New Dawn Series Tour - Author Rachel M. Raithby @Rach1986uk @hottreepromos #Shifters #YARomance #Bestseller

Titles: Winter Wolf (New Dawn #1) 

Wolf Dancer (New Dawn #2) 

Wolf Sight (New Dawn #3)

Author: Rachel M. Raithby

Genre: NA Shifter Romance

Cover Designer: Winter Wolf by Regina Wamba  

Wolf Dancer and Wolf Sight by Rob Smith 

Amazon US: Series https://amzn.to/2Gg3hsQ

Amazon UK: series link https://amzn.to/2ur28cK

Amazon AU: series link https://amzn.to/2x3bRal

Can love bring an end to the brutal war that has raged for so long, or will it spark the fighting around them into an all-consuming fire?

  BOOK ONE  

Katalina Winter was prepared for life to change when she turned eighteen—but she never expected to actually change.

Learning that her birth parents were purebred wolf shifters is shocking enough. Now she’s expected to take her place in their unfamiliar world. Caught between two warring packs, Katalina must learn fast. One pack, led by the father she has only just met, wants to control her—and the other one wants her dead.

However, there is one bright spot to shifting, and his name is Bass Evernight. Tall, dark, and oh-so-handsome, Bass is the wolf that Katalina craves. He’s also strictly forbidden: a member of Dark Shadow, Bass is the son of her father’s mortal enemy. Yet deep down inside, Katalina’s new primal instincts howl that Bass is her mate. Can their love bring an end to the brutal war that has raged for so long, or will it spark the fighting around them into an all-consuming fire?

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2DZn4XT

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2pKAh2t

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2s63dC5

  BOOK TWO

$1.99 SALE  

The war's over but danger still lurks. As the packs align, hidden currents are about to cast a shadow over the peace.

Charming, handsome, and with a smile on the edge of sin, Nico has loved Olivia from afar for what seems like forever. When Olivia is kidnapped, he not only finds himself alone with her, but standing between her and an angry wolf out for revenge. Olivia learns how Nico feels that day, he just hopes he's not left it too late.

Olivia planned for her life to change when she left school—but she never bargained on Nico. He is the wolf who could so easily shatter her carefully constructed plans, ones she set in place to escape her father. It’s time she stepped out from the shadows. It’s time she became brave.

Secrets are revealed, fates are changed, and Nico and Olivia learn sometimes, love requires sacrifice

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2IZS3qb

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2ussXwY

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2s04dso

  BOOK THREE 

$1.99 SALE 

The packs have aligned. Peace is here. But it came at a price.

Cage’s world shifted when Katalina arrived but not in the way he’d expected. The pain is tearing him apart, and with each day, he loses a piece of himself. Unable to watch Katalina love someone else, Cage sees no other option but to leave the pack.

Will he find the answers he seeks? Or has he taken the wrong path, altering the fate of not just himself but the pack he’d once called home?

Anna's world is one of confusion and dreams. When a vision of a boy’s death begins to haunt her, she leaves everything behind in hopes of finding him. But Anna finds far more than she expected. She’ll be pushed to the limits, and her faith will waver.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2pOlyT0

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2pMaA1l

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2kgEF63

REVIEW: SALT BY PAULINE CREEDEN @P_CREEDEN

Title: Salt - a mermaid tale

Author: Pauline Creeden

Genre: YA Fantasy/Myth

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR

BLURB

Her kind treats her as less-than-human, but she’s always been so much more.

Mermaid life has never been easy for Verona. Her scars give evidence of her abuse. When her day of reckoning arrives, she is determined to endure exile. According to her father’s experience, exile is better than becoming a land-walker and risking her life among the humans.

However, when she saves the life of a drowning human boy, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events which force her to choose a path: stay with the humans she has become attached to or return home to a life of scorn. A savage hunter draws closer, threatening even the humans. Her only hope is to keep everyone safe until the next full moon, but those around her devise their own plans.

Buy Links:
Amazon US http://amzn.to/2wnPB6R

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2vdeaoe

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/salt

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/salt

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/salt

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/salt-32

FREE Coloring Book with purchase:

http://subscribepage.com/SaltPreorder

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35213426-salt

REVIEW

Salt by Pauline Creeden
Kat's rating: 4 of 5 stars

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***

I wasn't going to start the book straight away, but I needed to escape into fantasy land after reviewing a non-fiction book, and I didn't put it down.
I've only read one or two mermaids, book's and the cover drew me to sign up to review it, and I was hooked with the first chapter.

Verona's status in life is not really explained in detail but she has had a rough life and has the scars to prove it, the life in a Mer Clan is Caste based and she is a 'bottom feeder.
Abused and cast out to fend for herself for a year, she has lived in a small island bay, watching the humans as she tries to survive.

One night she saves the life of Logan, who has just returned to the island with his grandma (Mama Wend), she inadvertently beaches herself and ends up with legs... when she is taken in by Mama Wend and Logan, who think she is is a runaway, she explores life as a human, but Verona has till the next full moon to decide if she stays in the world of humans or return home to a life of scorn.

When danger comes to the sleepy town, Supernaturals who want to capture Verona for her life blood, putting Logan and the other townsfolk in danger, Verona has to rely on her faith in her strength to resist their spells.

The book has lots of avenues to explore, the Caste system in the Mer people using twists in the truth to use the weaker merfolk to do their bidding hopefully will be explored more in book 2. Verona's experience with living with the humans shows her that everything she was told by the Mer's is biased to their advantage, but with the threat of being an attractive ingredient to the witches who exist, Verona, is also worried for Her new friends safety.

Verona and Logan have a connection, will she stay with him or go back to being derided by her people?

There is a prequel that I am going to check out, to see if it gives more information on Verona's life before her 'Reckoning' began.

It's an enjoyable story which will lead into the next book and hopefully more about the Mer and the Humans who have become family to Verona.


View all Kat's reviews

AUTHOR BIO

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. 

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie's Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel.

Author Links:
Website: http://paulinecreeden.com

FB: http://facebook.com/PaulineCreeden

Twitter: http://twitter.com/P_Creeden

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/PCreeden

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2uAZM5F

Release Day Blitz SALT by Pauline Creeden @P_Creeden

Title: Salt - a mermaid tale

Author: Pauline Creeden

Genre: YA Fantasy/Myth

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Reviews & PR

Blurb:

Her kind treats her as less-than-human, but she’s always been so much more.

Mermaid life has never been easy for Verona. Her scars give evidence of her abuse. When her day of reckoning arrives, she is determined to endure exile. According to her father’s experience, exile is better than becoming a land-walker and risking her life among the humans.

However, when she saves the life of a drowning human boy, she inadvertently sets off a chain of events which force her to choose a path: stay with the humans she has become attached to or return home to a life of scorn. A savage hunter draws closer, threatening even the humans. Her only hope is to keep everyone safe until the next full moon, but those around her devise their own plans.

Buy Links:
Amazon US http://amzn.to/2wnPB6R

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2vdeaoe

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/salt

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/salt

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/salt

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/salt-32

FREE Coloring Book with purchase:

http://subscribepage.com/SaltPreorder

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35213426-salt

Author Bio:
In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long. Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. 

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. It is also the 2013 Book Junkie's Choice Winner in Historical Fiction. Her debut novel, Sanctuary, won 1st Place Christian YA Title 2013 Dante Rosetti Award and 2014 Gold Award for Best YA Horror Novel.

Author Links:
Website: http://paulinecreeden.com

FB: http://facebook.com/PaulineCreeden

Twitter: http://twitter.com/P_Creeden

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/PCreeden

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2uAZM5F

NOW LIVE & ONLY 99c FOR TODAY ONLY!!!! Margaret McHeyzer, New York Times Bestselling Author of UGLY and MISTRUST brings you THE GIFT. @givemebooksblog @MargaretMAuthor

BLURB

I have something people want. I have something they cannot take or steal. I have something they’d kill for.
The something I have, isn’t a possession, it’s more.
Much, much more.
It’s a gift.
It’s part of me.

US: http://amzn.to/2eCSwns
UK: http://amzn.to/2vtu3F7
CA: http://amzn.to/2tlGPV3
AU: http://amzn.to/2vqBQ6R
B&N: http://bit.ly/2sGQKmF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ujGJhj
iBooks: http://apple.co/2tDHnsw
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2tbF3YY

REVIEW

The Gift by Margaret McHeyzer
Kat's rating: 3 of 5 stars

REVIEW #3 stars out of 5 - Enjoyable but I would describe it as a suspense YA book with a hint of Paranormal. - But Readers of Margaret McHeyzer books will love it I am sure.

So I finished this book Thursday, and I took a day to reflect on how I was going to review this book.

SO most of my followers will know Paranormal is my Top Fave Genre, I will also point out that I have read UGLY and Dying Wish which I loved and gave 5 out of 5 stars.

But this book did not hook me in like those two books.

PROS:

So I will start with the GOOD

My favourite line was the one where Lexi mentions one of my favourite shows Star Trek...

“Did I just open Pandora’s box? Should I ask Scotty to beam me up?”

The writing is good, the story flows and I LOVE the cover.

CONS:

The Character age gap:

This book has two main characters 'Lexi' 16, and 'Jude' 25 - Jude's profession and he is definitely the mean heartless persona that his profession is known for. Now due to the VAGUE Blurb, and me not giving Spoiler Reviews, I can't really say much more... But this is the one area that I was uncomfortable with.

The Genre choice:

When Margaret said that she was writing a paranormal book, I was excited to see what she would bring, but for me personally, I felt this was not a paranormal book. I know that it is correctly classified as Paranormal, don't get me wrong as I have googled to see what classed as this genre before I wrote this review. but the only thing that is paranormal is the 'GIFT' part, if you took this away and replaced it with say a 'bargaining chip' that would make Lexi worth something, and Jude wanted you would still have a great story, but it would be straight YA.

SO I am mentioning this so other #ParanormalJunkies realise up front this

I have already signed up to review the second part of this duo-logy and I look forward to seeing how the author ties up Lexi's story, and I will see if the 'Paranormal' takes off in book 2.

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy ***

View all Kat's reviews

GIVEAWAY

  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

COMING SOON #PreorderNOW

US: http://amzn.to/2eCQ2pb
UK: http://amzn.to/2uk7HWL
CA: http://amzn.to/2tlBH36
AU: http://amzn.to/2uG15Ex
B&N: http://bit.ly/2tkiHTq
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2sl3HmZ
iBooks: http://apple.co/2uEfH3K
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2sAHPYZ

AUTHOR BIO
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER OF UGLY AND MISTRUST
**Write something worth reading**
I'm Margaret and I'm a self-published author.
Recently I was fortunate in obtaining New York Times best selling status on my YA/NA book - Ugly, and my YA book - Mistrust.
​
My last three books have been YA and I'm completely in love with the genre. I love being able to communicate with people through my words and stories.
​
My writing genres all differ, but the one thing I keep consistent is my heroines. All my female lead characters are strong, gutsy and not the 'perfect' woman. While my books all have romantic elements in them, they aren't just about the romance. They're about finding strength, acceptance and making life long connections.
​
I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I have while writing them.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://mackandmilo.wixsite.com/margaretmcheyzer
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authormargaretmcheyzer
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/margaret.mcheyzer
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1113831098729993/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargaretMAuthor

Release Day Review of Revolt (Resistance #4) by Tracy Lawson @TracySLawson #Dystopian #Series #YA

The Final in the series is finally here...

Blurb

The Explosive Conclusion to the Award-Winning Resistance Series To Deny Freedom is to Deny the Human Spirit. Fugitive Resistance fighter Tommy Bailey has come out of hiding to help rescue Careen Catecher from the clutches of the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense, where she’s been held and interrogated for information about the rebel group. The OCSD is poised to launch the Cerberean Link, a security device that will put all minors under constant surveillance under the guise of protecting them. Fearful that OCSD director Madalyn Davies’s bid for control won’t stop there, the Resistance puts its own plan in motion to sabotage the Link and oust Madalyn from the directorship. Just when everything seems leveraged in the Resistance’s favor, treachery, lies, and long-held secrets threaten to derail it all. Will even a life together on the run be impossible for Tommy and Careen? Or will the Resistance’s efforts convince the public to put their fears aside and demand freedom? Through it all, Tommy refuses to believe Careen’s loyalties have shifted away from the Resistance, and he’s willing to assume any risk to reconnect with her. Will they be able to trust each other when it matters most?

BOOK LINKS

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ ~ B&N

Review

Revolt by Tracy Lawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***

This is the conclusion to the story of Careen, Tommy and the rest of the resistance who are fighting the OCSD
They are trying to stop the Cerberean Link, The tracker that Atari the Tech head designed, he is working for both the Resistance team AND the OCSD! OR does he have his own agenda???? You will have to read the book to find out.

The storyline as it went was a slow burn but I was still glued to my kindle right to the very end.

As a conclusion, I think Ms Lawson did a good job of wrapping up the storyline, BUT with scope for maybe some further stories - Once you were linked it was permanent, so who knows what could happen!

What I found the most compelling about this series is that it's not so unbelievable - and to be honest America seems to be on the precipice of a big shift with the current administration, it starts small... taking away your rights one at a time, and before the country knows, its media is controlled and so are your liberties.... sound familiar (scarily so in my opinion)
But let's not get into how I feel Trump is beginning to sound scarily like Madalyn Davies!!!!

Ms Lawson's writing style is really enjoyable, it flows well, is fresh and interesting but at the same time modern and fits with the Dystopian genre.

This series will suit any reader that enjoys YA dystopian novels.

View all my reviews

Author Bio

Once upon a time, Tracy Lawson was a little girl with a big imagination who was obsessed with telling stories. Her interests in dance, theatre, and other forms of make-believe led to a twenty-year career in the performing arts, where “work” meant she got to do things like tap dance and choreograph musicals. A mid-life career change has yielded thus far Counteract, Resist, and Ignite in the YA dystopian Resistance Series, and a nonfiction history book entitled Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More.
Tracy, who is married with one college-aged daughter and two spoiled cats, splits her time between Dallas, Texas and Columbus, Ohio.
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00E84PQMG
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TracyLawsonAuthor
Website: http://tracylawsonbooks.com
The Resistance Series Website: http://counteractbook.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TracySLawson
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tracyslawson/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-lawson-13422b11
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6114373.Tracy_Lawson

Reviews: Sixteen (The Dreamwalker Diaries #2) by Jen Estes

Blurb

Publication Date: Jan 17th, 2017
Primary Genres: Paranormal Fantasy, Legends & Mythology Occult & Supernatural 

Six months ago, Ashling Campbell’s life was good. Okay, so the sleep deprivation sucked, but that’s what happens when you’re murdered by bloodthirsty demons on a nightly basis via freaky supernatural nightmares. That’s why she stepped up to her calling as a dreamwalker. But if she’d known that saving her town meant giving up everyone she loved, she’d have let that call go straight to voicemail. She wants another chance. Just one. And the key to that chance lies with finding the mysterious stranger who disappeared shortly after her life went to hell. Her new mission is to dreamwalk again, or die trying. The Jumlin wants another chance too. Just one. And the key to that chance lies with finding the weird sophomore who showed up just before he could summon hell on earth. His new mission is to stop the line of dreamwalkers, by killing just one - a girl that seems all too eager to die. If Ash’s plan is to succeed, she’ll have to outsmart the immortal demon, piece together her thorny family tree, deal with a friend’s untimely return, and pass her driver’s test - all before she turns… SIXTEEN.

 Available at Amazon US ~ UK

Kat's Review

Sixteen by Jen Estes
Kats rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***

I must say I do love the covers on this book. So its a few years since I read Fifteen, but I soon got back into the mythological tale of the Jumlin and our Dreamwalker Ashling, who tries and succeeded to stop his chance to take over the world, but the cost was too much for Ash and she wants a redo... She wants another chance to dreamwalk, to go back and try again. No spoilers but Ash causes a fair few problems with this quest to go back into the past, although she gains a new perspective on her life, it causes the Jumlin to catch on to who the Dreamwalker is and is dead set on getting another chance too. The first book really interested me, I have always had a thing for Native Indian legends, but this book seemed to be a bit of a filler, yes it introduces where the Dreamwalker line is from (AKA Ash's Paternal line) but there were a few things that confused me, I can't say what as it would spoil the story, but it is the Future Ash coming back that caused me to wonder why she would do that, causing her 16-year-old self to get into trouble. The ending has left it open for the next book to see if Ash and her friends succeed in stopping the Jumlin once and for all. View all Kat's  reviews

Jenni's Review

Sixteen by Jen Estes
Jenni's rating: 4 of 5 stars

***I voluntarily reviewed this book for Katsindiebookblog, and I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book.***

This was a great follow up to Fifteen. I fell in love with the first book and this one does not disappoint. This book is filled with all the answers you can think of that you may have asked reading Fifteen.
You are still thrown into much action with this story as Ash is trying to right a wrong, one that will give her something she's wanted for a long time. The Jumlin is still out there using all his powers and demons to get what he's always wanted. Could it be possible now with all of Ash's mistakes? Or can her and get friends stop him once again. It's really hard to do this particular review out of fear of giving too much away. Dreamwalking becomes more frequent this time around, people who she thought was other people is not the case. Mysteries are definitely solved in this story. You will not be disappointed in this follow up, and it will make you excited about the next book in the series, I know I am!

View all Jenni's reviews

Book 1 

Legend has it if you die in your dreams, you die in real life. Fifteen-year-old Ashling Campbell knows that’s not true because when she closes her eyes each night, she doesn’t dream about public nudity or Prom dates. Instead, she’s catapulted to the front row of her future self’s execution - fifteen years from now - where monsters have taken control of her hometown and she, or rather, her 30-year-old counterpart, is their public enemy number one. For three months and counting, it’s been the same dream… until an encounter with an antique dreamcatcher. Ash falls asleep to discover she’s no longer a mere spectator in these dreams - now she’s astral-projecting into the body of her future self. Each night, she goes on the run with a ragtag group of rebels - who have no idea she’s really a high school sophomore and not their noble warrior. She has to make it through each night so that she can wake up and find a way to change the future. For every action she does in the present day, she falls asleep to discover it had an equal impact fifteen years later. It’s up to her to manage her two worlds and make sure she’s still got a place in both. My review can be read here

Amazon US ~ UK (available on KU)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jen had to choose between staring at corn or reading books. Corn husks just didn't have the appeal of the Baby-Sitters Club, and so a bookworm was born. Reading later turned into writing and in 2011, Jen published her first novel and after releasing four books in the mystery genre, Jen finally gave in to the literary demands of her inner teenager with her YA debut, FIFTEEN (The Dreamwalker Diaries). Jen is an active member of the National Writers Union. As an author, she has been featured in Penthouse Magazine, the State Journal-Register, the Winchester Star, Mystery Scene Magazine, and more. When she isn't writing, Jen enjoys sci-fi in all its mediums, attempting yoga, using her passport, watching baseball, and reading a good book. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband Nathan and infant daughter Gabrielle under the tyranny of their two cats: Ivy and Captain Moo. You can find Jen on the web at www.jenestes.com, on Tumblr: AuthorJenEstes, Twitter @jenestesdotcom.

Greetings Harry Potter fans, #HarryPotter20 #NewEditions Monday 26th June 2017 #Savethedate #preorder

I have been a #HarryPotter fan since its release, I have the original set, that has been read by me, my children and my grandchildren many a time.
I buy the illustrated editions for my grandchildren each Christmas (handy them being out before hand, hey)

And now for the 20th Anniversary (insert me feeling VERY OLD here) I thought I would share my newsletter I get from #Bloomsbury. follow #HarryPotter20 for news and events too.

#Bloomsbury have just unveiled the covers of the four Hogwarts House Editions of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to celebrate the 20th anniversary of first publication, which will take place on 26th June 2017.

And for once these books are not over priced, I find living in NZ that books are extraordinarily overpriced compared to the UK or US, but the price I noted on all Bloomsbury's pages are the same, now I do not mean currency converted the same but that they are Hardback RRP: 13.49
Paperback RRP: 7.19 and at the moment there is a sale on Pre-orders

So if you are a keen collector and fan of #HarryPotter like myself, go save yourself 10% and click the link to order:

AU/NZ http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/au/bookshop/20th-anniversary-editions/
UK http://www.harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/bookshop/20th-anniversary-editions/
USA - I guess you can order from your local retailers or from the above links which ever works the best currency rate for you guys.

Illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Kate Greenaway Medal winner, the front covers feature the crest for each Hogwarts house in vibrant house colours. Levi took his inspiration from traditional heraldry and coats of arms and combined this with typical characteristics of each house to create crests that embody the values of the house. Head to Pottermore.com to find out more information on the creatures, symbols and shapes used in each crest, and take the sorting quiz to find out which house you belong to.

Behold the complementary hardback and paperback jackets of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone below. The hardbacks will be black with the house crest in a house colour and striped sprayed edges. The paperbacks will reverse the house colour theme and have single colour sprayed edges. Both editions will contain fascinating facts about the houses of Hogwarts, and three specially commissioned house illustrations from Levi Pinfold per book. Books will be in stores from the beginning of June. Pre-order your house edition today!

Review: The Fire Sermon (The Fire Sermon #1) by Francesca Haig @FrancescaHaig @HarpercollinsNZ

 

The Hunger Games meets Cormac McCarthy's The Road in this richly imagined first novel in a new postapocalyptic trilogy by award-winning poet Francesca Haig.

Four hundred years in the future, the Earth has turned primitive following a nuclear fire that laid waste to civilization and nature. Though the radiation fallout has ended, for some unknowable reason every person is born with a twin. Of each pair one is an Alpha - physically perfect in every way - and the other an Omega burdened with deformity, small or large.

With the Council ruling an apartheid-like society, Omegas are branded and ostracized while the Alphas have gathered the world's sparse resources for themselves. Though proclaiming their superiority, for all their effort Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: Whenever one twin dies, so does the other. Cass is a rare Omega, one burdened with psychic foresight. While her twin, Zach, gains power on the Alpha Council, she dares to dream the most dangerous dream of all: equality. For daring to envision a world in which Alphas and Omegas live side by side as equals, both the Council and the Resistance have her in their sights.

Review

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

***3.5 Stars *** Rounded up to 4 due to the overall enjoyment of the book.

This Dystopian post-apocalyptic plot had me devouring the pages as I started, but where as the writing style and worldbuilding was strong in the first part, once we got past Chapter 10 I felt as if the writing began to get a little rushed and the building of the scene dwindled with it.
The premise of this story was a very intriguing one for me, the symbiotic relationship between twins, the world devastated by nuclear war, without machinery or technology... but soon I began to have more questions to why if a world where twins are linked, where each twin can feel pain when the other twin was injured... why would not starvation and weakness affect the Alpha twin also?

The points I like in this book are the way the author has shown how the Human race can continue to oppress the weak and strive to be even more arrogant that the world we know today, and in her version that is set 400+ years into the future after the 'Blast' ago inevitably turned this world to ash... and where the population is divided into an apartheid society.

The Earth has been shattered and although there are parts that have recovered and the Human race still manages to survive it was not without its consequences. All births are twins ( well Humans anyway, although this was one of the many questions I was left with after reading, why are there not similar occurrences in the Animal Kingdom?)
One twin is perfect, the Alpha, but the second twin is the Omega, the unwanted, deformed whether severely or not, they are always barren, only Alpha's can reproduce.
Now this idea is a good one, one of my favourite Star Trek episodes was where the Bynar race were introduced
Yes I am a geek and I love it!
The Omega's are unwanted, seen to represent the Blight the earth has befallen and when they try to dispose of these deformed babies, the parents soon realise that to 'Kill' the Omega is to kill the Alpha, Natures genetic finger to the arrogant race that has all but destroyed it... to keep the perfect child you must allow the disfigured one to survive also.
I do like how Ms Francesca Haig shows how the society of Alpha's and the Omega's first existed, and how that anything from 'Before' is Taboo, but as we come to present day, when our Heroine Cass is captured, I had a few doubts on how the storyline was progressing.
Some of these ideas don't compute, if each twin can feel pain, a broken bone or death, how is it that starvation does not? IF everything was forbidden and unused for 400 years how did they work out how to use the equipment described and used as the story progressed?
Anyway - back to the story.
I was engrossed in the childhood of Cass and her twin Zach, both born perfect, a rare occurrence in the births, the children soon start to show which one is the Alpha and which is the Omega, but with no physical differences their parents play a waiting game... when an Omega has no physical anomalies it is more likely that they have a mental one, they are a 'Seer' - they have visions, of past or future, it varies, but what does not is the madness that consumes them eventually.
Now Zach knows that it is Cass but no one believes him, Cass has become a master at hiding the visions, but as the twins reached their 13th birthday Zach finally tricks Cass into revealing herself.
She's Branded and cast out as soon as the brand heals sufficiently to stop her dying of sepsis.
Life was isolating as a child, both twins being shunned by the community at large, and later by their parents, but Cass didn't care, as long as she had Zach.
But it takes her a while to realise that hiding who she was for so long may have made her more isolated when she is eventually cast out to fend for herself.
She ends up in her Aunt's old house but is mistrusted by the other Omega's because of her abilities.
Life quickly becomes a daily struggle for survival as food becomes more scarce, either by drought or by the Tithes the Alpha's extract off the Omega's.
Cass can see how things are getting worse for the Omega's and when she finally hears that her twin Zach is part of the Council enforcing these, she refuses to believe that he would stoop to such atrocities. But it seems that Cass's lengthy deception has twisted his perception of the twin-ship bond and he is determined to rid the world of the Omega's for good.

Cass finally can't ignore the visions but its too late to react and she is captured by an Alpha raiding party and locked up in the 'Keeping Rooms', where Omegas are kept either for leverage or safety depending on who holds the key, for Cass its to ensure her twin's enemies can't use her against him, and her only visitors are "The Confessor" another Omega Seer who works with her Twin Zach, now known as "The Reformer". They want the answers of her visions and will not stop until she reveals them...
Her visions, they hold the key to the 'Island' a place only rumored to be where the Omega resistance fights back against the Alpha rule. So when finally Cass gets the courage to escape ( 4 years locked up is a long time and this also had me wondering about how on earth she had the strength to run and on her way... (view spoiler)

BUT that said I continued to enjoy the relationship grow between our escapees as they followed Cass's 'feelings' on which way to go. With any adventure there were some tense moments and some nice almost sweet moments, but this book isn't what I would call a romance by a long shot, our pair although start a fledgling relationship, don't have the time to pursue it, and I am glad that the author kept it that way.

I did feel that Cass, although not a weak and wimpy heroine didn't seem to grow much throughout this book, where as Kit, even with his after affects of the release from the tank seemed to evolve into a somewhat of a willing participant in finding the resistance.
I will give Ms Haig a point for keeping me in the dark to who his twin was, but looking back I can see where there were little clues left.
I did enjoy reading this book, and after the ending of this one, I am looking forward to finding out what The Map of Bones has in store for Cass.

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Author Bio

Francesca Haig grew up in Tasmania, gained her PhD from the University of Melbourne, and was a senior lecturer at the University of Chester. Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies in both Australia and England, and her first collection of poetry, BODIES OF WATER, was published in 2006. In 2010 she was awarded a Hawthornden Fellowship. She lives in London with her husband and son.

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Dying Wish By Margaret McHeyzer #5StarReview #NewRelease @givemebooksblog @MargaretMAuthor

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Dying Wish

Author: Margaret McHeyzer

Genre: Young Adult

Release Date: January 8, 2017

Blurb

I have three major loves in my life: my family, my best friend Becky, and ballet. Elijah Turner is quickly becoming the fourth.

He's been around as long as I can remember. But now he's much more than just the annoying guy at school.

My life was working out perfectly...until it got turned upside down.

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 Review

Dying Wish by Margaret McHeyzer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*** I voluntarily reviewed this book, I gained no monetary incentives nor was I specifically requested to review the book, these are my honest ramblings and I hope you enjoy reading them - kat***

So this book as you will by the title and blurb will require you to have tissues at the ready, and I am going to make this review as spoiler-free as I can do so this will make the review short.

I knew this book was going to be a tear-inducing read, the author and other early review posts on my facebook feed had prepared me, and also having read Margaret McHeyzer's book Ugly I knew that the author has a talent for creating emotional stories.

Being prepared I wanted to be as strong as I could, and although I had an ever-present lump in my throat, I did make it to chapter 23... but then I was toast! after the end of chapter 22 I was sobbing I had to stop and take a break before continuing.

Alice and Becky have grown up together, sisters if not in blood but in souls, and then at 17 Alice meets Elijah.

In Happy fairy tales, Alice and Elijah will live happily ever after, but Margaret likes to write books that are more true to life, and sometimes fate has a different path for people. Margaret writes about these characters, the ones that will touch a reader's soul, these characters may be fiction, but their journey will make you contemplate your own and it did with me.

I am going to say that I found Part 2 harder to read than Part 1, as with Death its the ones left behind that feel the worst pain, so as such part 2 being about life after Alice passes it was more real, there was pain, grief, but also hope and possibilities for happiness after Alice for Elijah.

Ms McHeyzer did a superb job in writing each scene, I think I will probably want to read every book she produces. she has hit me 2 for 2 so far.

one of my favourite parts of the book was when Ms. Lauren speaks about how she viewed Alice as a pupil. People may never realise how they touch a person in just being in their lives, but how Margaret set this scene it was an eye opener for me, how my perspective of the character changed just by that paragraph... There are numerous scenes I could quote but that would spoil your enjoyment so I will finish by saying, I loved being broken by Margaret's story... eventually, I was put together again, but Alice and her journey will stay with me for a long time.

The trailer and the song that were done for this book are also captivating, give it a watch and I bet you will be adding this book to your To Be Read list.

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Trailer

 

Watch the trailer featuring Dance While You Sleep,

an original song written and recorded for Dying Wish.

 

  

Dance While You Sleep is available on iTunes

 

 

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Author Bio

 

There's something about the written word that is pure magic.

Possibly it's the fact there are 26 letters in the English alphabet, and they can create something so beautiful or so empowering they're capable to change our lives.

How important is it that we break suit and stretch our minds?

I like to think of myself as 'unique'. My stories aren't for everyone, and sometimes I may push what you believe to be 'normal'.

Normal is subjective.

I prefer to be known as a person who's never been 'bound by custom' but is 'unique by choice'.

I hope you do read and enjoy my stories.

 

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