email instagram facebook twitter goodreads pinterest
Powered by Blogger.
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Reviews
    • Giveaways
    • Playlists
    • Interviews
  • Review Policy
  • Favourite Pages
  • Contact
  • Acknowledgements

What Makes Patri

Ruinsong

by Julia Ember
Published by: Farrar Straus and Giroux
Publication date: November 24th 2020
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult
Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Synopsis:

In Julia Ember’s dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy Ruinsong, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other.

Her voice was her prison…
Now it’s her weapon.

In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence must choose between the two. For years, she has been forced to torture her country’s disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen’s bidding.

But when she is reunited with her childhood friend, a noblewoman with ties to the underground rebellion, she must finally make a choice: Take a stand to free their country from oppression, or follow in the queen’s footsteps and become a monster herself.



Cadence 

I allow Lacerde to dress me without turning to examine myself in the mirror. I don’t want to see how I look, how they’ve fashioned me. In my mind, I already see stains of blood on the muslin fabric of my skirt, dotting the white leather of my gloves. Lacerde adjusts my skirt and smooths my hair. Then, with a grunt, she bends down and buffs my new shoes to a gleam. 

She opens the door for me so I don’t get my gloves dirty and leads me down the dark corridor. My dressing room is the only one in use. All the others are boarded up, so that no one will use them to hide. 

I imagine what the Opera Hall must have been like years ago, when so many singers performed here together for more willing audiences. The corridors would have been filled with the sounds of laughter, rustling taffeta costumes, and a chorus of warm-up scales. Above, the audience would be straining to get inside the house, clinking glasses together at the theatre bar, speculating on the wonders to come. 

If I strain my ear, I can still hear the echo of their merriment in the walls, obscured by the more recent cacophony of despair and pain. The smell of thousands of spellsongs, layered atop one another for centuries, lingers in the musty air. It’s been eight years since this place functioned as a real theatre, but the Opera Hall remembers. 

We climb the stairs up onto the stage. Elene and Lord Durand, her newly elevated pet footman, stand together on the edge, shouting instructions down to the conductor in the orchestra pit. 

Elene glances up and nods to Lacerde, who positions me at center stage without releasing me. It’s as if they think I will run, even though there is no where to go. 

No one has dimmed the gas lamps that line the theatre’s aisles yet, so I have a full view. The theatre is much grander than our replica at the academy. The ceiling bears a centuries-old mural of Adela gifting the first mage with magic. The singer kneels beside the sacred pool, and the goddess rises from the water, her mouth open with song and her arms spread wide. Musical notes surround them, each flecked with real gold leaf. 

Portraits of the three other goddesses border the mural. Odetta, the goddess of spring and renewal, wearing a silver mask that covers her eyes and cheeks, and holding a sparrow’s skeleton in her cupped hands. Karina, goddess of justice and winter, thin and draped in a linen sheath, with her arms wide. Marena, the autumn goddess of war, chin lifted proudly, staring down with her hypnotic purple eyes, bejeweled with human teeth. 

Beneath, row upon row of tightly packed red velvet seats stretch back to the imposing black doors at the rear of the theatre. They’re made from mageglass, a material designed by the elementals: sand spun, dyed and hardened so that not even diamond bullets could shatter it. Hundreds of people will fill the house tonight. Dame Ava, the queen’s former principal, told me that sometimes there are so many that folk have to stand along the walls. 

My knees start to shake at the sight. My mouth goes dry. 

All these seats. All these people. My unshed tears blur the rows of red seats together, like a smear of blood.


Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Julia Ember is the author of The Seafarer's Kiss duology, a Norse myth inspired retelling of The Little Mermaid, published by Interlude Press (Duet Books), and Ruinsong, a standalone high fantasy reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera, forthcoming from Macmillan Kids (FSG) in November 2020. She lives with her wife and two fluffy cats in the Pacific Northwest.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


November 24, 2020 1 comments


For Better or Cursed (The Babysitters Coven #2)

by Kate Williams
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 15th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Witches, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary, Magic Realism, Fiction
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository | iTunes | Google Books

Synopsis:

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed sequel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Esme Pearl's life used to be all about bumming rides and babysitting. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, but it was predictable. All that changed when Cassandra Heaven came to town, and they discovered their complicated, and connected, legacy: Esme and Cassandra are Sitters, supernaturally-gifted teens armed with an ever-changing grimoire of Sitter witchcraft to help them protect the innocent and keep evil demons at bay. You know, the typical teenage stuff.
But just as Esme is starting to adjust to--and maybe even like--her new normal, life lobs another glitter bomb her way. The Synod--the Sitterhood's governing circle--has called a Summit, a once-in-a-generation gathering that promises training, education, and whole lot of ice-breakers.
Esme should be excited--a Summit might mean she can finally get the answers she desperately wants--but she can't shake a building sense of panic. Especially since Cassandra's not acting like herself; Esme's dad is MIA; Pig is out of dog food; Janis is scared to be alone; and there's a guy who seems too good to be true, again. Worst of all, it soon becomes clear, there's no one watching the kids. It's obvious the Summit is a haute mess, but will it be a deadly one, too?


Can you briefly describe THE BABYSITTERS COVEN series, what’s happening in FOR BETTER OR CURSED and its characters? 

The Babysitters Coven series follows two teenagers, Esme and Cassandra, who discover they are Sitters, which are superpowered witches charged with protecting the innocent and keeping evil at bay! I like to think of the series as a nostalgic mash-up of pop culture tropes and YA genres. 

In For Better or Cursed, the entire Sitterhood convenes on Esme and Cassandra’s hometown for a weekend of training and education. What could go wrong? Everything. Literally, everything. 


Could you describe your FOR BETTER OR CURSED with emojis?

🎄🐷🐓 🐓 😡 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️😂 


Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why? 

For Better or Cursed brings several new characters into the fold, and one of them in particular was really fun to write. She’s from New York and is very worried about bedbugs. 


How did the second book occur to you? Did you have a different process than with THE BABYSITTERS COVEN? 

I would like to say that I had more of a plan with For Better or Cursed than I did with The Babysitters Coven, but I was still flying by the seat of my pants for most of it. I knew I wanted to bring in some new characters, but it took me a while to figure out the right way to do so. 


If you could choose one song to describe FOR BETTER OR CURSED, which one would it be? 

For Better or Cursed takes place in December, right before Christmas, and The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” plays a big part in the book. I love this song and listen to it all year round. 



What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

Hot chocolate and being cozy by the Christmas tree! Or, if you’re Esme, iced coffee and the thrift store! 


Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish FOR BETTER OR CURSED? 

These are not YA books, but I love Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism and Edgar Cantero’s Meddling Kids. They are both fantastic authors who really have perfected the nostalgic genre-blend that I am trying to achieve with my own work. 


What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book and, especially, a second book in a series? 

I love drafting! It’s a really fun stage where ideas come to you and you just get to throw any-and-everything onto the page. The first rewrite is when it gets hard, because that’s when you have to pull all of those ideas together and make them make sense. 

In a way, the second book was easier because I knew the characters really well. It was also hard, though, because it had to stay true to what happened in the first book, even if there were places where I would have preferred to take things in a different direction. 


What’s next for you? 

I am just finishing up the third book in the series, which I have to say is probably my favorite. I am so excited about the title, too!








Website | Goodreads | Instagram

I’m the author of the YA novel The Babysitters Coven.

I also write for magazines, including Cosmopolitan, NYLON, Elle, Women's Health, Shape, Time Out New York, Monster Children, Russh, Oyster, The Fader, NME, H&M, Smith Journal, Gather Journal, KnitWit, Popular, Style.com and more.

I have ghostwritten New York Times bestsellers, celebrity tell-alls, memoirs, how-tos, and beauty bibles (Shh…. I was never here, and you haven’t seen me.)

And, just ‘cause we’re still talking about me, I’ve also written windows, billboards, emails and captions, captions, captions for brands such as Urban Outfitters, Nasty Gal, Vans, Calvin Klein, Nike, Lively, BAGGU and more.

I love to write about witches, teenagers, girls behaving badly, palm trees, and other forms of magic. Teenage girl witches behaving badly under the palm trees is my penultimate subject.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Favourite Pages Book Club (@favouritepagesclub)

November 23, 2020 No comments

Hunted

by Molly Zenk & Sarah Biglow
Release Date: November 17th, 2020
Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

In order to save his younger brother from a vampire recruitment weekend disguised as a live action role-playing game, Vampire Hunter Darren Paxton must team up with Vampire Edith Dorset and things get…complicated.

On the hundredth anniversary of being turned into a vampire, Edith joins her adopted daughters and their friends at the Heartsong Clan’s annual "vampires vs humans" LARP recruitment event where she meets an eager Dan Paxton. Dan’s older brother and vampire hunter, Darren, thinks he is merely chaperoning a trip to a nerd convention, but when Darren discovers Dan missing, he follows the only lead he has to the Heartsong Clan’s residence on Tombstone Row. He’s determined to keep his Hunter instincts in check, rescue his brother, and make a clean escape. When an impromptu late-night encounter leads Darren and Edith to be honest with each other about who and what each of them are, Edith longs to keep Darren and his brother close, even though it goes against Clan rules. The two start to grow closer as they seek out the truth from Edith’s Sire, Mr. Heartsong, and soon Darren is finding it harder than he thought to snuff out Edith and her family.


Can you briefly describe HUNTED and its characters?

Hunted is an alt history vampire novel with twists on the traditional vampire myths and legends. In the world of HUNTED, vampires are marginalized citizens living in clans on government lands. Blood is rationed through the Red Cross. Because of restrictions and how they’re viewed by humans (and especially by the Vampire Hunters), they need to come up with creative methods to recruit potential new members. Vampire Edith and Vampire Hunter Darren must team up to save his brother from a recruitment week end gone bad. 


Could you describe your story with emojis?

🧛‍♀️ + 👨= 💑❓



Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

Darren because of his lack of filter. He says whatever is on his mind and doesn’t care if he comes across as an “asshole.” He owns up to it.


How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

Back in the fall of 2018, we decided we wanted to try co-writing together for a multi-author boxed set that was aiming to hit the USA Today Bestseller list. We ended up putting a shifter story into that set (and we hit the list), but our first foray was this quirky alt-history social justice novel about two people really striving for humanity in different ways. We had a blast building the world, ensuring there were parallels between how vampires were treated throughout history and how marginalized groups were treated in reality. We wanted to make our vampires sympathetic.


If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Into Dust by Mazzy Star 



If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

Such a good question! Edith – Shay Mitchell. Darren – Matthew Daddario 



What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Some red wine and music of your choice. 



Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish HUNTED? 

If readers enjoy HUNTED, we’ve written two other series together. Captivity series where shape shifters try their best to find freedom and love in a post-apocalyptic dystopian society. Celestial Academy series where the descendants of Archangels and Saints go to school, relatively peacefully, until the daughter of Lucifer shows up hunting for her father’s missing relic. 


What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

Finding the time to sneak in word count in our very busy daytime schedules. 


What’s next for you? 

Books 2 and 3 of the Hunted series (Allied and Fated).







MOLLY ZENK

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Molly was born in Minnesota, grew up in Florida, lived in Tennessee, before settling in Colorado. She is married to a Mathematician/Software Engineer who complains about there not being enough “math” or info about him in her author bio. They live in Arvada, CO with their daughters. Molly’s publishing credits include: Heart’s Affections (2013), Hyperion Keats (2013), Better Date Than Never (2014), 3 Nights In Ibiza (2014), Christmas Kisses anthology (2015), Westward Hearts anthology (2015), United To Strike: A Novel Of The Delano Grape Workers (2019), Operation Boyfriend (2019), Fated Mates anthology (2019), Fierce & Fated anthology (2019), and the Captivity series (2019). She won the first annual Halloween Flash Fiction contest presented by Bienvenue Press in 2017 and is also the ghostwriter for several best-selling Amazon short reads authors. She is represented by Denise Barone of Barone Literary Agency.



SARAH BIGLOW

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Biglow is a lawyer, tv addict, wife and mother.

With a passion for cozy mysteries, urban fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Geeks and Things cozy mystery series and the co-author of the bestselling Captivity series.

She owes much of her writing career to National Novel Writing Month (find out more here) and has been an active member of the Boston region since 2009. NaNoWriMo as it’s known by its participants not only gives writers an outlet to get their stories down on paper, but it helps promote literacy worldwide.

Sarah adores connecting with readers so reach out any time!


View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patricia Lopez ❁ (@whatmakespatri)

November 17, 2020 No comments

 


Empire of Blood (Rebel Empire, #1)

by Olivia Cornwell
Release Date: November 10th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo

Synopsis:

Lilly Faine is tired of classmates dissing her family, and doesn’t care when she receives suspension for nearly punching the lights out of a classmate. Her father isn’t crazy, even if he does spout stories about a world full of magic, a cruel king who hunted him, and has a shattered amulet that tingles when Lilly touches it.

When an old enemy appears under Chicago’s beloved Bean, Lilly and her brother Gabriel are shoved into the impossible world their father believed in. Alone on opposite ends of a war, they race to rescue each other. Lilly finds aid and friendship in a band of rebels, but she is also hunted by the emperor’s personal assassin. Gabriel gains the help of the emperor, but Gabriel’s choices to do good may lead him into dark shadows he can’t find his way out of.

Magic thrums within their reach, promising aid, and Lilly and Gabriel both must decide if the magic they seek – and the causes for which they now fight – is worth the risk of their souls.


Can you briefly describe EMPIRE OF BLOOD and its characters?

Empire of Blood is about two siblings, Lilly and Gabriel, as they struggle to navigate a world they never believed existed. They’re on opposite sides of a rising war, and both have to decide if using dark magic is worth the consequences.

Lilly is taken under the wing of the Annor brothers, the leaders of the rebellion against Emperor Yovak. But it’s not long before she’s hunted by an assassin known as the Ghost (he’s pretty cool).

Gabriel befriends the daughter of the emperor himself, and is told the rebels are the cruel villains of the world. He’s put under the tutelage of a skilled dark magic weaver who was good friends with his father.

Could you describe your story with emojis?

👩‍🦰 🔮⚔️🔮👦🏻


Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why? 

This is like asking me who my favorite child is. xD Honestly, my favorite is probably Mordir. He’s been one of the oldest characters I’ve created, and he was around for one of the earliest evolutions of what EoB branched off from. 

But also, I know a lot about his past, and a lot about his future. While the story doesn’t show a lot of it, he’s one of the most deeply developed characters I have, and his motivations and beliefs about himself give me emotions. He has a lot going on that he doesn’t show anybody. 


How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere? 

I think it kind of evolved from some of my earliest stories. I had a story about a girl whose whole family was kidnapped by the villain, and she meets fantasy people who help her. That girl was nothing like Lilly, but I think that was where the general ideas sparked from. 

I can’t think of any particular place I found inspiration… I do remember reading Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series and getting inspired to do more complex worldbuilding/settings for Piensor. And, in a way, my visit to Chicago inspired the initial “Earth-side” setting. I loved visiting Chicago, and I wanted that piece of me in the novel. 


If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be? 

“Heroes Never Die” by Unsecret. My friend sent it to me, saying it reminded her of the story, and naturally I listened to it and now it sits in my playlist XD 


If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters? 

So, bit of a disclaimer: I honestly don’t know what these celebrities sound like (except the ones for Seymour and Seiryu), so voice-wise, they may or may not be a fit. I went based purely on looks. XD Also I don’t know enough celebrities to have everyone, but here are a few (the others are TBD): 


Lilly: Zoey Deutch 

Gabriel: Chase Crawford 

Tilas: Liam Neeson 

Yovak Zilfanden: Richard Armitage 

Seiryu: Hugo Weaving (is it cheating? Maybe? I don’t care XD) or Craig Parker. Orrrr Luke Evans. 

Odalys: Hailee Steinfeld 

Isilmere Annor: Charlie Hunnam 

Orrun: Craig Horner 

Aderyn: Claire Holt 

Tae: Alyvia Alyn Lind 


Honestly this question has been one of my favorites and I’m really glad you asked. 


Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish EMPIRE OF BLOOD? 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (though it does have some language and sexual content) is probably a series that comes closest to satisfying the hunger. Or possibly Lord of the Rings. 

And, to plug my own stuff, I have stories on Wattpad! One story is currently on hold because Empire of Blood demanded my soul, but those are pretty exciting too. :D 


What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book? 

The most difficult part would probably be editing. At least, editing the bigger story elements. Or trying to smooth out the plot holes and having to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. 

Trying to figure out how to weave in new aspects late in the writing process can be a hassle sometimes, too… but once it fits, things tend to fall into place. 

And a recent hurdle I’ve discovered is writing the sequel to book 1, and realizing that I now have a lot of changes to do and I did not weigh those consequences when I edited book 1. Whoops. 


What’s next for you? 

Next is brainstorming and planning for the second book of the duology! I’m trying to use NaNo to brainstorm (I am currently VERY behind). And then it’s on to drafting. I’m super excited for the next book. It has some of my favorite scenes! 

After that…. Who knows? I want to get back into writing the Wattpad stories, too. I’ve missed writing them.







Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Olivia Cornwell is a storyteller with a love of dragons and magical worlds. She writes stories of hope and redemption and familial relationships, and far too many sarcastic characters. She writes to entertain her readers (and may or may not collect their tears along the way) and share the truth of her Creator. At least when she isn’t struggling to control her characters, drinking a lot of coffee, or hoarding chocolate.

She hides out in Ohio, and in her spare time Olivia cuddles her niece and nephews, and yowls back at her cat (who is most likely her familiar). She also enjoys adopting the characters from her friends’ novels and keeping them safe from their own dangers.


November 10, 2020 No comments

 

Hello beautiful bookish people!

Today I am reviewing R. J. Blain's book, Outfoxed, for Xpresso Tours and I can just tell you that I had a very enjoyable time with this book. It is definitely different from my current reads!

Outfoxed (The Fox Witch #1)

by R.J. Blain
Publisher: Pen & Page Publishing
Release Date: November 3rd 2020
Genre: Adult, Magic, Shapeshifter, Paranormal
Rate: 
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play

Synopsis:

Death is a way of life outside of the safety of Inner Tulsa, and Jade means to keep flipping Mother Nature off until old age claims her. With one eye always on the sky, the last thing she needs is a pack of bounty hunters out for her living head. With no idea of why anyone would want her, her wits might keep her free, assuming she can resist the charming lures of Sandro, one of the men out to claim her as his own.

Left with the choice of being the evening snack of a tornado or taking shelter with the bounty hunter, she does what she does best: she lives on the edge.

Striking a bargain with the handsome bounty hunter buys her another day of life, but it also dumps her into the heart of a sinister plot, one meant to enslave the residents of the storm-tossed city—and the others brave and foolish enough to call the Alley home.

Outfoxed is a different story from what I have been reading so far. Two things are clear as soon as you start reading: the world is set in a dystopian environment and there's some sort of magic since the people can now shift partially or fully into animals.

Even in an apocalyptic setting some things never change: the poor live in areas where mother nature hits the hardest and the ones not lucky enough don't survive the day. 

I have to confess that when I started the series for me it was a bit too forward for my liking, but as soon as the character started trying to avoid the bounty hunter and the story progressed, the author did a good job of explaining how society worked and the world around the two characters started to make much more sense.

As promised, there's a lot of action, steamy scenes and funny situations. Overall making this story an enjoyable one. I have never read anything by this author, but after Outfoxed, I will definitely be checking her other titles.

Thank you Xpresso Book Tours for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.


Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until satisfied.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


November 03, 2020 No comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts

WELCOME


Hello! I'm Patricia, a spaniard spain based in the UK UK

Obsessed with books with any sort of romance in them, I spent my free time drinking coffee, reading books, watching TV shows and talking to my friends.

Hot Key Books 2020/2021 Ambassador 🗝️

Feel free to contact me whether you are an author, a publisher, a literary agent, a fellow blogger or a reader!

Follow Me

Labels

Adult Blog Tour Book Trailer cover reveal Dream Cast Events Excerpt Giveaway Guest Post Interview Middle Grade new adult News Playlist Promotion Ranting With Patri Review TV Show Young Adult

recent posts

Blog Archive

  • ►  2022 (3)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2021 (19)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (6)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ▼  2020 (101)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ▼  November (5)
      • Excerpt + Giveaway - Ruinsong by Julia Ember
      • Interview with Kate Williams for For Better or Cursed
      • Interview with Molly Zenk & Sarah Biglow for Hunted
      • Interview with Olivia Cornwell for Empire of Blood
      • Review + Giveaway: Outfoxed (The Fox Witch #1) by ...
    • ►  October (6)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (13)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (14)
    • ►  February (12)
    • ►  January (13)
  • ►  2019 (74)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ►  November (7)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (6)
    • ►  June (6)
    • ►  May (9)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (5)
    • ►  February (4)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2018 (1)
    • ►  December (1)
  • ►  2017 (14)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (1)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (5)
    • ►  May (3)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (1)
  • ►  2016 (62)
    • ►  October (4)
    • ►  September (6)
    • ►  July (7)
    • ►  June (10)
    • ►  May (8)
    • ►  April (12)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (11)
  • ►  2013 (25)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (17)
    • ►  April (7)

Created with by ThemeXpose