REVIEW & GUEST POST: Sprite by Leigh Michael

Title: Sprite
Author:  Leigh Michael
Series:  Annabelle's Story (Part One)
Pages:  161
 

Series summary:

Annabelle Walsh thought she had it all. She was the star of her swim team, had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and to top it off, she’d be starting at UCLA in the fall. One day, she’d be referred to as Dr. Annabelle Walsh.

She was living every girl’s dream – until her life was turned upside down. All starting with finding out that she's not just a human, but also a water spirit. Half-human, half-sprite to be exact. Although not just any sprite, Annabelle is prophesied to be the only one who can save both the sprites and mankind.

With a mix of current events, anecdotes from Greek mythology, tidbits of folklore, and Leigh’s own imagination, we join Annabelle in her journey to restore order beneath the sea. Each step of the way her mind, body, and soul are pushed to the limit begging the question, how much can one half-human, half-sprite take?

Sprite was such a unique story!  As a mythology lover I really enjoyed Leigh Michael's take on Hades, Zeus and Poseidon.  When Annabelle is kidnapped by a strange man and dragged into the sea she has no idea that she's about to be introduced to a whole new world.  Not only does she realize she can breathe under water, but she's also a descendant of Triton.  How cool is that?!  I really liked Annabelle's character.  While she was a bit irritating in the beginning, when she realizes she has a job to do she puts on her big girl panties and gets to work.  I also like the twists and turns of the story.  No one really is as they seem.  While at times a bit predictable, the action and adventure kept the pages turning.  Sprite was an enjoyable read, and I hope Kin (Part Two) keeps me just as intrigued. 

Sprite (Annabelle’s Story Part One) can be purchased at:

Amazon
Barnes& Noble

Smashwords

Kin (Annabelle’s Story Part Two)can be purchased at:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 

Leigh’s Indie ABCs

(Part one of a guest post by Leigh Michael)

When I released Sprite (Annabelle’s Story Part One) in April, I knew very little about the writing industry. Over the past 6 months, I’ve acted as a sponge for information. It’s been an amazing, gut-checking, rewarding, and humbling experience. Along the way, I’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade that I’d love to share with you all. Below is part one in what I’ve learned thus far in self-publishing my first series, Annabelle’s Story. Part two will be posted on Little Library Muse on October 17. Part three will be posted on Girls on YA Books on October 26.

Author website — Having one of these is important. It allows readers an easy way to learn about an author, their books, and where to buy ‘em. Check out my site at www.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Beta readers — When I released the first part of Annabelle’s Story, I was too afraid to let others read my work. I just wanted to bite the bullet and publish. Not the best idea. Since then I’ve come to rely on beta readers to help me polish my work.

Carissa Katz — This young lady is an amazing designer. Actually, I already knew that. I just wanted to emphasize it. Carissa put together my covers for Annabelle’s Story and I couldn’t be happier. Check out her other work here.

Digital, not print — In “Self-publishing a book: 25 things you need to know” it says that print should be a secondary focus to ebooks. I’d have to agree. My digital versions sell a lot more than print editions. Still, I think having a paperback version for giveaways is important.

Editing — I’d like to go on the record to say that it’s so frustrating and difficult to remove every single typo/error from a manuscript. For both Sprite & Kin, I hired a professional proofreader to complete two rounds of reviews. Afterwards, I found additional errors. However, I think it’s crucial to take this step and hire another set of eyes.

Facebook fan pages — Seems like a no-brainer to create an author page on Facebook. In my initial research on how to market myself, this was one of the first things I’ve learned. Alas, I’ve created Facebook.com/LeighMichaelBooks. Like me!

Goodreads — I must admit that I’d never heard of Goodreads before writing Annabelle’s Story but it’s great. It’s where I find my next book to read. Check out my page on Goodreads to see what I’ve been reading.

Hashtags — There are so many of these on Twitter (and more are introduced every day). To start, I found 44 essential twitter hashtags that every author should know. I also love reading Sara Megibow’s #10queriesIn10tweets every Thursday.

Thank you for reading part one of my A through Z of industry learnings. Be sure to check out part two on Little Library Muse on October 17 and part three on Girls on YA Books on October 26.

So what’s next for me? I’ve thrown myself into a new series. This one is a historical fiction that I’m pretty thrilled about. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll pursue the traditional route or follow the same indie path. Who knows, there could be a “Leigh’s Bestseller ABCs” post one day. One can only hope!

Also, don’t forget to stop by Leigh Michael Books on October 31^st for a special Trick or Treat surprise!

 

 

Author Bio:
Leigh Michael is an author of YA fiction. She's worked within the advertising world for nearly a decade before writing her debut series, Annabelle's Story. Leigh lives in Washington, DC with her husband and goldendoodle. Please learn more about Leigh and her works atwww.LeighMichaelBooks.com.

Contact info:

 

Website

Twitter
Facebook
Email
Amazon
Smashwords
Goodreads

 

 

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Title:  Tiger's Curse
Author:  Colleen Houck
Narrator:  Annika Boras, Sanjiv Jahveri
Series:  Tiger Saga (#1)
Length:  15 hours, 45 minutes
Publisher:  Sterling Publishing
Date Published:  January 11, 2011
Format:  Audio
Source:  Bought
Buy It:  Amazon or B&N or Audible

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Passion. Fate. Loyalty. 

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

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Fave Quote:

“I don't want you to see only a tiger when you look at me. I want you to see me. The man.”

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This was a re-read for me, and I think I enjoyed it even more this time around!  This series is one of my absolute favorites, and when I was given the opportunity to read the ARC of Tiger's Destiny (my review)  I knew I was going to have to go back and revisit the entire series.  I'm so glad I did.

Story:
In Tiger's Curse Kelsey Hayes has just graduated from high school and she's gotten a temp job working at a circus for the summer before she goes off to college. When she meets the white tiger, Dhiren, who she lovingly nicknames Ren, she's immediately dawn to him. She finds herself spending all of her free time outside the tiger's cage, talking and reading books and poetry to him. She becomes saddened when she thinks about how lonely he must be pent up in a cage for most of his life, and she wishes he could be free. Little does she know the series of events she sets into motion with that wish. The next day a rich man from India, Mr. Kadam, comes to the circus and buys the beautiful white tiger that she's come to think of as "her tiger". He tells her that Ren will be taken to a preserve and released. When Mr. Kadam asks her to accompany Ren to India it doesn't take much persuasion for her to agree.  Along the way Mr. Kadam tells Kelsey the story of two Indian princes, brothers Dhiren and Kishan, who were betrayed by an evil man named Lokesh, and cursed to live their lives as tigers. Kelsey enjoys the story, but it isn't until Ren escapes from his cage, drags her into the jungle and turns into a gorgeous Indian man, that she realizes the story is true. Ren tells her that he is the man from the story and that he only gets 24 minutes a day as a man. And, he needs her help to break the curse. Of course, Kelsey agrees to do whatever it takes to help him, even help him track down Kishan, the brother he hasn't seen in 300 years. 

I love absolutely everything about this book.  First of all I have to comment on the cover!  It is absolutely amazing!!  Everything from the white tiger to the blue hue is full of significance.  It's beautiful!  On to the story... Colleen Houck has an amazing ability to describe every single element of  a story in great detail, but it never feels drawn out or overdone.  It's apparent that she did a ton of research when she created the worlds in which our characters travel.  Her story telling is superb!  All of the characters have very distinct and colorful personalities and are so richly written.  I love the Indian culture, mythology and mystery surrounding the curse.  There are so many little details that I didn't pick up the first time I read Tiger's Curse, and re-reading it made me see so many things differently.  Our villain, Lokesh, is one of the most evil villains I've ever been introduced to.  Not only is he the reason for the curse, but it's immediately clear that he has other plans, too.  He is a bad, bad man, and his dialogue gives me chills!  Mr. Kadam is one of my favorite characters.  He is like a grandfather to Kelsey, and his honor and devotion to the tigers is amazing.  He puts everything he has into helping them break the curse.  Kelsey comes to depend on him in so many ways.  The romance in this book has the ability to make you crazy!  Sometimes it's in a good way...sometimes it's not.  I love the chemistry between Ren and Kelsey!  Ren is the ultimate sweetheart, and he is a romantic at heart.  Kelsey, bless her stupid heart, she can't imagine that someone as wonderful as Ren would actually love her.  There were several times when I wanted to shake her and yell, "Wake up stupid girl!"  Kelsey is an easy character to love, though.  Her self sacrifice alone makes her worthy of my appreciation.  And let's not forget Kishan!  My first reaction to Kishan was very negative.  His back story leaves a lot to be desired.  But when you really get to know him you realize he has tortured himself for over 300 years because of his guilt.  He is very outgoing and flirtatious by nature, and he's easy to fall for.  Yes, a set of swoon-worthy brothers!!  Can't ask for more than that!   This is an absolutely wonderful series, and if you haven't already tried them I highly suggest you do!

Narration:
Annika Boras is our major narrator for this audiobook, and she does a great job!  Not only does she do Kelsey with her American accent, she also does our Indian men and women and also even a side character that is Chinese!  Each and every character has their own unique voice and they are all done extremely well.  She also puts a lot of emotion into her reading.  This is a great audiobook!

5 * * * * *

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instrument#5)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare



The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

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*If you have not read The Mortal Instruments there WILL be spoilers ahead!*

I'm not going to summarize the book like I usually do because the book blurb above is crazy long and tells you everything you need to know.  I do, however, feel like I should preface this review by explaining my love/hate relationship with this series.  I did not read City of Bones when it first came out.  Although I thought it sounded amazing I put it off forever.  Not until all three of the first trilogy were already out and a friend loaned me the books did I finally read City of Bones...and only City of Bones.  I just didn't like it!  I originally gave it 2 stars and decided not to read City of Ashes and City of Glass.  So, when Clockwork Angel came out I didn't plan to read it.  After all, it was set in the same world of Shadowhunters, I wouldn't like it any better right?!  But, after reading some of the reviews I decided to give it a try...plus the cover is amazing!  I listened to the audiobook version of Clockwork Angel, and I absolutely loved it!  After I finished it I couldn't wait to get my hands on more of The Infernal Devices.  What was I going to do while I waited for Clockwork Prince?  Hmmm, maybe I should give The Mortal Instruments another try.  So I got the audiobook version of City of Bones...and I really, really enjoyed it!  The farther I got into The Mortal Instruments the more I enjoyed it, and I'm really glad I went back and gave them another chance so I didn't miss out on this wonderful story.

So, what did I think of City of Lost Souls?  I loved it!  Actually, I think it's my favorite so far in both series.  In the end of City of Fallen Angels you know bad things are going to happen to Jace so it's no surprise when City of Lost Souls starts off with Jace missing, Sebastian missing and the Clave looking for them both.  Clary and their group of friends know Jace is still alive, but they don't really understand where he's gone or why.  It's not until Jace comes for Clary that they realize that he is no longer the boy they know and love.  Now he's Sebastian's puppet, bound to him by Lilith's mark.  And no weapon in this world can harm one without harming the other.  Clary decides she's going to go with Jace and Sebastian while the others try to figure out a way to separate Jace and Sebastian.

We get to see some intense changes in many of the relationships in this book.  I love where we're going with Simon and Isabelle and with Jordan and Maia.  Alec succeeded in making me extremely angry and watching the relationship between Alec and Magnus makes me simultaneously swoon and cry.  I really need to see them figure things out.  Quite a lot of the plot lines are left hanging, and I'm hoping each and every one of them will be wrapped up nicely in the final book in this series, City of Heavenly Fire.  I have many questions I want answers to, but I love the mystery!  Like who is Brother Zachariah?  It's pretty obvious he's someone from The Infernal Devices, but who?!  I can't wait to find out.  What I'd really like is to see a family tree.  Would that be too much to ask?  Even though Jace isn't really Jace we still get to see lots of growth in his and Clary's relationship.  It's nice to see Clary hold her own this time.  She gets to show off the skills Jace has taught her, and she likes it.

As much as I enjoy the Shadowhunter world I am looking forward to a wrap-up of The Mortal Instruments.  I think it's time for them to get the happily ever afters that they deserve.  I hope we see lots more action with The Infernal Devices, along with some of the answers we're seeking.  And, I may be in the minority here, but I am looking forward to The Dark Artifices.

5 Stars * * * * *

Deadlocked

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris



**Deadlocked is #12 in the Sookie Stackhouse series.**

Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on that there are things she'd rather not know. An now that she's an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she'd rather not see--like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.

There's a thing or two she'd like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet--Felipe de Castro, the vampire king of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It's the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric's front yard--especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.

Now it's up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl's fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who's set out to make Sookie's world come crashing down.

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I have been a fan of this series almost from the very beginning, and I always anxiously wait for releases and then devour the new books so fast they leave my head spinning.  This one was no different.  I read the entire book in less than 24 hours!  I couldn't put it down.  This series has been getting a lot of criticism lately, and I agree that some of the last few books haven't been amazing like I've come to expect.  But Deadlocked seems to have picked back up some of the thrill I love so much.  Of course, we get the mystery we've come to expect from Sookie.  There's lots of betrayal, jealous lovers, and rifts that probably won't ever be repaired.  It's obvious that the series is winding down.  Many loose ends were tied up, and the stage has been set for what I hope will be Sookie's happily-ever-after in the very last book of the series, Dead Ever After.  I'll be sad to see an end to a series that I have loved so much, but I think all fans will agree that it's time for Sookie to be happy.  Really and truly happy! 

4 Stars ****

Naked Werewolf Series by Maggie Harper

Book #1

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Maggie Harper

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble. For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question. If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated.

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This book was laugh out loud funny!

Trying to make her own way in the world and escape from her nutty, organic only, always interfering, hippie parents, Mo Wenstein moves to the remote town of Grundy, Alaska.  She's prepared for being all alone and the new girl in town.  She's even prepared for the frozen Alaska winters.  What she's not prepared for is falling for the town werewolf!  Oh, the comedy and catastrophe that follow.  You can't help but love Mo, and although Cooper is very standoffish in the beginning you grow to love him as well.  This book is Stephanie Plum meets Sookie Stackhouse, and what could be better than that!

I gave How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf 4 stars, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys werewolves and a good laugh!

*I listened to the audiobook of How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf.

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Book #2

The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Maggie Harper

Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous.

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I wasn't sure I would enjoy Book 2 as well as I did Book 1 because it wasn't focused on Mo and Cooper, but on Cooper's sister Maggie, but I did!  In fact, it was just as laugh out loud funny and I found I really liked Maggie. 

Maggie has taken over as Alpha of the pack, so she's expected to marry a nice werewolf and have lots of little pups.  That's always been her intention...until Nick Thatcher comes to town.  Nick immediately becomes a thorn in Maggie's paw.  Not only is he in town working on research to prove the existence of werewolves, but she's falling for the accident prone human and feels an overwhelming need to protect him.  And the more she tries to push Nick away so she can date a werewolf the more determined he is to seduce her...with pie.  Come on, who doesn't love pie!?

This was a very cute story and I look forward to Ms. Harper continuing this series!  I gave it 4 stars also.

*I listened to the audiobook of The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf.