Book Blitz: The X Factor: Confessions of a Naive Fashion Model

The X Factor: Confessions of a Naive Fashion Model by Ivan Sivec
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: August 16, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

It takes three mistakes to be swallowed up and spat out by the fashion industry. You trust the wrong people.

You think you know everything there is to know about life. You take drugs.

Maja started off as a regular 17-year-old high-school kid, fighting her inner insecurities while dreaming to become an actress like Marilyn Monroe.

At a party her boyfriend Klemen introduces her to a renowned modelling agent. He sees a special X Factor hidden insight her. And a great business opportunity for himself…

Fast forward a few weeks later. Maja’s charm and talent land her a modelling contract in the trendy and exciting fashion capital of Milan. She’s completely enchanted and determined to make it in the fashion world.

But things don’t turn out the way she had planned.

Exhausting long photo shoots, stressful fashion shows, strict dieting and wild parties start taking their toll on her soon enough. In desperate search for help Maja reaches out to her agent and other false friends from the fashion industry that emotionally and physically exploit her to the point where ‘Maja the Great’ is merely a shadow of her former self.

She starts battling drug addiction that ends up in a tragic event.

Maja has been finally swallowed up and spit out by the fashion industry with its endless traps. What price will the girl with the X Factor have to pay for her naivety?

The young adult novel The X Factor by the bestselling Slovenian author Ivan Sivec is based on a true story and takes the reader on a frightening journey into the world of drug addiction among teenager fashion models.

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Excerpt:

“I’ll give you a fourteenth of an ounce,” Monica was unusually generous and understanding. “For extremely difficult times. Stop by if you need more. But be careful not to get used to it too much. Heroin, for example, is only meant for critical moments, but can otherwise ruin a person.”

At the time she didn’t know the director was a drug trafficker. A true drug dealer. By selling drugs to models she lured their hard earned money into her own pocket. Business is business, of course.

Everything in the world is about business.

And exactly because of this Maja was now even more convinced that this was the first and the last time she would resort to the white powder. But destiny had other plans for her.

Review: The Phoenix Born (A Dance o Dragons, Book 3)

The Phoenix Born by Kaitlyn Davis
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: November 17th, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

For the first time in a thousand years, the fire dragon has been awakened and Rhen is its
rider. But after destroying the armies that threatened the city of Rayfort, Rhen is shown a
vision in flames that changes everything. The shadow's phantom armies are coming and
the dragons are the only things that might stop them.

High in the castle at the top of the Gates, Jinji has learned something of her own. Janu,
her long lost twin, is alive. And just as the spirit shares her body, the shadow shares his.
In the blink of an eye, her quest for vengeance against the evil that killed her family has
changed to one of protection. Because she knows that if Rhen learns the truth he will do
what she cannot—end the shadow and end her brother in the process.

As the shadow grows more aggressive, Jinji and Rhen fight to find the rest of the dragon
riders. But with time running out, they are forced to face the impossible decision between
honor and love. Alliances are formed, promises are broken, and the fate of the world
hangs in the balance…

♥ ♥ ♥
"The Phoenix Born" is the last of Kaitlyn Davis' "A Dance of Dragons" series. This is a series that I've been reading and reviewing from the beginning, so finishing this book was a bit of a bittersweet experience for me. It was interesting to see the direction the story was going, but I'm also sad to see it draw to a close.

This third and final installment in the series was one that really had me hooked. With the previous two books, we were led to believe certain things, and "The Phoenix Born" takes those thoughts and flips them around. Davis makes the reader question the things we thought we knew were "right", and showed how some times things aren't always as they seem.

Something else that I liked about this book was that we were introduced to more dragon riders. The coolness of dragons themselves aside (but seriously, dragons are awesome), I enjoyed the idea of the riders. They're connected in this special and unique way that gives them a purpose, a destiny. There were also some moments where they got to lighten the mood by playing around together with their elemental dragons.

I really did enjoy reading this book. While The first in the series too me a bit to get into, now the story is able to start right away and keep moving. However, these are not stand alone novels, so if you're interested in reading one (which I do recommend), start from the beginning.

If you're looking for a new fantasy series to read that's a way easier and faster read than the "Song of Ice and Fire" series, this might be the series for you. There's still magic, and dragons, and battles, but the story isn't weighed down like Martin's is. Davis' "A Dance of Dragons" is definitely a series that I would recommend.

♥ ♥ ♥

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name
Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie.

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she
picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's
not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found
indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time
with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an
event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com

Twitter ♥ Facebook ♥ Website ♥ Goodreads

 

 

 

Book Blitz: The Truth Spell (Werewolf High #1)

The Truth Spell (Werewolf High #1) by Anita Oh
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Release Date: November 21, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

As soon as I stepped onto the grounds of Amaris High, I knew I'd made a big mistake. I could never fit in at such a snobbish school – I was more IT girl than "it girl". But then I saw him.

Sam Spencer. My childhood best friend. But it couldn't be. Sam Spencer had died three years ago, on the night that changed everything. I need to know what happened, why he's suddenly not dead and is hanging out with a bunch of rich kids.

When the school is hit by a truth spell, it seems like the perfect chance to find out what Sam and his creepy new friends are hiding, but the weirder things get, the less I'm sure I want to know. Even for Sam, even for the free food, Amaris High might be more trouble than it's worth.


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

The water danced in the fountain, and between beams of refracted light, they appeared.

There were four of them. Even in silhouette they were impressive – the girl with long, straight hair and just the right amount of curves; the boys tall and broad-shouldered. They emitted charisma like a beacon, confident and untouchable. One of the boys turned to another and his eyes flashed in the sunlight.

He had an ethereal type of beauty, but there was an edge to it, a wildness. Rather than moonlight, he seemed formed from a supernova, from the chaos of total destruction, and I could well believe that if you got too close to him, you’d be pulled in, you’d collapse on yourself.

Book Blitz: The Second Chance (Inferno Falls #3)

The Second Chance (Inferno Falls #3) by Aubrey Parker
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: November 24, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

He left her alone. Now he’s back … but too much has changed.

Maya grew up with a big heart and even bigger dreams. She never thought she’d end up a single mother spending her whole life where she grew up—the small town of Inferno Falls. But things didn’t work out the way she thought. Grady, her high school love, moved away and left her alone to raise her daughter before the ink dried on their diplomas. Eight years later, Maya’s struggling to make ends meet. And when life gets too tough, she heals the void inside in the only way she knows … whether it’s right or wrong.

But then Grady returns. He’s finally grown homesick after nearly a decade of wandering America, seeing sights and having adventures like Maya always dreamed of—but could never reach for. And Maya holds out hope—more than hope, a need—that Grady is coming home for her, too. It could be just like old times, if she can keep a grip on her bad habits for long enough. Maybe she can finally have the man she’s always wanted, and Kylie can have the father she’s always needed.

Many of us get second chances, but never more than three strikes.

Maya makes the dangerous mistake of assuming everything is just the way it was before, despite the years that have passed. When Grady only wants to make sure they’re not moving too quickly, Maya sees rejection and disaster looms. Rather than preserving a perfect memory, it seems the years have changed them both too much, perhaps, to heal the past. But to earn the love and happiness she’s hunted for so long, Maya won’t merely need to learn to accept Grady … and will have to learn to accept herself, first.

♥ ♥ ♥

Excerpt:
I told myself to stay cool the entire walk over here.

I told myself that whatever history I once had with Grady, it’s meaningless today. The people we were back then, they might as well have been strangers. I used to be carefree around him, and today I barely know the word.

I work all the time, and when I don’t, I’m on duty with Mackenzie. I only have time to myself when she’s asleep and I’m awake, or when she’s with my folks. Those times aren’t just rare; they’re downright strange. I never feel carefree enough to even appreciate the silence, and apparently I’m afraid enough of being alone that I leave the house most of those times to seek the company I always regret.

I can’t remember the girl I used to be. I don’t remember what it was like before I had a kid, before I was a mom, before I had to sweat every inch of someone else’s life and be sure that I was usually doing it wrong.

Light (Dream Casters, #1) Review

Light (Dream Casters, #1) by Adrienne Woods
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: May 29th, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥

Book Description:

Mr. Sandman, send me a dream, ta da da da…..Seventeen year old Chastity Blake knows the Sandman is just a silly children’s story parents tell their children to get them to sleep. At least she thought it was, until the day a mysterious, light golden sand appeared in her hands during a high school prank that went horribly wrong. A sand that has the power to send anyone it touches into a deep, sound sleep.

Fearing she had lost her mind, Chastity soon discovers the shocking truth of her heritage – she is a Dream Caster. Chastity was never supposed to be raised on the Domain, or what humans call Earth and she is forced to return to her true birth place, Revera – the world of Dreams.

However, in Revera there is no balance between good, the Light Casters, and darkness, the Shadow Casters, and Chastity is caught square in the middle. She soon learns that there is no place for anyone containing both the light and the darkness within them, and the shocking truth that if anyone in Revera ever discovered her shadow self, Chastity would be thrown into the Oblivion – the world of Nightmares.

Dreams are always more than they seem, and this time Chastity is going to discover just how different they can be.

♥ ♥ ♥

I'm going to start right off the bat and say that I loved the first book in Adrienne Woods' Dream Caster series, Light. You know those stories of the Sandman and how he sprinkles his magic sand in your eyes to make you fall asleep and dream? Well imagine if that was real, but instead of one Sandman, there's a world of Dream Casters who can use their sand for a lot more than dreams.

That's the world that Woods introduces us to in Light. The main character is Chastity Blake, who goes by Chas. Chas has grown up and only known of our world (or the "Domain" as Casters call it) and is thrust into Revera, the world the Dream Casters live in. It is here that she learns that she can also wield sand. However, things in Revera aren't what they used to be, and Chas is determined to fix it while also keeping a secret of her own.

Book Blitz: Out of Chances (Face the Music #4)

Out of Chances (Face the Music #4) by Shona Husk
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: November 22, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Dan Clarke knows he doesn’t have a problem, regardless of whatever his band members, his friends, his family and everyone else thinks. Drinking isn’t keeping him from doing what needs to be done, and it helps keep the anger and pain of his ex-girlfriend’s betrayal at bay. 

If only she would stay away as well, but, since the band’s return to Fremantle, she’s everywhere-on the phone, in his apartment, at his parents’ house-begging for another chance, reminding him of how good they had been together, holding him hostage to the past. It’s no wonder he needs a beer now and again.

Indigo Matthews is all about control: she trains hard, she works hard and she plays hard. Men are for fun, not forever, and she will never end up like her mother, trapped and miserable. A huge Selling the Sun fan, Indigo knows when Dan wanders into her bar that he is a conquest that she has to make. But their connection is stronger than just sex, and regardless of her credo Indigo finds herself going back for more. Then truths about Dan’s life start to emerge, and Indigo finds herself in the one position she swore she’d never find herself.

A DUI, a drunk one night stand and an ultimatum from the band bring Dan’s life to a halt. Picking up the pieces is something he can’t do alone, and there’s only one person that he trusts to give a damn. The one person that he hurt the most. Indigo.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

At the man’s table she stopped, hip cocked to the side. ‘My buddy over there says that you’re no one famous. I think you are.’ He smiled, but it was cautious. ‘Who do you think I am?’

‘I have five bucks that says you’re the bass player from Selling the Sun.’ There was no money on the table, and the guy she was working with didn’t give a damn, but that didn’t stop nerves from pushing her heart harder or her hands from feeling a little slippery on the tray.

‘And if I am?’ He leaned back and his smile broadened.

‘A free beer?’ She put the one he’d ordered on the table.

He nodded. ‘I am.’

‘Prove it.’ Anyone could say that they were.

Book Blitz: Before the Dawn (The Ending #4)

Before the Dawn (The Ending #4) by Lindsey Fairleigh, Lindsey Pogue
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Post Apocalyptic, Romance
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

A year ago, the Virus killed off most people in the world.

A year ago, strange things started happening to those who survived. Some of them transformed into something dark and sinister, while others evolved, becoming something more, something beyond human.

A year ago, Dani and Zoe were lost. They traversed the country to find one another, losing some of the people dearest to them along the way. They fought for their right to simply live, uncovered long-buried secrets, and discovered irreversible truths. And after everything Dani and Zoe have been through—even with the battle wounds that they bear—they’re still not safe.

It’s time for the struggling to end, for survivors to take back their lives, their families, their safety. It’s time to really begin to live, and to do that, they must wait for the first rays of dawn.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

For three hours, I’d been sitting at the dining room table, my sketchpad washed in the baleful color of late morning that shone through the narrow windows, overlooking what appeared to be a deserted farm. Everyone was hiding indoors, dehydrating food, wrenching, painting, and—in Annie’s case—playing with kitties, all sheltered from the sudden downpour.

Hearing the creak of the front door opening, I looked up. Tavis stepped inside, rain dripping off his coat as he leaned forward and peered into the dining room at me, his feet planted firmly on the welcome mat.

“Hey,” I said, folding my arms in front of me.

Tavis smiled, his warm, customary greeting. “Morning.” But even in his natural, easy air, there was something about the way he looked at me that made even the slightest linger of his gaze and the quickest glance seem like something more. I could’ve pried, could’ve peeked and prodded, but I was a little too hesitant to learn the reason.