Month: August 2016

#SaveOzStories

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The Australian government is about to make significant changes to copyright, threatening the future of our Australian stories.

31435501#SaveOzStories by Geraldine Brooks, Isobelle Carmody, Peter FitzSimons, Richard Flanagan, Jackie French, Anna Funder, Nikki Gemmell, Morris Gleitzman , Kate Grenville, Andy Griffiths, Jane Harper, Chloe Hooper, Toni Jordan, Thomas Keneally,David Malouf, Monica McInerney, Alex Miller, Frank Moorhouse, Matthew Reilly, Michael Robotham,Magda Szubanski, Christos Tsiolkas, Tim Winton

#SaveOzStories is a gift to book lovers from Australia’s finest writers and the industry that supports them. Jackie French, David Malouf, Tim Winton and many more of our best writers have come together to issue a clarion call to all Australian citizens to defend writers and writing. If politicians have their way we will be the only nation to give away our right to tell our own stories. If you think a world without the next Richard Flanagan, Andy Griffiths or Monica McInerney will be a poorer one, then read this collection of impassioned arguments from our most esteemed wordsmiths.

‘Australians deserve that their lives, experiences, country and culture be reflected in the literature that they read.’ Thomas Keneally

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My Thoughts: I managed to grab a copy of #SaveOzStories when I went shopping last weekend. It was an interesting and infuriating read. Interesting reading input from all the different awesome aussie authors and infuriating because, f*** me what a horrid mess this government is making -but I won’t go into that or I’ll be ranting for days. All I will say is; If you at all care about Aussie stories go to http://www.bookscreateaustralia.com.au and get on board with #SaveOzStories
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Review: The First Third by Will Kostakis

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17185857Life is made up of three parts: in the first third, you’re embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you’ve made.

That’s how Billy’s grandmother explains it, anyway. She’s given him her bucket list (cue embarrassment), and now, it’s his job to glue their family back together.

No pressure or anything.

Fixing his family’s not going to be easy and Billy’s not ready for change. But as he soon discovers, the first third has to end some time. And then what?

It’s a Greek tragedy waiting to happen.

* * * * My Thoughts * * * *

I read The Sidekicks and loved it. I’ve now read The First Third and loved it. I must get my hands on more! You, Mr Will Kostakis are brilliant and I love your humorous and heartwarming style.

In The First Third we follow 17 year-old Bill as he navigates first love and the monumental task his ill Grandmother has given him to put his broken family back together. With the help of Bill’s best friend Lucas and a pretty girl named Hayley, Bill manages to make some major progress with his family and help some other people out along the way. The ending leaves you with tears in your eyes, a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart and hope for the future.

Bill is a total sweetheart and reading along with his interactions with his friends, family and especially his Yiayia is a treat for the soul.

As with The Sidekicks the story flows beautifully, the characters are engaging and feel real. There is no denying that Mr Kostakis has the ability to tell a meaningful and captivating story. I am looking forward to reading more by him in the future.

Five Stars

Kostakis Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Facebook

Booktopia | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Bookdepository 

Review: Raelia (The Medoran Chronicles #2) by Lynette Noni

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Mini Reviews: Akarnae + Simon + Zim

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23569787Akarnae (The Medoran Chronicles #1) by Lynette Noni

With just one step, sixteen-year-old Alexandra Jennings’s world changes—literally.

Dreading her first day at a new school, Alex is stunned when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in Medora, a fantasy world full of impossibilities. Desperate to return home, she learns that only a man named Professor Marselle can help her… but he’s missing.

While waiting for him to reappear, Alex attends Akarnae Academy, Medora’s boarding school for teenagers with extraordinary gifts. She soon starts to enjoy her bizarre new world and the friends who embrace her as one of their own, but strange things are happening at Akarnae, and Alex can’t ignore her fear that something unexpected… something sinister… is looming.

An unwilling pawn in a deadly game, Alex’s shoulders bear the crushing weight of an entire race’s survival. Only she can save the Medorans, but what if doing so prevents her from ever returning home?

Will Alex risk her entire world—and maybe even her life—to save Medora? Goodreads View.

My Thoughts: What a fast and fun read this book was! A really strong start to what I’m sure will be a entertaining and captivating series. I’ve already got book number two lined up ready to read :-). The main characters we easily likable and I fell for them immediately. The story was easy to read and flowed really well. FIVE “I loved it and would happily re-read it” STARS.

19547856Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met. Goodreads View.

My Thoughts: IMG_6732I had the biggest smile on my face when I finished this book. I had flip flopped over reading it because I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Believe the hype! Seriously it has topped my favorite reads of the year so far. I got lost in Simon’s world and would happily go back and get lost again. Simon is freaking adorable and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him struggle, fumble and come out on top. FIVE STARS for this must read adorable feel good story. Headless Simon even made it onto my Instagram >>

30860827Invader Zim #11 by Sarah Andersen

“A special one-shot written and illustrated by Sarah Andersen (Sarah’s Scribbles)! When GIR brings home a flea-ridden stray cat, ZIM is furious—until he finds out what the cat does to Dib. Dib’s sneezing and covered in hives—could the magical powers of this “”cat”” be harnessed and turned against all of mankind? Could the earth FINALLY be ZIM’s?” Goodreads View.

My Thoughts: Invader Zim, the Invader Zim from my childhood in a comic written by Sarah Anderson. How could I not read this! I love Sarah’s Scribbles.

The comic was a quick and fun read. I think Sarah’s humor came shining through in Zim’s use of kitty cats and puppy dogs to turn his arch nemesis Dib into an allergy ridden puss ball. THREE ‘I liked it’ STARS.

Bookish Babble: Y16.W14

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Aussie Author Quote Edition:
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I haven’t read Stormdancer yet so I am not sure of the context, so the fact that I used an image of people kissing as the background maybe a lil bit off, BUT when I read this quote I thought in a romantic context “Yep, been there and done that!”

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This is true, but It doesn’t always feel that way.

kady2Yes, yes you do! Run with me people.

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Well yes, as long as you haven’t read the synopsis or any reviews :-P.

This next one is a snippet from The First Third by Will Kostakis. Now i’m not sure how it will translate if your never read the book but I loved this bit. So imagine for me a 17 year old Australian born grandson with his Greek born grandmother >>

“Sti zoei mas, ehome tria… komatia.” Greek for, “In our lives, we have three… pieces.” She must have been in an imparting-wisdom kind of mood. It was obviously important, because she switched to English, not trusting my Greek.

“In first part,” She said, “your family embarrass you. Then-pff-they die.” I couldn’t tell whether she was trying to teach me something or make me feel bad for laughing at her.

She focused hard, like she was having difficulty summoning the correct phrasing. “In number two, you feel agape, you find love, you make baby, you want to have family like before.” I thought of Papou. I thought of Mum.

Yiayia snatched up a polka-dotted piece of fabric and slowly started to stretch it. The elasticity disappointed her. She dropped it back into the heap and rested her hand on the edge of the bin. “Then, one day, you old. You try to give, and your family,” Yiayia shrugged, “they embarrassed. And then-pff-you die.” 

It was the circle of Greek life. “You see, one day,” she added.

Life is made up of three parts: in the first third, you’re embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you’ve made. 

It’s funny because it true and it’s heartbreaking because it is true. I’m in my second third now! I’ve always been blessed with a big, loving and yes sometimes embarrassing family. The older I get the more I long for how connected my family was when I was younger. All my cousins and myself included are off making our own families now. I hope I can give my boys the connections I had and the love I felt in my first third.

Until next time, enjoy your shelves (and your families).

Review: Life Sentence by Lily Luchesi

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She can fight evil, but can she fight the darkness in her own blood?

After the disastrous events with Miranda have subsided, Danny and Angelica have to adjust to a new kind of life at the Paranormal Investigative Division.

Fiona is still on the loose, and she has all of Hell on her side. Danny begins to enhance his psychic abilities with the help of a soul just like his. Angelica is caught between a rock and a very dark place.

Can their love survive these new trials, or will the past tear them apart?

* * * * My Thoughts * * * *
I’m sitting here pondering the three books that currently make up Lily’s Paranormal Detectives Series (a 4th is coming early next year!) and for the first time since Harry Potter a third book in a series is my favorite. Well for now because I don’t know  what the forth book will bring.

This installment was fast paced and action packed. I really enjoyed reading this paranormal /horror /action /romance mix. If this book was on a menu it would read: Flash back entree, Demon action main with a side dish of psychic powers and newly turned vampire and a large serve of Inter-species romance for desert.

I was excited at the end of Miranda’s Rights to see how Leander’s character played out in this book and I was not disappointed. I was drawn to Leander in Miranda’s Rights. I was intrigued by his darkness and mystery. The whole time I was reading Life Sentence I had to remind myself he was the “bad guy” and I shouldn’t like him, but meh, I dug his self-righteousness and self-imposed darkness – oh dear, moving right along.

I loved the edition of Mark and Brighton’s characters and the initial stand-off-ish suspicion between Danny & Brighton. I really hope Mark, Brighton and Danny are back for the next installment, but the feeling I got the feeling from the epilogue that we might be following Angie solo in book four with appearances from Leander. I’m sure what ever direction Lily takes the characters in it will be awesome. I will have to patiently wait and see. Five “It drew me in and I would happliy re-read” Stars

Five Stars
* * * * Lily’s Links * * * *

Release Day Blitz: Life Sentence by Lily Luchesi

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BRAND NEW RELEASE!
Title: Life Sentence (Paranormal Detectives Book Three)
Author: Lily Luchesi
Genre: Horror, paranormal, mystery
Blurb: She can fight evil, but can she fight the darkness in her own blood?
After the disastrous events with Miranda have subsided, Danny and Angelica have to adjust to a new kind of life at the Paranormal Investigative Division.
Fiona is still on the loose, and she has all of Hell on her side. Danny begins to enhance his psychic abilities with the help of a soul just like his. Angelica is caught between a rock and a very dark place.
Can their love survive these new trials, or will the past tear them apart?
 
 
Books one and two are also on sale today only (August 2nd). Click the photograph below to catch up on the series for just $1!
 
http://smarturl.it/ParanormalDetectives
 
Watch the trailer for Life Sentence, featuring the song “Together” by Matt Lande (used with permission).
 


EXCERPT from Life Sentence:“Well, well, little vamplet,” the wolf growled, “it is a true pleasure to see you in person. I see you got my note.”
“Ever hear of email?” Angelica asked. Danny felt the tension in her body flowing in waves. She was just barely restraining herself from launching at the wolf, getting revenge for her fallen employee. “You of know me, eh? Well, then you know what I’m capable of.”
“Oh, I do,” it growled deeply, as if pleased. “And I want to challenge you.”
“Challenge me?” Angelica asked. “To what?”
“A fight. Just us, to see who can win in an old-fashioned, one-on-one brawl.”
“It’s been a while since I was challenged hand-to-hand. You sure you’re up for it?”
Angelica’s smirk was a little alarming. Danny saw Brighton open his mouth to speak, but thought better of it at the look on her face. Angelica was about to go one-on-one with a cursed shifter. Any idiot could tell you that that was a bad idea, even for a full-blooded vampire.
“Can you promise me that your male harem back there won’t get involved? Because if they do, this whole thing is off the table,” the wolf said.
Angelica chuckled. “They know better than to interfere.”
Brighton grabbed Danny’s sleeve. “Are you really going to let her do this?”
“Do you think I can stop her? Or even help her? You know her, Brighton. She’ll incapacitate me in a second before going about the fight as if I never interrupted,” Danny said. “Stubborn as a mule.”
“I can hear you,” she said as she began to remove her black gloves. Her eyes never left the wolf in front of her. “Tell me, why do this? Your orders are to kill me, not challenge me.”
The wolf growled before it answered. “I heard what you did to the ones who came before me. They underestimated you. The only way for me to get a real, fair fight is to challenge you head-on. Why do you think I let that crazy witch turn me in the first place? For the power. I love a challenge. You, Angelica Cross, are a challenge.”
Angelica turned around and placed her two guns on the ground, as promised. She had not brought her sword in her haste to catch the wolf. “Then let’s go–monster to monster.”
The shifter scoffed. “At least I’m not still part human.”
Angelica’s eyes darkened, turning blood red. Her claws started to extend, something that had never happened when she was a vamplet. Finally, Danny watched as her jaw became distended, and her fangs released. These were not the two “Dracula” fangs she had had before: these were the long needle fangs every vampire had. Each tooth became thin and sharp, while the canines on the top and bottom reaching over two inches in length.
“See, that’s the thing: neither am I.”

About Lily:
 
Lily Luchesi is a young author/poet born in Chicago, Illinois, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle by the time she was twelve, and, as her family has always been what they now call “Gothic”, she doesn’t believe she shall ever change. She is also a hopeless romantic and avid music-love who will always associate vampires with love, blood, and rock and roll.
Her interest in poetry came around the same time as when she was given a book of Edgar Allan Poe’s complete work. She then realized that she had been writing her own poetry since she could hold a pen, and just had not known the correct terms. She finished her first manuscript at the age of fourteen, and was first published at twenty-one.
Her debut novel, Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Series Book One), was published by Vamptasy Publishing on May 19th, 2015. Book two, Miranda’s Rights, was released on January 8th, 2016. Book three, Life Sentence, will be released on August 2nd, 2016 by Vamptasy Publishing, and book four (title TBA) was also just accepted by the publisher and will be released in January 2017.
She has a short story, “Undead Ever After” in the CHBB Publishing anthology Love Sucks (released on June 13th, 2015). Her first erotic short story, “Have No Fears”, was published in the Hot Ink Press anthology Naughty Bedtime Stories: In Three Words on October 10th, 2015. She will also have a short erotic horror story, “The Devil’s Dozen”, in the upcoming Hot Ink Press anthology Death, Love, Lust, which was released on February 4th, 2016. Her horror short “Too Young To Kill” was released in the CHBB Publishing anthology Lurking In The Shadows on June 28th, 2016.
 
Links: