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Showing posts with label Sci-Fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sci-Fi. Show all posts

Sep 20, 2012

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway: The Broken Destiny (Broken #1) by Calyle Labuschagne

September 20, 2012 0 Comments

Hi guys! I hope you're all doing okay. I'm here to feature and review a book by Ms. Carlyle Labuschagne entitled The Broken Destiny. This post is actually late because I was really sick these past few days and I couldn't post it on time. (Still sick but a bit better now) I'm really really sorry for that, Ms. Carlyle Labuschagne.

An amazing new sci-fi series begins with The Broken Destiny: Book One of The Broken Series.

Ava's People have been exiled to Planet Poseidon, where through a series of horrific events, Ava discovers that their existence has been fabricated by The Council, And She has a Destiny that could save them. Her Soul is a secret weapon that has been lost to an ancient race. To fulfill her destiny Ava needs to go through a series of "changes" that will reveal her true purpose. Throughout her journey she will become what she hates in order to save the ones she loves. And through it all she will find herself - for that is her Destiny, to rise above the fall. 

The story continues in the next book Evanescent.


My Thoughts:

What I Liked:
  • I liked the complexity of the whole plot. Everything seemed so thought out and planned out. It was very well written.
  • The characters seems so complex. Everyone has a dark side. I liked that Ava wasn't perfect. She's the type of heroine, you wouldn't like instantly. She's the type that would grow on you. Ava is a strong girl but she's confused a lot of times. She's very frustrating but you empathize with what she's going through.
  • I liked Ava and Sam's friendship. As I've said it wasn't perfect but it was real. There were ups and downs. I love how they depend on each other. It's like Ava is Sam's home and Sam is Ava's home. They know each other so well. 
  • I also liked how Maya's character played a great part in this book.
  • I love the world that Ms. Carlyle has created in this book. As I said it was complex. It will make you think really hard on a lot of things that's happening inside it. 
What I didn't Liked:
  • The confusion. I think some parts in this book are unclear. But I guess, it's because as a reader I see what Ava sees, the book was written in her perspective, after all, and her confusion transfers to me. I hope the author would write the other characters points of view in the next book.
  • I felt that Troy and Ava lacks interaction to really 'feel' love. I mean, there is a connection between them but I felt that Troy was just like the wind in this book, he's there but not there. I'm actually expecting Troy to be more visible and more felt in the next book which really excites me. I really want to get to know Troy more.
Overall, I liked reading The Broken Destiny. It was very well written. As I said, it was well thought out and planned out. Ms. Carlyle Labuschagne is a very talented author. I really appreciated how very talented she is in the way she played with words in this book. It was beautifully written. For those readers who loves reading Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance with a whole lot of self discovery in their reads, I'm telling you to pick this book up because this is for you.




About the Author:
Carlyle Labuschagne

I am the Author of The Broken Series.
My tales stem from my experiences in South Africa, and brought them to my world of Science - Fiction, fantasy and Paranormal.
The Broken Destiny currently to be released in 2012 through US publishers, and will be available through Amazon , B&N and many more . Currently working on Evanescent #2 in the Broken Series.

My goal as an Author is to touch peoples lives and help others love their differences and one another.

A firm believer in - YA saves!

Giveaway:

Click on the link:

Apr 29, 2012

Book Review: Socialpunk (Socialpunk #1) by Monica Leonelle

April 29, 2012 0 Comments

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Spaulding House; First edition (March 27, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984234861
ISBN-13: 978-0984234868
Socialpunk (Socialpunk #1)

Book Blurb:


Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. 

When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.
My Thoughts:


Socialpunk is the first work of Ms. Monica Leonelle I've ever read and I must say that I had a very nice time reading this. Socialpunk is a book that is full of excitement and futuristic ideas that is pretty much surprising.

The plot of the book was very unique. I must admit that I'm not good with Sci-fi Futuristic fictions. I rarely enjoy them because usually, the futuristic and scientific terms dominate the whole book which just confuses me. Ms. Monica Leonelle balanced it all out. You can take courses online for writing if you would like to learn how to write like this too. Although, I was confused at first but the author wrote this book in a way that most of us would definitely understand.

I love the whole mystery of the world Ms. Monica Leonelle created. I could see it clearly inside my head that those things that were described and shown inside this book could possibly happen in the future.

The characters are very complex. I won't say that they are likable because there were times that they weren't. I can say that Ima, the heroine was definitely a character you would see as a person. She's just a girl who craves to be accepted and be loved by the person she cares about the most. I must admit that at first I couldn't understand her and she frustrated me so much but as I read further, I slowly learned to like her. You can definitely see her character growth which is really fascinating and intriguing at the same time. 

This book was really fast. I read in a few hours because it was really exciting and intriguing. The mystery and the action would keep you in tune.

Although, I liked this book, there were a few typos but I think it won't bother you much because you can hardly see them. Another thing that bothered me was the ending. I don't really see how it could have ended that way. It was totally out of the blue and so random. But I hope the second book would be able to fix that.

Overall, this book is a very nice and fast paced read. If you want and action packed, sci-fi futuristic that is full of intrigue and mystery with a little bit of romance read then I definitely recommend this book because you will surely enjoy it.
About the Author:

 Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).





Where to Buy:

Amazon Kindle:

Apr 26, 2012

Author Interview: Monica Leonelle (Socialpunk #1)

April 26, 2012 0 Comments


Hi my loves! We have this beautiful author, Ms. Monica Leonelle  here in my blog! She is the author of Socialpunk Book Series. She's going to answer our questions! Now let's get this started, shall we?!




  • Can you please tell me about yourself. Something that's not written in your author bio.

I'm glad you mentioned something that's not written in my author bio, because I tend to copy + paste that everywhere. So, let's see. I have plain white walls everywhere in my apartment. My bedroom is basically a bed and two nightstands. People think it's a little nutty looking, like an asylum... but I just haven't taken time to decorate my apartment. I've lived here nearly two years now, so I figure, why spend the money? Also, I didn't have a couch for over a year... I sat on the floor to eat, watch TV, write... basically I lived on my carpet.
Anyway, obviously I, like Ima, need some computers hooked into my brain so that someone decorates my walls for me. :)

  • What made you decide to write a book?

I feel like I mostly write because I can't help it. I love to write and that's how I express myself, day in and day out. I can never understand how people want to be writers or authors when they don't write. I always think, "Then why aren't you writing every day?" I organically average at least 2,000 words a day writing. When I'm finishing up a manuscript, I average closer to 5,000 words a day.

  • How much time you spent writing this book?

I have no idea. Months of planning and thinking, and at least 150 hours of writing/editing.

  • What are the perks you get for being an author?

There are perks to this job? Hahaha. I get a lot of books in the mail, I guess, though that has ended since I don't have a review blog and I rarely review books anyway. I'm just not a reviewer. Also, I took down my address from my website, so people stopped mailing me things. I have so much stuff to read already—between my editing work, my own writing work, and books sitting on my Kindle, I really can't add much more.
Probably the real perk is having people who genuinely enjoy sharing my worlds and characters with me. That's the true reward.

  • What is the hardest part of being an author?

The publishing part. If I had my way I would never be done with my books. I'd have eternity to edit and perfect them. Alas, that isn't very productive, so publishing is a must.


Fun Questions:



  • Who is the first person the comes into your mind when the word "HOT" is uttered?

Hahaha. Actually, my boyfriend came to mind! I know, not the answer you were expecting.


  • Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

I have a huge crush on Drew Roy. He's on a brilliant Steven Spielberg show called Falling Skies. He also did Hannah Montana and iCarly, so he's probably better known to tweens than anyone else. I tried to tweet him to tell him that he was my fav, but he didn't respond! He must get a lot of those.

Either way, I've already cast Drew Roy as the movie version of one of the characters in my books, Pilot in Silver Smoke, my other YA series.



  • If you're going to heaven, who would you bring with you?

Wow! Interesting question. I guess my boyfriend. I am so creative, I know!



  • If you're going to hell, who is that one person you would drag down with you?

Oh man. I would feel awful about casting someone into hell. There is someone I really dislike right now (more than anyone in the world) but I couldn't even cast him there. I should disclaim that this isn't because I'm a particularly nice person, I just hate judging people. If heaven and hell really exist, then the one who created them can cast judgement. I'd just rather stay out of it all.


Last Question:



  • What is next for Ms. Monica Leonelle?

More fiction! I want to write a serialized fiction series next. It'll be along the same lines as Game of Thrones, just more episodic. I feel like Socialpunk is a cross between a novel and an episode, in a way. And I feel like the internet is ripe for serialized fiction. I'm excited to see where the idea goes.


---Thank you Ms. Monica for being so game in answering all these questions! I hope you had fun in answering them!





Book Blurb:

 Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy 


The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.


Where to Buy:


Hardcover:

Kindle Edition:

Paperback:


Apr 17, 2012

Blog Tour: Book Excerpt and IPAD 3 AND KINDLE Giveaway: Socialpunk Book 1 by Monica Leonelle

April 17, 2012 0 Comments



Book Blurb:

 Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.


Book Excerpt:
Excerpt #1: Prologue
After playing God for six years with the world he created, he couldn’t control any of his subjects, none at all. Over the years, he had watched them evolve and become the sum of their own choices rather than the sum of his; and for that, he regretted ever giving them life.

A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn’t be published reputably, now or in the future.

Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.

He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn’t deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he’d thought. He’d meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.

But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.

He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him—his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.

But he had done the unthinkable with this creation—he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He’d given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.

He had never done so with any of the others because of the dangers of investing too heavily in any one of his subjects. But who could he kid? He had not stayed objective thus far, watching some of his subjects more closely than others, wishing for the happiness of some at the expense of others. He had become an abomination, a monster of his own doing, who had created subjects only to watch them suffer.

He couldn’t forgive himself; not now, not ever. His eyes lingered on the vial that sat next to his breakfast smoothie, that he’d stowed away for the day when they destroyed all his work, his entire world. He would save it, tuck it away for now, for as long as he could protect them. When things spun out of his control, he would drink it and end himself the way he had ended them.

In the ancient stories, gods frequently gave their sons as gifts. Now, he would give his son as a gift to her, number 3281. So she could be happy in her last months on earth, before they destroyed her with the rest of them.


About the Author:


Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).

Where to Buy:

Kindle


Giveaway:
No purchase necessary.
Contest is open worldwide.
Winners will be selected using Random.org and announced on MonicaLeonelle.com by May 1, 2012.
Prizes will not be rewarded until winning entries are verified, ie: if you win and said you added Socialpunk to Goodreads, but then you didn't, you don't get your prize. (Just trying to keep it fair :))



Cover Reveal: Take Me in the Night by R.L. Kenderson

Today we have the cover reveal for R.L. Kenderson’s TAKE ME IN THE NIGHT! Check it out and pre-order your copy today!   Title: Take ...