Friday, May 29, 2015

The Huntress - Urban fantasy giveaway




There’s always a grain of truth in every legend

Urban fantasy giveaway


It was a long way for German author Nadja Losbohm to publish her first English book The Huntress, a matter dear to her heart. But since 14 December, 2014, the author’s birthday, the ebook-only story is available worldwide for readers to experience “the most unique vampire novel, that is none”, like a review says.

OR you can try your luck and take part in this great giveaway.
Together with Nadja, I raffle off 5 ebooks of The Huntress (either pdf, mobi or epub file).

What do you need to do? Just answer a simple question and post the answer in the comments below.

What’s the question? Here it comes:

What country does author Nadja Losbohm come from?

Need a Hint? Look here: https://twitter.com/nadlo82

UPDATE: The giveaway ends ... 5 JULY!


About the book:


Synopsis:
Ada Pearce is an average young woman. She is 5’4” tall, overweight, and doesn’t play sports of any kind. Shortly after her 21st birthday a mysterious priest informs her of her destiny as a huntress. Ada doesn’t believe that story at first, but when she finds out that creatures of the night threaten the human population, she accepts her destiny, gives up her former life, and moves into the secret rooms of St. Mary’s Church, which had been built hundreds of years ago, and begins her training.
In flashbacks, the protagonist herself tells her story, beginning with her first meeting with the enigmatic and unapproachable priest, through her first year of training and her secret life, to the problems she encounters on her first hunt, and the issues which crop up when a priest and a woman live together…

The Huntress – The Beginnings is a charming mixture of science-fiction, fantasy romance and humor.







UPDATE 2: Not sure about the book? Check out my review and decide: 


Don't forget there will be MORE THAN ONE winner ;)




Add The Huntress to your Goodreads to-read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24416381-the-beginnings?ac=1

Good luck everybody!







Thursday, May 28, 2015

Takhayyal writing prompt #12

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

I've come across an artist to my taste and I believe I'll be using her works often. She is Anne Stokes. *applause*

Now for the prompt: Tell me their/his/her story.

Copyrighted Anne Stokes via www.annestokes.com



Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a means to get inspired and spark our writing once more.
Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.


General guidelines:
·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.
·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post
·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture
·        Multiple entries allowed
·        It is not required but it is a kind and encouraging gesture to comment on others pieces.
·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets.

Let's IMAGINE!

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

One Dark Night - Takhayyal 11 short story


I heard her singing; I couldn’t make out the words. My feet seemed to move towards the voice without consulting the rest of my body.

Had I not smelt the salty air and felt the sand under my bare feet, I wouldn’t have thought I was near the sea. The waves were awfully quiet.

There was a tinge of cold in the air but the melody kept me warm, drawing me a path, pulling me forward.

I reached the edge of the water and placed my lantern on the ground. There was something off about my reflection, like it wasn’t my own. I bent down for closer look. A woman arose from beneath; an angel of beauty from the deadly darkness below.

Her song played in my head as I watched her lips move, forming words I’d never heard before.

She touched my face, captivating me even more. It was strange but I yearned for her lips and yet there was something odd, she seemed sad but her lips kept singing.
***

A new night, a new victim; that’s the curse of a mermaid, especially a young one. Our voices ring and echo stronger than the older ones. I hated this, but I could not escape.

I had to hunt or I would become the hunted.

The night was dark, almost starless. I wished no one would come. But alas, my prayers were unanswered, as someone did come, a boy of no more than seventeen.
My song seemed to have woken him up; he was barefoot, his hair dishevelled. 

He was in a daze, I could see it in his eyes, and yet he seemed to see my sadness.

Would he forgive me when I pecked his lips and pulled him to his death beneath? Would he forgive me when my sisters’ fangs devoured his flesh, leaving nothing but bones and torn clothes? Would he forgive me, when my mother adds his skull to my so-called trophy wall?

I don’t think so. I know I wouldn’t if it were the other way around.

But that is my curse, till I’m old enough to swim away and strong enough to suffer the consequences.




Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Shadow, Shadow: Who would you trade to be saved? - Book review

Shadow, Shadow by V.B. Marlowe
(The Shadow Pines Trilogy #1)
Publication date: February 15th 2015
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult


Shadow, Shadow by V. B. Marlowe is the first instalment in The Shadow Pines trilogy and an amazing multi-faceted becoming-of-age novel about four school students given four Shadow Boxes on their sixteenth birthday. They, Harley, Teaghan, Gianna and Brock, are told that they have the power to remove one person from their lives by giving them to the shadows, which need to feed. However, they are later told that they must use the Shadow Boxes or someone close to them will be killed/taken by the shadows.

The novel opens in the middle of an action, giving immediate rise in tension from the first page and marking a strong opening as we see Brock Ethan being arrested.

"Everyone was used to me being in trouble, but Brock Ethan? He never did anything wrong."

Shortly after, Brock tells Harley to run and she takes off. We are then transported back to events that happened nine months earlier, when they first received the Shadow Boxes.

Narrated from the first person perspectives of Harley and Teaghan, Marlowe contrasts the girls' lives and choices. The author also sheds light on the Brock's and Gianna's choices and struggles through these two characters.

Harley is a rebellious character, often in trouble, grounded and into watching and writing horror movies. Her name reminds me of a Harley Davidson bike, which I often feel she is like in terms of making a statement. However, Harley has several problems and we see from the first chapter that she lacks fatherly affection.
Her mother disappeared and her father remarried Amy, a cruel and unfair stepmother, from Harley's perspective at least. Harley also has a trouble-making boyfriend, Nash, whom the reader immediately dislikes and deems the perfect candidate to be given to the shadows.

"I hadn't heard from Nash all week. That was typical with him. He called when he felt like it, and most of the time when I called him, he didn't answer his phone."

From the first chapters, we see how, despite her misfortunes and familial problems, Harley has more heart than any of the other characters. She has a hard time deciding who she should trade to the shadows, even though several options arise. She even cares for those who have hurt her and takes her time to think of the consequences of "trading lives".

Meanwhile, Teaghan is a geeky, lonely character. She is an introvert and would rather spend her life reading in her room; however, she is often picked on in school. Teaghan is the first to use her Shadow Box, and bit by bit her character changes.

"Happiness was a mythical creature that visited other people. I'd never seen it. Sometimes, I felt as if I was the only one who hadn't."

Marlowe does a stellar job in contrasting characters, especially Harley and Teaghan and later Gianna. I think she's done a splendid job with the "show don't tell" in her novel. I couldn't help but constantly compare and contrast the characters.

Another character, a sort of background character is Ava-kaya. She doesn't appear often but she has a major role to play as she is the one who first gives the students the Shadow Boxes. We also never learn how she got all four boxes at the same time. She is also the one with all the info about the shadows and Shadow Boxes, which she reluctantly gives out to Harley bit by bit.

“The four of you have been blessed with a great gift. Well, it’s a gift for you, but a curse for someone else.”

I liked how the Shadow Boxes show the true nature of the characters. Teaghan, for example, begins to appear in a new light to herself and to others.

Connected by the boxes, each character is tested differently throughout the novel and given different motives and motivations to use their Shadow Boxes. Brock and Gianna's struggles appear towards the end but also shed light on their different characters.

"The greatest gift in the world. Trading is what keeps the shadows appeased. It keeps the shadows in their place."

My only problem with the novel is that the prologue or first chapter does not connect with the last, where we see a new character called Michael that we've never encountered before. I don't feel a thirteen-year-old would feel the depth of the characters but that could just be me. (Blurb says for Ages 13 and up).

Both the narration and language are easy to navigate and light, helping the novel's quick pace, along with short chapters. The imagery, mostly similes, is well placed throughout the novel. Harley is a sarcastic character and her sarcasm adds to the occasional comic relief.

Overall: 4.75/5 stars – only because the first and last chapters didn't meet for me, but overall, I loved the novel and couldn't put it down. I look forward to the remaining instalments in the trilogy.

I also liked the cover, which was cute but mysterious at the same time.


Note: I free copy via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.