The Smell Of Parchment: April 2013

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Harry Potter Moment of the Week #1

After vowing to take part in this meme oh so long ago, when Leah Woods initially posted that she would start a Harry Potter Moment of the Week. I have finally brought myself to take part. So here it is, HP Moment of the Week!!

This is a meme hosted by Leah Woods over at Uncorked Thoughts. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! She will be picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All you need to do is link back to her blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come here. This weeks is:

Favorite House

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure"

Ravenclaw

Okay I'll let you know, I'm a Slytherin and proud of it.

But there was always something really intriguing about the Ravenclaws. The colours , their motto, the fact that Ravenclaws animal is actually an eagle and NOT a raven. (Like what's with that? )

For those who have read the books, you would know that the ravenclaws don't just enter into their common room by saying a password. They actually have to solve a riddle. And if they don't? You just wait for the next person to come by and solve it, that way you learn you see. I mean how smart do they have to be!

Maybe it's the fact that in real life I have a chance of getting into any of the houses except Ravenclaw. I'm just not intelligent enough for them. So it's more like me being in awe of the ravenclaws really.

My second favorite has to be Slytherin because duh, I belong to that house! So next time someone asks me which my favorite house is, I most probably will say Slytherin.

Lol. This is a perfect description of me. I'm perfect for Slytherin.

Photo courtesy: Ravenclaw crest-Pottermore

Slytherin - Slytherin Common Room on facebook

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Teaser Tuesday #13

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week's Teaser:

“You are my new hero. Seriously, I might actually be in love with you now. Would it be awkward if we made out?””

-Rachel Hawkins School Spirits (School Spirits #1) .

It's a spin-off of Hex Hall!! Little Izzy Brannick is the main protagonist here. Plus I received this ARC from netgalley. Yay!

And yes this quote is on goodreads too. But it was just so cute and I laughed so yeah, here it is.

Please leave a comment with a link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your teasers in a comment!

Monday, 22 April 2013

And I'm back !

Hello blogoverse!

After more than a week of barely blogging, no online activity and one Teaser Tuesday post with no follow-up, I am finally back on The Smell of Parchment.

Why did I ignore this blog you ask? Well the first week, it was just a shitty internet connection. The modem dies, the connection on my phone isn't any better and my friends live too far away for me to be back home before granddad and grandma start to worry. So what happens? Total isolation (from the internet ofcourse).

While as week two was more of a calamity for my family. My grandma moved on from this world for a hopefully better one, early morning last Friday. So what with all of my huge extended family coming together under one roof and the obvious fact that my ever present, ever talkative grandma wasn't around anymore, I couldn't really bring myself to do anything other than mope around and just sit and stare and cry with everyone else.

So here I am back again, trying to make up for 2 weeks of lost time. I might still not be able to post as often but hey, let's start with a little. So I've got pending reviews, got to think up a few interview questions and prepare for my tests. Yeah.... Going to be a couple of busy 2 months. :)

Friday, 19 April 2013

Feature & Follow Friday #10

Increase Blog Followers, gain Book Blog Followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers — but you have to know — the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

This Friday's question :

If you could hang out with any author (living) who would it be and what would you want to do?

Hmm..

It should be pretty obvious if I say J.K.Rowling but yes. Wouldn't it be splendid meeting her and discussing her characters and how she could've possibly even thought she might kill off Ron. (Not cool Ms.Rowling) Maybe she'd even share background stories (the ones not on pottermore) of the rest of the characters and i'd find out more about Teddy and Victoire or Percy and Audrey and ..................................

Oh there's also Laini Taylor and ohh, John Green. He seems hilarious and though I haven't really seen all of his youtube videos, he seems really cool! Plus his brother is a Wizard Rocker (for you non-HP fans, that's bands that write songs about, well... HP or that world in general) !! So I guess I'd listen to songs about how I'm one of the greatest slytherin witch ever or something along those line ;) . Added Bonus!!

Leave a link to your Follow Friday post or let me know your answers in the comments below!

Happy Friday!

Cover Reveal : Plotting to Win

Plotting to Win

By Tara Chevrestt

Releasing June 1st

Book Blurb

Dancers have a show. Bachelors have a show. Singers have a show.

Now authors do too. It’s called The Next Bestseller.

In NYC, seven authors compete for a hundred grand, a publishing contract with Bright House, and the title of the next bestseller. One is Felicity James. One is Victor Guzman.

Despite their attraction for each other, only one can win.

Drama, plagiarism, and trash talk ensue as all seven contestants compete against each other in challenges ranging from writing queries to working with editors. One-by-one, they’re eliminated. Meanwhile, Victor and Felicity start a showmance that could cost them.

Though only one can walk away with the title, they can both get a chance at love…if they open themselves up to it.

About the Author

Tara Chevrestt is a deaf woman, former aviation mechanic, writer, and an editor. She is most passionate about planes, motorcycles, dogs, and above all, reading. That led to her love of writing. Between her writing and her editing, which allows her to be home with her little canine kids, she believes she has the greatest job in the world. She is very happily married.

Her theme is Strong is Sexy. She shares a website with her naughty pen name: http://tarachevrestt.weebly.com/index.html

and they have a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Chevrestt-Sonia-Hightower/218383211513877

Cover Reveal hosted by

Thanks readers for stopping by .

Leave Ms.Chevrestt and Tasty Book Tours a comment on their blog to let them know you were here!

Thursday, 18 April 2013

FREE on Smashwords! Charmeine by Emily Guido

Goodreads

Free Smashwords Coupon

HB94P

Can romance develop between a Heavenly Light-Bearer and a Hellish Vampire Blood-Hunter?

Tabbruis is an extremely attractive Blood-Hunter who has reconciled himself to be alone forever. Over millennia Tabbruis has wandered the Earth alone, aimlessly living through many historical events.

Charleen (aka Charmeine) was found in 1997 as a teenager, unable to remember where she was from or where her family was. She was sent to an orphanage where she met her best friend, Shane. With determination, she works hard and becomes a school teacher.

Tabbruis comes to her aid when she is attacked by a Blood-Hunter. Charmeine’s power as a Light-Bearer, one who throws lightning, is triggered when she meets Tabbruis, and it grows exponentially.

When they meet, the attraction is immediate, romantic and passionate. They are polar opposites and clash together in a dramatic way.

Will Charmeine and Tabbruis fulfill their destinies? Will they realize their importance in both the Blood-Hunter and Light-Bearer world?

RAVE REVIEWS for “Charmeine” by Author Emily Guido

“Romance between a Vampire and a light bearer is something so new, I had to read this book to find out what the buzz and feel is all about …

All I can say is that book didn't disappoint at all! A must read!”

Fathima Amiruddin

“This is a great read, and a terrific debut novel!”

Susan Ashcraft

“The author's story got me hooked. I think the readers will feel the same.”

Carol Fitzpatrick

“This story is a fantastically tender, romantic one of timeless love.

This story is well worth a read!”

Melanie Adkins

“The scenes were beautifully described and the plot is creative and intriguing.

The Light-Bearer Series is sure to be the next fabulous Angel series on your

“To-Read” shelf!”

Cassie

“Well done Emily, this is a great debut novel!”

Samantha Adams

About the Author

Emily Guido is a new Paranormal Romance Author. She was inspired to start writing "Charmeine" because one day she got an idea of two characters that needed to have their story told. Not ever dreaming a week later she would have over a 100,000 words written. When Emily writes, it is similar to you or I watching a movie. She pictures the characters in her head going through vivid descriptions of each scene. There are so many nuances going through her mind that she cannot type fast enough. The novels “Mactus,” “Accendo,” “Seditious,” and “Ransom,” are the continuation of the wonderful adventures of the inhabitants of The Castle Charmeine! Emily is currently writing “Conundrum” the Sixth Novel in “The Light-Bearer Series” She works at a College full time, and pursuing her Master of Business Administration.

YA, PNR, Paranormal Romance, Vampire, Angels, Action and Adventure, Historical

Get in Touch

Links:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Teaser Tuesday #12

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week's Teaser:

“Sixteen Moons, Sixteen Years

Sixteen of your deepest fears

Sixteen times you dreamed my tears

Falling, Falling through the years

Sixteen moons, sixteen years

Sound of thunder in your ears

Sixteen miles before she nears

Sixteen seeks what sixteen fears

Sixteen moons, sixteen years

sixteen times you dreamed my fears

Sixteen will try to Bind the spears

Sixteen screams just one hears

Sixteen moons, sixteen years

The Claiming moon, the hour nears

In these pages Darkness clears

Powers bind what fire sears

Sixteeth moon, Sixteenth year

now has come the day you fear

Claim or be Claimed

Shed blood, Shed tear

Moon or Sun- destroy, revere.”

-Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl Beautiful Creatures(Caster Chronicles #1) . Chapter 1.

April Read for the Young Adult Blogger Book Club ! #YABBC

So far this is what I've liked in the book. I was not able to pick anything at random, so here's this poem.

Please leave a comment with a link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your teasers in a comment!

Monday, 8 April 2013

April Kindle Fire Giveaway – Joint Author & Blogger Giveaway

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). Ends 4/30/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $199 US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, 7 April 2013

Blog Tour : Forsaken - Ancients of Light Series

Author: Heather Fleener

Publication date: February 14th, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Edition: E-book (Smashwords)
Purchase from: Amazon

Book Blurb

The Prophecy Will Be Fulfilled

Ancients were created in the beginning of the age of man. The Vampire were birthed by the underworld after mankind’s fall from grace to destroy what remained of God’s people. This threat to Creation was countered with divinely-breathed immortals. The Witch were most effective against the nefarious agenda pursued by the evil ones. An arcane Prophecy proclaims that the divine purpose of the Ancients of Light will be fulfilled, beginning with the rise of the Chosen. Now the Queens will join her…

Fire is her Destiny

Ella long ago determined she would not live a life where magic defined her. Feeling no kinship with her Caste, she walked away from the Realm and its conflicts. She found acceptance and fulfillment in her life amongst the mortals and is on the brink of achieving her dreams.

Darkness is His Curse

Nicholas is the most revered warrior in the Darks’ army. His personal animosity towards the Light drives his existence and draws him to the one Witch he is set on controlling. Nicholas knows the reasons that Ella never found acceptance within the Fire Caste of Witch and he will use that knowledge to pursue his Dark agenda.

When Light and Dark Collide

Despite her origins, Nicholas discovers more in Ella than just a powerful Fire Witch, leading him beyond the Dark evil that has plagued him for eight centuries. Ella disregards the inherent calling of her breed for the only true belonging she has ever experienced, the love she finds with her Dark Vampire. The beginning of the very Prophecy that will save the Light tears the pair apart and the fallout threatens their existence. When two of the most powerful immortals on opposite sides of Realm collide in divinely-inspired fate, neither will escape unscathed. Only when the Forsaken finds grace will Ella and Nicholas be able to fulfill the destiny that has always been meant for them.

Ancients of Light, Paranormal Romance, Witch, Vampire, Prophecy, Chosen, Series, Epic, Saga, Magic

Smashwords ISBN: 9781301467556

Word Count: 109670 (approx.)

Books in the series:

Chosen (2012)

Forsaken (2013)

About the Author

Heather Fleener lives in Indiana with her husband, D.A. and their twins, Thomas and Alexandra. Professionally she has spent her career working in the area of Intellectual Property law.
Reading has been a passion of hers since she was young and she has been a closet-romance junkie her entire life. The romantic styles of Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood are her inspiration, though she has read and loved the stories of countless other authors. Her fascination with the paranormal began to form at the young age of six, watching late-night ghost and vampire movies with her Grandpa. Unfortunately, as a result, she also remains afraid of the dark to this day.
Combining her love of epic romances and the supernatural was a natural progression for her overactive imagination. When the idea for the Ancients of Light series began, it was an abstract story line rambling around in her head to help kill a few miles on the treadmill. As the stories and plotlines continued to grow, it finally became necessary to put the words to paper and build the characters that had been living in the Realm and having conversations in her head for months.
Ancients of Light is a series of thirteen novels - a testament to many miles on the treadmill and lots of characters that insist on having their stories told.

Get in Touch

Series Website:

http://www.ancientsoflight.com/

Facebook:

Ancients Of Light

Goodreads:

Heather Fleener

Twitter:

Heather Fleener

Available for Purchase at

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance eBooks

Smashwords

Thank you Heather Fleener and Literary Quill Promotions for allowing me to be a part of the tour. Thanks readers for stopping by .

Leave Ms. Fleener a comment to let her know you were here!

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Teasey Tuesday #11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week's Teaser:

“ Argblutal bowed. “May I have the first dance, Your Highness?”

“I’d be honored, Your Grace.” She smiled her fakest smile and accepted his hand.

As the dance began, the duke bowed low over her hand, sliming it with a kiss. “Your Highness, you are the brightest star in a shining crowd tonight.” It’s only the first dance, and I get the star thing already. Is there some book they all read? Fifty-two Compliments for Ladies. A Beginner’s Guide to Flattery. "

-Jamie Marchant. The Goddess's Choice (Kronicles of Korthlundia #1) . Chapter 1 (Kindle Locations 165-169). Kindle Edition.

Received in exchange for an honest review.

The first two chapters are available on Jamie Marchant's website! :

http://jamie-marchant.com/excerpt.pdf

Please leave a comment with a link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your teasers in a comment!

Monday, 1 April 2013

ARC Review : Emilie and the Hollow World

Emilie and the Hollow World

Author: Martha Wells

Publication date: Apr 2nd, 2013
Published by: Strange chemistry
Genre: YA, Sci-fi - Steampunk

Formats: ARC e-galley
Goodreads

While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure.

Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father.

With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange race of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again.

Received as an ARC from the publishers in exchange for a review.

The book starts of with a bang, with Emilie boarding the wrong ship, the ship being attacked by dock-pirates and the beginning of her magical adventure to a world beneath our world, something along the lines of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth It was a good read that didn't really let down or slow down much, but this one seemed to be directed towards middle-grade rather than young-adult fiction.

The main character Emilie is certainly not a pushover nor does she unnecessarily butt in where she is not needed. You watch the character grow along with the book, getting braver and courageous.
This one is intentionally written with a feminist point of view, where the women are not looked down upon, but given lesser opportunities, and the two main female character's Emilie and Lady Marlende are both strong-willed and determined to get the job done just because it needs to be done and the ladies even end up being the ones potentially getting the men out of trouble again and again.

One thing you should know. This one's pure adventure, no romance though there is a small potential towards the end but I'll tell you this, it was refreshing.

I enjoyed reading about Kenar and the rest of the different people from Hollow world and the descriptions of how they were different from us humans in their looks.
What I felt lacking was the fact that I wish there was more Ms.Wells could tell us about the world itself. There was not as much world-building as I would have liked.

This story is really original which is what I liked and the characters really good and relatable. This one reads reads more like a MG book than YA but a good enjoyable read all the same. Let's take this one more as an introduction to steampunk.

Yes, there are an equal number of negatives as positives. But this one is certain to keep you interested enough to keep reading. A waste of time? Certainly not. Thinking about picking this one? Go ahead.

Rating: 3.5 Quills

quill design: QioDen