I'm back and ready to jump right in!

Hey y'all! I am so so sorry to have taken such a long break! There has been so much going on, and then I got lost a bit. I lost a bit of my true love for reading, nothing was holding my interest at all. I couldn't even really pick up a book, no matter how much I loved the author, the series, nothing. But that step back with losing interest has gone. I am back and going through books like crazy! So now here I am trying to get back into the swing of things. Get my page, reviews and blog back up and running!

I will be looking for some assistance to help review books. So if interested please email me beneaththecover@hotmail.com. :)

Spelled Spotlight!

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks―like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the not-so-charming prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Excerpt :

Dragon Slaying for Dummies

"Stupid princes," I muttered as I stalked down the green-flecked quartz-and-marble hallway. "Why is it that when I don't want them, they're practically popping out of the closets? But the one time, the one time, I actually need a knight in overpriced armor, they're nowhere to be found?"

I checked the guidebook in my hand one last time, to make sure I hadn't missed anything. My plan was perfect-so brilliant, in fact, that I was amazed none of my other ancestors had thought of it. The fact that it took me seventeen years to come up with it was moot. For once, I was grateful that the world of fairy tales and magic adhered to such strict rules. Still, the entire thing hinged on finding a single prince willing to help me end my lifetime of house arrest in the Emerald Palace.

So far, I'd searched through the north and west towers, the potions pantry, the arcane arcade, and the armory. Next, I'd try the main floor. On my way down the curved staircase, I had a perfect view of the one and only entrance to the palace. The double doors were made of ironwood cut from Sherwood Forest and large enough to accommodate visiting giants. Sunlight filtered through the ornate and impenetrable stained-glass side panels, casting a shimmery green-and-gold hue on my skin.

Before I reached the bottom step, the doors slid open with a whoosh. For a minute I hoped the new arrival was one of the palace's visiting princes. Unfortunately, it was just UPS (United Pegasus Service). Even worse, since I hadn't ordered anything for a few days, the delivery wasn't for me.

I waved one of the postal brownies over. "What's in the crate?"

He gave a sharp whistle, and the workers set down the box-with the arrow saying "this side up" pointing to the ground. To tell the truth, I didn't care about the contents. But it kept them busy while the double doors remained wide open. Maybe I wouldn't need a prince after all.

While the brownies unpacked, I slipped past them and headed to the one and only palace exit. As soon as I was within five feet of it, the doors slid closed with a clap.

That's the problem with automagic doors: they knew who to let in and who not to let out.

"Sign here please." The boss brownie either didn't notice or care about my experiment with the door. Without looking at me, he held out a quill and a parchment saying I'd received the goods undamaged, though I had no clue what it was to start with-some sort of ornate gold stand with filigree chains coming out of the center. About a dozen little glass balls hung at the end of the chains. Those seemed to be intact, so I signed and shooed the brownies to the ballroom.

Even from a room away, I could hear Queen Em-my mother-directing the servants in their preparations for tonight's holiday festivities. She commanded her battalion of party planners like a general on the battlefield, even setting up a triage corner to treat the wounded. Imagine the number of paper cuts from folding thousands of star ornaments to hang on the Story Spruce.

Year after year, I took part in the Muse Day tradition just like everybody else; I wrote my wishes on the foil stars, hoping the Storymakers above would hear my prayers and make them come true. It hadn't happened yet. Obviously as a princess, I would get my happy ending, but the Makers were taking their sweet time getting around to it, and I was tired of waiting.

Movement in the courtyard caught my eye. Still on the prince hunt, I went over to investigate, taking great pains to stay out of view of my mother. A man stood on a ladder, waving a net frantically back and forth. Though he had a bit of a tummy that hung over his belt, he used to be a handsome prince. Now he was just my father, King Henry.

"What in Grimm's name are you doing, Dad?" I hurried over to stabilize the ladder as it started tipping over.

"Language, pum'kin," he chided and wobbled down the ladder. "And a Merry Muse Day to you too. Your mother sent me to gather will-o'-the-wisps for the new chandelier. I'd forgotten how tricky they were to hunt. I believe I prefer trolls."

So that's what that package was; the globes were to contain the will-o'-the-wisps' light while the chains were to keep them from getting loose. It was a smart idea after last year's glowworm fiasco. Some of my heels still had glow-gook on the bottoms.

Hummingbeeswax candles would be easier, except every heroine has her Achilles' curse: apples for Snow White, spinning wheels for Sleeping Beauty, and fire for the House of Emerald.

Our family became spelled after my ancestor pixed off two evil witch sisters. The witches' curse was supposed to doom my great-great-great grandmother to turn evil and torch the world-except the spell wasn't worded right. It didn't specify which Emerald princess. So ever since, all the girls in the Emerald family have been stuck inside, since there's no way to know what generation will inherit the curse.

Until we know for sure who the unlucky royal is, candles, lava lanterns, and anything with a flame is banned to keep the palace safe. As for the outside world...well, if you aren't allowed out, you don't have to worry about it. Completely lame that I have to suffer because one princess couldn't mind her own glammed business.

Well, suffered-past tense-if everything goes as planned. "Father, any chance you've seen a prince lying about? I seem to have misplaced them all."

"Well, which one are you looking for? Your date to the ball, perhaps?" He leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially, "I bet it's Hudson, right?"

Hudson was the half-giant prince and Dad's favorite of all the suitors he and Mother recently infested the palace with. Dad probably figured Hudson would make a very good hunting companion, given he was fierce looking and around the size of a boulder. Unfortunately, he also had the IQ of granite.

With a dreamy look, Father put a hand around my shoulder. "Ahhh, I remember when your mother finally accepted my suit. It took more time and patience than getting Cerberus to fetch. That's the thing about love: the best kind isn't easy or instant, and you often get roughed up a bit on the way." He winked at me. "But I suppose you know a thing or two about love yourself now."

"What in spell are you talking about?" I sighed, tired of the little talks, not to mention the entire game of thrones and accompanying prince parade. "I'd rather date Quasimodo than any of those royal rejects. I just need one of them for a little project I'm working on."

Father exhaled heavily and crossed his arms. "I'm guessing I don't want to know. That way I can't get yelled at by your mother for not stopping you."

I smiled and tapped my nose, indicating he was right. Neither of us had illusions about who wore the biggest crown in the family.

"I think I saw Sterling earlier in the hall of mirrors," Father said and climbed back onto the ladder.

I groaned internally because, one, I'd missed such an obvious spot-Sterling was hardly ever without his entourage of stylists and personal mirror holders-and two, finding him meant I had to deal with his ego, which was so large I was constantly amazed he didn't pop his armor wide open.

"Thanks," I said, heading off for the south tower.

"Dorthea," my father called after me. "Try to remember it's a holiday and have a little fun tonight with your friends."

"Sure." I waved, not bothering to paste on a fake smile since he couldn't see me. Though all the major fairy-tale families were coming tonight, I wouldn't exactly call any of them friends. Aside from the once-a-year gathering, I never spoke to any of them, except the occasional chat on Flitter with Cinderella, since we shared a love of designer footwear. All the other princesses were too busy, wrapped up in their own adventures to distract me from my lack of them.

I found Sterling exactly where Dad said he'd be, flexing his muscles and making duck lips at one of his fifty reflections.

"Princess, you look as stunning as ever. To what do I owe this immense pleasure?" He gave a half bow, and I couldn't help but notice that his eyes were still darting to his own reflection. He was generically dashing but unremarkable from a lineup of a dozen other princes.

Still, he fit the bill: royal and handsome-and boy, did he know it-with a sword hanging from a sheath around his waist.

"I have something that I desperately need help with. I would be ever so grateful if you would loan me the services of your sword arm." I purposefully made the request formal, so he would be less likely to refuse.

"Of course, dearest of my heart. What manly task may I perform for you?"

"If you care for me at all, you'll slay a dragon."

"Such a simple task to prove my devotion? For you, I will gladly take up this quest. Why, by the age of ten, I had already felled my first ogre."

I spun around on my satin ballet flats and started walking, so Sterling wouldn't see me gagging as he recounted his knightly résumé for the rest of the trip through the tower's maze of spiral staircases until we reached our destination.

"Here we are. Go get 'em." I gave Sterling a little push toward the waist-high mother-of-pearl column situated in the alcove between the grand staircase and the entrance.

"That?" he asked incredulously, pointing the tip of his sword at the object resting on the column.

That was a very detailed dragon sculpture, carved painstakingly out of the highest quality emerald. The statuette was approximately eighteen crown lengths across and as high as my arm from elbow to fingertip.

"Breaking an antique is hardly a fitting feat for a knight such as I." He went over and poked the emerald dragon with his finger. "Don't you have anything bigger? Perhaps something along the lines of a great beast?"

I shook my head fervently. "Nope, it has to be this." Though it wasn't exactly what the guidebook intended, I didn't even have access to the village pet shoppe, so the dragon work of art would have to do.

Sterling sighed. "As my lady wishes." Hoisting his broad sword into the air, he sliced down, hitting the statue with a great reverberating crack. The noise filled the palace, much louder than it should have for the small chunk of glittering green that broke off from the dragon's spine.

The statue shuddered, lifted its head, and roared.

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Tigers Promise Blog Tour

Synopsis 

Before the curse, there was a promise. 

A prequel to the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, this much anticipated novella recalls the beginning of Ren and Kishan’s story. Before Kelsey there was a girl, raised by a villain, whose love for a hero changed the course of history.

Trapped under the thumb of her abusive and powerful father Lokesh, Yesubai struggles to keep her own magical abilities secret while evading his dark powers. When Lokesh promises Yesubai to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she becomes the central pawn in his plot to destroy the ruling family and take power for himself. Yesubai is trapped by her father’s threats and desperate to protect the man she comes to love, but she knows that any decision she makes will have dire consequences. As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she’s willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.


REVIEW: Colleen brings us back into the world of our two favorite tigers. But this is the beginning, and it is just heartbreaking. There is plenty of betrayals, first love, friendship and family.

I loved having the back story. Getting to see who the boys were with Yesubai and finally meeting her. Her father is a monster we all know that from the books but to see what he does with his daughter and he is just disgusting. The boys are everything and more in this story that I thought they'd be. It just breaks my heart to have them played against each other, and Yesubai I am on the fence about.

The story pulls you in and makes you fall in love all over again. The laughter and tears are so worth it in this book. And I just can't get enough of these boys and their life before Kelsey. LOVE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.







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Tremor Blog Tour

Synopsis

In the year 2051, some people have a second pulse…

Like all who have “the pulse,” Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore have telekinetic powers—they can move objects with their minds. But there are five “second pulses” in the worldwho have an even greater power: Almost nothing can harm them. They are virtually indestructible.

Both Faith and Dylan have the second pulse. But the other side has second pulses, too, and they’ve been training for a war that has been brewing their entire lives. As Dylan executes a plan to infiltrate enemy grounds, he’ll have to face his only weakness, and a family secret that will threaten his very existence.

Together, Faith and Dylan are the only hope this world has left, but they must go their separate ways in order to accomplish their plan. Will their love survive?

With richly developed characters and heart-pounding action scenes, the second book in Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy continues the electrifying dystopian story of love and revenge.

Wow what a follow up. This book doesn't disappoint, we pick up where we left off. I was so excited about this book and ahhh so in love. Dylan is a beast in this book. He becomes so much more amazing. He is willing to do whatever it takes to protect he states. He gets a bomb dropped on him that will surprise us all. A twist in the plan but no fear he has Faith to keep him grounded. He is going into enemy territory, and he is going to take them all down. It's so hard to not fidget, to not break down and just take out the twins. They are horrible as is their mother. As the plan becomes more and more clear he is more than convinced he can't let this happen but his weakness is keeping him weak. He will triumph and it will be amazing. Faith is just as amazing if not more in this book. She is focused, angry and wanting to take down Clara. That's her focus, which is great to a point. She is sick of waiting around taking Meredith's orders/half truths. When Dylan goes undercover she is following, she will stick to orders because she won't risk him. What is she willing to do for him? Anything is the answer. They become so much more in this book. The twists and turns you can't keep up with. Everything happens in this book so fast, the revelations will make you gasp, the love will make you swoon, and the ending will just push you over the edge wanting the next book immediately. Ah this book had so much going on, and it was all amazing every single page. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Patrick Carman is the award-winning author of many books for young adults and children. He grew up in Salem, Oregon, and graduated from Willamette University. His birthday is February 27th, 1966. He spent a decade living in Portland, where he worked in advertising, game design, and technology.
Patrick Carman writes books for young adults and children for Scholastic, Harper Collins, and Little Brown Books For Young Readers. His bestselling books and series includes The Land of Elyon, Atherton, Elliot’s Park, 39 Clues, Floors, Trackers, Thirteen Days to Midnight, Dark Eden, Pulse, 3:15, and Skeleton Creek. Mr. Carman’s books have been translated into approximately two dozen languages.
Mr. Carman spends his free time supporting literacy campaigns and community organizations, fly fishing, playing basketball, golfing badly, doing crosswords, watching movies, dabbling in video games, reading (lots), and (more than anything else) spending time with his wife and two daughters.

    

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Eternal Echoes Blog Tour!

ETERNAL ECHOES Official Blog Tour

Synopsis
She thought she stopped the evil.
She thought she was safe.
Everything she thought was wrong.
Almost four months have passed since Evie Starling learned she was a Tracker and helped defeat a Daevos Clan that was taking others like her—but that wasn’t the end of the abductions. As an unknown evil emerges, Evie vows to help solve the mystery of the missing Trackers, regardless of the risk.
With new powers she doesn’t understand and can’t control, she turns to Alex and Emil, her two soul mates, for help. But her feelings for them both are tearing her apart. She knows she has to decide between them; however, her memories are only making that choice more difficult.
As the world around her is thrown into chaos, Evie is confronted with what could be a destiny-altering truth. Will she accept her history, her memories, and her role in this life, or choose to ignore the echoes of her past?




Angela Corbett graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter for her local newspaper when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing. In addition to writing, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and listening to U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber’s.

Angela writes under two names. Young Adult and New Adult titles are written as Angela Corbett. Adult titles are written as Destiny Ford.


“This or That” with Angela
Paris or Venice-Venice! I LOVE Italy!
Deodorant or Perfume-I’m a fan of both, but if I had to choose, definitely deodorant.
Winter or Summer-Winter! I can put more clothes on if I’m cold, but there’s only so much I can take off when I’m hot.
Vampire Diaries or Twilight-Vampire Diaries! Damon *sigh*
Angels or Demons-I think demons have more fun. J
Fall or Spring-Fall! I love driving through the mountains and looking at the changing leaves.
Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter-Lord of the Rings! I love the books, and went to the midnight showings of every movie.
Ice Cream or Sorbet-Ice cream. Anything chocolate.
Coke or Pepsi-I actually don’t drink soda. So I pick water!
Cabin in the woods or Condo on the Beach-Ooooo, this one is hard. I like them both for different reasons. But, I think a condo on the beach would be more relaxing.
Kisses or Hugs-Depends on whose giving them! If it’s Damon from Vampire Diaries, or Superman Henry Cavill, kisses please. J
Cash or Card-Card. I rarely have cash on me.
Print or Ebook-For traveling, eBook. For reading at home, print.
Voice or Text-Text!
Batman or Superman-I’ve had a crush on every Superman since Dean Cain, and Henry Cavill is the best Superman yet! So, Superman. But I also loved The Dark Knight.
Wheat or White-Wheat.
Romance or Passion-I think you need both!
Night or Day-Night. I have less distractions and get a lot more done.

  

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Splendor Blog Tour!

Thanks to Elana, Random House and Book Nerd Tours for setting this up!

Splendor, the stunning sequel to Sacred, is a story about changing friendships, family, romance, passion, the study of Kabbalah, and self-discovery.Sometimes the answers we seek aren’t ours to find. . . . 

Scarlett loves her boyfriend, the dashing, mysterious Will Cohen. But now he’s gone east for college, and Scarlett is stuck home on Catalina Island. Senior year should be a breeze, but between dealing with her parents’ separation and her wild best friend, Lily, things are off to a rocky start. And then there’s Gunner. Dangerous, dark, ferociously attractive Gunner. Lily’s potential boyfriend, Gunner . . . 
     Scarlett distracts herself by spending time with her horse and delving into ecstatic mysticism, a way to practice Kabbalah. Through this practice, she hopes to learn to control her emotions, and begin to make sense of her place in the world. But Scarlett’s world is increasingly unrecognizable.
     Are Lily and Scarlett becoming too different to stay friends? Is Will still the love of Scarlett’s life, even though she has feelings for Gunner? Does being in love mean only being attracted to one person? The more Scarlett questions, the fewer answers there seem to be.

Praise for Splendor:

"As in Arnold’s earlier Sacred, teens will gravitate toward Scarlett and her problems. Arnold has painted a very realistic picture of teenage girls and their conflicting emotions. . . . Fans of the first novel will appreciate continuing Scarlett’s story and finding some closure with this sequel. Readers unfamiliar with Sacred will still be able to enjoy Splendor.”—VOYA 

Praise for Sacred:

"Will appeal to many teens, especially fans of the Twilight series."--Booklist"Filled with tension and angst. . . . Readers will be looking for the next installment."--School Library Journal"A poignant novel of loss and grief, but also of hope."--VOYA

ELANA K. ARNOLD completed her M.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have her own horse--a gorgeous mare named Rainbow--and a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. She is represented by Rubin Pfeffer of the East/West Literary Agency. Sacred is her debut novel.

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Project Cain Blog Tour!

* A special “Thank You” to Geoffrey Girard and Simon & Schuster for making this tour possible.

Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Jeff Jacobson had never heard of Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer who brutally murdered seventeen people more than twenty years ago. But Jeff’s life changes forever when the man he’d thought was his father hands him a government file telling him he was constructed in a laboratory only seven years ago, part of a top-secret government cloning experiment called ‘Project CAIN’. There, he was created entirely from Jeffrey Dahmer’s DNA.

There are others like Jeff—those genetically engineered directly from the most notorious murderers of all time: The Son of Sam, The Boston Strangler, Ted Bundy . . . even other Jeffrey Dahmer clones. Some raised, like Jeff, in caring family environments; others within homes that mimicked the horrific early lives of the men they were created from.

When the most dangerous boys are set free by the geneticist who created them, the summer of killing begins. Worse, these same teens now hold a secret weapon even more dangerous than the terrible evil they carry within. Only Jeff can help track the clones down before it’s too late. But will he catch the ‘monsters’ before becoming one himself?

Geoffrey Girard is an award-winning fiction author whose works have appeared in several best-selling anthologies and magazines, including Writers of the Future (a 2003 winner), Murky Depths, Apex Horror & Science Fiction Digest, and the Stoker-nominated Dark Faith anthology. His first book, Tales of the Jersey Devil, thirteen original tales based on American folklore, was published in 2005, followed by Tales of the Atlantic Pirates (2006) and Tales of the Eastern Indians (2007). Simon and Schuster will publish two Girard novels in 2013: CAIN'S BLOOD, a techno thriller, and PROJECT CAIN, a spinoff novel for teen/YA readers. 

Born in Germany, shaped in New Jersey and currently living in Ohio. Geoffrey graduated from Washington College with a literature degree and worked as an advertising copywriter and marketing manager, later shifting to high school English teacher. He is currently the English Dept. Chair at a private boys school in Ohio and is an MA candidate in Creative Writing at Miami University. 

He has presented seminars and workshops on creative writing at colleges, elementary schools, bookstores and writers' organizations and can also be spotted speaking at various conventions/events.

    

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