Review: FALLING ANGELS by Ami Blackwelder #Excerpt #Giveaway

Title: Falling Angels

Series: AngelFire Chronices #2

Author: Ami Blackwelder

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Eloquent Enraptures Publishing
ASIN: B00KQ3SXZU
Release Date: June. 1, 2014
Source: Bewtiching Book Tours ☆ Tour Schedule
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Book Trailer

Now that Ali Maney knows the world of Angels and Demons, she is discovering more secrets in the once forbidden books of the angel libraries.

Her relationship with Kian proves to be growing now that they can finally touch, but a few surprises puts her life and her feelings for him in danger.

With Were and Fanged Demons taking over Manhattan, and Ali's brother in danger, Ali will have to be stronger than ever!

Read this second installment of AngelFire Chronicles and find out if Ali and Kian make it to the end.

Now that Ali has become Angelfire, she has to learn to fly and use her new abilities. The war with Azrael's and Dameon's Dark Angels is becoming more deadly. And a new player enters the field, setting their target on Kian. FALLING ANGELS use absolutely amazing and definitely out-shined the first book. My heart was pounding and I was on the edge of my seat. The cliffhanger ending left me heartbroken and wanting the next book right away. If you are a fan of angel romances and the fight against good and evil, this is the book for you.

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Crash

“Kian! Catch me!” My chalk-white wings spun crazily in the gust of wind as I plummeted toward the soft grass in the park. Soft or not, I didn’t want my nose slamming into the green. I already dyed my hair a new color - blonde. I didn’t need a new nose too.

Plus I wore a pair of new black skinny jeans and I couldn’t have grass stains all over my clothes. I had to get used to wearing tube tops, since the wings ripped a few of my blouses on my first attempts at sprouting them out of my back and flying. I also hated showing my belly.

Kian’s face grimaced in pain as he saw me heading straight for him. He rubbed his fingers through his copper hair in quick thought before his glowing amber eyes caught mine, which were of silver-violet hues. I still couldn’t get over the fact that every time I grew into an angel, my eyes morphed from their natural color of sea-blue into something spectacular.

Soon after my transformation, I asked why my eyes carried a silver tint. I thought only demons had that color. Krysta snidely explained the reason. “You turned because of one of our own dying. Death and darkness makes the color silver.” Made sense, I guess. My eyes would always be a reminder of an Angelfire loss. Now, I had to get over the fact that in five seconds flat, I might be one with the earth.

Leaping towards me, Kian’s celestial form expanded its wings and the force of my body pleasantly met with his instead of the ground. Moments before I felt his regal arms embrace me, a soft bounce of our chests told me he found me. Safe. Minimal damage. Other than a slight pinch in my stomach and a few feathers bent on the right side, I felt fine.

The right side of his mouth curled up in a smile as his pink lips rubbed mine. His winged arms braced my back as his hands and fingers caressed my neck. We floated upward toward the moon; two souls bound as one. Warmth from his angel-esque form felt as if I had curled up next to a fireplace with the one I loved.

We had waited so long to be physical with each other that, as we kissed, we forgot to care about anything else around us for a moment. Lost in his eyes, I never wanted to leave the safety of his chest and the comforts of his wings.

However, life has a way of changing things.

“Ali,” he whispered, “It’s time for you to use your gift.”

I flinched. The mere thought of fire scared me. How could I propel the dangerous blaze from my fingers?

“But?”

“No buts this time. This gift is your weapon. You’ll need it someday, because I can’t be with you 24-7, and we have Samuel’s life to look after now too.”

The sound of my brother’s name caused my mind to return to the night when Dameon changed my life forever: the night he murdered Nathaniel; the night Samuel saw the angel world for the first time; the night I had been changed into an Angelfire.

“Yes, my brother.” He weighed heavily on me. After all, I drew him into this world and into this danger. “I have to do this for him.”

Kian twirled me as if I were a feather in his hand. I became completely weightless. “Are you ready?”

“I think I finally am.”

My body dropped with his. Our wings went from undulation to retreating into our sides. Standing on the wet grass, I was reminded that it had rained just hours earlier. Good thing too, because it made sure everyone was indoors or had found shelter somewhere else while Kian and I used our powers.

“Just focus, Ali. You can do it,” Kian encouraged, his confident sunglow eyes on me.

A burning sensation rose underneath my palms. I could feel the heat as if standing over a stove, but every time I tried to push, nothing came out of me. I squeezed my hands, my forehead wrinkled and when I opened up, nothing.

“What am I doing wrong?”

“You fear the power. You’re afraid of what it might do, where it might go. The gift feels your fear.”

“Then how do I get over it?”

“The secret is to embrace your power. Look at where you want the flame to go and focus.”

I closed my eyes and threw my hands forward, squeezing and releasing as my thoughts churned, but only my father came to mind.

“I can’t,” I cried and threw my hands to my forehead. I fumbled backward, but Kian grabbed my shoulder to steady me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I know you, Ali. It’s something.”

My eyes swelled with salty tears, “It’s...it’s my father.” My chest rose and shrank several times with heaving breaths. Kian drew me into his strong form.

“I’m here. You can tell me.”

“He was a fire-fighter. The fire, the smoke everyday just finally got to him, made his heart weak.”

“And he died.” Kian spoke with a low sound, a sound that told me he understood pain too.

“Just like that.” The tears slipped down my pinking cheeks.

“You don’t have to be afraid of the fire, Ali.” Kian grasped my hand. With his other fingers, he wiped my tears. “The flames won’t take you too. You can control them, own them.”

I had no more words, only heaps of emotion, I didn’t know what to do with. Fear and bravery competed with each other beneath my skin. An invisible battle waged, and then I heard the words that tipped the scales in my favor.

“Remember, Ali, this power came to you because of Nathaniel, because he is gone. Fire is a gift. Don’t let the flames die with him. Don’t let this gift die with your father. Both of them would want you to conquer your fear.”

I took in a deep breath, sniffled one last time, and nodded my head. As I turned from Kian, and entered into my own space, a space I knew would soon be the conception of a power so strong it could take life, I felt the presence of something magical. Maybe my father’s spirit? Maybe something inside of me changed?

I focused on the air pocket five feet in front of me and a flicker in my eyes fixed Kian’s full attention on my hands. However, I no longer saw my dying father, but a ghostly father and a ghostly Nathaniel standing beside me. Glowing red-orange, my palms could have been mistaken for stars.

Then, as if I had been shooting flames all my life, the fire burst out from underneath my skin and rushed a pocket of air. The fire moved at my simple command, the orangey flames swirled and swiveled in the contained space, an area that had become, for a time, my fixation.

Then, just as soon as they had been born, they died.

“You did it, Ali,” Kian said matter-of-factly.

“Yes,” I beamed, like a kid opening his Christmas gift, “I did.”

“Do it again, but this time hit the tree.” He pointed ahead.

“No, Kian, that will cause a park fire.”

“It won’t. I’ll use my gift of ice to freeze it.” My eyes shot at him half uncertain that his plan would work.

“Trust me.” I had to admit I completely did.

“Okay, here goes.” I flipped my palms up and felt the tingling of heat surge along my skin before the radiant flames shot across the grass and into the chestnut trunk of the tree. The bark lit up in crackles and the fire moved as if a forbidden dance.

Suddenly, a bolt of ice crashed into the tree, splinters of frost and bark blew left and right...but the flames, the chaotic motion of reds and oranges, shriveled into nothingness.

“It worked,” I tried not to sound doubtful it ever would.

“Again.” Kian could see the exhaustion in my face from flying, and then firing fire. The whole experience took a lot out of me, but he also wanted me ready for anything. The Were and Fanged demons wouldn’t hesitate to kill me. He knew it and I knew it.

“I’m so tired.”

“I know, but evening is our only time to practice and avoid being seen. You can do it, Ali. I believe in you.”

I sighed, and then when I saw Kian’s elegant wings lift him into the air, I somehow grew the strength to push the image of my bed pillows from the forefront of my mind.

With a deep breath, my toes pushed me into the air and I floated, every time feeling as if the first. Then I grabbed onto Kian’s outstretch hand.Freezing.

“I need you to use your gift while flying,” he spoke with cold air clouting my face.

I nodded and then let go of him to lift my palms forward. I had to do this, not only for myself, but also for my family. At anytime the demons could kill Samuel to get their Essence back, or even try to get at him through Mom. I already lost my father. I couldn’t lose anyone else.

With two arms up and one leg balancing, I felt as if I belonged in a David Copperfield performance and if I hadn’t been the main attraction, I’d have been the one in the audience making notations in my mind like, he is totally using wires! Wings are so fake! Except nothing about this could be more real, though sometimes I could hardly believe this angel existence myself.

I focused on flying and not on plummeting to the ground as I had done so many times before. Harder than it looked. I’d been surfing only once in my life. A vacation trip I took with Dad and Samuel a long time ago. I remembered the waves under my board, and how they pushed me every which way and I remembered how unbalanced the world seemed at the time. However, surfing didn’t come close to the difficulties of flying. Every time I looked down, I became nauseous and whenever another gust of wind rushed past me, I lost my balance.

Still, I had to get over myself. Nathaniel would not be proud, and I owed it to my father and to my brother. If they could risk their lives every day as a fireman and a policeman to serve the city, then the least I could do would be to serve as AngelFire.

I managed to hover above ground without tumbling downward for several minutes and actually felt stable. Then I grew courageous and threw my palms into the pocket of wind that crashed past me. Fire lit up the sky. I went from magic act to circus performer, just like that.

The fire didn’t last long, because ice soon melted into the flames and then fell like rain, making the park seem like the next hot spot for a Harry Potter movie.

“You did it!” Kian grinned and threw his fluffy feathers around me. He engulfed me completely and I never felt safer than when I rested in his chest. His arms would always protect me.

The protective embraces never felt long enough with him, but I needed more practice using my gifts. After all, New York depended on the Angelfire and me to keep them safe from the demons, and though a thankless job, where the human world never even knew what went on around them, I knew.

After squeezing Kian tightly, I fluttered further up into the dark night sky and balled my fists before forming a mental picture of fire. I bolted toward Kian who still hovered above the ground below me and then released my palms in the opposite direction. Flames spread over the air like a forest fire, as if my mind moved the waves of sparkling color...and I guess my mind did.

I controlled the fire bursting from my hands, the chaotic movements of red as they mesmerized me, until Kian propelled two icicles, one from each palm, into my sea of flames. Within seconds, the ice swallowed the heat emanating from the flames, cooling my skin, until eventually, the very core of the fire itself extinguished.

We both stared at each other as if something otherworldly just took place, and in a way, something just had. His eyes reminded me of the fire in the sky, so brilliant and bright. I couldn’t take mine off of his.

“Ali,” the sound of his voice kept my full attention, “promise me something. Promise me, you’ll never get lost in this angel world. We lose too many to the other side for this rush of power. I can never lose you.”

I must have appeared dumbfounded. I never even contemplated the effects these kinds of powers would have over me. If anything, I felt afraid of them, not longing for more...but still, many like me, or maybe even better than me, had fallen vulnerable to the darkness and had been snatched up into the flock led by Azrael and Dameon.

My celestial eyes locked with the concern in his, “I won’t.”

He drew closer to me, with wings flapping, and his bare chest damp with moisture from his melted ice. A shiver rushed through him from a gust of passing wind and his hands trembled. Hairs on his chest stood on end. “I won’t,” I repeated and tugged his chilled form into my warm breast, wrapping my wings around him. “You are all I want.”

His icy body absorbed my heat, the heat from my fiery hands. This warmth and those reassuring words could be my only solace for him. He saved my life during junior year and I felt I owed him more than just my loyalty. However, for tonight, this would have to be enough.

When the sun began to rise, we ended our practice as we had so many other nights and headed out of the park. We flew side by side until reaching my house and then I crept through the open window. Kian followed.

“I’ll come by late in the morning. We’ll go to the Angelfire house together,” Kian mentioned as an afterthought.

“I’d like that.” I had wanted to go for sometime, ever since turning angel. Questions swirled in my mind that I knew only the house could answer. Answers only Sammael had, answers only the secret books held.

“I can see your mind racing. What is it, Ali?”

I shook my head, “Nothing.” Actually, everything. I needed to know more about the Weres and Fanged demons and more about Azrael and Dameon. If I was going to help defeat them, I needed to know all I could, but I also knew the Angelfire house kept tight reins on all their secrets.

I would have to play this one well.

After giving Kian a soft kiss on the cheek, he pulled me closer and our lips met. His heavenly features and tender touch always made him unforgettable. No boy had ever kissed me as he did, as if everything in his fiber poured out of him in that single moment, just to be with me.

Climbing into bed, my wings collapsed into my sides. I hardly felt the transition anymore. I didn’t feel as exhausted as I once did when I had been human, but I still needed my sleep. Kian brushed my blonde hair as I closed my eyes and he eased my way into a dream. With him near me, dreams came easily.

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Quick Sniff Review: TUR by S.T. Bende

Title: Tur

Series: The Elsker Saga #0.5

Author: S.T. Bende

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Mythology

Publisher: S.T. Bende

ASIN: B00K5DRHOE
Release Date: May 5, 2014
Source: Amazon.com
Links: Goodreads  ☆ Amazon

Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory.

Some things are worth fighting for.

Inga Andersson has everything a goddess could ask for - a loving husband in Gunnar and a best friend in Ull, who are both among the top warriors of Asgard - except for the job she really wants. She is an accomplished fight choreographer and battle tactician, but she wants to be a warrior - to actually use her strategies herself. When dark elves attack Asgard, Inga sees her opportunity to protect Asgard as well as her best friend, Ull who has become a target himself. But Inga isn't the only one who is getting a raw deal. Ull has retired from fighting, but his grandfather Odin orders him to postpone his duties as God of Winter and take up the mantle of God of War, just for the duration of the battle with the invading dark elves. When all is said and done, Inga is still denied her request for the title of warrior and Odin wants Ull to continue as God of War. Inga suggests to Ull and Gunnar that they go on vacation to Midgard, to get away and wait for Ull's destined soul mate, Kristia Tostenson.

So I am a HUGE fan of S.T. Bende's Elsker Saga, so I was really excited to get the chance to read this prequel. TUR shows us the events that eventually lead to Inga, Gunnar, and Ull coming to Midgard. We see Inga's struggle to be recognized as the warrior that she is and we get to see more of the dynamics of her marriage to Gunnar. We can also see the depth of Ull's loneliness and his hopefullness with the arrival of Kristia in Wales. The end of TUR seriously left me choked up with tears in my eyes. Ull is such a sweetheart and we really see that at the end when he learns when Kristia is arriving. I also loved seeing Inga's love for Ull and her determination to see him with Kristia. Inga and Gunnar are the greatest of friends that Ull could ask for. I just really loved seeing the depths within their relationship. This is a group of friends that I think anyone would hope to have. Inga, Gunnar, and Ull are just awesome and I love them to pieces.

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5.5 Sniffs Review: GOING DOWN IN FLAMES by Chris Cannon #Giveaway

Title: Going Down in Flames

Author: Chris Cannon

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Entangled Teen
ASIN: B00KP8AGRE
Release Date: June 30, 2014
Source: NetGalley ☆ YA Bound Book Tours ☆ Tour Schedule
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Barnes and Noble ☆ Kobo

If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone you can't have.

GOING DOWN IN FLAMES has become one of my favorite books so far this year! I absolutely loved the story and the characters are so much fun to read about. Bryn is a no nonsense kind of girl, she doesn't take crap from no one. And Zavien was a real surprise. When you first meet him, he seems kind of like a creep, but as we (and Bryn) get to know him, he's really caring and protective. All the characters have their own unique personalities and qualities. This whole book just left me with a smile on my face while I has reading and after. I was so drawn in that when I reached the end of the book I was surprised and kind of sad that the story was over (for now). I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in this amazing new series!

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Review: CARNELIAN by B. Kristin McMichael #Giveaway

Title: Carnelian

Series: The Chalcedony Chronicles #1

Author: B. Kristin McMichael

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Lexia Press, LLC

ASIN: B00HS941GK

Release Date: January 9, 2014

Source: NetGalley ☆ YA Bound Book Tours ☆ Tour Schedule

Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Barnes and Noble ☆ The Book Depository ☆ Book Trailer

Everyone has a past, but for most it isn’t as long ago as Seth Sangre. His past is literally thousands of years ago. Seth’s life led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now and just found exactly what he has been looking for.

Mari had dreams that college will be a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself and not fall for the handsome Seth. But he doesn’t plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest. As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a life of his own that’s actually from the past.

Suddenly Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She’s connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be and maybe the player isn’t who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.

What do you do when a hot guy literally falls into your lap? Run. In CARNELIAN, that's exactly what happens to Mari. She just wanted to start college fresh and stay away from and not fall for any hot guys like she did in high school. But that plan fails, when on her first day of school, Seth literally falls asleep in her lap. As the story progresses, Mari learns a lot about Seth and his life, as well as her own. Secrets are revealed and Mari is in for the adventure of a lifetime. This is a fun story and you'll be wanting the sequel right way!

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5 Sniffs Review: THE MARK OF THE TALA by Jeffe Kennedy

Title: The Mark of Tala

Series: The Twelve Kingdoms #1

Author: Jeffe Kennedy

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B00GYLVPLW
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Source: NetGalley ☆ Bewitching Book Tours ☆ Tour Schedule
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon

Queen Of The Unknown

The tales tell of three sisters, daughters of the high king. The eldest, a valiant warrior-woman, heir to the kingdom. The youngest, the sweet beauty with her Prince Charming. No one says much about the middle princess, Andromeda. Andi, the other one.

Andi doesn't mind being invisible. She enjoys the company of her horse more than court, and she has a way of blending into the shadows. Until the day she meets a strange man riding, who keeps company with wolves and ravens, who rules a land of shapeshifters and demons. A country she'd thought was no more than legend--until he claims her as its queen.

In a moment everything changes: Her father, the wise king, becomes a warlord, suspicious and strategic. Whispers call her dead mother a traitor and a witch. Andi doesn't know if her own instincts can be trusted, as visions appear to her and her body begins to rebel.

For Andi, the time to learn her true nature has come. . .

THE GIST: Princess Andromeda feels pretty un-extraordinary compared to her sisters, that is until she meets a strange man during her daily horse ride who claims that she belongs to him and is to be his queen. A deal was made and broken, and he is there to claim what is rightfully his - the daughter of the High King who bares the Mark of Tala - Andromeda. As war breaks out, Andi dreams of the stranger and she slowly begins to change. Can Andi stop the war between the Twelve Kingdoms and the Tala by claiming her rightful place as queen before it's too late?

WHAT I LIKED: One thing I liked what the mystery about who the Tala are and the truth about Andi's mother. There's little known about the Tala in the beginning, but as the story progresses their history is revealed and it's very interesting. And Andi's mother is a completely different mystery altogether. We learn a little about her in this first book, but there is still so much more to learn about her. I also really liked the chemistry between Andi and Rayfe. There is this wild and free element to it that really shows their animal side and that brings scorching passion to their relationship. Andi's journey of finding herself and accepting herself for who she really is was one of my favorite parts.

WHAT I DISLIKED: The only thing I didn't like was how Andi was always putting herself down, at least in the beginning. She feels invisible and inferior to her sisters - one who is the warrior heir to the throne and the other is the beautifully sweet one. But Andi is so much more than she realizes and that is why I loved her journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

Andromeda: Middle daughter of the High King. Feels invisible most of the time, compared to her sisters. Loves the wilderness and animals, especially her horse, Fiona. Bares the Mark of Tala, making her heir to being Queen of the Tala. Rayfe approaches her, saying that she is rightfully his according to the deal made by her father. Has abilities she doesn't understand. She can see vision of the future, and various other abilities. As she continues her journey she comes to learn about herself, her mother, and her people. 

Rayfe: King of the Tala. Meets Andi on the border of the Wild Lands. Claims that she is to be his Queen in accordance with the deal made with her father. Has the ability to shift into a wolf and a large falcon. He seems hard and savage on the outside, but he's actually very loving and caring. He will do whatever necessary to protect his people from the threat of the High King.

Ursula: Eldest daughter of the High King. Heir to the throne. A seasoned and hardened warrior. Leads the High Kings armies into war. Loves her sisters and will do anything to protect them, even from themselves.

Amelia: Youngest daughter of the High King. Beautiful and sweet. Wife to Prince Hugh. Is very close to Andi and loves her dearly. She's distraught with the war going on and the Tala trying to take Andi away.

Hugh: Prince of Avonlidgh. Son of King Erich. Was originally meant to marry Ursula, but he fell in love with Amelia.

In THE MARK OF TALA, I would say the High King Uorsin is the villain. When he learns that Andi met with Rayfe of the Tala, he goes into full combat mode and declares war. He locks Andi up in the castle to keep her from being able to meet or be caught by any of the Tala. He becomes a cruel and evil man, bent of destroying the Tala. He shows clear distaste for Andi, and only wants to use her as a piece on his war board. He is a dangerous adversary, indeed.

Okay, this is one of my most favorite parts in the whole book, the romance between Andi and Rayfe. They meet on the border of the Wild Lands. Andi's horse, Fiona, throws her off, and Rayfe with his pack of wolfhounds is standing over her. They fight, banter, kiss, and then Andi stabs Rayfe in the shoulder. She escapes, but Rayfe promises that things aren't over between them and she hasn't escapes him. "I am your fate. I have a taste of your blood now. Run now if you're afraid, but I will come after you. I will always find you. You will be mine." And that is basically their first meeting.

When the meeting is discovered by her father, war is declared and she is pretty much made a prisoner in the castle and a pawn to be used against the Tala. But Rayfe never once gives up, even when Andi is taken secretly to Prince Hugh's land for protection.

There is this wildness and even savageness (not in a bad way) to their relationship that hints to the animals within them. Their passion is something off the charts, and as they come to love one another, that love is very strong. They both are willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. They do fight quite a lot too as they get to know one another. And sometimes there's even a few silly moments. All in all, I just really loved these two as a couple. I can't wait to see more of them in the future.

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5 Sniffs Review: WHERE THE CARNIES ARE by Kayla Curry

Title: Where the Carnies Are

Author: Kayla Curry

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Kayla Curry

ASIN: B00JVWR01K

Release Date: April 22, 2014

Source: Kayla Curry ☆ Booksniffer Review Tours

Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ Barnes and Noble ☆ Smashwords

Olive is having a very bad day. She caught her boyfriend cheating on her, she lost her job, and she stumbled into a portal leading to a secret carnival kingdom which she can’t escape. The good news is she meets an eccentric, but stunningly handsome knife thrower. The bad news is she can’t go home for another two months.

The world she lands in is full of sideshow characters, terrifying amusement rides and her biological parents’ past. She was born a carny, but raised as a normal human. Magic lives in her blood, but it hasn’t reached her heart. To find out who she really is, and why carnies are disappearing, Olive must deceive the king with the help of Alex the knife thrower.

Olive and Alex play a dangerous game with their emotions when they decide to have a fling during Olive’s stay. They both lead very different lives and being together would mean one of them giving up the life they've always known.

Tricks and traps are around every corner in this kingdom. Few can be trusted and Olive will need all the help she can get to make it through unscathed.

THE GIST: Olive is having the worst day of her life - her boyfriend cheated on her, she's lost her job, and now her car has broken down on the side of the road. Heading toward the lights of a nearby farmhouse, she stumbled through a gateway into a secret carny kingdom. Trapped for two months until the gate reopens, a knife thrower named Alex takes her in, teaches her about being a carny, helps her learn about who she truly is, and loves her with all his heart. Olive has a destiny prophesied before her birth that could mean the salvation or destruction of the world and people she's come to love.

WHAT I LIKED: Practically everything. I loved how the author was so descriptive about the carny kingdom. I could picture it so clearly in my head that I felt like I was there with them. All of the talents were really interesting and I liked seeing how even the most simple talent could help in a huge way. There were some really sad moments as the war raged that made me want to cry. And there is a surprise twist that I never saw coming toward the end. I was just drawn into the story of WHERE THE CARNIES ARE from the very beginning. I really want to read more about this world and it's people, so I hope that there will be more to come.

WHAT I DISLIKED: The only thing that I disliked a little was how fast Alex and Olive fell in love. BUT it's not without it's complications and dangers, so that made up for the almost insta-love romance.

Olive: Grew up in the outside world, but has very strong carny blood. Olive and her powers were prophesied to save the kingdom from the King, but if used wrong they could also be it's destruction. Falls in love with Alex, but worries that when everything is said and done, they will be torn apart.

Alex: A knife thrower. Felt drawn to Olive when she first came through the gate. He takes her in and helps her discover who she truly is. They fall in love, but his gift for never growing old is an obstacle they need to face in the future.

King Oscar: Was once best friends with Alex, but when he became king they grew apart. Plans to use Olive and her power for his own devices.

Queen Annika: She's more mysterious and dangerous than anyone realizes. 

Madame Sergi: A fortune teller that Olive met in the outside world. She is a huge help in guiding Olive in the right direction she must take.

Lola & Leo: The tattooed lady and the pierced man. Been together for 5 years. They become fast friends with Olive and Alex.

There are so many other amazing characters in WHERE THE CARNIES ARE! 

I can't say too much about King Oscar and his plans, since it would give too much away. But I will say that as a Charmer, he has the power to control carnies to his will. That is very dangerous - if you let the music in and dancer you're in his control, even tapping a finger or toe will do it. He plans to put Olive under his control to fulfill his plan, and that could mean the destruction of not only the carny world but the outside as well.

I felt that the romance between Olive and Alex, although a little rushed, was one of the sweetest ones I have ever read. I enjoyed seeing them together so much. One of my favorite moments was when they first went to the Carousel and the horse that chose Alex also chose Olive. You see, once a horse chooses you, no other will. You belong to that horse and that horse to you. So Alex's horse chose Olive too, and when the horses name was revealed, I couldn't help but smile. I'm not going to say what it is, though. The love, trust and devotion these two have with each other is just remarkable. I loved every second of it.

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Review: THE BOOK OF BART by Ryan Hill #Excerpt

Title: The Book of Bart

Author: Ryan Hill

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

ASIN: B00KH7ZUD8
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Source: Ryan Hill ☆ Booksniffer Review Tours ☆ Tour Schedule
Links: Goodreads ☆ Amazon

Only one thing is so powerful, so dangerous that Heaven and Hell must work together to find it: the Shard of Gabriel.

With a mysterious Black Cloud of Death hot on the shard’s trail, a desperate Heaven enlists the help of Bart, a demon who knows more about the shard than almost anyone. Six years ago, he had it in his hands. If only he’d used it before his coup to overthrow the devil failed. Now, he’s been sprung from his eternal punishment to help Samantha, an angel in training, recover the shard before the Black Cloud of Death finds it.

If Bartholomew wants to succeed, he’ll have to fight the temptation to betray Samantha and the allure of the shard. After an existence full of evil, the only way Bart can get right with Hell is to be good.

I am still reading the book, so my review will be up as soon as I finish. 

Please enjoy the excerpt in the meantime.

Samantha burst out of The House of the Rising Sun, trying to catch up to me. “Wait. Where are you going?”

I waved her off. “You’re on your own, kiddo.”

“Where are you going?”

“Wherever the day takes me. Disney World. The moon. I don’t know and I don’t care.” I lit a cigarette and took a drag. “I’m not messing with a female demon, or whatever it is,” I said, exhaling through my nose. “You think I’m bad? I at least have fun when I’m working. Those harpies just…they take things way too seriously.”

Female demons are the worst. So insecure. One look at another woman and next thing you know, the Titanic is sinking. Believe me, I know from experience.

“How can I stop one of them from getting the Shard?”

I stopped and turned around, moving within inches of her face. “They probably already have it. Why else would Pierce have attacked me? Why do you think we got jumped at the museum?”

Samantha shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“Right,” I snapped. Lies. Or as angels call it, distortion of the truth. Anger boiled in my veins. I considered letting my horns out to play. It would be nothing to ram them through her chest, ruining her perfect C-cups. “So tell me, little miss angel face, why should I help you when you won’t tell me what you know?”

Samantha bit her lower lip, like she carefully considered what to say next. A wise move. I wanted to impale her like a matador.

“Well?” I pressed the button on my keyless entry to unlock my car. “I don’t have all day. I’d like to deflower a virgin or two before sundown.”

Her expression became stolid. “I can’t believe you’re scared,” she said derisively. “You. A demon. Afraid of a girl.”

She laughed and laid a hand on the roof of my Benz, adding to her offense.

I’d have removed her hand from her body, but she’d called out my demonhood, and addressing that took precedence. Nobody accused me of being afraid.

“Scared?” I spit out my cigarette. “I’m not scared. I’m just smart enough to know when to close up shop. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Samantha’s lips curled upward. “Maybe they did send me the wrong demon. Next time I’ll make sure they send me someone who knows how to finish the job.”

Oh, that burned. This girl was good. And I bought into it, because to be fair, why should I stand idly by and let somebody else succeed in my stead? I wanted to pat her on the back for such a fine manipulation, but thought better of it.

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4.5 Sniffs Review: RINGMASTER by Trudi Jaye #Excerpt

Title: Ringmaster

Series: Carnival #1

Author: Trudi Jaye

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Star Media Ltd
ASIN: B00KIYOAEA
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Source: Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours ☆ Tour Schedule
Links: Amazon

Roll up! Roll up! Join us for the greatest show on Earth!

The magical Jolly Carnival is the only life Rilla Jolly knows—and it’s all falling apart around her. Just as she’s thrust into the role of Ringmaster after her father’s unexpected death, an old family friend turns up to challenge her birthright.

Her rival's sexy son Jack isn’t helping either. Despite being a greenhorn and an outsider, he’s intent on charming everyone, convincing them that Rilla isn’t up to the task. It’s not going to be easy to persuade the Carnival folk she’s still the best choice to lead them all.

But Rilla must also contend with another threat—the ongoing sabotage that has been disturbing their delicate magical balance and threatening to destroy the Carnival. All signs point to an insider, making it impossible to know who to trust.

To save her beloved Carnival, Rilla must do everything in her power to find the saboteur before they attack again—but if she takes her eye off the battle for Ringmaster for even a second, she risks losing the one thing she’s trained for her entire life.

4.5 Sniffs - 

We're thinking that this book may make a great forever home for our sniffers...

CHAPTER ONE

The red-and-white tent roof shuddered in the wind and rain. Ropes and canvas flapped, as if Abacus himself were objecting to his final resting place.

Rilla swallowed hard around the lump that had been permanently stuck in her throat since she’d been told of her father's death. All around her were Carnival folk, their heads tilted upward, tears running down many faces.

It couldn't be true. Her larger-than-life father was limitless, unbeatable. Certainly not meant to die in a stupid car crash.

Over their heads, Missy crawled along the high-wire rigging toward the top of the massive tent. The silver of her leotard sparkled under the lights, and her long legs clung to the ropes with an elegance that hid powerful muscles. Every pair of eyes in the tent watched as she completed the tradition that had been started three hundred years before, by the nine original families.

The ashes of almost every member of the Jolly Carnival who’d passed on were contained in one of the two huge round tent poles. They literally held the very essence of the Carnival. And now her bright and brilliant father was another collection of ash in the Carnival tradition.

Barb squeezed her hand; Rilla glanced at her and nodded. It was Barb’s daughter Missy up there doing the final ceremony, and she was glad it was someone who’d loved her father almost as much as she did. Rilla looked around the tent, trying to memorize the people. Everyone was there, from the newest greenhorn to the oldest hand, crowded into the massive big top. She knew every face in the room.

Rubbing at the tears running down her face, Rilla felt her anger flare again. She’d been keeping it at bay, but every so often, it burned its way up her throat. She wanted to shout at someone, hit them, cry out at the injustice.

It wasn't right.

A violin began to play a slow, haunting melody. The tune hit the chorus and she recognized it. She tried to smile. From her other side, Christoph’s muscular arm clamped around her shoulders, and she listened silently to the rest of the ABBA song that Viktor was playing in slow time.

The song was a lovely idea, but her father would have hated the slowness. He loved the speed of the tunes by the Swedish band. He'd always said the tents went up faster to the beat of “Mama Mia.” And he'd always preferred the nickname Abba to his full name Abacus.

"He wouldn't want you to be sad, little one," said Christoph as he gave her another squeeze with his massive arm.

She looked up at him and took comfort in his familiar lined features. He was the strongman of the Carnival in more ways than one. "I know. But it doesn't help."

"No, it doesn’t. Come, we should go now." Rilla allowed Christoph to gently pull her toward the tent flaps that would take them away from the crowds of people. His mustache twitched, and she knew he was trying not to cry at the loss of his friend.

As they walked out, a flash of blue hair caught her eye. A man stood near a side entrance to the big top, his expression a strange mix of anger and excitement. His shock of blue hair stood at attention on his head, and he wore a black shirt with matching black trousers. A ripple of unease washed through Rilla. The stranger caught and held her gaze. Then he turned and disappeared out into the storm.

Rilla frowned. She opened her mouth to question Christoph, then closed it again. Her father knew literally thousands of people. He’d been a big, charismatic personality who’d lived his entire life on the circuit. There could be any number of people she’d never met who could claim a relationship with him.

The blue-haired man might have seemed out of place, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t be there.

She glanced back up at Christoph as they neared the exit. For the first time, she noticed the grey hair mixed with the black on his head. Her father and Christoph had grown up together, lived their lives together. The big man had helped Abacus raise Rilla when her mother had left. He was going to feel the gap left by Abacus just as she did.

"Rilla, there's a problem."

"Pardon?" Rilla turned, trying to focus on the scruffy boy who’d stopped her. She blinked and recognized Joey, one of the younger runners.

"There's a man. He says…" Joey trailed off as an older man strode past him, straight up to Christoph and Rilla. He pushed out his chin and glared at them both.

"My name is Blago Knight. I’m here to claim the title of Ringmaster."

Rilla felt the world sway. If Christoph hadn't been holding her up, she didn’t think she would have remained standing. The momentary confusion cleared and she blinked, looking at the man in front of her. Her gaze narrowed.

Who the hell did he think he was?

"You do realize this is my father's funeral?" she said, her voice breaking in the middle. She cleared her throat and pulled herself together. She was the Carnival leader now.

"Of course I realize it, young lady. But it doesn't change the fact that I demand to speak to the Nine. You must convene an emergency session."

"You’ll have to wait, Blago. This isn't the time." Christoph's voice boomed unnaturally loud. Every eye in the crowded room focused on Rilla and the stranger.

"I know the rules as well as anyone, Christoph. I have to announce my intentions to the Nine immediately or it’s too late.” He glanced at Rilla. “If you stand in my way, you forfeit your rights to the Ringmaster claim."

Shivers raced across her skin as she stared at the old man in front of her. Bushy eyebrows covered bloodshot eyes, dark and fierce at their center. The lined face was surrounded by a seething mass of white, frizzy hair. He held a black cane in one hand and an old-fashioned bowler hat in the other.

How could he have a legitimate claim? She didn't understand. She'd never even heard of him.

A knot of tension pushed against her temple, and a headache crawled across her scalp. She lifted one hand to her forehead and rubbed at it, trying to break up the pain that was bashing around inside her head. She just needed a moment to clear her head, time to think without this grief filling her up until she was ready to burst with the pain. But rules were rules. "Come with me. It will be informal but enough to judge your claim and if you’re valid."

"‘Course I'm valid. Just ask ol' Christoph here. He'll vouch for me."

Rilla looked up at Christoph in shock.

Her oldest family friend nodded and she realized he’d used Blago’s first name a moment ago. Of course he knew him. But how? And why had she never heard of this stranger? “Fine.” She looked around and gestured to the others in the Nine. They would meet immediately to determine his claim.

***

Rilla paced along the narrow aisle in her caravan, clenching and unclenching her hands. "How can someone I've never heard of have a claim? It doesn't make sense," she said.

Christoph lifted his head from his hands. "I'd never have thought…" He cleared his throat. "Abba… your father would never have expected him to come back. It was so long ago." He lowered his head into his hands again and seemed to shrink into the small sofa in Rilla’s lounge area.

"What was so long ago? What is this all about?"

He looked up again, shaking his head. "He was in the show crew, probably would have been Showmaster instead of me if he’d stayed. But he was thrown out, thirty years plus three."

"Thirty-three years?” Rilla stopped pacing. “Isn't that…? He tried to stop a Gift?"

Christoph nodded. "Got himself and his family kicked out. Everyone back then was shocked, especially Abba. They were tight."

"His whole family?"

Again, Christoph nodded. "Mother, father, sister—they all helped him. He fell for the Mark, interfered with her Gift."

She'd been told, her father had drummed it into her, but she'd never really thought… The Carnival had thrown someone out? Left them behind to survive without the help of the group? "But surely…" She stopped when she saw Christoph shaking his head. "No wonder he's pissed."

"Listen, Rilla, he'll have support from some of the older ones who've been rumbling that you're too young to be Ringmaster and that you won’t be able to deal with the sabotage problem."

"It's not against the rules to be young." She crossed her arms and glared at him. Her father hadn’t expected to die and leave her to run things at twenty-four years of age, but she was perfectly capable of doing it.

"No, just uncomfortable for some of the older ones to accept." Christoph heaved a sigh and rubbed one hand over his forehead.

"And some of the younger ones."

He shrugged. "You'll just have to prove them wrong. You've been raised for this, Amaryllis Jolly. It's your family name on the sign out front, your family that survived the wreck, and your father that's been running the show for the last forty years. Don't forget that."

“I can’t forget it. But…” She rubbed her hand over her stiff neck muscles.

“Don’t doubt yourself, Rilla. This isn’t the time or place. You’re the acting Ringmaster until the Carnival chooses someone to lead. You’ve got an advantage and you need to use it. You need to prove to everyone, especially the Carnival, that you’re the right person for the job, and you’ve got to do it quick. Blago, he’s a smart man. He’ll take every advantage he can get.”

“How well do you know him?”

Christoph sighed. “He was one of the old gang. We were all tight when we were kids. But I’ve changed since then. Maybe he has too.”

Rilla took a deep breath. “The Nine accepted it pretty easily.”

"What else could they say? He's legitimate, Rilla. Him and his son."

"His son?"

"The fella that was waiting outside the tent. Tall, dark hair."

Rilla shook her head. How could she have overlooked the son? It frightened her that she could have missed something so simple.

"Nah, he stood back. Let his da do the talking. Blago was raised Carnival. But the boy, he's green and he looked it. That'll count against him, no doubt there."

Rilla nodded. Outsiders weren’t welcomed easily.

"Where are they now?" She had to plan, to figure out how she was going to fix this.

"In the food tent, where you should be."

"I'll get there.” It was her father’s funeral; of course she would be there. “How long do I have?"

"‘Til the end of our stay here. Three weeks. After that, we’re headed for the Compound with a new Ringmaster."

Rilla nodded. Winter was almost on them; they were due a rest. "Has there been a Mark named yet?"

Christoph shook his head. "Maybe there won't be. We'll be busy dealing with this. Maybe the Carnival will give us a break."

"We can't count on it,” said Rilla. “Tell Joey to keep an eye out, and let me know as soon as something happens. We can't lose focus just because we're in the middle of a crisis."

"Listen, Rilla, no one expects you to—"

"What? Do what I've been trained to do? This wouldn't have stopped my father, and it won’t stop me." Rilla banged her fist against the wall. Glass rattled in the ancient trailer, and she scowled. It might be the biggest trailer in the Carnival, but it sure wasn't the newest.

"Christoph, what happened to the Mark he fell for?" she asked.

"Last I heard, Blago married her."

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