Diary of a Book Maniac: Self Published

Fantasy

Review + Giveaway: Fire

Author: Heather James

Series: Elements of Power #1

Published: January 5, 2013

Publisher: Heather James

202 pages (Ebook)

Summary:

Is control over the elements a gift, or a curse?

Roxy thinks that she is in control of everything: with flames flaring at her fingertips and an equally fiery attitude, what more could she need? But then she meets Brae, a prince from a rival Realm, who turns her assumptions of superiority upside down.

Jasmine has none of Roxy’s confidence or intensity. But she does have a secret - and Brae - and she’s not going to give either up willingly.

Review:

I would like to thank the author for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was told in the POV of two girls—Roxy and Jasmine. Roxy is from the Helian Realm while Jasmine lives in the Arcan Realm. You can already deduct from the first few pages that these two girls are so different with each other. Temperamental, sarcastic and has a brash attitude; those were just a few things that I can describe about Roxy. While Jasmine is quite the opposite of Roxy, she’s gentle, patient and caring. The only similarity between these two girls is their affection to the prince of the Arcan Realm, Brae.

I have a mixed feelings regarding this book. Both good and the bad though I wouldn’t really call it bad, maybe annoyance is the right word for it. The good part is I’m fascinated by the world Heather James created. Since I was a kid, I really love reading/watching stuff that features the four elements (i.e. Water, Fire, Air and Earth) and knowing that this book has those in it, I quickly grabbed the chance to read Fire. Heather James created such an enthralling world. If only living to these realms is possible then I’d surely go. I’ll be looking forward to get a glimpse of what the other two realms (Brizan and Sephan Realms) like on the 2^nd book of this series.

I also like the character of Roxy. She’s tough, confident and witty so it’s not easy to like her. Though some might see her as cruel (since most Helians are cruel) but I know that deep down she has a good side of her. I also like the fact that her tough exterior would melt when it comes to Brae. Who thought that the tough girl will fell in love with the so called “air head”? Though there’s not much sweet scenes between Brae and Roxy, their chemistry still makes me squeal. They’re cute! I’m officially shipping these two. :)

I know you’re curious as to what made me annoyed while reading this book. Can you guess? No? *sigh* Well, it’s Jasmine. If I love Roxy then I feel the opposite about Jasmine. SHE ANNOYED THE HECK OUT OF ME. Sorry for making it all caps but I just want to express how much her character annoyed me. Jasmine is whiny, judgmental and a freaking liar. I was really mad about what she did at the end. She should have told Brae about what Roxy admitted to her but nooo! She freaking kept it to herself. *angry huff*

Fire will surely made you do all kind of things (i.e. screaming in frustration, giggling, glaring at the characters, squealing). It will left your jaw hanging and your eyes bulging. It will left you wanting for more and wanting to find out what will happen next. I suggest you prepare yourself to the ending of this book because I’m sure you’ll be scarred (nah, just kidding). Heather James, please tell me you started writing the 2nd book already? I cannot wait to find what will happen next! :)

About the Author:

Heather James is a young-adult author who writes about heroines with amazing powers, heroes who will break your heart and fantasy realms that you will want to move to.

She works in the attendance office of a South-East London secondary school and spends her school holidays writing, reading, playing flag-American football and ~~wasting time~~ marketing on Pinterest.

Want to find out more about the author? Go to these sites:

Twitter || Facebook || Website || Goodreads

Giveaway

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1 comments

, by Alyssa

Brynna Gabrielson

Review + Giveaway: Starkissed

Author: Brynna Gabrielson

Published: August 14, 2012

Publisher: Brynna Gabrielson

141 pages (Ebook)

Summary:

Kissing movie star Grant West may be every teenage girl’s dream, but when it happens to Sydney Kane, it’s nothing but a nightmare. Sure he’s cute, but having her face plastered all over celebrity gossip blogs is not something she’s interested in. Now cheerleaders are trying to befriend her, reporters won’t stop calling, and her mother keeps chasing her with a curling iron so she won’t be caught by the paparazzi with flat hair ever again.

Forgetting Grant is all Sydney wants and Colin, the guy she’s had a crush on since seventh grade, seems like a pretty good way to do it. Then Grant shows up at Sydney’s door begging for a second chance and the more she gets to know him, the more she isn’t sure she wants him to go away. But with Grant in the picture, Colin is backing off and she definitely doesn’t want that. Everything is a mess and Sydney doesn’t know what to do, who to choose, or how to make those pesky cheerleaders leave her alone. She only knows one thing for sure, being STARKISSED isn’t a dream come true at all.

Review:

Sydney Kane is the odd ball in her family. She has a flat brown hair, green eyes and a pale skin while her sisters are all blonde, has blue eyes and tanned skin. People often mistook her as their distant cousin or relative rather than their sister. While all her sisters are well known, Sydney is just a mere shadow—a nobody. But Sydney’s alright in being like that. She’s contented with her life and then the unexpected happen. Sydney’s life turned upside down because of a one kiss from a hot guy that she met in the restaurant. What she didn’t know is that the guy who kissed her is a famous celebrity and a renowned actor.

Starkissed started a bit off for me. I honestly got confused about the names of Sydney’s sisters. I sometimes got mixed it up. Maybe it’s the fact that all their names started in letter A or maybe it’s just me and my inability to remember names. (-__-“) And here’s the thing, I thought that Grant will just be a secondary character in this book and it’s Colin that Sydney will end up with. I mean, who wouldn’t be trick into thinking like that, if all Sydney could think at the first few chapters is Colin and let’s not forget that Grant reappeared (after their kiss) much longer so you really couldn’t blame me into thinking like that. Though I didn’t instantly like Starkissed, I later on started to like it. It made me laugh like a mad woman because the dialogues are just so freaking hilarious. Ms. Gabrielson surely knows how to make a reader laugh with her lines. ;)

My favorite character in this book will be Sydney’s dad. Guess you didn’t see that coming, did you? ;) Sydney’s dad has the funniest lines among the other characters (or maybe I’m just the only one who found it funny *shrugs*) but seriously, her dad is the coolest! Sure, her dad is strict but aren’t all dads like that? And her dad is also bipolar too. Hahaha. Yes, you read that right, her dad is bipolar. He goes from mad at this moment then happy at the next one. He seriously have a bad case of a moody person. I also find her dad eccentric (in a good kind of eccentric). He somehow reminds me of my dad.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun and light read then Starkissed is the right book for you. You will found yourself laughing at the dialogues and at the way the characters act in this book. Ms. Gabrielson created a book that has all the ingredients of what the readers are looking for in a book (or maybe that’s just me). A humorous dialogues, quirky characters and a romance that will surely make you giggle and squeal in delight.

About the Author:

Though she hails from the small town of Ladysmith, British Columbia in Canada, Brynna currently lives in the not-so-small town of Oxford in the United Kingdom, where she has just completed her Master of Arts Degree in Publishing at Oxford Brookes University. When she’s not writing she reads, loses hours on the internet, and watches far too much TV for her own good.

Want to find out more about the author? Go to these sites:

Twitter || Facebook || Website || Goodreads

Giveaway

There will be 2 winners in this giveaway. The 1^st one will win a signed paperback copy of Starkissed and the 2^nd one will one an e-copy of Starkissed in any format. This giveaway is International so everyone can join.

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8 comments

, by Alyssa

Contemporary

Review: Merch Girl

Author: Rebecca Lewis

Published: May 4, 2013

Publisher: Rebecca Lewis

136 pages (Ebook)

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Kind doesn’t have the guts to talk to cute boys, isn’t a size two, and would rather stay home and listen to music than go to a party. But in the summer before her first year of college, she ends up thousands of miles away from home, in the back of a tour bus, underneath the half-naked body of the hottest teen rock star in the country.

When Lacey and her best friend Trina sneak into a Boston nightclub to see their favorite band, they not only get to watch their rock gods perform for the first time, but score a chance to meet the band too. Lacey’s heart races as she comes face-to-face with her idol, nineteen-year-old lead singer, Logan Shire.

The girls charm their way into being hired to sell merchandise on Lansdowne’s first summer tour. As “merch girls” Lacey and Trina quickly find themselves transported from their ordinary, suburban life to an exhilarating few months on the road. But they soon realize that life on the road isn’t always a smooth ride.

Review:

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Merch Girl started off to the two girls—Lacey and Trina—trying to sneak into a private show of Lansdowne, a band that they admired so much. And by some lucky chance, they managed to get in with the help of their friend. Lacey and Trina achieve their goal which is meeting their favorite band and getting to know the guys in that band. They were offered a summer job and they can actually get close the guys while they’re in tour too by being their Merch Girls (the ones who’ll sell the band’s merchandises).

There are a lot of dramas that happened in this book but I like it, it just seems realistic to me. And let’s face it, being in showbiz especially in the music industry is a one heck of a drama filled experience so it’s no wonder there are a lot of those in this book. I really admire the author for making this book true to the reality and for not creating or adding over the top scenes or details in this book. Ms. Rebecca showed us what kind of dramas that can possibly happen from onstage up to behind the stage. The lying for the sake publicity, the fake smiles given to the fans for the sake of keeping up appearances, the media circus, the crazy fans, the groupies and all other whatnots.

Also, I love the characters! Lacey’s really an understanding and friendly girl. And she loves her best friend too much that she even defended her against Logan. The only thing that gets me pretty miffed is her lack of confidence with herself and she always think about what the opinions of other people about her. Now, let us talk about Logan. Well, what can I say about him? He is so perfect! He’s hot, will sing you to sleep, will even fly off from a far place just to visit you and he’s in a band. What more could you ask for, right? I want a boyfriend who will sing me to sleep. Eeeeep! >.<

Merch Girl will undeniably make you smile and wish for a hot rock star boyfriend for yourself. This book is a great read for this summer. I urge you guys to go read it.

About the Author:

Rebecca Lewis is the author of the Young Adult novel, Merch Girl, and a lover of all things music! She's been writing stories since middle school and penned her first fanfic about a semi-popular boyband in 1997 (if you search hard enough you can still find it stuck in the Interwebs!)

Her passion for music and writing brought her to Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication. During her college career, she interned for various record labels in Boston and New York City, sold merch for some local bands, worked at record stores, and did a whole lot of grassroots marketing.

She currently resides in Florida with her husband and puppy.

Want to find out more about the author? Go to these sites:

Twitter || Facebook || Website || Goodreads