Indie Author Spotlight: Nikki Jefford

Book 1 Description:

A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong

Two months after dying, Graylee Perez wakes up in her twin sister Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Now Gray is stuck sharing her sister’s body in twenty-four-hour shifts.

Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell, and worse—her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.

The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence.

*****

This book is intended for older teens.

Book 2 Description:

If Graylee Perez thought sharing a body with her twin sister was bad, dealing with a duplicate of herself is two times worse. Gray the second doesn’t seem to get that Lee’s boyfriend, Raj McKenna, is off limits. Then there’s the problem of Adrian Montez. He expects one of the Grays to be his.

Nearly a year later, the council is onto them for past misdeeds; Lee, along with the rest of the coven, has lost control of her powers; and Gray is being stalked by what looks like the Grim Reaper.

If they work together, they may stand a chance of setting things right and making it out alive.

*****

This book is intended for older teens.

Book 3 Description:


In the third and final installment of the Spellbound series, Graylee Perez (the duplicate), goes to Spain for a summer of escape. There she meets new friends and comes face to face with her old adversary, Adrian Montez.

When Gray tries to setup a spell that will banish Adrian from her life, she inadvertently falls under a love spell instead.

Charlene returns, having hijacked a new body, for one final battle between the twins.

*****

This title is intended for older teens.

About this author

:

Bookaholic, nature girl, and animal lover.

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada.

She married the love of her life, Sebastien, while working as a teaching assistant in France. They reside with their Westie, Cosmo.

Loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.




Buy Entangled on Amazon here!!!! 

Buy Duplicity on Amazon here!!!! 

Dreamwalker Blitz

Description:

Noel Kennedy lost her boyfriend, her job and her dignity all in one week. Then something happened and she began to dream of this stranger she had never met. She couldn’t resist the man of her dreams named Jared especially when she met him in real life. Entranced, she slowly unraveled a world she was meant to stay out of. Her life was not what she thought it was once a sexy Boone stepped into the mix and shook things up. Can she escape a life of servitude or immortality for a chance at love?

Buy it here on Amazon 

Buy it here on Barnes and Noble 

Wishlist Wednesday #2

 


Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.



I am super stoked to get a hold of this book, the first one Descended by Blood was awesome!!!


Book:  Enemy Within (Vampire Born Trilogy, Book 2)
Author: Angeline Kace
Release Date: August 30, 2012

Two guys who’ve stolen her heart.
Three races and only one of them worthy.
Countless enemies with insatiable bloodlust for power.
Will one girl's curse ultimately save her?

Half-vampire Brooke Keller barely survived the slaying of her worst enemy, only to learn that Zladislov—the world's most powerful vampire, leader of the vampire world, and her father—wants her dead. However, this time, she's not only fighting vampires but a raging monster within her that endangers what's left of her humanity. And when a deadly disease threatens to take her best friend's life, Brooke tries to convince Kaitlynn to accept a monster of her own: becoming a Zao Duh.

As a former slave to the Pijawikas, Mirko is driven to protect the innocent at all costs, but he has never faced a foe more formidable than Zladislov. And when the Commission bears down on Brooke, Mirko finds the stream of enemies runs deeper than he ever imagined.

Check out Pen To Paper here for more of Wishlist Wednesday!

Tell me peeps, what do you wish for this Wednesday?
 

Free for the Kindle

Hey peeps, here is a list of some great reads for free on Amazon right now!  They are all beginnings to great series~As you know, sharing is caring:)

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Link for free copy

Review of Wilde's Army by Krystal Wade

Description:

“Hello, Katriona.”

Those two words spark fear in Katriona Wilde and give way to an unlikely partnership with Perth, the man she’s been traded to marry for a favor. Saving her true love and protector Arland, her family, and their soldiers keeps her motivated, but the at-odds duo soon realizes trust is something that comes and goes with each breath of Encardia’s rotting, stagnant air. The moment when concern for her missing sister spirals out of control, all thoughts of trust are pushed aside and she finds herself trapped by the daemon tricks Perth warned her of.

However, rescuing those she loves is only half the problem.

Kate still must get to Willow Falls, unite her clashing people, and form an army prepared to fight in order to defeat Darkness. When so many she’s grown fond of die along the journey, her ability to play by the gods’ rules is tested.

How will she make allies when the world appears stacked against her? And will she still be Katriona Wilde, the girl with fire?
 
Review:

OMG!!!!!!  I am not sure where to begin......
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Wilde's Fire.  When I got a hold of a copy of Wilde's Army, I was super stoked.

The story started off where Wilde's Fire ended.  This is where Perth enters the story in a more of a main character capacity.  You want to hate Perth, but it is just too hard.  Maybe it is because I picture him as hot in my head..lol..

Kate is such a strong character that I admire her strength and passion.  Just when you thought she was down for the count, she gathers her inner strength and steel determination to conquer the problem.

I have a hard time saying anything negative about this book because there just wasn't anything.  The story was engaging and fast paced.  It was everything I look for when settling down for a good read.

Check out Wilde's Fire

Buy Wilde's Fire here on Amazon

Wilde's Army will be out July 04, 2012

My highly anticipated books of July

July:

I love summertime when great books are being released!!! *squee*  Here are a list of my must haves for July 2012!!!!!  All of these happen to be series books, but the series each requires that homage be paid for their greatness.  If you haven't read the beginning of these series, please do.  You won't be sorry!

 What books are you highly anticipating for July?

Review of Stealing Breath by Joanne Brothwell

Description:

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty-one year old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent... creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn't even know she had. Bloody and bruised, Sarah flees the scene and runs directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But what is Evan doing out in the forest at five in the morning?

Turning to a healer, Sarah is shocked to learn her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child-an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others. But her indigo aura also makes her an easy target for those who wish to consume her powerful essence.

Soon, Sarah is falling deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart and trust that he is the man he says he is. But she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, leading her on a course that will force her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.
 
Review:

Before you pick up this book, hop on over to Amazon and purchase the prequel, Vicarious.  You will love the novel even more if you do.  While Vicarious is a short novella (only 34 pages), it is worth picking up before reading Stealing Breath.

Buy Vicarious here on Amazon

Now on to my review:)  I picked this book up by accident really.  I read the description on a Goodreads giveaway and thought it sounded fantastic.  I entered and was the lucky winner of my own paperback copy.

Stealing Breath picked up where Vicarious left off.  The characters were then familiar and I was sucked in.  I read the entire book in one day.

I liked how intriguing the story was.  Evan was a great character.  The whole time, you were rooting for him even though you were pretty sure there could be something more going on with him.  Just that fact kept me riveted until the end.

There were a few inconsistencies in the book and contradictions, showing how green the author was.  I quickly overlooked them though and really enjoyed the book.  It was fast paced and engaging.

I also enjoyed the paranormal aspect of this book.  The author used unconventional supernaturals and it made the story truly unique.  Instead of the regular vampires and werewolves, she used skinwalkers and warlocks.

Anyone looking for a great mature YA/adultish paranormal read will love this book, I know I did!!!

Buy it here on Amazon 

Buy it here on B&N 

Review of Vicarious by Joanne Brothwell

Description:

From Joanne Brothwell comes a thrilling prequel novella featuring characters from her debut novel, Stealing Breath.

Even though eighteen-year-old Sarah Ross can’t stop the bodily sensations of other people’s emotions bleeding into her, the desire to stay sane demands that she ignore them. She has enough on her plate already: living in small-town Slave Lake, North Dakota, Sarah is trying to deal with her new responsibility of a full-time job while facing the upcoming loss of her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friends, Kate and Amber, as they prepare to move away for university.

Attempting to savour her last few weeks with Tyler before he’s gone, Sarah hopes to spend as much time with him as possible, but is surprised by the sting of rejection when he rebuffs her efforts to be with him. Opting to hang out with her loyal friends instead, Sarah is shocked and sickened to overhear a drunken girl’s gossip at a party: Tyler has been cheating on her.

Hell-bent on confronting Tyler, Sarah decides to embrace her ability to sense other people’s emotions, and uses her sixth sense as a tool for exacting sweet revenge on her cheating boyfriend.

A prequel to Stealing Breath.
 
Review:

I read Vicarious because I was the winner of Stealing Breath on Goodreads.  I purchased it to read in preparation, I was very excited about Stealing Breath.

I was bummed when it said it was only 34 pages.  I wanted more of a novella I guess.  After reading it, I concede that it was good.  It was still short, but had a great story.

Basically, Sarah has empathic abilities and she is just starting to learn how to use them.  She discovers a cheating boyfriend amid her own fears of being left by everyone at the end of summer.

Vicarious had a good flow and the story kept me entertained.  I promptly picked up Stealing Breath and started where Vicarious left off.  Overall, it was a solid story and a good set up for the full length novel that followed.

Buy it here on Amazon

Buy Stealing Breath here on Amazon

Buy Stealing Breath here on B&N

Review of On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

Description:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends. Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
 
Review:

Completely unique...is the best way to describe this book.  I have never read anything quite like this and that is precisely why I love, love, loved it!

At first, I thought this was a coming of age story about a boy recovering from cancer who gets stuck on an island with his tutor.  I was correct, the story was about that and so much more.  I really enjoyed the depth this story had.  There were layers to the story that I was intrigued by as I peeled them back.

The story took an interesting turn somewhere and then became about two people on an island with an attraction to each other.  Then romance began and their age difference became the only reason for resistance.

When they finally are rescued, more complications ensue.  Not only has their age difference caused a small barrier, but now there is a student/teacher relationship being thrown into the mix.  Never once were they truly student/teacher, yet it isn't so black and white to the rest of the world.

Once they make it home, they have to adjust to life and all the growing pains from living an alternate life style for so long.  I found that this book had a satisfying resolution to it.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

This book has caused such a stir that it has been picked up by a publisher and is now optioned for a film.  Take my advice and pick up a copy, you won't be sorry.


 Buy it here on Amazon

Buy it here on B&N

Wishlist Wednesday #1

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted @ Pen to Paper where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Title: Independence
Author: Shelly Crane
Publication date: TBD 2012/2013

I don't know about all you Significance lovers, but I can't wait to get my hands on this book!!!!  Independence is the fifth and final installment in the best series ever!! 

 In the fifth and final installment, Maggie and Caleb must tie up all the loose ends of their lives and make a way to be together completely on their own. With everything that happened with Bish and Maggie's father, she's almost reluctant to move on and move out. And now she must figure out all of this...stuff...with Haddock. But of course, nothing can stay simple for the Jacobsons. Enemies who were thought to be dissolved have decided to not go down so easily. And old flames come calling for more than just Maggie. Caleb is torn between leading his family and personal wants. Maggie is torn between Caleb and being the leader of their people. But neither will let what they need most to be pushed to the wayside. They are determined to make it all work, design a plan toward destiny, and make everything right again for themselves and their family.

And then there's a wedding...
  

The Liebster Blog

Yay!!!!  I have been awarded with the Liebster Blog Award thanks to Daydreaming Bookworm!  This is my first blogging award:)

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers and Liebster is a German word which means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.Awww....that's so adorable.

Here are the rules:

1. Each person must post 11 facts about themselves

2. Answer 11 questions the tagger has given you and give 11 questions for the people you've tagged.

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Tell them you've tagged them.

5. Remember, no tag backs.

11 facts about me:

1.  I read YA, romance, and fantasy in any combination.

2.  I have two Italian Greyhounds and they are the best dogs in the world:)

3.  I am a writer, currently working on publishing my third book independently.

4.  Red is my favorite color.

5.  I am not a huge fan of dystopian or zombie books.

6.  My favorite band is Jack's Mannequin and singer is Charlotte Sometimes.

7.  I love the Underworld and Resident Evil Movies.

8.  I love love love ice cream.

9.  I love to watch supernatural type television shows such as Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and Teen Wolf.

10.  I am the oldest and wildest of three, I have a younger brother and sister in their twenties.

11.  I am super excited they are making The Host by Stephanie Meyer into a movie out in 2013!!!!!!

11 people I have tagged to receive the Liebster Blog Award:

1. Books, Books, and More Books

2. Read-A-holicZ

3. Amy's Book-et List

4. Rhonda's Doings

5. Book Nook Girl

6. New books on my shelves

7. FIK*TISH*UHS Reviews

8. Little <3 Hyuts

9. read that also

10. BOOKAWORLD

11. For The Love of Film And Novels

My questions from Daydreaming Bookworm:
1)How long have you been blogging?
   since last fall
2) Are you on Goodreads?
    yes-all the time:)
3)Do you do weekly memes on your blog?
   not yet
4)Which book are you currently reading?
   Velveteen by Daniel Marks- an ARC
5)How many books do you have on your wishlist?
   almost 200!!!
6)What is your favorite subject?
   Science-I was a Biologist before I became an Author.
7)Where do you live?
   St. Louis, Mo, US
8)Did you ever visit my blog before I tagged you?
   Yep, it is a great blog:)
9)What kind of books do you usually read?
   Paranormal romance-YA or adult
10)What is your all-time favorite author?
      Rachel Vincent and Nathaniel Hawthorne, it's a tie.
11)Do you currently have any ARC with you?If you do,which book is it?

     Yes, Wilde's Army by Krystal Wade- so good so far!

My questions for the ones I have tagged:

1.  How long have you been blogging?

2.  What genre do you blog about?

3.  Where are you from?

4.  Do you have any ARC's right now, if so what?

5.  What are you currently reading?

6.  Who is your favorite author of all time?

7.  Do you usually read mainstream or indie authors?

9.  Do you give your read books away, run contests with them, or keep them?

10.  How many books are in your TBR pile?

11.  What is your favorite food?

 

 Thanks everyone who participated!!!!!

Review of Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Description:

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.

Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America’s oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.
 
Review:

Hmm...I can honestly say I have no opinion good or bad on this book.  There were many interesting facets of this story, yet it was a little hard to follow along.

This book has history, mystery, ancient curses, ghostly voices inside one's head, alchemy and body jumping bad guys.  As I said, interesting facets of a story.  There was a lot going on and the story felt busy in a good way.

I wish the story wasn't so jumpy between Phillips and Miranda.  It felt like a game of ping pong a little bit.  I do like the idea of dual narration though.

If you like history, then this book is for you.  The author worked very hard at using an old history lesson and twisting it into a modern day story.  I found the premise interesting.

Okay folks, I think that is all I have to say about this book.  It will be out 09/04/2012 if you want to venture a historical fantasy read.

Review of Frost by Kate Avery Ellison

Description:

In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone. After monsters kill her parents, she must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.

She saves his life.

Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.

But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.

Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?
 
Review:

This book was everything I expected and more.  The author was descriptive and the story was captivating.  I started the book expecting to put it down after a few chapters and ended up reading it the whole way through.

You really feel for the MC Lia.  Her family was killed, leaving her in charge of her younger sister and crippled brother.  The town wants her matched and that would mean leaving her family.  Lia became all work and no play in an effort to avoid such action and keep her family afloat. 

Then one day her sister found a "farther" in the woods and Lia's world was turned upside down.  Everything she thought she knew was questioned.  She must learn to follow the rules or put her trust in this new stranger, Gabe.

There was a good dose of mystery in this book.  It kept me guessing until the very end.  I was pretty sad to see the story end.  I am thankful there is a sequel to Frost.  Thorns will be out in July 2012.  I for one am stoked and will be one of the first to see how this journey continues.

Buy it here on Amazon
Buy it here on B&N