Deviation

Deviation by Heather Hildenbrand

ASIN: B00M7CH6Z6
Pages: 250
Source: NetGalley

Appearance:

Summary:

Until a month ago, eighteen-year-old Ven had never set foot outside the windowless warehouse where she was created. An Imitation of Raven Rogen, Ven spent her days confined in the lab, studying videos of her Authentic, all so she could step into Raven’s life at a moment’s notice. 
Now, Ven lives in Raven’s penthouse apartment, kisses Raven’s boyfriend, and obeys every order from Raven’s dad, Titus Rogen—the very man who created her. But Ven has a secret plan. She doesn’t want Raven’s life. She wants her own.
In the action-packed sequel of Imitation, Ven wages a dangerous war against Titus. First she’ll free herself, then she’ll free every last Imitation. . . . 

Hi everyone! Welcome to my review of Deviation by Heather Hildenbrand! I was sent an e-copy of the book by NetGalley and Mark My Words Publicity in exchange for an honest review. Deviation is the second book in the Clone Chronicles, so be warned for possible Book 1 Spoilers! If you haven't read Book 1 and want to learn more about the series, check out my review of Imitation HERE. Alright, let's get started!

Deviation picks up right after Imitation with Ven trying to figure out how to survive in the trecherous world as an Imitation. I actually re-read the first book just so I could be up to date with everything that was going on, but it wasn't really needed because Deviation does a great job intertwining the major events of Book 1 along with what's going on in Book 2 and progressing from there. Ven is still pretending to be Raven Rogen and trying to figure out how she's going to free Daniel from Titus's grasp. There are new game pieces involved and Ven needs to figure out who she can trust to help liberate all the Imitations in Twig City.

As far as characters go, they all progressed in one way or another. Ven experienced major character development in Book 1 and in Deviation, it's just a continuation of that. She grows to be more confident in herself as a person, not as an Imitation and also becomes a representation, voice, and leader for the other Imitations. Linc is still the tough security guy with a touch of softness that makes you want to hug him. The romance in this book was great, not too clichéd or excessive, but enough to have a romance aspect while still focusing on the unfolding events taking place. There are a bunch of characters that really grow into their role in the second book with Neil, Obadiah, Melanie, Morton, Anna, etc. It's a slew of alliances and friendships that make them strong against Rogen Corp.

While I did thoroughly enjoy Deviation, it suffered a bit as a middle "in between" book. A lot of things did happen in this book and there were definitely some major plot twists that I would never have seen coming. Yet as far as how much was actually done, nothing much happened. Alliiances were made, plans were put into action, but the major events are mostly saved for the third book. However, the last few percentages of the book (read it on my Kindle) had a crazy amount of action that left you emotionally shocked and hanging. Yes, there is a pretty major cliffhanger and might I just point out that it only makes me more excited for the next book? 

Overall, Deviation was a great read. It technically suffers from "second book" syndrome, but not in a bad way. Heather Hildenbrand manages to make that syndrom sound good with all the intense plot development going on. Definitely recommend, and can someone please tell me when Book 3 will be released??

PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY

Want to win a paperback copy of Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand along with Clone Chronicles swag? Sign up for her mailing list at http://mad.ly/signups/106230/join. One lucky subscriber will be chosen on 2/7/15 to win the prize!

 

About Heather Hildenbrand

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) Since 2011, she’s published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs. Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visit www.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own Outrageous Life. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. 

You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.com. 

 Or find her here: Facebook 

Facebook Fan Page 

Twitter 

Goodreads

Newsletter  

Other titles by Heather Hildenbrand:

Imitation, book 1 in the Clone Chronicles

Dirty Blood (book 1, the Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Cold Blood (book 2, Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Blood Bond (book 3, Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Blood Rule, (book 4, Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Whisper

Amazon Kobo B&N

Across the Galaxy

Amazon Kobo B&N

DreamKiller: The Complete Saga (a novella)

Amazon Kobo B&N

A Risk Worth Taking

Amazon B&N

The Indie Author Guide: A Self-Publisher’s Toolbox

Amazon B&N

4 out of 5 stars

 

Foreverly Obsessed,

I'm on the Top 21 Blogs for YA Book Lovers List!

Hi everyone! This is just a short little post to let you know that I've been listed as one of the top 21 Blogs for YA Book Lovers list compiled by Mary from Mythology Retold Books! I'm really honored and excited to be on this list with a bunch of amazing book bloggers, most of which I've never heard of, but I'm glad I know of them now! You can check out the list here  and be sure to go and visit all the amazing blogs and check out their content! 

This is my first time being listed in anything so it really means the world to me to be chosen and listed! Thank you so much Mary for choosing me and also a huge thanks to everyone who's been with me on this crazy amazing blogging journey that was 2014! You guys are the best!! 

Foreverly Obsessed,

Colour Pop Lippie Stixs

Hello everyone! So it's been ages since there was anything beauty-related here now that Claudz has gone on and started her own fashion/beauty/lifestyle blog which by the way, you guys should definitely check out HERE. But anyway, I thought it'd be fun to throw in something non-bookish once in a while. I am by no means an expert on beauty products, but when it comes to lip products and nail polish, I'm kind of obsessed.

Recently I made a purchase from the very hyped website: Colourpop. I have been watching so many beauty gurus on YouTube who have just raved about their lippie stixs and eyeshadows. I decided to give it a go and ordered a couple with Claudz. We then decided to do a little collab and share our thoughts with you guys so be sure to check out her thoughts HERE. Enough talking, let's get started with the review:

Color Payoff:

The color payoff is great! If you look at the swatches (below) I only did one swipe of the product and it was already super opaque. The colors don't lie, the website has these really handy pictures that let you see the color on various skin tones so everything looked the way I thought it would. My favorite ones are probably Lumiere and Grind. 

Texture:

These are all matte in formula which I have never owned before. They are pretty creamy and didn't feel the way I thought matte lipsticks felt (in a good way). However, I've heard that matte lipsticks can be drying if you don't apply a lip balm underneath. For these lipsticks, they did dry my lips out a lot, despite the fact that I applied a lip balm underneath.   It might just be the colder season...or me, but they all left my lips feeling really dry.

Lasting Power:

The lasting power on these are pretty great. I've already worn Lumiere to work and it lasted through. However, it does fade a bit when you eat, but a little touch up and it'll fix any little problem.

Packaging:

The packaging is okay. I didn't expect much and I will admit it looks really nice. However, my Creature lipstick was dropped and a section of the top snapped off (if that's the right word). I am guilty of dropping my lipsticks but they usually stay in one piece...

Price:

The lippie stixs retail for $5 each and on the website they also come with a matching lipliner. I will admit that I was definitely expecting more product since everyone was raving about how cheap they were. For their quality, it's definitely a good deal, but in my point of view it's still expensive. For $5, you only get 0.03 oz of product which in perspective, is not a lot. An average lipstick is usually 0.13 oz with ranging prices. At the end of the day, these are better off as "testing" lipsticks, if you want to try a color without fully committing.

SWATCHES

(With the light on )

(Sunlight)

Colors from Top to Bottom:

Lumiere: A dusty mauve pink shade with a matte formula created by KathleenLights. 

Brink: A dusty warm taupe with a matte formula inspired by the insta-famous Kylie Jenner lip and created by brittanysuleiman.

Grind: A vivid blue violet with a matte finish

Bitchette: A deep red wine with a matte finish

Creature: A deepened blackened burgundy red with a matte finish created by Feral Creature.

Color Payoff: 2/2

Texture: 1/2

Lasting Power: 2/2

Packaging: 1/2

Price: 1/2

TOTAL: 7/10 

So those are my thoughts on the Colourpop Lippie Stixs! If you've tried these products out, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Feedback time, what did you think? Are you guys okay with an occasional beauty review? Let me know!!

Foreverly Obsessed,

BOOK BLITZ: The Queen's Gift

The Queen's Gift by TR Allardice

ISBN13: 9781942237037

Pages: ?

Publication Date: December 15, 2014

Appearance:

Summary:

Fifteen-year-old, late-bloomer Jean Elliott dreams of becoming a Genie like her mom. When her family relocates to Tokyo, Jean is forced to use sleight-of-hand tricks to fool everyone at school into believing that she’s a normal Preternatural or risk expulsion. When her power finally appears, it comes in the form of the Queen's Gift--an unspeakable magic that strips power from all Preternaturals and heralds the arrival of the new queen.
After an absence of two hundred years, not everyone wants the monarchy to return and they're willing to go to great lengths to keep the status quo. When buried secrets rip Jean's family apart, she has a choice to make: Walk away and hope for the best or embrace the power that's known to lead to madness in order to save her family.
Jean's greatest dream has turned into her biggest nightmare and no matter how hard she tries, there'll be no wishing the Queen's Gift away.

As I stepped inside the room, I felt eyes burning through the back of my sweatshirt. Was it too much to hope that it was Michael Cooper? I looked back. A Goth Fey was leaning against the far wall in the hall. His flame red hair, thick black eyeliner, and spiked choker clashed with the conservative uniform he wore. I hadn’t noticed him when we’d passed the Fey group earlier and he was hard to miss.
I elbowed Karen and casually nodded in his direction. “Thought you said all the Fey hung out together.”
She followed my gaze and paled to lemon yellow. “That’s Akio Takahashi.”
“Akio?”
“Yes, but he goes by Spider because he doesn’t want anyone to know that his father is a member of the Assembly. I think he’s embarrassed by it,” she whispered, then leaned closer. “It’s not really a secret. Everyone knows, but it’s easier to pretend that we don’t.”
He didn’t look like any of the spiders I’d seen in Illinois. “Spider, seriously?”
“Yep, no one calls him Akio except his father and close friends. But most of them call him Spider, too.” Karen hesitated. “I’d never call him by his given name. And you shouldn’t either.”
“Okay...” I didn’t get what the big deal was about his name. Tokyo didn’t have a corner on the market for weird names. There’d been plenty of strange ones at my last school. “Why is he staring at me?” Was this an ‘offend one Fey, offend them all’ kind of school?
“Who knows?” Karen shrugged. “Spider kind of does his own thing. He’s weird, even for a Fey, but I’ve heard his glam punk band rocks.”
My head tingled as I tore my gaze away. “He’s in a band?” I’d never known anybody who was in a real band. I’d only been around the marching kind.
Karen nodded. “They play around town sometimes. He’s the lead singer. I haven’t seen them, but I’ve heard Spider kills it on stage. To be honest, I don’t know him well, which I think is a good thing. He keeps to himself. And if you have any sense, you’ll give him plenty of space. You know how the Fey can be.” She rolled her eyes and flashed those dagger sharp teeth.
This from a Ghoul.
I looked back to where Spider stood. He was gone. Only a small cloud of purple fairy dust remained.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. Out of all the characters in The Queen’s Gift who is your favorite?

I’d have to say Karen Kim. She’s so conflicted and desperate to fit in, when there’s no chance of that happening.


2. Why place the book in Tokyo?

Because it’s one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to by far. The scale of the city is mindboggling. It’s the only place I’ve ever traveled that you cannot see the end of the city no matter what direction you look. I also really like the Japanese people, though that may not come through in the first book.


3. Will the other books be set in Tokyo, too?

It’s funny, but I’m actually trying to decide that now. When I originally planned The Queen’s Gift, I intended to change the location for each year she’s in school. There would be specific mythology based on each location. I even have the other cities picked out, photographs and all. When I entered a writing contest—The Queen’s Gift won First Place YAY—one of the things the judges brought up was keeping the book in Tokyo. It came up enough that it made me wonder if I was doing the right thing with changing locations. Ultimately, I think it will be up to the characters.


4. How did you come up with the lead character, Jean?

Jean started with one question: What would happen if you were a Genie and couldn’t grant wishes? To make it worse, I made her mother one of the most skilled Genie’s in the world.


5. How did you come up with the idea for Jean’s world?

I wanted to write a story that poked fun of a lot of books that I’d read over the years. I looked at all the characters that have populated books and noticed most were portrayed in a positive light. What I mean by that is that most were super cool, amazing looking, great at everything, love triangles, etc.

No characters seemed to be suffering from typical school issues like zits and other maladies. None of the characters really had to face not getting the guy or girl of their dreams. Every time I read one of these books, I thought about my high school experiences. I realize I was reading fiction, but it made me go in another direction.

For example, Karen Kim is a ghoul with greenish colored skin who dreams about being a super model. She’s the size of a linebacker. She will always be the size of a linebacker. Stefan is a fainting vampire. He’s always forgetting to get his iron shots
from the school nurse. Chloe has to worry about bursting into flames every time she sneezes or farts. Like I said, I wanted to write something a little different, so I did. 


6. You said that you wanted to make fun of the tropes you’ve read about, yet there is a love triangle in your book. Why?

I do have a sort of love triangle happening in The Queen’s Gift. The big difference is that it’s resolved by the end of the book…maybe. ;)


7. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I have so many places I want to travel to right now. My top six are: Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, China, Egypt, and Jordan. Given the unrest in the entire Middle East, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make it to Jordan and Egypt, but I’d really love to see Petra and the pyramids before I leave this place.


8. Do you have any travel plans?

I spend quite a bit of time in the United Kingdom. I’ll be hitting it again in the summer.


9. What are you working on now?

I am currently working on the first book in a new young adult series. I’ve had the idea for quite a while and I need to get the first book done so the characters stop bothering me
.

10. Final question. What do you do for fun?

I read. I go to the movies a lot. And I travel. Thank you for having me.

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive an E-Book of The Queen's Gift, courtesy of the author! All you need to do to enter is comment down below answering this question:

What supernatural being would you want to be and why?

And follow this blog however you want (Comment how too!)

Giveaway Ends: February 18th, 2015

AUTHOR BIO

T.R. Allardice writes young adult, new adult, and humorous horror stories. Most of what she writes incorporates several genres. The content won't always be 'safe'. What's the fun in that? She is a member of the Horror Writer's Association, Novelist Inc. and the Author's Guild. She has thirty-one books published under another pen name. To find out more about her upcoming work, go to: www.trallardice.com

Author Links:

http://www.trallardice.com/

https://www.facebook.com/trallardice

https://twitter.com/trallardice 

TOUR STOP: Bridges Burned

Bridges Burned by Chris Cannon

ASIN: B00R69XNHU
Pages: 312
Source: YA Bound Book Tours

Appearance:

Currently 99 cents on Amazon! (Click Cover to buy)

Summary:

Don't just fight the system…burn it.
Since discovering she is a shape-shifting, fire-breathing dragon on her sixteenth birthday (surprise!), Bryn McKenna’s world has been thrown into chaos. Being a “crossbreed”—part Red dragon and part Blue—means Bryn will never fit in. Not with dragon society. Not with the archaic and controlling Directorate. And definitely not when she has striped hair and a not-so-popular affection for rule-breaking…
But sneaking around with her secret boyfriend, Zavien, gets a whole lot harder when he’s betrothed to someone else. Someone who isn't a mixed breed and totally forbidden. And for an added complication, it turns out Bryn’s former archnemesis Jaxon Westgate isn’t quite the evil asshat she thought. Now she’s caught between her desire to fit in and a need to set things on fire. Literally.
Because if Bryn can’t adapt to the status quo…well, then maybe it’s time for her to change it. 

Hello everyone! Welcome to my tour stop for the Bridges Burned book tour! This is book 2 in Chris Cannon’s Going Down in Flames series. I just finished both books in time for the tour but since the tour is focusing on the release of Book 2, my review is going to be a little out of order. I’ll have my review of Book 1 up hopefully up sometime next week! So as always, please check out the other amazing tour stops by clicking the tour banner up above! Also, the book is currently 99 cents on Amazon so if you’re interested, just click the book cover to purchase away! Let’s get into the review~

After Bryn finds out she’s a mixed blood dragon shifter, life got a whole lot crazier. She’s shipped to some pretentious dragon school where she’s basically the only mixed and everyone else is a pureblood. Did she forget to mention that mix-bloods are kind of against the law? After struggling to find her place, Bryn finally gets acknowledged by her mother’s parents which gives her a measure of protection that she needs.

Bridges Burned continues the fun and drama from Going Down in Flames. This series has all the YA wit, humor, and a little angst that makes YA enjoyable to read. It was pretty relaxing to read and laugh at the same time. The entire series (so far) is light and fun with a hint of dragon shifting awesomeness.

I loved Bryn’s character throughout both of the books. She’s just such a witty person and always says the right things to make me smile and laugh. In this book, she definitely learns a lot more about her position in dragon shifting society and after connecting with her seemingly wicked cruel grandparents, she has more a social standing (a bit more.) She goes through a lot of changes and experiences, but at the end of the day, her friends are always there for her.

YA angst can’t be complete without a semi-love triangle. I loved Zavien in book 1, he was such a sweet guy with a great heart, but in book 2 it was like he was a completely different person. In other words, he became like those typical YA temperamental boys who seem all dark and angry all the time. Not sure what’s going on, but hopefully we’ll get the sweet Zavien back. Jaxon on the otherhand got a whole lot nicer. He still fights all the time with Bryn, but their quarrels are more funny than hurtful. I also officially hope that I can have his mom as like my 2^nd mother. She’s really freaking awesome!

The story continues on from Going Down in Flames and it’s another journey full of fun and adventure. I was a bit disappointed with the ending, I felt like it was a bit flat, but overall I did really enjoy this book!

About the Author

I love reading and writing snarky, kick-butt characters who take on the world and win.
My truths: You can never have too many books, shoes, or purses.
Coffee is the Elixir of Life.
There should be a National Nerf Bat Day where you are allowed to whack annoying people
upside the head.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Foreverly Obsessed,

Top 5 Wednesday: Authors I Want To Meet

Hello everyone! Sorry I've been so inactive but it's currently Quarterlys week so life is very hectic. I wanted to get something up for you guys this week so I thought I'd do a Top 5 Wednesday post. This is a popular meme on BookTube and you can join the Goodreads group HERE to find out upcoming topics! So the topic for this week is top 5 authors I would want to meet, let's get into it! :)

1. Amy Harmon

This is no surprise. Amy Harmon is one of my favorite authors of life so meeting her would be really awesome! I think I might actually die...

2. Brandon Sanderson

This is another no-brainer for me. I've been loving everything that Brandon Sanderson writes and I'm super excited to finally start the Mistborn Trilogy this year! 

3. Nicholas Sparks

I just want to meet him and give him a big hug for all the smiles and fuzzy feelings that he has given me. His books have been a life saver whenever I'm in reading slumps or just any bad mood. 

4. Patrick Rothfuss

I'll confess that I haven't read anything by him yet, but I've watched so many interviews and videos and he seems like such a nice person! I plan on reading the Name of the Wind sometime this year and I'm super duper excited!

5. Elizabeth LaBan

This is another author of one of my favorite books of 2014. I'd love to meet her in real life and hopefully convince her to write more YA because one book is not enough!

So that is it for this Top 5 Wednesday, I hope you guys liked it! Please let me know your TOP 5 Must Meet Authors in the comments below! I hope to have a review up sometime so stay tuned for that! Thanks so much for reading, I hope you have a fantastic night!!

Foreverly Obsessed,

Mini Review: Chronicles of the Nocturnal Forest

Chronicles of the Nocturnal Forest by Vanessa Kings

ISBN: 1497356954
Pages: 230 

Source: Author

Appearance:

Book Depository

Summary:

Melanie is living an ordinary, boring life when one night she is transported in her dreams to the Kingdom of Astebeth. Night after night, the fairy of her dreams will tell her the stories of the inhabitants of the Kingdom, its town, and the magical Nocturnal Forest nearby. A forest full of magical creatures where the impossible can happen. Soon, she comes to
suspect that her dreams may not only be dreams after all. Follow her on her incredible journeys that will take her to magical places and beyond Earth itself to discover the magical secret of the Nocturnal Forest in the first part of The Fairy of my Dreams trilogy. 

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for how absent I've been but school's been super busy and next week I have Quarterlys which means I probably won't be posting often.  Sad way to start the new year, but I promise I'll try to schedule ahead as much as possible! With that little update, I have a review to share with you guys today of Chronicles of the Nocturnal Forest by Vanessa King and I was send an e-copy by the author so thank you so much Vanessa! 

Chronicles of the Nocturnal Forest follows a girl named Melanie who lives her life through fairytales. Her normal is incredibly boring but when she closes eyes, she is transported to the Kingdom of Astebeth where a fairy shows her around the Nocturnal Forest. Each dream that Melanie has is a brand new fairy tale that paints the image of Astebeth in your brain. I read this a lot in between classes so the short story like format was great because I could easily slip in and out of the book without have to worry about not being able to get back into the story. I don't want to say too much about the dreams because the whole fun of it is experiencing the dreams for the first time. I will say that this would be a really cool story time book and completely transports me back to my childhood when I would read fairy tales from a huge Disney book. In addition to delivering an enchanting story, Vanessa King also addresses some pretty relevant topics, particularly the one about humanity destroying the Earth. With Astebeth currently in a natural crisis that leaves the kingdom dark at night, the only way to bring light and magic back is for humanity to learn to love and be happy without the light. Overall, the book was a really lovely read and Goodreads currently has a giveaway open so if you're interested, be sure to click the title to check it out! Again, thank you so much Vanessa for sending me a copy!

3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Foreverly Obsessed,

BOUT OF BOOKS 12.0 WRAP-UP

Hello everyone!! I can't believe that Bout of Books is already over!! I feel like I didn't do much because I didn't participate as much in the challenges as I did during Bout of Books 11.0. As always, I kind of deviated from my TBR, but I got to read a total of 5 books which is a huge accomplishment for me! So let's get into my wrap-up:

1. Coral and Bone by Tiffany Daune

This book was haunting and amazing! I'm not going to go much into detail because I will be posting a review very soon! 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

2. Dark Siren by Eden Ashley

I went from one mermaid/siren book to another. This one was also as haunting and amazing as Coral & Bone. I am participating in a tour for this book with a review (2/5) so again, not going much into it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

3. Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House and I was super excited to read it! It's a simple fun story with lots of flowers and a feeling of spring.

Review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I had to read this for school and just so happened to finish this right before the end of Bout of Books so I decided to include it. It was definitely interesting and not what I expected.

5. The Problem with Crazy

This is probably my favorite book and I'm so glad I picked it up and read it in time to include it in this wrap-up! This book was absolutely mind-blowing and fantastic! 

Review

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

So that's it! Let me know what books you read during Bout of Books 12.0! Also, what books are you currently reading?

Foreverly Obsessed,