Book Highlight: Pieces of Revenge & Scarred by Vengeance by Valia Lind

Pieces of Revenge by Valia Lind
Book #1 in the Titanium Series

A weapon. A broken life. A humanity lost.

That is all Anastasia knows, that is all that she is. As an eleven-year-old, she witnessed her family's brutal murder and she's been on the run ever since. She's spent her life training and planning for the day when she can take her revenge.

Kallos Enterprises is a well respected corporation, set on improving the genetic structure of an individual. Or so they say. Anastasia knows, first hand, what kind of monsters lurk behind the pretty walls of those skyscrapers. Armed with combat skills and a beyond perfect memory, she heads to Chicago to uncover the answers to questions that plagued her for years.

After arriving in the city, she meets Logan, a boy from her past who changes all the rules. She doesn't remember him, but he remembers her. His position at Kallos Enterprises is useful, his presence is unnerving, and he makes her question everything she knows about herself to be true. If her perfect memory can't remember Logan, what else about her past is wrong?

Time is running out. Anastasia has nowhere to turn, but to trust the one person who's a memory she should have, but doesn't. With a madman threatening their every step, Anastasia and Logan must uncover the truths behind Kallos experiments and hope that the answers they find won't destroy the world forever. 

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Blood splatters against my cheek, dripping down my neck.

       I don't bother to wipe at it, swinging my arm as my elbow connects with the other side of his face. My mind is always calculating, like a computer, spitting out information as I duck another punch. The man in front of me is large, almost twice as wide as me, and just as deadly.

       Height: 6’3.

       Weight: 215 pounds.

       Arms like steel.   

      He grabs my hair, yanking my head back as his other arm connects with my left side. I grunt in pain, swallowing the scream that’s about to burst free. I slam my elbow into his stomach, twisting under his arm in the same motion. My knee connects with his manhood, before my fist connects with his jaw once more.

       My moves are precise.

       Practiced.

       Lethal.

      "Son of a—" I round kick him in the face before he can finish. He drops to the ground with a thud, and before he could stumble to his knees, my foot slams into his face, dropping him for good.

      "That's no language to use around a lady." I say, looking down at him, making sure he stays down. When I'm satisfied he's out, I grab my bag and run.

      I should've been more careful sneaking in, but I memorized the schedule and there shouldn't have been anyone here. The warehouse sits against the backdrop of an abandoned neighborhood, so when my feet hit the payment, there is no one to see me escape. I almost stop and go back to finish the job, but I don't. He's not worth the guilt I would carry if I kill him. He's not the one I'm saving the guilt for.

      I got what I came for, even though it took me a few more minutes than I planned on. He didn't see my face, but he sure will have himself a headache tomorrow. Strangely, I feel rejuvenated after the fight, and I grin as I run down the side alley.

      Finally. It’s finally time to make them pay.

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Scarred by Vengeance
Book #2 in the Titanium Series

This is the mission: Save. Protect. Destroy.

Everything in Anastasia’s world came crashing down when the one person she decided to trust failed her. On the run, now more than ever, she’s trying to piece together the life she doesn’t remember. With Blake still missing, she sends the rest of the family away, hoping to keep them out of danger. But being alone is a lot harder than it used to be and she blames herself for allowing Logan into her heart. He’s gone now and she must let him go. Even though her perfect memory continues to play out the time they’ve spent together, much like a broken record.

But Anastasia has no time to dwell on the mistakes of yesterday; her mission isn’t over. Kallos Enterprises continue their experiments, as the death rate goes up, and Anastasia has no choice but to fight. However, she’s not as cold blooded as she used to be and that proves to be a problem when the people she cares about are once again put in danger. With her strength—and memory—failing and Blake’s time running out, Anastasia must tap into parts of herself she never knew existed, hoping that in the end, it will be enough to save them all.

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About Valia

Author. Photographer. Artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Valia Lind always had a love for the written word. She wrote her first full book on the bathroom floor of her dormitory, while procrastinating to study for her college classes. Upon graduation, she has moved her writing to more respectable places, and have found her voice in Young Adult fiction. Falling by Design is her debut young adult novel. You can visit her online at www.valialind.blogspot.com or follow her on twitter, where she spends way too much time, @ValiaLind.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Waiting on Wednesday #13: Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


My pick this week:

Expected publication: September 8th 2015 by HarperCollins

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Bad boy Kaidan Rowe has never wanted for anything—money, popularity, musical talent…hot girls—but seducing them is part of his duty as a Nephilim, slave to the demon Dukes. As the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan has learned his father’s ways, becoming a master of passion, a manipulator of chemistry. Disobeying his father would mean certain death. Thankfully for Kaidan, he’s good at his job. And he enjoys it.

Until he meets Anna Whitt—sweet, smart, feisty, and inexplicably good—the one girl seemingly immune to his charms. The daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, she has a certain power over him, one that makes him wish for more than he could ever deserve.

Determined to save all the Neph from their dark lives as the influencers of sin, Anna joins forces with Kaidan to overcome the demons’ oppressive ways. In the light of her affections, Kaidan must undergo his toughest test of all, a battle of the heart.

Sensual and swoon worthy, this companion volume to the acclaimed Sweet Evil series from New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins, told from the perspective of the irresistibly sexy and mysterious Kaidan Rowe, gives readers revealing insights into his struggle, his intense connection to Anna, and most of all, the true emotions that drive him.

I absolutely adore this series! Granted, I didn't have the heart to read Sweet Peril, as I don't want to say goodbye to the characters and the world created by Wendy Higgins. This book tells the story from Kai's perspective and I am so, so excited to read it!

I also love the cover art. I like how it's still in line with the other three books in the series and how you can tell that it's Kai's POV just by looking at the cover. I must have this book.

Book Review: Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss

Author: Brooke Moss
Series: Series #1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: February 18th 2013
My Rating: 4 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Seattle hairstylist Violet Murphy always knew the day would come when her best friend Gabe Parker would want to settle down. She’d secretly wished it would be with her, but now that he’s chosen someone else—the prim, perfect Alicia—he wants Vi to be his best man.

Healing her broken heart isn’t easy, but when Violet meets Landon Harlow, a man who isn’t fazed by her funky style and less-than-delicate attitude, she takes a step in the right direction. Until Gabe’s fiancé’s gorgeous façade begins to crack, and Violet’s disturbing past comes back to haunt her, that is. Vi now finds herself armed with a series of lies that would break Gabe’s heart—and his engagement—if he knew their truth, and a secret from their childhood that could change everything.

With the wedding looming, her relationships unraveling, and the bachelor party of the century to plan, Violet must choose between a fresh start with Landon, or confronting her painful past and risking it all for a chance at a future with Gabe.

If there's one genre that I love just as much as urban fantasy it's chick lit. I adore chick lit for a variety of reasons, but the most important one is that it teaches you something new in a non-preachy, very subtle way. If you pay attention to details, there's always a life lesson hidden behind the funny, quirky characters and hilarious situations. Keeping Secrets in Seattle is no different.

I absolutely adored Violet. There was something very unique about her. Her love for vintage clothing made me immediately like her. Her style in general was just awesome and it made me very sad that she's not a real person, because she gave me that feeling that if you respect her and treat her right, she'd be your bestie. I understood her fear of confessing her love for her best friend. It was hard to see her struggle with that, especially given her past. Underneath her vintage clothing and unconventional hairstyle, she's a really strong person. And it made me sad that she had to go through what she did alone.

Speaking of her best friend. Gabe was a strange character. I can't say that I loved the guy, but I didn't dislike him either. It was just so hard to believe that he was clueless about Violet's feelings. I just can't believe that. If in fact he had no clue, boy is he blind! And if he did know about how she felt, he was cruel. But you know what they say, the heart wants what it wants. I was sad for Landon. He really was a great guy. If I could pick between the two of them, I'd pick Landon. Okay, yes, he does have a motorcycle, but that's beside the point *coughs*.

I can't say I was surprised by some of the things that happened. Even so, they were done in such a way that didn't seem cliche. And I loved the diary notes. Those were fun and it really felt like reading a diary entry. There were some hilarious moments in this book too. I did giggle a few times. All in all, Keeping Secrets in Seattle was a quick, fun read and it showed me once again why I love this genre.

Obsessed With Covers #20: Passenger, A Thousand Nights, The Accident Season, These Shallow Graves & A Whole New World

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

This edition is brought to you by BEA 2015. Heh, that sounded formal, didn't it? I am soooooo sad that I like on another planet continent and I can't go to BEA. It sounds like so much fuuun *sobs**stomps feet like a 5 year old*. Anyway, maybe I'll get the chance to participate in the future. Until then, here are some of the prettiest covers I've seen at BEA (not all, I know, a lot of great covers this year).

 It seems that blogging made me admit out loud (or at least in writing) some of my many obsessions. But I'm obsessed with boats in bottles. I love miniatures and bottles with boats are so, so cool. This particular cover is so interesting. It seems like the people on the boat have this unique miniature of a fantasy land with fantasy buildings in a boat. I assume, based on the cover, that the people in the city are imaginary or at least not real for the people living on the boat.

I also love the font used for the title. And how there seems to be light on the city skyline, but a storm brewing for the ship. I really want to read this book to see if the story matches the cover, or at least the feel of it.



Passenger - Alexandra Bracken

 I absolutely adore the cover art for this book. It seems as though the tree of life is coming out of an Arabian palace. I love how the crown of the tree is made up of words. I also like the font the artist used. And the girl....what I happening with her? I want to know! I also like how the palace is surrounded by a halo of light, while everything else is covered by darkness.

A Thousand Nights - E. K. Johnston

There's something so scary about this cover. Maybe it's the perspective and the inverted landscape. Of maybe it's because of the girl falling (which I've always been afraid of). Or it could be the storm clouds. Whatever it is, there's something scary about this cover.

I love the colors used for the sky. And the button in the title is so cute. I wonder if it's just a random, art-related reason for it's presence, or if there's something about a button in the story.







 The Accident Season - Moïra Fowley-Doyle

 Where do I start with this cover? The roses are a nice touch, I have to say. It only increases the creepy feeling of the cover. And the hand? Just awesome. Especially when it sits just above the title. Shallow graves and the past? Shallow graves indeed. What's behind the wood panels is the detail that I like most. Just a hint of something that's hiding there. They could be other roses, or there could be more. I just love the cover.

These Shallow Graves - Jennifer Donnelly

The 8 year old in me is doing happy dances at the sight of this cover and title. I can't wait to see how this book is. The cover is just amazing. If the Agrabah palace was real, this is how it would look like to me. The colors used for the skyline just increases that magical feeling of the entire building. And the girl, which I assume is Jasmine, makes the story seem more real. I will definitely read this book once it comes out. And the title is just genius, because, based on the blurb, it takes a whooooole new meaning. If I had anyone sing the song in a completely new version, I'd had Lana Del Rey do it, because no one can make a Disney song sound more haunted than her.





A Whole New World - Liz Braswell

Sunday Book Soundtrack #16: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've done one of these lists. I have inspiration right now. This is mostly because having no internet for a while forced me to listen to the radio more than I usually did.

This week's book soundtrack is for Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

I loved this book so, so much. I will write a review soon, but I had to say that I loved it. Unlike my usual soundtracks, this book didn't give me the impression that rock music was good for it. Which I know, shocking, right? That is why the songs I've picked are so different than my previous choices. Anyway, here's the soundtrack:

1. The Pierces - Secret - I just couldn't not include this song on the playlist.
2. The Pierces - Boring - I picked this song for two reasons: the flashbacks and the way "old" Samantha & crew are described.
3. Ke$ha - Die Young - This song fits with the image of Sam, the party girl. At least it does in my head.
4. The Chainsmokers - #SELFIE - The lyrics fit with the meanness of Sam's old friends and even Sam herself. And the sound of this song fits with old Sam.
5. Natalia Kills - Problem (Explicit) - This song fits both Samantha and Cassie. I'm not sure which girl is described better by this song. There's a little bit of Cassie in there, but if you've read the book, you know that Samantha wasn't necessarily a good girl in the past, either.
6. Indila - Dernière Danse - The feel of this song fits Samantha as she's struggling with not having any memories. And even the lyrics fit, in a more symbolic way.

Liked this list? Want more? Click here for previous Sunday Book Soundtrack posts.

Follow Friday #21

Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around!


This week’s question is:

If you can step into one characters shoes (in a book) and be them for a day who would it be and why? Also if you want to be creative, what scene?

This is a tough question. There are so many characters that I love and that I'd want to switch places for a day. I'll go with Savitar from the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Several reasons for it:
 - I get to know EVERYTHING! All the things I've ever wanted to know about the series, past, present and future are in his head, I'm sure of it!
 - I get to be as sarcastic as I want and I know that my buddy Ash will understand and appreciate my sarcasm;
 - I get to have my own island;
 - I'm powerful and really, really old. Which means I got to see mankind in Ancient times. So yay for the history nerd in me;
 - because he's so old he knows a lot of languages. I love learning languages (did I ever mention I'm weird that way? No? Well, I am!).

That's who I'd want to be for a day. Who would you be for a day if you could?