Review + Giveaway (US/CAN): Wanted: Dead or in Love

Info: 

Title: Wanted: Dead or in Love
Author: Kym Brunner
Publisher: Merit Press
Publication Date: June 30, 2014
Source: I received a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Synopsis:
Impulsive high school senior Monroe Baker is on probation for a recent crime, but strives to stay out of trouble by working as a flapper at her father's Roaring 20's dinner show theater. When she cuts herself on one of the spent bullets from her father's gangster memorabilia collection, she unwittingly awakens Bonnie Parker's spirit, who begins speaking to Monroe from inside her head.

Later that evening, Monroe shows the slugs to Jack, a boy she meets at a party. He unknowingly becomes infected by Clyde, who soon commits a crime using Jack's body. The teens learn that they have less than twenty-four hours to ditch the criminals or they'll share their bodies with the deadly outlaws indefinitely.

Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect going into Wanted: Dead or in Love, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It was a good adventure and I really liked the paranormal aspects.

This one was told using dual POV, alternating between Monroe, a modern teen, and the legendary Clyde Barrow. I usually am not a huge fan of dual POV, but this time it really worked! I appreciated the noticeable differences in their voices and enjoyed the past vs. present differences.

I didn't know much about Bonnie and Clyde going into this book, so I liked that I actually learned a bit of history as well. I'm all for making learning fun!

Like I said, I really enjoyed the paranormal aspects of this book. Being possessed by the spirit of a dead gangster would be terrifying! I found the 'rules' for how being 'half-dead' worked fresh and unique and I really thought they worked.

However, I did have a few minor issues with the characters. All of them. Monroe is the kind of character who constantly makes bad decisions, especially in the first 40 pages or so. Since it was so early in the book, it made it hard for me to like her for most of it, since we didn't have a relationship before she went around going stupid crap. Jack was such a little wiener for most of the book. I understand he was put in a really crappy situation, but it seemed like he did everything that he could to get in Monroe's way. Bonnie was mostly just annoying. She had such a one-track mind and no depth. I did end up feeling pretty bad for her in the end. And Clyde just gave me the heebie jeebies! He came off really sleazy to me with all his pickup lines mixed with his chauvinistic attitude. I definitely couldn't see the attraction there. Also, horniest ghost ever!

Despite my issues with the characters, I really enjoyed this one based on the paranormal aspects and historical information. Recommended for history buffs and fans of alternative ghost stories.

Find the Book:

Goodread | Amazon | The Book Depository

Find the Author:

Goodreads | Web | Twitter | Facebook 

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Anyone But You by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes + Giveaway

I'm excited to share a new baby cover with you guys. This one is for book #3 in the Twisted Lit series, which does YA retellings of Shakespeare. You can check out my reviews of the first 2 books: Tempestuous and Exposure.

Book #3, Anyone But You, is a retelling of Shakespeare's most famous play, Romeo and Juliet. But in this version, the young lovers come from two warring pizzarias! I hope they fair a little better than the originals!

So without further ado, here's the brand new cover for Anyone But You!

 

Not only that, but Kim and Amy have been awesome enough to offer a giveaway! US. readers can enter here to win a SIGNED copy of Exposure, Kim and Amy's retelling of Macbeth. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Dark Fuel + Giveaway

Info:

Title: Dark Fuel
Author: Liz Maverick
Series: Arcania #2
Publisher: Coliloquy
Publication Date: October 2012

Blurb:

Adia is finally coming into her newfound arcanic spellcasting powers. She passed her first test at the academy with a dazzling, yet inconsistent, performance, proving that, while she has potential, she still has a lot of work to do before she’s considered an equal. Never mind that she has to be ready to battle the Synelv, the Arcanae’s deadly enemy.
Luckily, Adia is partnered with an elite team of fighters: the raw and muscular shield Grey, the dashing but deadly rogue Seger, and the trusty healer Finola. Precisely the support she needs to get up to speed with her magic. Good thing, because Adia has a lot on her plate besides learning to fight the enemy. There’s the mystery of Lara’s death to solve, Delphine the mean mage to outwit, and the academy competition to win. Not to mention that her friendship with Grey might be more than just that—if they can only keep from killing each other.

The war is escalating quickly and Match Game is drawing nearer by the day. There’s no such thing as practice anymore—the Arcanae have begun sending less experienced teams into battle, and the annual competition among the students comes with a twist that will make the stakes higher than ever.

It’s going to take a lot to keep Adia and her team focused on their battlefield mission. Will family secrets and romantic complications derail her and her teammates?

What’s Cool from Coliloquy
Dark Fuel is the second installment of a new Active Fiction series from Coliloquy. Throughout the series, author Liz Maverick uses a unique interactive format to augment the typical reading experience. Hunt for clues alongside Adia, unlock secret scenes, and read carefully, as Liz reveals some ereader magic of her own.

My Thoughts:

 I found Dark Fuel to be an improvement over the first Arcania novel, both in the story and in the interactive elements. I'll start with the interactive elements. The book starts off with a quiz hat allows you to find out which class you would belong to (I was a healer). Then there were a couple of hidden scenes that you would get to see depending on which class you ended up as. I thought that was very good. Once again though, I wish there was even more interactive elements, since I think it's a very cool idea.

On the the story. I found Dark Fuel to be much more pleasant overall, despite the fact they are in a war, because Adia finally had friends to share her highs and lows with. I felt so bad for her in the first book since she was so lonely, so I was happy that she had a supportive team behind her. However, don't get the idea that everything is rainbows and unicorns; there's a ton of action in this one.

My favourite part was watching Adia interact with her team. I loved how they all worked together and fed off of each other. I love Finola, she is so secretly kick-ass. And I'm also a fan of Seger, since I have a soft spot for sneaky, rogue types. And Grey. What can I say, other than I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.

And the ending! I love the cliff-hanger-y-ness of it. I want to talk about it, but it's a major spoiler, so you'll just have to read it to see what I mean!

Overall, I found Dark Fuel to be an improvement on Arcania #1, with a more fleshed out cast of a characters and improved interactive features.

On the Cover:

I like the style of the covers in this series, although I wish it was just Adia in the mirror.

Rating: 3.5 Hearts

Source: I received an ecopy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Coliloquy

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway:
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wisteria Blog Tour: Guest Post (Tens List)

I'm excited to welcome author Bisi Leyton to Megan Likes Books to talk about the 10 things she's learned as a writer. Welcome Bisi!!

Ten things you've learned as a writer

Number Ten

It’s a lonely job. No one’s ever going to be as invested in my work as I am. No matter how excited or thrilled I am about a plot twist, no one’s going to be more thrilled than me.

Number Nine

Everyone has an opinion and everyone’s opinion should be valued (even if I don’t agree).

Number Eight

You have to enjoy what you’re writing about and make it accessible to readers. I haven’t figured out the right balance yet, but I’m working at it.

Number Seven

Take time to invest in relationships otherwise you can spend six months on a book and people have moved on.

Number Six

I can actually write.

Number Five

Beta Readers are worth their weight in gold.

Number Four

Invest in a good editor

Number Three

Don’t over edit. At some point the books got to be ready, but knowing when is the trick.

Number Two

Don’t read reviews every day. I find a bad review can knock me off course for days, so I make it a habit of checking my reviews once a month. Then I can get all the hits at once.

Number One

It’s the best job in the world!

There's definitely some great advice in there! Thanks Bisi!

Wisteria by Bisi Leyton:

Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to survive among the hordes of living dead.

Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen before, but somehow knows.

Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.

Praise for Wisteria:

“I love the buildup of this story, getting to know the characters and watching their connection grow. I had no idea which way the story was headed and I was kept in suspense right up to the very end! It has plenty of action and a fascinating plot and I can’t wait to see what Bisi Leyton has for us next!!” 

~ Naomi Hop 

“There are a lot of great things in this book, so much more than zombies and a struggle for survival. At it’s base core it is about star-crossed lovers, literally and the supporting characters roles… Ms. Leyton brings to Wisteria a mixture of science fiction, fantasy, dystopic world with a twist to the paranormal romance angle!”

~ Cabin Goddess

“The book was full of nonstop action from the beginning until the end, and I did not put it down until I had finished it. I loved the book.” 

~Author Monique Morgan

Purchase:

Lulu * Amazon * Smashwords

Book Trailer:



Audiobook Excerpt: 

Author Bisi Leyton:

Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters.

She lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels.

Links

Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 1/31/13

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

100 Followers Celebration Giveaway

This morning I reached a super exciting blog milestone: 100 GFC followers! I think this is definitely worth celebrating, so I decided to thank all of you by having giveaway! And a huge thank you to Taz from Talulah's Attic for being #100!

And now on to the exciting part: giveaway! I'm giving away a grand prize of the winner's choice of any book under $12 (Can) from The Book Depository! I'll give a few suggestions, but the winner can pick whatever they want. I'm also going to include a second swag prize for another winner. Woohoo!

UPDATE: Yay guys, we're up to 125 followers already! If we make it to 150 by the end of the giveaway, I'll add a second swag pack. You're the best!

UPDATE: Yay! We made it to 150 followers! That means 2 swag packs will be going out! Now, if we make it to 250 by November 16, I'm adding a second book as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fractured Light Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Blurb:

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them---until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she's been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.

My Thoughts:

Overall, I found Fractured Light to be an enjoyable read. Llona was a likeable main character and I really loved how feisty she was. She could be a bit short-sighted and selfish, but I was too at 17. I loved how she was willing to fight to protect her family and friends and how she wasn't afraid too push the boundaries and question the rules.

Christian was a protective, good-guy kind of love interest. He's a noble, by-the-book kind of guy and while I can see Llona and him together, I can also imagine that thing may not always go smoothly between them!

Occasionally there would be a turn of phase that didn't seem to flow ad would catch me off guard. But other than that minor issue, I enjoyed Fractured Light and am looking forward to the sequel. I want to see what Lucent is all about.

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour here.

On the Cover:

I like the wispy lights!

Source: I received a ebook for review as part of the blog tour.

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle (only 99 cents) | The Book Depository

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Don't Forget to Enter the International Giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop

2012 Debut Author Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & The Non Reluctant Reader

June 7th to 13th

Featuring books released in 2012 by Debut Authors

***

 I'm super excited to be taking part in my very first giveaway hop! I'm really excited to be giving away 4 copies of Nina Post's debut novel, The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse. This book is filled with zany humour and is a ton of fun! You can check out my review of it here and a Q&A session with Nina here.

Nina and her awesome publisher, Curiosity Quills, have been kind enough to offer 1 paperback copy and 3 ebook copies of The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse (paperback copy only available to US readers due to shipping). Be sure to check out the rest of the blogs on the hop as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse author Q&A

 I'm super excited to have Nina Post on my blog today answering a few of my questions about her awesome book The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse, which I reviewed here. First of all, I just want to say Nina is awesome. She's been really friendly to me on twitter and goodreads, so you should definitely check her out. So, let's get started with some Q&A action!

***

Pothole City is place unlike any other, particularly Amenity Tower. How did you come up with these locations?

 First, thanks, Megan, for hosting me on your blog! Pothole City is an alternate Chicago (which gets terrible potholes), and Amenity Tower is partly inspired by the condominium where I live. Some of my research involved attending the often ridiculous, vagary-stuffed board and committee meetings, and interviewing building personnel, who were baffled over why I wanted to know so much about the air conditioning system.

What was the hardest part of writing The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse?

The hardest part was just keeping track of the storylines and characters, especially because I didn't use Scrivener yet :::shudder::: Now I outline and put my research notes in Scrivener, and this helps me maintain writer sanity. Figuring out the method that's right for you takes trial and error.

My favourite character was Tubiel. What a cutie! Do you have a favourite?

 Thanks! I'm particularly fond of Tubiel. I wanted his job of returning small birds to their owners to get in the way of Kelly's job, and pictured him referencing Italian fashion magazines of the 1980s to blend into human society. The inspiration for Tubiel's appearance came from someone I saw at Trader Joe's, who was small in stature and had an unusually placid expression.

The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse is your first published work. How excited were you to see it as a finished book?

 The most exciting part was actually getting the response from the publisher telling me they wanted the book. The next most exciting part was signing the publishing contract. Having the ebook on my Kindle and the book in my hands was great, but it felt even better when my mother had them! The real Snoopy-dance thrill, however, was the initial response.

Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 My advice for aspiring writers is to work hard, because nothing will make you improve more than writing. You learn a hell of a lot of more by finishing multiple projects. Build your platform before you start submitting. Analyze the best books, TV, and movies in your genre. Finally, be nice.