Crazy Weather, True Love & the Natural Balance of All Things by Vanna Smythe

Weather has been odd these past few years. You will likely agree with that, whichever part of the world you call home.

Such odd, uncharacteristic, ominous weather is precisely the sort of thing Joinings, as described in my debut fantasy novel Protector (Anniversary of the Veil, Book 1), can prevent. In the world I created in Protector, the energy released as two who love each other truly come together, can be used for many ends. The two that make such a pair are called a Beacon and an Answer, and it is the Catalyst who releases their energy, then guides it towards the wrong that needs to be righted.

However, such an arrangement is not natural.  The energy of true love is being used and abused, made to flow at the bidding of people.

The main question raised in Protector is whether true love is stronger than any of the rules imposed, stronger than over 1000 years of tradition.

Yet at the heart of the story are the characters. They are the ones who must deal with these issues and whose decisions will ultimately lead to the final answer.

There is Protector Kiyarran, or Kae, whose whole world unravels in the first few days after his biggest dream comes true.  He becomes a Protector of the Realm, an elite soldier, only to find out that the secrets they kept from him are enough to make the world an entirely different place. To top it all off, out of nowhere, he now feels strong love for Princess Issiyanna.

Issiyanna, or Issa, is to wed a man she does not love.  There is another whom she dreams of most every night and he is the one she loves beyond all.  That is because she is a Beacon, and people have been sent to collect her.

Will natural love blossom, or will the world continue as it has for the past 1000 years? Will true love still be used as only a tool, a means to an end?

Well, I’m not going to tell you that right now.  Those answers will come in the upcoming, Book 2 of the Anniversary of the Veil series, called Decision Maker, which will be available soon!




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Genre – Fantasy

Rating – PG13

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2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (Jan 14)

Amazon Announces Sixth Annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

 One Grand Prize winner will be chosen by Amazon customers and receive a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing, with a $50,000 advance

 Finalists will be chosen in five categories—general fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult fiction—and receive publishing contracts with Amazon Publishing

 SEATTLE—December 4, 2012—Amazon.com today begins an exciting new chapter in the annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA), the contest in search of the next great voices in popular fiction. Starting January 14, authors can enter the contest in one of five categories—general fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult fiction—for the chance to win a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing. A finalist will be chosen in each category, and a Grand Prize winner will then be selected by Amazon customers and receive a $50,000 advance. The remaining finalists will also receive a publishing contract with Amazon Publishing, with a $15,000 advance.

 This year’s ABNA contest is open to unpublished and self-published English-language novels, which can be submitted from January 14, 2013 through January 27, 2013. The five finalists will be announced on May 21, and the Grand Prize winner will be announced during a special ceremony at Amazon headquarters in Seattle in June.

 “Over the past five years, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award has helped thousands of authors realize their dream of writing a novel, while connecting them with their peers as well as readers and giving them the opportunity to be discovered,” said Nader Kabbani, Vice President of CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing. “We’re excited to evolve the contest this year to recognize talented aspiring authors in even more genres, with bigger advances, more winners, and quickly bring the winning novels to readers around the world.”

 Up to 10,000 eligible entries will be accepted for the ABNA contest this year. The top 400 entries from each category will advance to the second round. Amazon reviewers will then read excerpts of the entries and narrow the pool to 100 titles in each category. In the subsequent round, reviewers from Publishers Weekly will read, review and rate the full manuscripts to find the top five semi-finalists for each category. Amazon Publishing editors will then choose a finalist in each of the five categories. In the final stage of the contest, Amazon.com customers will vote for a Grand Prize winner.

 “At Amazon Publishing we love introducing readers to outstanding books,” said Daphne Durham, Editor-in-Chief, Amazon Publishing. “We’re thrilled to be a part of ABNA this year, and look forward to the chance to build these books into best sellers.”

 CreateSpace, an Amazon company, will again this year host the contest entry platform, which includes a community for authors that will keep them up-to-date on the contest and help them prepare their entries.

 Amazon Publishing is the publishing arm of Amazon.com. Amazon Publishing’s West Coast Group includes imprints AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer and 47North. Amazon Publishing’s East Coast Group publishes adult trade, children’s and young adult titles. For more information about all imprints of Amazon Publishing, visit www.amazon.com/amazonpublishing. Amazon Publishing is a brand used by Amazon Content Services, LLC.

 For the complete Official Rules for the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and more information about the contest, please visit www.amazon.com/abna.

About Amazon.com

 Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support, dual-antennas and MIMO for faster streaming and downloads, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.

 Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

 Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel. Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Goodreads Summary

I have written many times, describing how much I love books that switch between points of view.  Reading from different perspectives makes the story seem more alive to me and gives the characters more depth.  Shannon Messenger writes from two points of view in Let the Sky Fall.  She switches between Vane and Audra.  Vane is the miracle boy who should have died when he was eight years old in the category five tornado that stole his family and his memories. Some mysterious girl saved him. Now, nine years later, he still sees her face and dreams about her.  To Vane, she is perfect in every sense.  Audra has a much lower opinion of herself.  She knows that the deaths of Vane’s parents and her own father are on her hands.  Audra was only a little girl when she killed them, but she will carry their murders with her forever.  The mission that Audra must succeed in will help redeem her, even if nothing can truly ever make her whole.  Audra must awaken Vane to his legacy.  She must protect him and ensure his safety, the world depends on him.

    I was never bored when reading Let the Sky Fall.  Shannon Messenger starts the story by drawing her reader in and then refuses to let them go until the last page.  Forbidden romance, adventure, and betrayal are all tied together in this exciting novel.  Young adult readers will love Let the Sky Fall. 

5 Stars

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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Beguiled by Rashelle Workman

Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them.

In book 2 of the Immortal Essence series, Venus must enter her planet's Hell, and complete three trials in order to free her parents, and save her soulmate.

SUMMARY:

Venus has become immortal, just as she always wanted. In the process she hurt Zaren, lost Michael, and destroyed her family.

At least that's what she believed.

Turns out Ramien, the god of her planets' underworld, has her parents, and Michael.

To save them, Venus makes a deal. She must complete three trials. They seem impossible. They certainly won't be easy. Worst of all, someone she loves won't make it out alive.

Goodreads Summary



Beguiled is the second book of the Immortal Essence series. This is more of a sci-fi tale than fantasy, which I believe is very new to the YA world. There aren’t many alien novels in the Young Adult world… it’s all vampire, werewolves, fae, things that were in Twilight. Guess what? Twilight is over. It’s time for a new genre to take over. Hopefully, sci-fi will be the next big thing, because you can have mythical beings taken in another direction. Don’t get me wrong, I love fantasy! I’m just happy to read a book about something different.

The story picks up a few weeks after the first book left off. You don’t have to read the first book in order to understand the second, but it definitely helps with the background and how the main character – Venus – (awesome name, right?) makes her decisions. I found a few grammar errors, which was a bummer. I definitely got confused throughout the book, some aspects were left unexplained. Other than those things, I was very entertained. The romance doesn’t disappoint, Venus has a difficult time with the men, but in the end everything works out. The adventure and twists catch you off guard… Workman surprises you with where the plot leads which kept me on my toes. All around I enjoyed the read. It’s a book that will leave you content.

3 Stars

*Reviewed by Rachel*



This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.