Frivolous Friday: April 12

TGIF! 

And oh boy, do I mean that! It has been a rough week. Thankfully, I've had my writing (going brilliantly), The Iron Fey series (almost finished. Reviews to follow) and long walks with my dogs to keep me sane.

So, this week I thought I'd share some pics of my dogs with you. After all, I showed you a picture of my other kids last week, so now it's the pups turn.

This is Bella, a Toy Pom with the heart of a lion. She happily takes on the Rottweilers at the park, swims like a fish and follows me like a shadow. 

Then we have Holley (yes, she has an 'e' in her name, having been named after a small town in upstate New York. We visited there as a family in the year we got our Blonde) Like all Labs, Holley will eat until she explodes, often (read usually) raiding the dustbin to satisfy her insatiable appetite. (That's after she's polished off Bella's food) She adores walks to the park and swims in the river where she mother-hens her little friend Bella. The two of them play like puppies together. A more loyal friend you'd be hard-pressed to find.

Finally, Louis.

 

Yes, I know Louis isn't a dog. He's a 17.4 hand bay Thoroughbred, but he's also a vital member of the family. (Although he lives in a roomy stable on a beautiful wine farm five minutes from our home) Stephanie, my eldest daughter, started horse riding when she was four and Louis belongs to her.

And then, in loving memory of

Man Cat

Man Cat, also know as Big Boy, died recently and is still solely missed by everyone but Bella. There was just too much competition for Mom's lap for the two of them to ever get along.

So, that's what's kept me sane this week. What about you? Please leave a comment because I'd love to hear what you do when life gets on top of you.

Cheers

Gwynn

Cover Reveal: A Shard of Ice by Alivia Anders

As you know, I'm a cover nut, so I couldn't help enlisting for the cover reveal of Alivia Anders new book A Shard of Ice. And would just look at this gorgeous cover . . .  stunning.

 

So now for some details . . . 

Title: A Shard of Ice
Series: Black Symphony Saga
Publisher: Red Alice Press
Release Date: April 14th, 2014

                                                                  SYNOPSIS

When 13-year-old Lilix Morgan is found alive and floating on a bed of ice at sea, everyone counts it a miracle. Kidnapped nearly four weeks earlier, she remembers nothing of her mysterious abduction. When she tries to remember what happened, she hears only a melody – a faint and delicate set of notes, strung together in a tune she doesn’t understand.

THEIR POWER, UNMATCHED

A year later and desperate to put the lingering nightmares of her past behind her, Lilix crosses the country to enroll at Baelmorte Academy, aiming to become the violinist she once dreamt of. Things seem to be finally going well, and Lilix settles into a routine of sheet music and inspiration among new friends.

Then the dreams start.

The melody and night terrors she thought she’d left behind return with a vengeance, threatening to ruin her fragile version of normalcy. Then an unlikely ally tells her that she isn’t alone. That there are others just like her, fighting to hide their own shocking truths from coming to light. That they know who she is, and what she’s been through. Now, accompanied by four other girls, Lilix discovers her nightmares are larger than a single trauma; they’re a window to a hidden part of her soul, a place of immense power with a destiny that cannot be ignored.

THEIR BATTLE, IS ONLY BEGINNING

With this knowledge comes a new and frightening reality. For Lilix has been reawakened to stop an age-old enemy, one thought to have been destroyed centuries ago. Trapped by her destiny, Lilix is torn between what feels right and what she remembers. Her memories tell her of a star-crossed love waiting to be reunited, of friendships and trust broken in the past. But can she save that love when reality brings her an enemy, and an evil that will be the undoing of them all if they don’t destroy it?

Sounds good, huh? 

For more details, check out the links below:
Facebook for Alivia Anders: http://www.facebook.com/aliviaanders 
Twitter for Alivia Anders: https://twitter.com/AliviaAnders
Blogger for Alivia Anders: aliviaanders.blogspot.com http://aliviaanders.blogspot.com
Official author website (still under construction): aliviaanders.com http://aliviaanders.com
A Shard of Ice on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17207178-a-shard-of-ice


Cheers
Gwynneth

WWW: 10 April

Thanks to MizB at Should Be Reading for hosting. As usual she asks three questions:

1. What have you finished reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What are you planning on reading?

I have been very boring this week because all my reading has been in one series - The Iron Fey. So . .

I've just finished . . .

The Iron King 

I loved the concept and some of the characters enough to dive headlong into the series. Unfortunately my character love does not extend to Meghan Chase, our leading lady. I don't think I've ever known a heroine to cry as much as this girl. Still, I read the book in a day and then grabbed . . .

The Iron Daughter 

This book is filled with teenage angst, a heartbreaking love triangle, and lots of great battle scenes. Wonderful stuff. My favourite characters are definitely Grimalkin, the grey cat, and Puck. Team Puck all the way.

What am I reading now?

The Iron Queen

 I'm about halfway through this. Even though Meghan still cries at the drop of a hat - or a scowl of a boy (read Ash) - she's definitely toughening up. This has the makings of a good, action-filled story.

What will I read next? 

 Surprise, Surprise

The Iron Knight 

And then I think I would have done my bit for faeries!

What have you been up to this last week? Leave me a link and I'll call back. Oh, and done forget to check out my Giveaway. You can win a Kindle Fire or $100 in Amazon or PayPal vouchers. Check the side bar for details.

Cheers

Gwynneth

 

Feed Your Reader Kindle Deals & Freebies

Since I started blogging over a year ago, I've followed Inspired Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. Now she has launched a new site aimed at bringing us readers the best Kindle Ebook Deals. I've been getting her posts emailed to me for some weeks now and I've found some really good cheap - and free - Ebooks which I've gleefully downloaded. To say thanks to her and to share the good news, I've joined her promotional campaign. Trust me, you want to read this post . . .

Each day on feedyourreader.com you'll find a new list of available ebook deals (most for under $3).

And of course there will be lots of  Featured Freebies too!

To celebrate the launch of the new site she is giving away a Kindle Fire, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.


Win a 7" Kindle Fire (US only)




Or $100 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $100 in Paypal Cash (International)

Giveaway Details 
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" (US Only), $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash (International).
Ends 5/5/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $100-$159 US.

To enter please click on the Rafflecopter  below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck. And I hope you find lots of great books to download.

cheers
Gwynneth 

Cover Love: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

I declare myself confused. This book has had more covers than I've had hot breakfasts.

My first surprise came when I saw these two completely different Seraphina (review) covers (both paperback) sitting side-by-side on the shelf in my local bookstore. Both were published in 2012 by Random House. How weird is that? I've never seen it before with any other book. Have you?

Which cover do I prefer? I bought the red one with the dragon eye. But I like the other one just as much, so I'd be happy with either in my bookshelf.

Random House 2012

 Random House 2012

Which

do

you

prefer?

Then we have the following:

Doubleday: Canada

Very pretty. I definitely like it. But why the Canadians need their own version of Seraphina is one of life's great mysteries. Perhaps you have the answer. If so, don't be shy to comment.

Finally, we have this . . . The same sepia cover as sold in my South African bookstore, but with a red typeface. Don't ask me why.

Published by Corgi in 2013

And these are just the print books for the English speaking world. It does not even touch on what's happening in foreign languages or eBooks. Strange, given that this book is almost brand new.

So help me out here . . . what cover do you own and where do you live?

cheers
Gwynneth

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman: Review

Mention dragons and my must-have-buy-now obsession goes into overdrive. Add this alluring cover, and well . . .  I'm toast. I read Seraphina in two days, unable to put it down. Now the long wait until 2014 for the sequel. Sometimes I really hate series  . . .

Seraphina's plot is pretty straight forward. For forty years, dragons – which can shift into human form - and normal humans have shared a fragile peace in the land of Goredd. That's about to change. On the eve of the anniversary of the peace treaty, a member of the human royal family is murdered in draconian fashion. Seraphina, a talented court musician with a lethal secret, is drawn into the investigations of the prince’s death. Together with the Captain of the Guard, Prince Lucian Kiggs, she exposes a plot to destroy the Goredd royals and the leader of the dragons who had signed the peace accord. In doing so, she is forced to reveal her own terrifying secret. 

Simple enough. Now enter the dragons!

Rachel Hartman's dragons are not described in images of gloriously coloured scales, sinister eyes and grasping talons. No, that's not the strength of this book. Hartman takes us into her dragons' cold, analytical minds while they are in human form - known as saaranta. This made them more real to me than if she'd provided photographs! Brilliant characterization. 

Seraphina - tutored by a dragon maned Orma (my personal favourite) - also shares a wealth of highly original dragon-lore with us, creating such a believable world in which dragons are not just possible but are absolutely real. I came away utterly convinced. The human characters are also beautifully sketched. I really like Seraphina - even with all her flaws and insecurities. 

As can be expected, there is some love in this book, but I wouldn't call it a romance. It's more of a mystery/adventure. Given the sophistication of the writing - beautifully descriptive prose - I would say this book is less of a Young Adult and more of a cross-over. That, coming from me, is strong praise indeed. I usually hate descriptive passages because they bore me to death. I'm the kind of reader who scans the page looking for dialogue! (It drives my editor crazy because she keeps telling me to add more description to my own writing. Blah!)

Anyway, back to Seraphina. I really loved this book. Because I read it so fast to get the story, I know I will go back to it soon to savour every morsel. I can't wait. 

I give this book five razor-sharp dragon talons.

Cheers

Gwynneth

Staking the Shelves: 6 April

As always, a big thanks to Tynga for this meme. 

Okay, so I went crazy yesterday at the bookshop. But then I did have two hours to kill. And I did buy some books for my kids. Or so I console myself. Thankfully, I had my iPhone so I could scan the books I was interested in onto Goodreads. That just added to the fun  . . . and eliminated a couple of 'undesirables' that didn't have good ratings. So you see, I could have spent a whole lot more . . .

As it was, I got:

Vanish is the second book in the Firelight series. 
Because it's a dragon paranormal there's no way I could resist it. Firelight, the first in the series, was such fun so I'm sure this will be too. And for those who enjoy my cover comparison posts: watch out for this book because you're in for a treat!

Insigna 
 I love Sci-Fi and this has an Ender's Game feel to it, so I had to bring it home with me. Can't wait to read it.

Falling Kingdoms
This feeds my need for high fantasy - my other great literary love. I adore this cover and can't wait to dive into this one.

The Goddess Test and the Goddess Interrupted 

I had my daughters, Stephanie and Erin, in mind when I bought these because they love Greek mythology romances. I know I will probably love them too!

Industrial Magic:
Erin and I both love Kelly Armstrong so this was a natural. Her Women of the Otherworld series is amazing. Perfect for feeding the paranormal beast lurking in my heart.

Then I won an eBook. Yah!

My Wolf's Bane
Weres and dragons are my best, so this is a perfect match for me. 

So that was my week. What about you?

Cheers
Gwynneth

 

Frivolous Friday: 5 April

I don't really know if I should be celebrating this Friday or not. Regular readers will know that I'm the insanely proud mother of three teenage girls. See pic of my beauties.

Stephanie (the responsible one), Kate (the mad one), Erin (the dreamer/readaholic)

Anyway, those three have roped me in to going clothes shopping with them today at Canal Walk - the biggest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere. My feet have already started protesting and we haven't even left the front door. Did I ever mention that I hate clothes shopping with kids? Everything is either too big, too small, too blue, not blue enough . . .  I can hear the cry already: "You want me to wear that?  My friends will never talk to me again." Sigh.

So, while they trawl the mall blowing Andrew and my hard-earned cash, I will be holed up in the bookshop - one of the biggest and best stocked in Cape Town! (Hah, so there was method in my madness in agreeing to take them) I will be doing Staking the Shelves meme tomorrow to show you what I snagged. Wish me luck.

Have a fantastic weekend.

cheers
Gwynneth

PS. Don't forget to visit Elisa. She is also doing the A-Z Challenge at the moment. It will be interesting to see how she combines that with her Frivolous Friday.

Cover Love: Days of Blood and Starlight

Oh boy, I've been dying to do this post. I mean, just look at these two covers . . .

The US cover continues with the mask theme started with Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Except this time we see Akiva, the seraph with the burning eyes. I just love this cover. It's pure magic. Just like Akiva.

US Cover

Then - yawn - we have the UK cover . . .

UK cover

Wake me up when the publisher, Hodder and Stoughton, change it, as they no doubt will in the next few months - given the alacrity with which UK publishers change their artwork.

Sadly, this meaningless flame is the cover I own. And you know the worst part of it? It doesn't even match the cover on my copy of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone. (See cover here) How sick is that? Haven't publishers heard that us bookish people like to collect series that match? It's enough to make a grown girl cry.

What do you think?

cheers
Gwynneth

Days of Blood and Starlight: Laini Taylor: Review

Epic. Sweeping. Heart-breaking. Gut-wrenching. In a word: Brilliant. It’s going to be a long year waiting for the final book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone saga.

The blub on the back of my copy of Days of Blood and Starlight says: ‘Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living.’

Trust me, the world Laini Taylor takes us to could not be further from Akiva and Karou’s dream. She thrusts us into a war between the seraphim and the chimaera, waged with barbarism, brutality, and betrayal. No one is safe.

The book picks up quickly after Karou learns about her past in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. But instead of remembering Akiva’s plea to love and forgive him for what he unwittingly did to the chimaera, she is filled with anger, hatred and vengeance. The exact emotions which led Akiva to harm her people in the first instance. Learning nothing from his experience, she returns to the chimaera, driven by a relentless thirst to make Akiva and the seraphim pay – with blood if necessary.

Akiva, too, returns home to his half brother and sister. But he has undergone a total change of heart. All he wants is peace with Karou and the chimaera – even if it means he has to betray his own kind in the most brutal way to achieve it. I loved Akiva in this book. He’s a fascinating, compelling character who never fails to amaze. He's become one of my favourite book boys.

I wish I felt so kindly towards Karou. I understand her misery at death of her family, but I could not forgive her mindless hatred of Akiva. He did everything he could to convince her he was sorry, but she is set on a course of destruction. It will take a great deal of effort on her part to win my affection again. She definitely has work to do in book three. Thankfully, towards the end of Days of Blood and Starlight she begins to see that the wholesale slaughter of the seraphim is not the answer. I can’t go into too much detail without giving away spoilers, but I was very impressed with her final deception. There is hope for her yet. I’m now anxious to see how this plays out in the final book.

Although Days of Blood and Starlight is brimming with new characters – all beautifully draw – Akiva, Hazael and Liraz (Akiva’s half brother and sister) are without doubt my favourites. Their relationship is poignant and their love and loyalty to each other carries right to the end. It’s in stark contract to what is happening in Karou’s world.

Be warned, this book is not a light read and I found myself taking short breaks from the gruesomeness and brutality. (Think Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – only on steroids) The only comic relief comes from Zuzane and Mik, Karou’s two friends, who join her and the chimaera. Their banter and light-heartedness bring in the only light in this epic of horror, misery and debauchery.

Do I recommend this book? You can bet your life on it. If you haven’t read it, you are missing out. Big Time. I give it five brilliant blood-stained stars.

Cheers

Gwynneth