is bad!

Do you have any advice for new writers?

You can spend a lot of time reading books about how to write, how to craft characters, how to build tension, etc. That’s all good and you should do that. Still, the most important thing is to sit down and write the story you want to write. Don’t worry about all that other stuff; you can learn it as you go. Have fun with it.

And when it gets hard (because it will!), remember why you started writing in the first place. It probably wasn’t to earn scads of money or to be on Oprah. It was probably because you had a story in your heart that you wanted to get down. Or maybe it was because you came up with a crazy idea and wanted to see how it would play out. Whatever the reason, let that be the fuel that keeps you going when the words fail you.

Don’t write for validation from others. Write because you enjoy it, because you want to, because you have to. If that’s not true, then rent a movie instead because being an author is not for the weak of heart. Still, if you want it, you can make it happen!

Do you always read reviews about your books when they are brought to your attention?

Absolutely! A person has approximately 1.7 gajillion books to choose from so when someone chooses mine to read, I am flattered. If you take the time to reach out to me and tell me about your review, I will definitely check it out.

Can you share some of your current work with us?

I’ve been spending most of my free time preparing for the launch of Between. Once that is past, I will turn my attention to finishing the sequel, Hell Transporter. Aiden MacRae is a Transporter who takes souls from earth to heaven. In the next book, we meet his counterpart. The first draft is about one-third completed right now, but I haven’t looked at it in ages. I am looking forward to getting back to writing again!

Thanks so much for having me on the blog. I had a great time!

Cyndi, we really enjoyed your book and the interview! We can't wait for book 2! Aiden and his accent are both enthralling and we can't wait to see how things turn out for Aiden and Lindsey in the sequel, Hell Transporter!

GIVEAWAY!

Cyndi Tefft has offered to give away an e-copy of her novel! YAY! Rules are as follows and contest will be closed on June 5th! Please make sure you share the contest with your friends, the more you share the better your chance of winning!

1) You MUST be a follower so if you aren't...just scroll back to the top of the page, find the box that says "followers" on the right side, and click "follow"! You know you want to :)

2) Comment on this post leaving a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS as well as your favorite part of the interview.

3) Share this contest on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or all of the above! *OPTIONAL* remember the more you share the better your chance of winning!

Email your links to us at middleroadreviews@yahoo.com, or leave them in a comment on this post. If you choose to email them please be sure to include the name under which you follow our blog!

E-format means ANYONE (that has an e-reader of some sort) can win! This contest is NOT limited to the US!