Sorry blogging world

I've been gone a long time.

Things started sliding at the end of October when I got a new job that has been a little challenging to adjust to. It's father away, the community is different, and I thought all of the change was the reason I've been dead on my feet tired lately, I've hardly been reading and I was spending very little time with my friends, which is highly unusual for me. As it turns out, for the last few months I've had mono. Who even gets that outside of high school. Some of the side effects of mono are a susceptibility to illness, which explains why I've had the flu twice and strep throat (all in the last 3 months), and you're also very, very, very, tired.

Apparently I've had it for a few months now, and I think it's beginning to go away because I have a bit more energy than I did last month. However, I'm going to continue to put a hold on the Blogging so that I can not only continue to get better, but look into someone to do a custom blog design for me. I think a change of face would really perk things up for me.

So don't lose faith Blogging world. It's not that I've forgotten about you, or even that I'm not reading and scribbling down reviews in a notebook, it's that I've been diseased. I'll be back to writing regularly updating in not time!

Friday 56 #6- First World Problems by Leigh Ann Kopans

The Friday 56 is  weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

Rules:

--> Grab a book any book

-->Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (if you have to improvise that's okay)

--> Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

-->Post it.

-->Add your (URL) post on Freda's Linky. Add the post URL, not your blog URL It's that simple.

"Losing control of myself, of my body, was one of the scariest things I could imagine."

Review: Silence by Natasha Preston

Publisher: Createspace
Publication Date: May 9, 2014
Rating: 2/5

For eleven years, Oakley Farrell has been silent. At the age of five, she stopped talking, and no one seems to know why. Refusing to communicate beyond a few physical actions, Oakley remains in her own little world. Bullied at school, she has just one friend, Cole Benson. Cole stands by her, refusing to believe that she is not perfect the way she is. Over the years, they have developed their own version of a normal friendship. However, will it still work as they start to grow even closer? When Oakley is forced to face someone from her past, can she hold her secret in any longer? (Goodreads)

I chose to read this book because I read a review by someone else and I was intrigued. Oakley is our main character here, she's 16 (I think) and she hasn't spoken a word to anyone since she was five years old. Her parents (mostly her mother) has tried to figure out of something is medically wrong with their daughter but for the most part, they live with her as she is. Oakley has a best friend who lives two houses over named Cole and they do just about everything together. He understand Oakley better that her parents and is head over heals for her.

Most of the book is about Oakley trying to stumble her way through forming a relationship with Cole that surpasses friendship. So we as the readers know that something has happened to Oakley, probably something along the line of sexual abuse. We know that her father is involved and it's easy to think that her father was the one sexually abusing her. I was okay with the story (there were some issues but I was living with them) until the end. I like how Oakley called Cole to come and help her, but it was all pretty anticlimactic, maybe I'm dramatic but there should have been fighting, chasing, something, but Cole just showed up and drove her away. Then the father and abuser are arrested and Oakley and her family randomly decide to move away. I haven't read the second book but I assume the ending was to set up the second book but I didn't like it at all. With some editing beginning and middle of the book could have been more solid (more details and substance) but the ending was all wrong. It was suppose to leave us wanting more, but... it just didn't work.

This book was almost there, but then fell flat.

The Friday 56 #5- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

The Friday 56 is  weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

Rules:

--> Grab a book any book

-->Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (if you have to improvise that's okay)

--> Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

-->Post it.

-->Add your (URL) post on Freda's Linky. Add the post URL, not your blog URL It's that simple.

 

 "I thought of Dante and wondered about him. And it seemed to me that Dante's face was a map of the world. A world without darkness. Wow, a world without darkness. How beautiful was that?"

Waiting on Wednesday: Finding Mr. Brightside

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Abram and Juliette know each other. They’ve lived down the street from each other their whole lives. But they don’t really know each other—at least, not until Juliette’s mom and Abram’s dad have a torrid affair that culminates in a deadly car crash. The funeral is uncomfortable, to say the least. They don’t speak.
Fast forward to the neighborhood pharmacy, a few months later. Abram is on Paxil. Juliette is on Adderall. Abram decides to say hello. Then he decides to invite her to Taco Bell. To both of their surprise, she agrees. And the real love story begins.

~*~

Release Date March 24, 2014 

Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Title: I'll Meet You There
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Stars: 4 of 5

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper. (Goodreads)

Review:
Skylar Evans, lives with her mother in a trailer park. 9 times out of 10, the only future that inhabitants of that town have to look forward to, are trailers, a job at a gas station, and babies.Sky, and her friend Christ are the only members of their graduating class leaving for college and Sky just has to make it through the summer. However as the summer progresses Sky's plans are derailed by her mothers renewed drinking problem that seems to be nurtured by a bad news guy who has friends with her dad (not deceased after a drunk driving accident) and the return of an old co-work/ town heart throb Josh Mitchell. Through out the Summer Sky and Josh (who lost a leg in Afghanistan) grow closer as Sky unconsciously helps Josh with his PTSD, and a relationship develops.

My Thoughts:
I liked this book, it reminded me of The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry. My heart went out to Sky. She'd kept away from all temptations while classmates, drank, partied, and dallied in romances, because she was so focused on her goals which she achieved with a full Scholarship to an art program in San Francisco. I liked how we were able to see how Sky's art affected her, how it was what she used to focus when life got out of control. The relationship progression between Sky and Josh worked for me. I always make a face when characters start throwing the world love around (and I did it in this book as well), but... I don't know, it didn't both me as much as it has in other books. I can't speak too much to Josh's PTSD because although I come from a military family, my family members were lucky enough to have had to experience hand to hand combat. I imagine that Josh's struggles were very real, jumping when car backfire, experiencing flashbacks when they hear certain phrases, adjusting to relationships now that he's, not only been to war, but come back without a leg.

All in all I was happy with the characters, the setting, and I like that we have a rather ambiguous ending. All of our questions aren't answered, but I wasn't left unsatisfied.

The Friday 56 #4- I'll Meet You There

The Friday 56 is  weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

Rules:

--> Grab a book any book

-->Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (if you have to improvise that's okay)

--> Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

-->Post it.

-->Add your (URL) post on Freda's Linky. Add the post URL, not your blog URL It's that simple.

"Seeing the leg sitting by itself--- that was the moment when I really understood what had happened to Josh."

Waiting on Wednesday-Crimson Bond by Rosamund Hodge

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

~*~

Release Date May 5, 2014 

Today's my Birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. HAPPY BIRRRRRTHDAAAAY TO MEEEEE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. (sung to the Happy Birthday song)

Review: When by Victoria Laurie

Title: When
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: January 13, 2015

"Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?" (Goodreads)

I got the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly... I liked the book.

Background:
Maddie is our protagonist and for her entire life, she's been seeing number over people heads (or on there foreheads, I really don't know). When she's like four her dad begins to teach her her numbers and she stars reciting the numbers over his head and even draws a picture of her entire family with the dates over their heads. It turns out that the dates, are the dates that people are going to die, as she learns when her father is killed. So, flashforward, Maddie and her family have moved out of the city, her mother is a pretty serious alcoholic, and her uncle, her fathers brother, does what he can, but he lives in the city so he isn't there all the time. Because their mom drinks up a long of the money, she makes Maddie tell people their death dates, kind of like she's a fortune teller, for money. It backfires one day when Maddie tells a woman that her son is going to die the next week. The boy is kidnapped, then found dead on the day Maddie predicted. The boys mother blames Maddie for it, and all of this poor girls problems begin as the cops begin hounding her and even go so far as to arrest her best friend. It's all pretty rough. She wasn't the most popular girl in school before that, but she's even beat up by two guys in a hall when the whole town thinks that she's a killer. Personally I never understood any of that because if I thought someone was a killer or a witch or basically anyone who could hurt me, I'd make it my life's mission to leave them the heck alone, but whatever.

Thoughts:
I like Maddie well enough. I felt for her, she was in a rough spot, she was trying to user her ability to help people and it back fired big time, but I have to say that I didn't really connect with her. I'm not sure what was missing, but I wasn't feeling it. As a rule of thumb I always know that I'm going to like stronger characters. I like the girls who talk back, don't take crap, and refuse to let people walk all over them. Granted, Maddie's situation was pretty intense, she was looking at jail time, so realistically I don't know. I have to say though, as soon as the cops became involved I would have forced them to show me random pictures of people that had died so I could tell them the death dates, I was really annoyed that it took her so long to do that, but I guess if she did the story would have been less exciting. I'm not sure what else to say other than that I wish I could have connect more to Maddie.

Oh and one last thing. The description says that she attracts the attention of a young admirer who may be at the center of it all. Very misleading. The guys name is Aiden, and we see him three times in the book, once in the beginning, for three paragraphs in the middle, and for a half a page at the end. She thinks he may be involved for a second somewhere in the middle, but even Maddie disregards the thought. I would have rathered he not be mentioned at all because I kept waiting for something that never happened

All in all, I was very entertained by the book, I will suggest it to my readers when it books comes out, but I doubt I'll be reading it again.

Waiting on Wednesday: Captive by Aimee Carter

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever.

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape.

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

~*~

Release Date November 25, 2014 

New Adult... I'm not sure what to do about it

One of my new favorite books in Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. I love that Ridge and Sydney share such a close bond over music, I love the relationship between Ridge, Warren, and Sydney, I love that Ridge is so loyal to those close to him, I love how the book ends, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Ridge and Sydney don't fall into the same lack of communication crap that dominates so many characters in not only YA but Adult books as well, it's 90% of the attraction for me.

The ideal of a New Adult category (which Maybe Someday falls into) had so much appeal to me because I'm 27 (next week) years old. I want to read about characters who are beyond High School, but I don't have a husband (or even a serious boyfriend for that matter), I don't have kids, I've never been divorced, I can't always relate to the mindset the older characters are in. I can, however, relate to someone worried about finishing Grad School, second guessing career choices, finding a place to put down roots (because the world is mighty big), finding a close group of friends in the adult world when all of your college and high school friends have moved on... this list goes on and on. That is what it means to be a 20 something, and those are some of the things that Sydney struggles with, and yes, relationships, ugh, I could talk about that all freaking day. Romantic relationships also play a very key role in you mid to late 20's because typically that's the time people begin to make families of their own, so what does it mean if you're not there yet? All of these questions are what I want to see in NA novels, and alas, I have a hard time finding them. Maybe Someday hit the nail on the head, I'd even dare to say the the Sylvia Day books had a bit of what I was looking for under all of the sex and money, the main characters (including Carey) were just looking for their place in the world and trying to keep it from eating them alive. I even liked this book the I found on Facebook called Chasing Wishes and not just because it took place in the town where I grew up, the book was self published and could have used better beta readers (in my opinion) but again, it had some of what I was looking for.

Most of the NA books that I stumble across now... I'm not happy with (notice how I say most not all). There's lots of sex, flat characters, and it has nothing to do with a life that the majority of 20 somethings lead. Now you may be thinking, neither do the Sylvia Day books. I remind you that I said under the sex and money. There are real people in this world who have been hurt and abused and scared by the actions of others. They live a life that luckily I don't understand, and hope never to outside of the pages of a book, so yes actually, Sylvia Day. I wish more NA books were like Maybe Someday because otherwise it looks like once you hit 23, you can't think of anything but finding random people who hook with for random reasons. That's not what 23 or even 27 is about (I direction you attention to the paragraph above). I want to find more books that relate to my life (yes with some romance thrown in because I need to get it from somewhere.)

If anyone has any suggestion, throw them my way. it's going to be a long Winter and I need something to do.

Review: The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats. (Goodreads)


Holy plot twist Batman. stumbled across that looked interesting before I began my half hour long drive to work, and man, was it better than I anticipated. Sage was a great character. He was defiant, cocky, and he really focused. I love that he always had a plan, and that no matter how hard Conner pushed. I like the Sage refused to be someone else puppet, he refused to be anyone other than who he wanted to be, and that was one of my favorite things about him.

Conner's character, although I hated him, he was a great character. He honestly thought that his "plan" would save Carthia (Is that how you spell it, I audiobooked this) although he clearly had his own selfish motivation for his actions.

Mott, that poor guy. I understand that his loyalty was to Conner, and I'm going to assume there's some back story there, but as he grew closer to Sage, I kind of felt bad for the guy. He was clearly torn between loyalty and he was knew was right.

Aaaaaaan, we get to the best part, the last five or so chapers, holy plot twist Batman. I pride myself on having the basics of a book figured out, there may be a thing or two I wasn't prepared for, but large scale, I've got it figured out, but I didn't see any of that coming. I couold hardly stand it. I was literally talking to my phone as things came to light. Snaaps Jennifer Nielsen.

Life of a Blogger- Origin of You Name

What is it?

A Weekly meme hosted by Jessi at Novel Heartbeat.

Rules from Jessi herself!

*Please stick to the topic order on the list. If you want to catch up on old topics that’s fine, but the point is to link up to the same topic all around the blog-o-sphere, so please do not move ahead or change it to your own topic.

This Weeks Topic

Origins of your Name

 So, there are no meanings for the name Kymberlee, probably because it's a unique spelling. In order to find any meaning at all, I had to search Kimberly (which was weird) and it turned out to be an English name means "Ruler". I guess it works because I'm pretty convinced that I'm always right!

Apparently my mom named me Kymberlee because she wanted me to have a common name, with a slightly uncommon spelling!

Books vs. Movies vs. Audio Books

It's common knowledge that books are almost always better than a movie adaptation. The books provide more detail, a better connection to the characters, and, at times, despite the description an author has provided for the protagonist, I tend to picture them with my face (we all do it). We then tend to decide how accepting we are of the movie based on what they have included and left out from the book.

What I'm wondering is how does listening to a book affect us vs. reading it. Right now I'm listening to Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver and I like it, but I'm wondering, do I like the book because I really like it, or is the girl reading the book making me like it. Sometimes when listening to the book there are sentences, or descriptions that make me stop and go"...really," but I want to keep listening to this girl reading so I get over it.

I have no answer. Just questions.

The Friday 56 #3: Made for You

The Friday 56 is  weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

Rules:

--> Grab a book any book

-->Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (if you have to improvise that's okay)

--> Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

-->Post it.

-->Add your (URL) post on Freda's Linky. Add the post URL, not your blog URL It's that simple.

"When it happened, I was more than picturing Nate dying. It was like I was Nate."

Review: Made For You by Melissa Marr

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling. (Goodreads)
 
As silly as it may seem this is my first Melissa Marr book. I've always intended to read one of her books, but I never got around to it. This one was pretty good, the book begins with a literal bang, when Eva (our main character) is run down by some guy who calls himself Judge. When Eva wakes up, she learns that when people touch her (not to be confused with when she touches them), she can see how their going to die. Soon friends of her turn begin to die and freaky messages for her, are carved into their skin. It's all very morbid. The book switches POV's from Eva, her friend Grace, and Judge. We learn that Judge is just nuts, she loves Eva and thinks God speaks to him, and he's killing all of these people for her, it's all a mess. However, it's a mess that I figured out about a third of the way through the book. I'm pretty sure the author wanted us to put the pieces together, so it's okay.

We saw something in this book that a lot of people complain YA book lack, parents. In the beginning of the book while Eva is in the hospital her parents are away, and Grace and her mom (known as the General) are caring for her. However when the parents finally do show up, the mom is pretty awesome. She's a true southern belle and just an awesome and at times hilarious character.

My biggest issue which wasn't actually a big issue at all was the relationship between Eva and Nate. They were best friends, then one day Nate shut Eva out of his life and went on to be a big jerk and a "man-slut" (I kind of got tired of reading that). Then when Nate sees Eva in the hospital he declares that he's sorry and that he wants to be friends again. There wasn't even much of an explanation. As irritating as this was, I decided to over look it because Eva was just as annoyed as I was. At one point she calls him on his BS and it was pretty awesome. Obviously they continue on to a romantic relationship but I was glad to see a character stand up and say "hey, that's not cool." I'm glad to see more of the communication that I practically beg for in these YA novels.

So in conclusion, the book was pretty good, I'll give it 4 stars, and maybe read another Melissa Marr book at some point.

Waiting on Wednesday: Creed by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear.

~*~

Release Date November 8, 2014 

The Friday 56 #2: The Compound

The Friday 56 is  weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice.

Rules:

--> Grab a book any book

-->Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (if you have to improvise that's okay)

--> Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you.

-->Post it.

-->Add your (URL) post on Freda's Linky. Add the post URL, not your blog URL It's that simple.

"I spread my books out on the table, wondering what it would be like to have to study in a room full of people, to only have a small allotted space. Not the entire room, as I did. I never had to tell anyone to pipe down so I could concentrate, that's for sure."

Review: Forget Me by K.A. Harrigonton

On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies. (Goodreads)

I'm honestly not sure what to say here. The description of the book hooked me, a dead boyfriend who may be alive, but then the guy you thought was him was actually someone who looked like him. Very Twilight Zone. I thought the book might swing SyFy, or possibly Dystopian, or weird science experiments like in Altered. Nope, nope, nope, I was all wrong, and in that aspect I liked the book. It's rare that I'm taken totally by surprise. However, the ending was so random and out there that I'm not sure what to think. Sometimes, I think, that was cool and creative, other times I think, you were trying just a liiiiiiitle, bit to hard there buddy. You don't have to force mysteries and plot twists on us.

I didn't connect with the characters here as much as I would have liked, the central plot line the of story focused on why Evan looked almost exactly like Flynn, and what happened to him. It was a good quick read that I would suggest to many of my teens, particularly the reluctant readers. The book started with such a bang (literally) that I think the kids would be quickly drawn to it.

3 stars.

Gears of Brass Cover Reveal

Gear up for GEARS OF BRASS! 

A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device.  

Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning.  

Welcome to the steampunk realm, with eleven authors guiding your path. 

GEARS OF BRASS is a steampunk anthology published through Curiosity Quills.  It will be available for purchase on November 10, 2014.  Within the pages, you’ll come across clockwork inventions and steampunk-ified fairy tale retellings.  Eleven authors will guide you through worlds filled with airships, top hats, and corsets. 

Meet the authors:

Jordan Elizabeth writes young adult fantasy for Curiosity Quills, including ESCAPE FROM WITCHWOOD HOLLOW which was published in October and the upcoming TREASURE DARKLY; she’s represented by the Belcastro Agency.

J. Million is the author of Last of the Giants and can always be found reading or writing.

Lorna MacDonald Czarnota is a professional storyteller and author of several books including, Medieval Tales That Kids Can Read and Tell, Breadline Blue, Legends Lore and Secrets of Western New York, Wicked Niagara, Native American and Pioneer Sites of Upstate New York, and Dancing at the Crossroads: Stories and Activities for At-Risk Youth Programming.

SA Larsen is represented by Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary and is the author of published short stories, community-interest stories, and magazine articles focused on children. 

Grant Eagar is an Engineer who would take the tales he told his children at bed time, and transform them into fantasy stories. 

Clare Weze is the author of The House of Ash (forthcoming) and the co-author and editor of Cloudscapes over the Lune.

Eliza Tilton: gamer, writer and lover of dark chocolate; author of the YA Fantasy, BROKEN FOREST, published by Curiosity Quills Press.

Heather Talty's stories have been featured in Enchanted Conversation, as well as her own fractured fairy tale site, Mythopoetical (www.Beatrixcottonpants.com).

W.K. Pomeroy is a third generation writer who has published more than 70 short stories/articles/poems across many genres and styles, which now includes Steampunk.

Christine Baker is the author of Lana's End, The Guild of Dagda, and many more. 

Natalia Darcy: a bookilicious reader, tea drinker and Zumba aficionado who enjoys playing cards against humanity and washing her hair with ice cold water. 

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You can get your steampunk fix before GEARS OF BRASS is released in November.  To enter for your chance to win a copy of GEARS OF BRASS, you will need to share the cover.  This can be on your blog, Facebook, Twitter… Each time you share the cover image, log it into Rafflecoper (#insert link) to record it.  It will give you more chances to win.  The drawing for the winner will be held on October 27^th. 

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