Blog Tour & Book Review: Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Worlds of Ink and Shadow

Lena Coakley

Published: January 5, 2016

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 352

Age Demographic: Young Adult

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Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings have always been inseparable. After all, nothing can bond four siblings quite like life in an isolated parsonage out on the moors. Their vivid imaginations lend them escape from their strict upbringing, actually transporting them into their created worlds: the glittering Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy Gondal. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as their characters—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go.

Gorgeously written and based on the Brontës’ juvenilia, Worlds of Ink & Shadow brings to life one of history’s most celebrated literary families. 

Book Review

Worlds of Ink and Shadow, is one of the most originally gripping and compelling historical fantasy novels that I've read in a while. I was absolutely floored at how beautifully crafted the fantasy world was created, it was so incredibly stunning that it left me almost breathless. Lena Coakely never ceases to amaze me with her brilliant imaginative storytelling narrations and the sheer beauty of life that she breathes into her characters. My love for the Bronte sister's knows no bounds and to see how well she wove this story together, was such a wonderful note to end the year on. There's such a genuinely magical feel to this book, that I found the moments passing during the time I was reading it will likely not be forgotten any time soon. It will always have a special place in not only my heart, but on my bookshelf as well. 

I feel very lucky and fortunate to have been able to read an advanced copy of this book, as it's just one of those books that becomes so meaningful and somehow starts to shape the way you feel about literature in general and the way you view the world and the people in it around you. I can't recall where I've read this before, but I almost feel certain that I've heard stories told about the Bronte siblings writing to escape the darkness of their own harsh realities they each had to face either together or on their own. Whispers of escaping into their own rich, dark, and intriguing fantasy worlds like Verdopolis (the very one that Lena Coakely explores in Worlds of Ink and Shadow) and other's such as, Gondal, Angria, etc. The depth of inspiration drawn from such dark realties and experiences from the lives of the Bronte siblings, is wonderfully compelling and such a magical part of why I love this book so much. Even though, it's still considered fiction, the way Coakley wove this gorgeous and breathtaking  tale together, pulled at my heartstrings in such a way that it will probably be one of my most memorable reads for a long time to come. 

It was so amazing to see how Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Anne so easily crossed over between the worlds of reality and fantasy and immersed themselves into their own creations becoming different and sometimes better versions of themselves. It was just a richly beautiful and vastly different and unique world that was so creatively brought to life by Coakely in such a memorable and enjoyable way. She masterfully weaves the realities of their real world and creative fantasy lands together in such a way that it comes to life so big and so gorgeously on the pages. Dark and beguiling, Worlds of Ink and Shadow, encompasses a dark and deep outlook on their lives and illustrates their adventures and passion for writing in such a way that it ignites and comes to life so beautifully. 

If you are looking for a book that possesses magic and creativity and you are fascinated by the Bronte siblings juvenilia then this is the book that will have you transfixed until the last page. I was absolutely transfixed from start to finish, captivated by this gorgeous book of fantasy tales and reality bent to desire.

And now for the giveaway...

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About the Author

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. 

In High School, Creative Writing was the only course she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. 

She lives in Toronto, Canada. Witchlanders is her debut novel.

Blog Tour Post featuring Top 5 Halloween Reads + Giveaway by Jeyn Roberts

Halloween is definitely one of my favorite times of the year to celebrate, because it's the one time of the year where you can be anything that you want to be and nobody judges you for it. Plus, you get all the good candy to snack on for the rest of the year. (If it lasts that long, lol.) For me, I either like to hang out at my mom's handing out candy to the kiddo's or at my sister's doing the same because it's so much fun and because I love hanging out with the family and have fun times. Then I like to come home, make a hot cup of pumpkin spice coffee and curl up with a great book and nibble on the candy that I nicked from the bowl. Haha.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do this year on the blog for Halloween and then it hit me, "favorite books to read during Halloween" and since this is a book blog I felt like it was highly appropriate for me to ask Jeyn Roberts author of The Bodies We Wear to share her Top 5 Favorite Halloween Reads with us and boy what a creepy list it is. lol. The Bodies We Wear is an alternatively dark and gritty look at life and death, intermingled with street gangs and drugs. From what I gather, it's a highly suspenseful and terrifyingly realistic portrayal of the gritty underbelly that goes on in America's society. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the copy of this that I have on my Kindle, it just recently released in September and from the ratings I've seen on Goodreads, it looks like it's pretty intense and gripping with a mixed bag of opinions. 

I'm lucky enough to be part of a blog tour running from October 1st to the 31st, which is the last stop on the list. So, I'll be sharing Jeyn's Top 5 Halloween Reads along with a giveaway for two beautiful finished copies of The Bodies We Wear to two different winners. The giveaway is only US/Canada only. So, definitely check that out below and fill out the Rafflecopter for a chance to win. You never know, you could be the one ending up with the treat. :)

Jeyn Roberts Top 5 Halloween Reads

• Pet Semetary by Stephen King

• Second Child by John Saul

• Horns by Joe Hill

• Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite

• The Stand by Stephen King

Want to know more about The Bodies We Wear?

The Bodies We Wear

Jeyn Roberts

Published: September 23, 2014

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Age Demographic: Young Adult

Pages: 368

Purchase: Amazon & B&N

A streetwise girl trains to take on a gang of drug dealers and avenge her best friend’s death in this thriller for fans of Scott Westerfeld and Robin Wasserman. 

People say when you take Heam, your body momentarily dies and you catch a glimpse of heaven. Faye was only eleven when dealers forced Heam on her and her best friend, Christian. But Faye didn’t glimpse heaven—she saw hell. And Christian died. 

Now Faye spends her days hiding her secret from the kids at school, and her nights training to take revenge on the men who destroyed her life and murdered her best friend. But life never goes the way we think it will. When a mysterious young man named Chael appears, Faye's plan suddenly gets a lot more complicated. Chael seems to know everything about her, including her past. But too many secrets start tearing her world apart: trouble at school, with the police, and with the people she thought might be her friends. Even Gazer, her guardian, fears she's become too obsessed with vengeance. Love and death. 

Will Faye overcome her desires, or will her quest for revenge consume her?

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About Jeyn Roberts

Website Twitter Facebook

Jeyn Roberts (pronounced Jen - the Y is silent) grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and started writing at an early age, having her first story published when she was 16 in a middle-grade anthology called LET ME TELL YOU. 

When she was 21, she moved to Vancouver with dreams of being a rock star, graduating from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Writing and Psychology. For the next few years she played in an alternative/punk band called Missing Mile before moving to England where she received her MA from the prestigious Creative Writing graduate course at Bath Spa University. Jeyn is a former singer, songwriter, actress, bicycle courier and tree planter. 

An avid traveler, she’s been around the world, most recently, teaching high school in South Korea. 

A lover of animals, Jeyn volunteers regularly with helping abandoned and abused animals, especially cats.

Credit for GIF goes to joshutchersonn@tumblr

So, I'm curious as to what you're going to be reading this Halloween? 

I'm going to try and finish up my ARC of The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon and start reading The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters (I'm really excited about this one, because it actually takes place on Halloween in the 19oo's and looks like it's going to be so good.) I think if I remember correctly it's about ghosts and mediums, that sort of thing and it's definitely historical so big yay there! 

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Morrigan by Laura DeLuca

Author Laura DeLuca has stopped by for with a guest post for the Morrigan Blog Tour.

"My Real Life Werewolf"

People always ask writers where they get their ideas from. For me, most of my ideas initiate from dreams. I am one of those New Age gals who keeps a little dream journal by my bed so I can jot down all my dreams as soon as I wake up. I do this not just for writing purposes but because I am a believer in the symbolism behind our dreams.I believe they are often our subconscious or even the spirit world trying to communicate with us. It was years ago that my muse came to me with the initial seed that would later grow into Morrigan. One night about ten years ago, I had a dream about a man coming through a magic portal and taking me to a fairytale world. The dream was brief and there wasn't much detail, but it stuck with me for years. I wanted to make it into a book, but it wasn't until I met my husband many years later that the rest of the pieces fell into place.

Meeting my husband ties into dreams as well. When we met, I was messing around on an internet dating site. I know it sounds pathetic, but for a single mom in a small town, there was no other way to meet new people who weren't drunken losers. Well, some of them still turned out to be drunken losers, or married losers, or reverends of the jedi order--but that's another story. It wasn't something I took seriously. I wasn't looking to find true love or get married. I was just looking to have fun on my nights without kids. I never planned on getting married again. I had walked away from a bad marriage that could have destroyed me emotional and financial, and picked up the pieces and rebuilt a good life for me and my two children. I had a great job, bought a house, and was the epitome of a strong, independent women. Not that falling in love would make you weak. I just wasn't interested. Then one day I get an email on Yahoo personals from this guy named Timmie. He had no picture. Normally this was a huge red flag. It usually meant one of two things--they were hideously deformed or married. As someone with a love of the Phantom of the Opera, it was more the married part that concerned me. I had been on the other end of a cheating husband and didn't take kindly to being placed in the role of the other women. My normal instinct to those emails was to ignore them. Yet, this time, my instincts told me the opposite and I knew why. This is where dreams come back into play. The reason I kept reading that email from the imageless man was because his name was Timmie and Timmie was my dream man. Quite literally.

In my novel, Morrigan often muses about the dark knight who had haunted her dreams for as long as she can remember. For me, Timmie had been in my dreams since I was a child. He was even my imaginary friend when I was little. I still had the dreams occasionally, but I had long since given up on any visions of love that might come from them. Then I got this email and I knew I had to reply. The funny thing is, I told this mysterious Tim from the start that I was only replying to him because of my dreams. That would have scared most normal guys away. Of course, my dream man isn't normal. What fun would that be?

In was only a week later that I met Timmie for the first time. He was sitting on a bench in our designated public meeting place, and I knew for sure it was him even before formal introductions were made. My feelings from that first glance were exactly the same as Morrigan's the first time she saw Filtiarn.

Instantly, all her worries and fears vanished. It was as if an angel had miraculously appeared in her moment of turmoil, albeit a scruffy and somewhat rugged looking angel. He was amazing—a walking piece of medieval art. She swore beams of light illuminated him in a strange, unearthly glow. She wasn’t even sure if he was real or just another vision. There were two things she knew with absolute certainty from the first second she saw him. She was recklessly in love with him, and it completely terrified her.

The fact that Morrigan dreamed of Filtiarn is not the only similarity between Morrigan's love interest and mine. From out first date, Timmie enchanted me with his tales of his cross county travels. He was once a dread-locked hippie who traveled with the Rainbow Gathering, slept under bridges, and even lived in a cave for three months. Now, the average girl would who heard these stories on a first date would probably wish she had a cave to hide in. Not me. Timmie was refreshing and unique. This was the first date I had since my divorce that didn't leave me rolling my eyes. A rainbow even appeared in the sky as we walked along the boardwalk, a sign of new beginnings (you might recognize this scene if you've read Phantom).

That look on his face is classic Filtiarn

Of course, I can't fail to mention the physical traits that Filtiarn inherited from Timmie. Just a few weeks into our relationship, he had earned the nickname of Chewy because he is literally covered in hair. He is the reason for the term "five o'clock shadow". I could probably braid the hair of his arms and legs. Even his fingers and toes have hair! As I was working on my character development, this character that Timmie inspired could only be one type of creature. Thus Filtiarn "King of the Wolves" was created--a werewolf. He has Timmie's hairiness, his musical abilities (though I switched it from a saxophone to a panflute), and of course, his witty sarcasm.

“Humph.” Tiarn grunted and curled his lip. “You call that filthy! You obviously do not know the meaning of the word. That place we just came from—what do you call it? Baltimore? Cement covering the Goddess’ green earth. Wires blocking the view of Father Skye. Pollution making it difficult to breathe, and litter everywhere you look. That was filth. The dust on those blankets is just good old-fashioned dirt. Honest to goodness, deliciously clean dirt! You should revel in it, Princess! The bed where you shall lay your head this night is the cleanest and purest you have rested on in many moons.”

So often I have seen people turn up their nose at the idea of "instalove", saying its unrealistic. I can tell you first hand, there's nothing unrealistic about it. But this love at first sight phenomenon isn't as instant as it seems. My relationship with my husband didn't start in this life. I have had several past life regressions that included him, some of which he was also recalled. So in my mind, "instalove" is really a love between two old souls who have found each other for first time in a new life. This is a love that has spanned through countless lifetimes and that even death could not destroy. Timmie is my soul mate, my inspiration, and the reason Morrigan became my most popular book to date. I love my real life werewolf, in this life and the next!

Title: Morrigan
Author: Laura DeLuca
Publisher: Pagan Writers Press
Pages: 320

Shuffled from place to place in the foster system, Morrigan doesn't know the meaning of home. Plus, she is different. She has power over fire, the ability to move objects with her mind, and glimpse into the future. Just when she believes her life can’t get any stranger, she discovers her true identity.

Filtiarn, a knight with a dark past and a surprising secret, has been tasked with guiding the heir of Tír na NÓg through countless perils to be returned to her family. Once Morrigan has been reunited with her mother and grandmother, their triad can save the forgotten land of magic from being devoured by an ancient evil.

                                  About Laura DeLuca

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Visit her on her websites at http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com or http://newagemama.blogspot.com.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane

Man, I'm all kinds of jazzed and excited to get be a part of the book blog tour for Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane. Check out that amazing synopsis, color me all kinds of intrigued for sure! I cannot wait to dig in and devour it. So, check it out if you haven't already.

Indigo Awakening
Author: Jordan Dane
Published: December 18, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304
Age Demographic: YA
Genre: Parnaormal Sci-Fi

Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.

Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her.

A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only “the Believers” know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository |

Book Trailer
Indigo Awakening
Jordan Dane

So, oh my goodness!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how AWESOMESAUCE this giveaway is going to be. You're just going to have to see this one for yourself.

HarlequinTEEN prize pack, includes (US only) :
• INDIGO AWAKENING by Jordan Dane
• ON A DARK WING by Jordan Dane
• IN THE ARMS OF STONE ANGELS by Jordan Dane
• THE JULIET SPELL by Douglas Rees
• BELONGING by Karen Ann Hopkins (ARC)
• DANCERGIRL by Carol M. Tanzman
• 2 Harlequin notebooks

4 Infinity Bracelets (US only):

For anyone who has read an advance copy of INDIGO AWAKENING, you know that a silver infinity bracelet plays an important part in the story. Special bracelets will be given away on the virtual tour so the lucky winners will be part of Rafael’s street family. Rafe’s bracelet was in black leather, but I’ve added a white leather braid as my personal remembrance to you for being in MY family.

AND...

1 audio book of In The Arms of Stone Angels. Digital download only. (International)

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Holy Crow and EVERYTHING Bookish! You don't want to miss out on ANY of this GIVEAWAY!!!

 About The Author

Bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Jordan Dane’s gritty romantic thrillers are ripped from the headlines with vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly compared her intense novels to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag, naming her debut novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM as Best Books of 2008. She also pens young-adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Formerly an energy sales manager, she now writes full time. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with two cats of highborn lineage and two lucky rescue dogs.

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Check out the rest of the tour!

Bookmark Blitz Tour: Destiny Unveiled by Laura DeLuca

Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches. Gabriella's coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is in her hands.

To Purchase Destiny Unveiled by Laura DeLuca vist:

Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

Book Excerpt for Destiny Unveiled
by Laura DeLuca

After collecting the offering from his followers, the leader returned to the center of the circle and the waiting initiate. With one quick motion, he sliced open his own palm. He held his hand over the cup, letting his blood drip slowly into the chalice, until the wound miraculously healed before Darron's startled eyes. When the chalice was full, he carried it to the eager initiate who took the cup firmly into his hands and tilted it towards his lips.

"As this blood makes you one with our flesh, so your soul follows to become one with the darkness," the English voice intoned.

As the initiate drained the last of the liquid in the chalice, his hood fell away, revealing a blonde ponytail pulled back over a pale white face, made even paler by the outline of bright red blood around his lips. Darron watched in stunned, horrified silence as his own face turned to meet his gaze. Eyes turned as black as coals stared back at Darron with a grim smile of satisfaction.

"Rise Darron," the leader commanded. And as he spoke, he lifted the hood from his head. Rise brother of the Dark Coven."

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Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan and Player.

Blog Tour and Giveaway featuring: Nobody and Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Okay, so omg! I'm such a big fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes that I was super excited when I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for her newest up-coming young adult novel, Nobody and a special giveaway for a finished copy of the book and a paperback copy of Every Other Day that is also releasing on the same day as Nobody. I can't even begin to describe how amazing reading Nobody was. It was the perfect mix of mystery, suspense, and action that totally got my blood pumping for more. The character's, the plot, the descriptive imagery is fantastic! Just everything about this book was loveLOVElove for me. Stay tuned for a review coming to the blog soon.

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Expected Publication: January 22, 2013
Read the prolouge.
Read Chapter 1.

There are people in this world who are Nobody.

No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF NOBODY BY JENNIFER LYNN BARNES visit:
Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Book Depository



Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Paperback Publication: January 22, 2013
Read an excerpt.
Learn more about the book.

Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . she’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive . . . and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF EVERY OTHER DAY BY JENNIFER LYNN BARNES visit:
Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Book Depository


Other Jennifer Lynn Barnes Book Related Information

Two videos featuring Jen talking about Every Other Day, which is releasing in paperback on January 22, the same day as Nobody:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes Talking About Every Other Day  Jennifer Lynn Barnes Talking About Every Other Day

Here are several additional videos of Jen sharing her thoughts on writing, what's next in YA literature, and the paranormal genre:

Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 | Video 4 | Video 5


G I V E A W A Y! GIVEAWAY!!! G I V E A W A Y!
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Website | Twitter &
Goodreads

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She'll be spending the 2006-2007 school year abroad, doing autism research at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.