Cover Reveal - Faceless by Monica Millard

BOOK INFO:

Faceless by Monica Millard
(Mortal Monsters #1)
Publication date: September 1st 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal

Synopsis:

There isn’t a lot of excitement or drama to be had for a teenager in Wasilla, Alaska. This is especially true for students of the charter high school, Lakes Charter. That is until a jock is killed in a brutal attack on school property.

The victim is the instigator of the school’s bullying ring and his biggest target, both literally at six and a half feet tall and in frequency, is Eli Markham, the lead suspect. The only problem with that story is at the time the murder took place, he was in the school parking lot installing a new battery with Mackenzie Carver. Me.

I didn’t really know Eli before I gave him a ride. I don’t think anyone does know him. He’s kind of a loner, but we’ve been thrown together and the more time I spend with him, the more I want to learn. All of that will have to wait though, because something is after us, something that isn’t human, something that keeps trying to frame Eli for crimes he didn’t commit.

The scheme might be more successful if I didn’t keep getting in the way of someone’s plans.

Add it on Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25978819-faceless

 

I'm Going On Tour with CLP Blog Tours!!

Children of the Gods by Monica Millard

March 19- To Be Thode- Review

March 20- Books Etc- Excerpt

March 22- Chick Lit Plus- Q&A

March 25- Lost in Literature- Review

March 26- Peace Love Books- Review

March 28- Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews – Q&A

March 29- Lost in the Pages- Excerpt

March 31 - Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews- Guest Post & Excerpt

April 1- Book Briefs- Review

April 2- Ink Spots and Roses- Review

April 3- Ink Spots and Roses- Guest Post

April 4- Change the Word- Review & Excerpt

April 5- Change the Word- Q&A

April 6- Storm Goddess Book Reviews- Review, Q&A, & Excerpt

April 7- Kindling the Fire- Review

April 9- Chick Lit Plus- Review

**Anyone who purchases their copy of Children of the Gods before April 9 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five entries in a drawing to win a $10 Amazon gift card!!**

Well Suited

Earlier this week I told my boyfriend that he was amazing, not for the first time, because he is. But this time he looked at me funny, like maybe I'd gone crazy or grown a third eye and said, "We're just well suited for each other." He's right of course, but it got me thinking.

As you know, well if you read this blog then you know, I have decided to buy, read and post reviews of books by Indie authors. In my haste to find books that fit my criteria, I failed to do the most important thing. Find books that actually appeal to me.

I've posted my first review with some regret, because the book in the right hands may be thought wonderful, but it just wasn't well suited to me. As with a relationship, if the man or in this case the book doesn't fit your tastes, it isn't likely to be an overly pleasant experience.

Yes, there are those rare exceptions where you are pleasantly surprised to find that, yes, you do in fact like this particular blonde lawyer who drives a prius when you typically choose the construction worker with the black hair and the big truck. Or the vampire novel when normally you avoid them like the plague.

But as I get older I find that I have a far better chance of having a good experience whether it be book, movie, relationship or anything really, if I find the things that are well suited to me and me to them. Seems obvious, I know, but sometimes the obvious things are the hardest to learn or maybe to accept. And I have a habit of making things harder than they are.

So, basically the moral of this story is that when searching for books to read for review, I will not do so in haste and will add to my criteria that I actually have to want to read the book.

Indie Book Reviews

Last week I spoke about my fresh perspective on Raging against the dying of the light after reading Crossed by Ally Condie. One of the things I said I was going to do to help stave off the dying of the light was encourage the good in those around me, and for this post, more specifically, supporting Indie authors.

One of the ways I intend to support them is the obvious; buying their books. But I also want to take that a step further, because as an Indie author I can tell you having your book purchased is awesome, but there is nothing that compares to hearing from a reader who loved your book and thought enough of it to tell the rest of the reading world their opinion in a review.

A review is a two-fold gift, it provides us as authors that warm fuzzy, day making feeling, but, and this is incredibly important and helpful for an author, it gives other readers who might be considering reading/purchasing the book a vote of confidence, or in the case of a bad review, a cautionary warning.

I look at reviews if I’m on the fence and not sure I want to pay the cost for the book, but more importantly do I want to invest the very little extra time I have to read in an untested author that I know nothing about other than the blurb on the description page. So, for Indie’s, it very literally helps sell books. Reviews can make or break them.

So, in my long winded way, and hopefully informative way, what I’m trying to say is that I plan to invest a minimum each month of $6 to buying and reviewing Indie authors books. ($6 because most self pub’d books are priced at $2.99 give or take. That affords me two books at the typical Indie price per month.)

I already have two titles which I’ve purchased or picked up for free during a promotion.

I was going to start with these two titles, because I have them and I have a secret love for werewolf/shifter stories, but I’m a two-thirds the way through my own shifter novel. To avoid influencing my own works in any way I don’t read books that are in the same theme as the one I’m writing at the time. So these two will have to wait.

Here are the two I’ve chosen for this month.

Winter by C.B. Cole, was found by searching through Amazon ( A tedious process that leaves much to be desired. ) and the other, Belle Notte by Jesse Kimmel-Freeman, was a recommendation from another writer friend. She hasn’t read it but said the author is a real sweetheart, and it fit my parameters. I read the first page or so and the writing style works for me, even though I’m not big into vampire novels. But the point of this is to give authors I wouldn’t normally try, a chance.

You can find my reviews on my writing blog. www.kickingyourselfintheface.blogspot.com

I’ll post my reviews there, GoodReads and Amazon and if the author is on Barnes and Noble, there also.

Rage

This week I’ve finally gotten a few minutes to start reading Crossed by Ally Condie and in the first pages I was reminded of one of the reasons I loved Matched so much. Printed in the front of the book are two poems, one by Dylan Thomas and the other by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

There is a line in the first one that most people know, or at least they should: Rage, rage against the dying of the light. It was this line that had me thinking about my own situation when I read Matched. Both the book and the poem seemed to be speaking directly to my situation at the time. I was working a job that, for me, was doing the opposite of what the poem said. It was doing what Society was doing; draining the light from me slowly.

Upon finishing Matched I had to really examine my life and how I have the freedom to make my own choices. A question I found myself asking was: Was the freedom I have being wasted on me? It was a question that nagged at me mostly because I believed the answer to be yes. But what was I to do about it?

Well nearly a year later, I haven’t done anything dramatic like Cassia did, but small shifts have brought my life more in line with my goals. But as with all resolutions, with time the fire has faded, I’ve forgotten the feelings that motivated me.

Having read the poem again a year later, I’m seeing it with different eyes, ones that have a new perspective. Because I’ve changed, I’m different now. It’s one of the many reasons I love books. The message they deliver always speak to me, but the same book can convey a different message depending on where I am in my life when I read it.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light. I thought deeply about this and what does it mean to me now, as I made the long trek from work to home. And I find that now, with my new eyes, rather than it being about me, I find that I’m looking outward.

I’m seeing the good things that with time and the wear of life are ground down till they fit the mold that society has set of them. (funny – I wasn’t aiming to parallel it with the book at all.) And those words replay in my head, thinking Rage against the dimming of a love of writing by those who would tear down, rather than build up. Rage against the turning away from a dream because lack of support led to a sense of failure. Rage against the decay of kindness because of disillusionment and lack of appreciation.

I don't usually make New Years resolutions, but this year, though it isn't New Years day. I have a resolution. I intend to rage against the dying of the light in the form of the loss of, or the dimming of the good things that I see in the people around me.

How will I Rage? By telling those I love how much they mean to me. Thanking them for their contributions to my life and my happiness. By supporting those who share my dreams of writing, whether that be through a purchase of their book, a review, or for those closest, being there for them when they need me. By giving words or encouragement as often as I can to those who surround me.

Will you Rage with me?

YA Favorites book GIVEAWAY!

Little known fact about me: I’m Mormon. **Stop** Don’t run away. This isn’t a religious post. It is exactly as the title says; a giveaway post. I only tell you that I’m Mormon because it was two sister missionaries who inspired this post. In my area there are these two really awesome sister missionaries who come to visit me at least once a week. They sometimes bring me cookies, but always bring me inspiration and leave with me feeling in better spirits than I was before they arrived.

These two ladies showed up this week to tell me they were leaving, heading home. Their missions were over and they stopped by to say goodbye. I, of course, couldn’t let them get on the plane without a YA book to read. So, I relinquished my personal copies of two of my favorite books: Matched by Allie Condie and 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson.

This got me thinking. With the closure of Borders/Waldenbooks I find myself with an extra copy of a few of my favorite books. I thought, rather than have them sit on my shelf, why not put them to good use. Hence the giveaway!

So, if you would like to win either a copy of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare or Looking for Alaska by John Green or The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan what you have to do is either spread the word or follow the blog and leave a comment below. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

To spread the word you can either tweet about it, facebook it, or blog about it. Make sure to include the link showing how you spread the word in your comment. Three names will be chosen. The first name picked will have their choice of the three, second will get to choose between the remaining two and the third will get the final book.

Contest ends 8pm AST (Alaska Standard Time – which is four hours later than EST) on Monday December 26th.

(*Sorry, only available to US addresses.)

I Hate Everything.

I was at the bookstore today. I’m there a lot. No really, A LOT. More than I should be really, probably. Anyway, there is this book that I’ve looked at several times but never bought. I usually go in with a purpose and don’t deviate too terribly from my buying practices. I buy one hardcover with my coupon and if I’m not low on funds I’ll usually pick up a paperback with just my 10% rewards program.

Today I was feeling browsey (it’s not a word but it should be.) Might have had something to do with the clerk being away from the register helping someone find a book. Having already picked out my typical books, I then found a great bargain on a hardcover I’ve wanted, picked out a couple books for my nephews, and decided I’d finally get the I Hate Everything book. It reminds me of my brother. He hates everything too.

At home I pulled out my recent purchases to add them to my spreadsheet. (Yes I have a spreadsheet for all my books. I told you I spend a lot of time at the book store.) I flipped through the little hate book and it made me smile more than it really should.

The author lists out all the little annoying and not so annoying things he hates. Like how he hates people who leave their Christmas lights up all year and then he goes on to also say how he hates that he doesn’t have the audacity to do this himself.

It reminded not of the things that I hate but of all the little things I love. Like people who leave their Christmas lights up all year, or the Christmas lights on the solitary tree out on the flats that someone took their own money and time to put up and change out the battery pack daily just so that I could have a little magic on my commute at Christmas. Mostly though it reminded me of how the simple things like a little book that makes me smile or finding a bargain or Christmas lights can completely make my day which is something I’ve forgotten a bit lately.