{Book Review} "Destiny" by Laura DeLuca

*Disclosure: I received the following product(s) below from the Author in exchange for an honest review and in no way was I asked to give a positive review. I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabrielle and Darron at odds.

There is more to the story than Gabrielle and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabrielle and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.

{Book Review} "Matt Monroe and The Secret Society" by Edward Torba

*Disclosure: I received the following product(s) below from the Author in exchange for an honest review and in no way was I asked to give a positive review. I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

Matt Monroe, a fourteen-year-old boy, puts his fears aside as he travels to a same-time dimension to fulfill a prophecy. The saga begins when Matt finds a set of mysterious wooden tablets and an onyx ring. Soon he and his older brother, along with five friends, find themselves transported to the world of Paragon, where they face numerous obstacles. This is an account of deception and betrayal, mixed with courage and the bonds of friendship. Prepare yourself for an exciting adventure with an extraordinary ending.

{Book Review} "Soulstream: The Mancer Epic" by Geo Ivery

*Disclosure: I received the following product(s) below from the Author in exchange for an honest review and in no way was I asked to give a positive review. I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Book Description:

The Mancer Epic is the first of a nine-book epic series, entitled Soulstream. It is about ordinary teenagers who discover that they were worshiped and revered as gods in an earlier lifetime. Unlocking the mysteries of the universe, they race against time to save others like them from being hunted and killed by a secret society, OZONE, that wants them only to exist in mythology. Using uncanny powers from the Soulstream, which humans call Heaven, these characters, known as Mancers, prepare for an inevitable war that could end the world as we know it.

{Book Review} "Saving Wishes" by G.J. Walker-Smith

Welcome to My Cozie Corner's stop on the 

"Saving Wishes" book tour. 

This tour is brought to you by Innovative Book Tours.

BLURB:

For Charli Blake, being seventeen is a tough gig. 

She's been branded a troublemaker, her reputation is in tatters and she's stuck in Pipers Cove, a speck of a town on the coast of Tasmania.

Thankfully, it's temporary. Her lifelong dream of travelling the world is just months away from becoming reality. All she has to do is ride out the last few months of high school, which is easier said than done thanks to a trio of mean girls known as The Beautifuls. 

When Adam Décarie arrives in town, all the way from New York, life takes an unexpected turn. His arrival sets off a chain of events that alters her life forever, convincing her of one thing. Fate brought him to her.

Saving Wishes is the story of a girl who doesn't quite fit the life she's living, and the boy who helps her realize why.

{Book Review} "Memory's Wake" by Selina Fenech

Book Description:

Lost in a world full of monstrous fairies, a troubled sixteen year old has to find out who she is and why her memories were stolen before she is found by those who want her dead.

She takes the name "Memory" and knows she has just one goal - to find her way home, wherever that is. But this land is strange. No technology to be seen, and iron is banned, thanks to a pact the humans have with the magical creatures who share their pre-industrial era world. In her t-shirt and torn jeans, Memory knows she's different, even before she performs impossible magic.

Haunted by her past, chased by a dragon, wanted by the king and stalked by the strange, handsome savage that seems to know her, everyone is after Memory, and she suspects it's not just for her eye-catching outfit. Her forgotten past holds dangerous secrets that will challenge everything she believes and risk the lives of everyone she loves.

Memory's Wake contains 44 black and white illustrations by the author and artist. Approx. 80,000 words or 320 pages in paperback.

"The Beast Within" by Jonathan Yanez {Book Review}

Synopsis:

My name is Connor Moore, I’ve just graduated from high-school and if my up and down relationship with Katie, or what to do about college wasn’t enough to worry about, now I have a far greater more complicated burden to bear.

Fate has chosen to cross my path with Larentia Abelardus, a dark-haired mystery woman who has information about a father, I never knew. She has a story to tell, a story that questions everything I thought was true; about me, about my family, about the history of the world.

Concealed throughout the pages of time, there has been a powerful race of human-like creatures manipulating mankind. This Elite race is made up of five ruling families who have obeyed The Law and continue to keep their identities a mystery. Now, after centuries of secrecy, an ancient foe is forcing them out of hiding and because of the blood that flows through my veins, my destiny is tied to theirs.

"The Secret Trinity: Unearth (Fae-Witch Trilogy, Book 1)" by Jenna Bernel {Review & Giveaway}

Book Description:

Aria Darwin has always considered herself cursed. She is obsessed with finding a cure for the bad boyfriend plague. Worse yet, she’s in denial about her weird abilities and terrified of her mysterious stalker who causes the earth to quake violently with the snap of his finger.

With her two best friends, Aria enters her first semester of college armed with a “no more men” pact in an effort to demagnetize the sleaze balls. Unfortunately, the agreement proves difficult when she meets Liam, a charming foreign exchange student, on the first day of school.

Aria quickly discovers that Liam is not only Mr. Perfect, but he also somehow ignites her supernatural side. Upon the invitation of her dream guy, Aria travels to Ireland through the study abroad program, dragging her friends along with her. But her world of euphoric bliss quickly comes crashing down as she uncovers the truth about her past, revealing who she really is and what she was born to do.

"Soul Control" by C. Elizabeth {Book Review}

Book Description:

"Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil."

Words that ring true for seventeen-year-old Saydi Gardiner upon discovering her ancestry.  But if she has doubts, further confirmation is forthcoming and it comes in the form of a wickedly gorgeous Nathanael Braxton, when he steals her heart and cuddles into her sole - the last place the boy should be.

Nineteen-year-old Nathanael's unrelenting good looks aren't the only thing that make him dangerous - and he knows it!  However, his caring human side struggles with a loyalty - a loyalty that binds him to the hunt for the soul that will give his family the power they seek. There's only one problem: When he finds her, Nathanael falls in love with his prey - Saydi.

"The Chronicles of Trellah, Book One: The Perpetual Rain" by T.S. Graham {Book Review}

Book Description:

“The World’s Toughest Book Critics” have weighed in, and it’s high praise for Trellah!

“An excellent choice for readers eager for a suspenseful, emotionally satisfying fantasy adventure.”
-Kirkus Book Reviews

Fourteen-year-old Sophina Murray will be the first to tell you: Bad luck comes in threes. First, her father is lost at sea. Then, the rains start . And don’t stop. And finally, her little brother is taken from his bed by a monster straight from her worst nightmare. A glimpse into the parallel universe of Trellah – a land of giant trees, bizarre creatures, and a glowing red mineral with mystical properties – convinces Sophina that all may not be lost. But first, she’ll have to survive in a hostile world where her darkest fears live and breathe.

Trellah is an original and realistic fantasy for ages 12 to 112. Parental guidance suggested for advanced readers ages 10-11 for moderate elements of horror.

The upcoming deluxe edition of this book will include illustrated paintings by artist Ryan Penney. Below is a sample of this talented artist’s work.

"Moon Rise" by Marilee Brothers {Review & Giveaway}

Welcome to My Cozie Corner's stop on the 

"Moon Rise" book tour. 

This tour is brought to you by Innovative Book Tours.

BLURB:

Her mom is still dating losers. Her boyfriend’s gone back to Mexico. Dad still hasn’t told his wife and kids that she exists. At school, the drama queens and bullies still rule. But worst of all for Allie Emerson (aka the Star Seeker of an old Gypsy prophecy) is that her powers have taken a hike. She can’t read minds anymore. She can’t move stuff just by looking at it. The other Star Seekers are counting on her psychic gifts more than ever, and the evil Trimarks are closing in, eager to snatch her magic moonstone necklace while she’s helpless. The hot new guy at school is ready and willing to fight her battles, but he comes with some wicked baggage.

Dear diary: I’m a little worried. My new BF is a demon.

Welcome again to Allie Emerson’s funny, scary, amazing, and always unpredictable life, as the girl voted least likely to save the world from evil.

"Moonstone" by Marilee Brothers {Review & Giveaway}

Welcome to My Cozie Corner's stop on the 

"Moonstone" book tour. 

This tour is brought to you by Innovative Book Tours.

BLURB:

A sickly mom. A crummy travel trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens.  Bad guys with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there’s that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil.

Welcome to the funny, sad, sometimes scary world of fifteen year old Allie Emerson, who’s struggling to keep her act together (not to mention her mom’s) in the small town world of Peacock Fats, Washington. A zap from an electrical fence set off Allie’s weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows, she’s being visited by a hippy dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town “witch,” gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a “Star Seeker’ is meant to command.

“Who, me?” is Allie’s first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she’s got a destiny far bigger than she ever imagined. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

"Matt Archer: Blades Edge" by Kendra C. Highley {Book Review}

Synopsis:

When Matt Archer was fourteen, he discovered monsters are real. As if that wasn’t enough to go on for a few decades, Matt also found out that he’d been chosen to hunt those monsters–with a sentient, supernatural knife. With disappearances mounting in Afghanistan, it's up to Matt to stop this new threat before it's too late.

"Watch Me Disappear" by Diane Yanaskie Mulligan {Book Review}

Synopsis:

Lizzie Richards isn’t excited to be starting over at a new school for her senior year, but she’s trying to take her mother’s advice and make the most of it—the only way she can:  By disobeying her strict parents’ rules. Lizzie’s father has moved the family around every few years to advance his career, so she has never had a chance to develop the kind of “BFF” relationships she thinks most kids have. She’s bracing herself for another lonely year at her third high school when her neighbor Maura gets sick of watching her little brother when she could be partying. Thanks to Maura’s plotting, Lizzie becomes everyone’s new favorite babysitter. Seeing her opportunity, Lizzie decides to break her mother’s rules by using Maura’s computer to create a secret Email address and Facebook account. She is quickly friended by Missy, a fellow transfer student as eager for a friend as she is. Things are looking up for Lizzie until Maura’s ex-boyfriend Paul sets his eye on Missy. Caught between her new best friend and the neighbor whose friendship promises instant popularity, Lizzie doesn’t know what to do—because she’s fallen for Paul, too.

"Don't Panic" by Lindsay Paige {Book Review}

Synopsis:

Samantha Branson is having severe anxiety attacks. Her heart beats unusually fast, her breath quickens and her hands sweat. Every detail screams in her head that she is the center of unwanted attention. Everyone can hear her thoughts, her heart and her breathing. The silence of the classroom is so loud that focus is impossible.

After an attack lands her in the wrong bathroom, Sam meets Eli who offers to provide help. Faced with the return of her possessive ex-boyfriend and the blossoming of a new romance, Sam must find the strength inside herself to face her anxieties head on.

"The Gatekeeper's Challenge" by Eva Pohler {Book Review}

Synopsis:

Ten agonizing months have gone by since Therese faced off against her parents’ murderer at Mount Olympus, and she suspects Thanatos’s absence is meant to send her a message: go on with your life. In cahoots with her new friend, who's gotten in with the Demon Druggies at school, Therese takes a drug that simulates a near-death experience, planning to tell Than off so she can have closure and move on, but things go very, very wrong.

Than has been busy searching for a way to make her a god, and he’s found it, but it requires her to complete a set of impossible challenges designed by Hades, who hopes to see her fail.

"Rob Seablue and the Eye of Tantalus" by Russell Hasan {Book Review}

Welcome to My Cozie Corner's stop on the

"Rob Seablue and the Eye of Tantalus" book tour.

This tour is brought to you by Innovative Book Tours.

BLURB:

A magical curse has been unleashed and Connecticut teen Sorcerer Rob Seablue’s best friend has been seduced by evil magic. To save his best friend—and to save the world from his best friend—Rob will fight magical duels, decipher an ancient riddle, and help sad, depressed teenagers to be happy and self-confident so that the curse can’t destroy them. And he will wage a war against the evil magic all while seeing heavy metal rock shows, going on dates with his girlfriend, doing his homework, and avoiding getting grounded by his father for staying out late! A unique novel at the cutting edge intersection of teen urban fantasy and libertarian/objectivist fiction, this novel can be described as “Atlas Shrugged” meets “Harry Potter.”

"What more could a libertarian novel reader want? . . . The book is ingenious throughout and most ingenious at its end -- ingenious, I might add, without losing plausibility. Actually, the story continually becomes more plausible, as well as more exciting." - Stephen Cox, Editor, Liberty Magazine.

"Grade A Stupid" by A.J. Lape {Book Review}

Synopsis:

Fifteen years ago, Darcy Walker’s parents thought it was a good idea to give her a unique name: Darcy, meaning “dark walker.” Whether that was a stroke of genius or stroke of stupid, they definitely nailed the irony. She lacks direction, her grades stink despite a high IQ, she’s boringly average--although flirting admirers claim otherwise--and God help her, she’s infatuated with a bad-boy. A bad-boy that her hottie best friend, Dylan, wishes would get acquainted with his fist. And, oh yeah, there’s that tattoo that was a royally stupid idea. With her life spiraling out of control, everything changes when she skips class and finds a dead body…in fact, it gets worse. It jump-starts Darcy’s inner-verb, and her AD/HD mind gets caught up in a situation she can’t let go. Set in the fictional Cincinnati town of Valley, Ohio, Darcy falls into a world of threats, violence, and gangland exploits, chasing down every clue to finger the murderer. When a fellow misfit is arrested for the crime, Darcy goes from zero-to-sixty trying to clear his name—constructing aliases, breaking the law, everything that makes perfect sense to her, but reeks of Grade A Stupid to everyone else. Trouble is…will she live to see 16?

"Pulse" by Kailin Gow {Book Review}

Synopsis:

17 year-old Kalina didn t know her boyfriend was a vampire until the night he died of a freak accident. She didn t know he came from a long line of vampires until the night she was visited by his half-brothers Jaegar and Stuart Greystone. There were a lot of secrets her boyfriend didn t tell her. Now she must discover them in order to keep alive. But having two half-brothers vampires around had just gotten interesting.

"Hera, Queen of the Gods" by T.D. Thomas {Book Review}

Book Description:

The Fates are missing. Hera has no choice but to lead a handful of gods to the human world to search for the missing goddesses, even though it means giving up her powers and temporarily becoming mortal. But mortality begins to change Hera in unexpected ways, and it gets much worse after she meets Justin, a boy who defies every prejudice she once had about mortals. Torn between who she's becoming and who she needs to be in order to fulfill her duty, Hera must survive a horde of murderous creatures sent to exploit her new weakness. In the end, only she can stop a traitorous plot conceived by a secret alliance of ancient and new enemies, a plot that threatens to destroy not only the order Hera is sworn to protect, but all of existence itself.

"Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb" by Ally Malinenko {Book Review}

Book Description:

MEET LIZZY SPEARE…

…a normal twelve year old girl with a talent for writing, who has a very not normal family secret. And when Lizzy’s father vanishes, that secret will change her life in ways unimagined. (Spoiler Alert! It turns out that Lizzy, or Elizabeth S. Speare, is the last living descendant of William Shakespeare. Shhh! Don’t tell anybody!)

Then Lizzy and her best friend Sammy are kidnapped, awakening in the faraway land of Manhattan. Their host is Jonathan Muse, whose job is to protect Lizzy from becoming the latest victim in a family feud nearly five hundred years old. Could that be why the mysterious, eye patch-wearing Dmitri Marlowe is after her? (Spoiler Alert 2—he’s the last living descendant of Christopher Marlowe, a friend and rival of Shakespeare’s. But keep it to yourself!) Is Marlowe after Lizzy’s family fortune rumored to be kept in Shakespeare’s tomb? Does he seek artistic immortality? Or Revenge (with a capital R) for a death long, long ago?

In a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, Lizzy and Sammy are thrust into the realm of the mythical and fantastic—from satyrs and Cyclopses to Middle Eastern cab drivers and Brooklyn hipsters—in what is truly “an improbable fiction” as the Bard himself once wrote.