Sunday, May 31, 2015

Children of Cain Series by R.J. Craddock





The Forsaken (Children of Cain book One)
Book Description:
Her mother is dead, her home is destroyed. Gwenevere flees into the forest in the dead of winter and stumbles into the human world. Unable to speak their language, but capable of reading their thoughts, Gwen acclimates quickly. Meanwhile she discovers that her native tongue is magical, giving her the power to control the world around her. Seeking the answers to her identity and her forgotten past, orphaned Gwen runs off in search of her own kind. Her dark gifts bring to light horrible truths, the discovery of which forces Gwen to make a fatal decision. The only thing that is certain, her life is about to take a drastic turn - there is no going back from murder.

The Forsaken is book one in The Children of Cain series, a mature Young Adult Urban Fantasy.

Buy on Amazon

The Offspring (Children of Cain book Two)
Book Description:
A murder behind her and the wilderness before her, friendless witch Gwenevere flees to survive. Yet Mother Nature is not kind and even Gwen’s magical gifts can’t save her from a deadly winter storm. Narrowly escaping death, she is rescued by an unlikely hero and taken into the shelter of a mythical realm. Has Gwen at long last found her own kind? Will she finally solve the mystery to her own identity, or her mother’s murder? Or is innocence blinding her to the true reality of this dark sanctuary?

The Offspring is book two in The Children of Cain series a mature Young Adult Urban Fantasy.

Buy on Amazon

The Coven (Children of Cain Book Three) is coming in September!
I received books one and two to review so book reviews of books 1 and 2 soon!


Friday, May 29, 2015

Pop Chart Lab Giant Posters Review



I received a free Pop Chart Lab Poster to review.


The Story of Pop Chart Lab
In 2010, a book editor and a graphic designer joined forces with one modest goal: to render all of human experience in chart form.

They went on to amass no small renown (that is, a ton of renown) for their infographical treatments of the varieties of beer, the full array of culinary tools, a taxonomy of hip-hop, and dozens more mappings of cultural touchstones.

Now, with a small team of researchers, designers, and soldiers, Pop Chart Lab continues to assemble, sift, cull, and arrange massive amounts of cultural data into meaningful works of art and information.

My opinion:
I chose the Superpowers poster from Pop Chart Lab because we LOVE superheroes. The poster is really huge! The paper feels thick and strong. There's so many superheroes and superpowers I have't heard of before. I love everything about this poster! 

Buy at Amazon
http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints-all 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Blog Tour with Guest Post and Giveaway: Sons of Old Trilogy by Annabell Cadiz






Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy #1)

Add on Goodreads!

Purchase on Barnes & Noble and Amazon! *99 CENTS until MAY 31, 2015!*

Synopsis: Have you ever wondered what could be hiding in the shadows?

Well, for eighteen-year-old Zahara Faraday, she doesn’t have to wonder. You see she comes from a lineage of Light Witches, those who have chosen to help protect and serve between the supernatural world and the human world. The only problem is Zahara, like her father Solomon, is as human as a human being can be whereas her mother, Mia, and her Aunt Catalina, were born as Light Witches. As a family they hunt down rogue supernaturals—creatures who harm humans or who have committed an act against their kingdom. 

Zahara’s hunting skills are usually kept dormant since her parents would prefer she live life as a normal human girl without knowledge of the supernatural world. She plans on doing just that—except when she finds a couple being attacked by fairies, she has no choice but to step in. Before she can return to pretending to be blissfully ignorant, Zahara encounters a problem she isn’t the least equip to handle: Bryan Hamilton, the good looking new co-worker she has to help train. In a heartbeat, her best friend, Becca King, has set her up on a double date with herself and her new crush, Rekesh Saint-Louis, who happens to be the most powerful leader of the biggest Imago Coven in South Florida –supernatural creatures with the ability to control water . . . and suck out human souls. 

Zahara has no time to focus on how she’s going to explain her double date with her best friend and the enemy they have a tentative truce with to her parents because soon one of the members of Mia and Catalina’s coven is found murdered with a strange tattoo of a snake with wings carved into his arm.

Zahara is then thrown into a whirlwind battle with an angel determined to have revenge against God, an Imago coven she doesn’t think they should trust, and slew of dream-eating fairies and powerful Nephilims, hybrid children of angels and humans, more than happy to rip her to shreds.

Normal just got a deadlier definition.





Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy #2)

Add on Goodreads!

Purchase on Barnes & Noble and Amazon! *ONLY 99 Cents MAY 11-31, 2015*
Synopsis: Zahara Faraday looks like a normal eighteen-year-old and lives in a quiet neighborhood with her overprotective parents. She works at a bookstore and hangs out with her best friend Becca King on a daily basis. But underneath the normal lies a secret life filled with dangerous supernaturals. Zahara belongs to a world made of Light Witches, rogue Imagoes (supernatural creatures with super strength, speed, and silver skin when the moon is out), fallen angels, and Nephilim (hybrid children born half-human, half-angel). Where her father Solomon Faraday is human, her mother Mia and her Aunt Catalina are Light Witches. They help protect the human world by hunting down rogue supernaturals who commit heinous acts against humans. What they never expected was the possibility of having to hunt down the one rogue coven they had befriended and come to trust in their battle against Lucifer. Rekesh Saint-Louis is the leader of the most powerful Imago coven in Florida and now he’s the most suspected. Supernatural bodies are starting to pile up with an ancient ritual long forbade being used to murder them and the symbol, one large cross with four smaller crosses around it—which represents Rekesh’s coven— being left behind. Rekesh and the Elders of his coven set out to find who is behind the murders and clearing his name before a war between the covens begins. To make matters more difficult, Rekesh also has to deal with the return of someone he has been keeping a secret.

Meanwhile, Zahara and Becca are spending more time brushing up on their training, knowing an attack from Lucifer can come at any moment. Between patrolling neighborhoods and hanging at the boarding school created by Charles Stephens—a fallen angel who created the school to protect the children of rogue supernaturals—they are thrown into one battle after another. Zahara begins to develop a closer bond with Jason as they train and chase down clues to clear Rekesh’s name. What she doesn’t know is the very powerful secret Jason is keeping; a secret that will change the course of the fight with Lucifer.

But Rekesh’s coven being set up isn’t the only danger. A new powerful and lethal drug has emerged from the shadows of the supernatural world called Inferi. The drug has two deadly side effects: it leaves the supernatural hungering for blood—both human and supernatural—and grants them the elemental power they had once possessed.

Lucifer is on the move and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on Zahara and complete the first act of his plan. 

A battle is about to begin. 

One that may cost the Faraday family everything they hold dear.





Nephilim (Sons of Old Trilogy #3)

Add on Goodreads!

Coming August 2015!

Synopsis: After the loss of Dustin, Zahara throws herself into taking care of the Howling Café—the café he left to her in his will and fights to keep a rhythm of normalcy with the others. It’s the best they can do since Lucifer has gone underground and any attempts to find him have rendered no leads.

Endymion, Prince of the Angel Kingdom, isn’t exactly helping though. Thanks to his brash and arrogant attitude, Zahara finds she would rather stab him with her dagger than hang out with him for any period of time. But she has no choice. Endymion is the only who can help her learn to control the magic threatening to take over her body thanks to his connection to the soul lying dormant inside of her. Nevaeh was once the most powerful Nephilim in the Supernatural Kingdoms and engaged to the Prince himself. She also happened to be Lucifer’s daughter who was killed in the first Supernatural War. Her soul is key to Lucifer creating war again—not just with the Supernatural Kingdoms but with Heaven itself. Endymion is determined to keep that from happening, even if that means destroying the soul of the only woman he’s ever loved so Zahara can live.

Complicating things even more—as if they could get any more complicated—is the revelation of an ancient Grimoire once held by Margaret. The Grimorie contains powerful spells passed down through the generations of coven members within the Light Witch community. But Margaret hid it away before she helped take Lucifer down the first time. The Grimoire not only holds the two dark spells Lucifer needs to complete the final phase of his plan and but a secret Lucifer never knew about.

Zahara and company are in a race to find the Grimoire before Lucifer can but Margaret didn’t exactly make it easy. Seven keys have to be found in order to discover the location where the Grimoire had been hidden. Making matters worse is a new coven that has suddenly appeared in town. A coven made of a variety of supernaturals, all under Lucifer’s command.

The clock is ticking.

Battles will be waged.

Life changing secrets will be revealed.

The stage for the epic battle is set and not everyone will make it out alive.

Check out the Sons of Old Trilogy Board on Pinterest!




Guest Post:
What’s in a Name?

Choosing a name for a child is IMMENSELY important and when you’re to become soon-to-be parent you discover very quickly how overwhelming that decision feels. There is power in a person’s name. It helps to shape a person’s personality in a way and is the first introduction to how a person is defined in the world.

For the authors, choosing names for our characters is just as important. We spent countless hours browsing through websites with baby names. Discovering their meanings and origins and tasting the way the name feels when it’s said out loud. A name can be chosen just for the way it sounds when spoken or because of the origin or because of the meaning. A character can be built from one of those reasons, too.

Take the main players from Sons of Old Trilogy:

Zahara—Origin: Hebrew; Swahili; Arabic/Meaning “to shine; flower; most exquisite”

I chose Zahara’s name because it meant “to shine” and reminded me of her flaming red-orange hair which always made me think of the sun. She’s a beacon of light in the dark.

Becca—Origin: Hebrew/Meaning: “Captivating; knotted cord.”

Becca’s name is derived from the name Rebecca. I shortened and kept it that way on purpose because I liked the way it sounded. I also liked the “knotted cord” meaning; it fit the tight bond Zahara and Becca share as best friends.

Jason—Origin: Greek; a man who helped shelter Paul and Silas in the New Testament carried the name/Meaning: “healer; to heal; he that cures.”

I’ve always liked the name Jason, even before I learned what the name actually meant. It just always seemed like a sexy name to me which fit Jason’s character well because he’s a good-looking Nephilim. He begins his journey in Sons of Old Trilogy on the wrong side and finds healing by joining Zahara and her family.

Rekesh—Origin: Indian/Meaning: “lord of the full-moon day”

Once I decided to create the Imagoes, I knew I would need a leader with a strong name that fit what type of supernatural creature he was born into. Imagoes hold the power to control water, their elemental magic strengthened by the power of the moon. Rekesh’s name fit perfectly, both because of his supernatural birth and because he is a powerful leader of an Imago coven.

Amos—Origin: Hebrew; a prophet from the Old Testament was named Amos/Meaning: “strong; carried; brave; loading; weighty.”

Amos was a name I fell in love with as soon as I found it. It fits his character so well. Not because he’s a powerful Imago but more so because Amos has been through a lot and has remained both strong and brave. He has carried a great weight of loss and he was lost for a while because of it but he found a way to keep living.

Leanian—Origin: Anglo-Saxon Meaning: “Reward”

I loved the way Leanian’s name sounds when said and I also read that people given his name are ones who enjoy searching for deeper truths and like the quiet. I built Leanian’s character as soon as I discovered his name. He is quiet but sees all and hears all. He’s the best one to be Rekesh’s second-in-command.

Solomon—Origin: Hebrew; King Solomon was a king to Israel and the son of King David/Meaning: “peaceable; perfect; one who recompenses.”

Solomon is another name I’ve always loved. Probably due to its connection to King David of Israel, a figure I have also always loved. I chose Solomon’s name because of its symbolic nature. He is the head of his household as father and husband. He leads his family with wisdom and strength (and a good sense of humor) even without having magical gifts as many of the other characters do. He is steady and secure and as such offers a sense of peace to the others around him.

Mia—Origin: Scandinavian/ Meaning: “wished for child rebellion.”

I chose Mia’s name because I liked the way it sounded and because it seemed a cute name for a young mom. I had also read that people given the name Mia had deep leadership skills and liked to focus on the big, important issues at hand. That fits Mia perfectly. She is steadfast and strong. She can be trusted to see something through to the end, especially if it means protecting her husband (Solomon) and daughter (Zahara).

So you see, writers take choosing a name for a character VERY serious because names carry so much strength and power and depth in them. They can shape essential parts of characters who in turn shape essential parts of stories.


Definitely make sure to dig a little deeper when picking a name for a character, you never what fun tidbits you’ll up learning which can create a whole mess of inspiration and ideas to help bring not just the character but story to life *wink*



About the Author

Born and raised in the sweltering suburbs of South Florida, Annabell Cadiz grew up fine-tuned to the cuisine of various Spanish cultures, learned to master the art of Puerto Rican cooking thanks to her parents, and learned to converse crazy thanks to her band of siblings. She is now working toward attaining a B.A. in Psychology at Trinity International University to better understand how to converse with the weirdoes and crazies of the world. (After all, she is one of them.) A self-proclaimed nerd and a book-a-holic (her room holds dozens of shelves with much evidence to prove that her claims are indeed true), she created TeamNerd Reviews along with her best friend, Bridget Strahin, to showcase their EXTREME love for all things book related.

She published her debut novel, Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy #1), in January 2013. The second novel, Michael (Sons of Old Trilogy #2) will be released on May 28, 2014. And the final installment in the Sons of Old Trilogy, Nephilim, will be out in Summer 2015.

Find Annabell: Website/Goodreads/Pinterest/Twitter/Facebook





BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
May 11
Indy Book Fairy (Promo Post)

May 12
Mia in Narnia (Book Review: LUCIFER + Top Ten)

May 13
Dreams Come True Through Reading (Book Review: LUCIFER & MICHAEL)

May 14

May 15

May 18

May 21
Every Free Chance Books (Review of LUCIFER & MICHAEL)

May 22
Relaxed Reads (Promo Post)
We Live and Breathe Books (Book Review of LUCIFER)

May 24
Just Us Book Blog (Book Review: LUCIFER)

May 25
Read Write All the Time (Book Review: LUCIFER & MICHAEL + Guest Post)

May 27
Books and Sweet Epiphany (Book Review: LUCIFER & MICHAEL)
AlwaysJoArt (Guest Post)

May 28
Buried Under Books (Guest Post)

May 29
Welcome to Book City (Book Review: LUCIFER)

May 30

May 31
Paradise of Pages (Book Review: LUCIFER & MICHAEL + Guest Post)
Kariny’s Teen Boox Frenzy (Book Review: LUCIFER & MICHAEL)

GIVEAWAY!!


**E-copy of LUCIFER & MICHAEL**
**Signed Michael Bookmark**
**Handmade Bookmark**
**Sons of Old Trilogy Inspired Eyeshadow Kit**
**Rose shaped earrings, funky headbands & zigzag ring**
**Lipgloss**
**Notebook**


Tour Setup by TeamNerd Reviews

Monday, May 25, 2015

IncreduLash Eyelash and Brow Growth Serum Review



I received a free sample of IncreduLash to review. All opinions are my own based on my own experience with the product. 




This is their product description:

Get Longer Lashes Naturally - You Too Can Have Lashes to Die For

Enjoy Beautiful long lashes and thicker brows, with our powerful combination of apple stem cell, peptides and botanical complex

LONGER NATURAL LASHES – This is great because you don't have to use false eyelashes anymore with all that damage to your natural eyelashes. IncreduLash eyelash growth stimulator & lengthener will give you your best eye lashes

THICKER EYELASHES  – IncreduLash has Apple Stem Cells and Peptide which is good;  these are fantastic as an eyelash stimulator to make eyelashes grow longer; and as an eyelash thickener, and eyebrow thickener

LASH ENHANCEMENT – Your lashes frame your eyes.  Use IncreduLash by VIDI to give you longer eyelashes to make your eyes look bigger over a few short weeks. Our trials show 20% growth in the first 2 weeks

EYEBROW AND EYELASH CONDITIONER -  Deeper color and better condition for both lashes and brows will highlight and enhance your best feature

BEST EYELASH GROWTH SERUM – You can relax using IncreduLash knowing that it is non-irritating, dermatologically tested and allergy tested. It doesn't have any prescription drugs so it won’t cause discoloration of your eyes or skin.  Prostaglandin free, Paraben free, Good Manufacturing Practices and Made in USA


If you want:
•    Longer lashes and brows
•    Thicker eyelashes and brows
•    Darkening of the color of your eyelashes and brows
•    Conditioning of your eyelashes and brows, with no nasty side effects, then IncreduLash by VIDI is just what you need

When you use IncreduLash eyelash and eyebrow enhancer you'll love:
•    Ease of application - just once a day
•    Speed of growth of your lashes and brows - REAL measurable results in 2 weeks
•    No irritation - just great results
•    Long lasting bottle - up to 6 months growth when used once a day

Why use IncreduLash by VIDI?
•    Like all VIDI products - It Works!
•    Backed by VIDI's independent satisfaction guarantee
•    Safe to use - Tests include; An eye irritation test, An allergy test and A dermatologist test.  It is 100% safe
•    Made in the USA in FDA certified facility - you can trust it
•    24/7 Email support - we're a family business & are here for you


Top pictures before, bottom pictures after


My opinion:
My reason for wanting to try IncreduLash is to thicken and darken my brows and lashes. I have been using Incredulash for two weeks on my eyelashes and one week on my eyebrows. I haven't seen a big difference in length but since I'm already happy with the size of my eyelashes that doesn't really matter to me. What I have noticed is that my lashes and eyebrows are looking darker and shinier. I usually fill in my eyebrows because they are too light and I like them to stand out but for the last couple of days I haven't had to fill them in. If you look at the bottom picture with my eyes closed you can see that my eyelashes look shinier and that is right after using Incredulash, I have no mascara or any type of makeup! I will definitely keep using to seen if my eyelashes will actually get longer but either way I am happy with the results I have already had in just two weeks. I give this product 4.5 stars.


Buy at Amazon

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Saturday, May 23, 2015

Book Review with giveaway ends 5/27: Dreamscape: Saving Alex

I'm a little late for the tour, I was supposed to post my review a few days ago but better late than never....
Dreamscape_Banner

Welcome to the tour for Dreamscape: Saving Alex by Kirstin Pulioff. This is a young adult contemporary fantasy.



Dreamscape
Dreamscape: Saving Alex 
by Kirstin Pulioff


About the book:
Sixteen-year-old Alexis Stone is used to getting away from life’s frustration with Dreamscape, a video game she’s loved since childhood. As her family prepares to move, a sleepy night of gaming pulls her into the world like never before. Trapped in Dreamscape’s realm, Alex is about to learn that being a hero has consequences… and this time, the stakes are deadly. Will helping the rebellion cost her everything she knows and loves? Or will she betray them to save her own life?






ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!) with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in the foothills of Colorado, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When she’s not writing an adventure, she’s busy living one.She loves to hear from readers and fans. Please connect with her on any of her sites:

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Goodreads | FacebookTwitter


My opinion: 
Dreamscape has everything I love and want in a fantasy book. Great characters, travel to a different world, lot's of adventure and just a little bit of romance! Reading this story made me think of Super Mario my favorite video game when I was a kid. Would I want to travel to the Super Mario world? No thanks that would be scary! As I read the book I tried to imagine how I would feel and how I would react if I was Alex and I believe it would be pretty similar to Alex so that made the story more believable to me. My favorite character was Arrow though, I loved everything about him (especially when I found out who he really was and why people followed him even though he is so young). If I had read this book last year I would have given it 5 stars but since this is a young adult book and I recently started enjoying adult books a little more I give this book 4 stars. It's a good book though and if you're into young adult fantasy you will probably love it.

GIVEAWAY
The author will be giving away the following to 11 winners of the below Rafflecopter. The giveaway ends May 27th.

• $50 Amazon or Paypal gift card (INT)
• 5 custom made necklaces
• 3 custom Dreamscape bookmarks
• 2 custom Dreamscape zipper pulls (US)

a Rafflecopter giveaway





This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Book Review: Haunted Love by Jessica Frances

I received a free ebook copy to review.

Haunted Love by Jessica Frances 
Publication date: February 23rd 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Word count: 105k / Heat Level: Medium

Synopsis:
My name is Thea Bell and I was murdered.

I always assumed that death was the end. So when my life was cruelly taken away from me, I never thought I would get a second chance to say what I needed to.

But then I was given a choice, a choice that allowed me to see the people I had left behind, and I knew I had to take it.

I wanted to say a proper goodbye. I needed justice for what happened to me.

But even in death, things rarely go to plan.

I never expected to meet him. I didn’t anticipate falling in love. I hadn’t considered the repercussions of coming back. I never realized I would put another person in danger.

I didn’t know my actions were going to haunt us forever.



My name is Detective Aiden Mercer, and I think I have gone insane.

I am seeing the murder victim of my current case alive and in the flesh, and that is simply not possible.

I can see her, hear her, touch her. She’s real to me, however I know this cannot be real. Right?

But try telling my heart that, because as I grow closer to catching Thea’s killer, I also fall deeper into trouble.

Because love is rarely anything but trouble and I know this love will haunt me forever.

Add to Goodreads:

Buy from Amazon, B&N

My opinion:
If you're into romance between a ghost and a living person than you should definitely read this book! I don't usually read romance but this story seemed interesting and I wasn't disappointed! I loved Thea right away but it took awhile for me to like Detective Mercer because even though he's a nice guy he's also a jerk sometimes. I loved getting both Thea's and Detective Mercer's point of view. Haunted Love is pretty sad and I didn't know how this love story would even work out but it does and at the end they get their happy ending. I give this book 4 stars.