Timeless (#3 Maiden of Time) ~ ~ COVER REVEAL & Giveaway!

TIMELESS (#3 Maiden of Time) by Crystal Collier #CoverReveal

Book Title: TIMELESS (Maiden of Time #3)

Author: Crystal Collier

Genre: YA Paranormal Historical

Release Date: November 1, 2016

TIME IS THE ENEMY

In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock?

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Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy/sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and a friend (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, or follow her on Twitter.

Want the first chapter free? Sign up HERE.

Soulless: Book II: Maiden of Time

Collier, C. (2014). Soulless. Apopka, FL: Raybourne Publishing.

YA Fiction / Paranormal / Fantasy
Book 2 in the Maiden of Time series
(click here to read my review of Book 1, Moonless)

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

And the gorgeous covers continue. Seriously, this series' covers are among the best I have seen, and as I said with Moonless, go ahead and judge this book by the cover because the inside is as awesome as the outside.

In Moonless, young Alexia is just beginning to learn what it means to be a Passionate and what it means to be in love, and she has only the slightest idea of the true power she possesses.  In Soulless, watch out! Alexia is a few years older, a (parallel) world (or two) wiser, and she has realized the implications of her power and dedicates herself to mastering it.   Alexia is a young woman who knows what she wants and is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to help the people she loves -- even if those sacrifices threaten to break hearts, including her own.

Speaking of hearts, heartthrob Kiren and Alexia continue to sizzle every time they get in close range, and the build-up/let-down/build-up (repeat) to their wedding night is almost as torturous for the reader as it is for the characters.  Author Collier handles the "true bonding" of the couple tactfully but not in such a tame fashion that readers will be disappointed.  There still are unanswered questions as to why Kiren, who is clearly old as the ages, is obsessed with Alexia, but towards the end of Soulless, as the definition of time becomes murky, it feels like answers will be coming in the next installment -- and it feels okay to wait for them.

Book two reveals a much closer look at the world of the Soulless and the Passionate, and the horrible powers and incredible gifts each possesses.  Collier does a great job of creating a comfort zone for readers and then pulling the rug out from underneath them.  Soulless can only come out on moonless nights, right?  The established evil characters are evil, and the good are good, right? WRONG. 

Familiar characters are back and better than ever, with more of their backgrounds revealed and more than a few interesting character twists.  New characters, both lovable and loathe-able, are introduced and perfectly fleshed-out so that readers have a clear feeling for them all. . . or a clearly muddled feeling, intentionally made so by the author's design.

I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.  And. . . 

I have so much confidence in Crystal Collier that I happily agreed to be a part of her Blog Tour, and I will feature Soulless again on the fourth day of the tour, Thursday, 10/16/14!  Be sure to stop by for a chance to get some sneak peaks and to win prizes!

WANT MORE????
*Visit Crystal Collier's website and learn more about Moonless and Soulless and Timeless! 

**Click to follow Crystal on Twitter or on Facebook!

***Purchase on Amazon

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SOULLESS! Cover Reveal!

FABULOUS Wrap-Around Cover, no?

COVER REVEAL WEEK: 7/14-7/19/2014

I am so excited to be a part of Crystal Collier's Soulless Cover Reveal Week, with my turn to post being this last (but not least) day of the big event!

Soulless, coming October 13, 2014, is book two in the Maiden of Time Trilogy, which started out with the beautifully written Moonless. (side-note, Moonless has the most gorgeous cover and is available as an eBook today for just $2.99 on Amazon! Buy it in eBook now for instant gratification, but buy the print copy to love on that cover. Read my review of Moonless.)

But back to Soulless, here's the cover blurb . . . 

Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is disrupted by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.

And risk losing everything.

With the memorable characters, plot, and HOLY COW ending of Moonless, I fully expect Soulless to grab me by the collar, pull me in, and give me both answers and surprises not to be forgotten.  

<<<<< Click to win an autographed ARC on Goodreads!

Pre-Order your print copy of Soulless, and get:

• Signed Print Book
• Signed eBook Copy of MOONLESS!
• Receive SOULLESS one week before the official release!
• Free Shipping (In the US)
• (eBook and perks also available for pre-order) 

Came back to Hall Ways on 10/16/2014 for a stop on the Blog Tour!

 

Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and "friend" (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. 

Isn't she adorable?

You can find out more about Crystal, her books, and her love for cheese on her blog, Facebook, or on Twitter. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter to receive release news and freebies.

Moonless: Book I: Maiden of Time

Collier, C. (2013). Moonless. Apopka, FL: Raybourne Publishing.
YA / Romance / Paranormal Series

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Is this not the most gorgeous cover?  I can't help it, but I judge a book by its cover. Well, initially I do. Thankfully, this book is awesome inside and out!

Moonless grabbed me from the first few paragraphs and kept me reading to the very last page and then AGONIZING that I'd have to wait for the next installment, (Soulless, coming Fall 2014) to get much wanted insight and answers.  The writing is beautiful, descriptive, and appropriate to the period and a delightful change of style from others in this genre.

Collier's story reminded me of a YA version of A Discovery of Witches, but to me, Moonless worked much better by having a seventeen-year-old protagonist, Alexia, and a setting in only the 1700s. Alexia's teenaged insta-love behavior towards Kiren was understandable and expected, though I felt like Kiren's feelings needed to be better explained. We're not told much about why he is so drawn to Alexia in this installment; it really didn't make sense to me and was even a little odd. In any case, the romance element will satisfy readers, and Kiren is truly swoon-worthy in his manner and mystery. There are some pretty electrifying kisses and some serious sexual tension building, so I'm not sure how Collier will be able to keep future installments clean, like this book.

Readers will enjoy the building-up of the three parallel worlds that exist at any given moment and the resulting plethora of characters and sub-plots that are spun as a result of the second world of the Passionate and the Soulless. (yes, I said three parallel worlds! you'll never see it coming.) There are some fabulously memorable characters - good, evil, and undetermined - and hints we'll be finding out more. Short chapters help readers to manage it all, though be prepared to have MANY questions that may or may not get answered. And that's the main reason I'm rating this a 4 and not a 5.

With any paranormal storyline, there is an expectation that readers will have to suspend their disbelief, and I'm good with that; however, there were several times where I just couldn't do it and the "not knowing" created some plot holes.  The writing was beautifully done, with the exception of some pronoun use that caused confusion in trying to figure out who was speaking or being spoken about.

Despite these minor flaws -- which I anticipate will be corrected in what I expect to be a smashing-good follow-up -- I really enjoyed this story and recommend it to high school readers and older. 

I received a free eBook copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review -- the only kind I give!  

Visit Crystal Collier's website and learn more about Moonless and Soulless.

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Hollow City (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #2)

Riggs, R. (2014). Hollow city. The second novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. NY: Quirk Books.

YA Fantasy / Paranormal / Historical Fiction

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

CHECK OUT THIS CREEPER TRAILER 
 (watch to the end)



THE ENDING! BAM! Game changer! The next book will be able to go an entirely different direction, and I love the possibility of where and how it will unfold.

Though this is definitely a middle book, again, I thought Riggs nailed it. How he wrote workable storylines to fit around vintage pictures was truly amazing. I loved reading along, coming to a description, and turning the page to see it. This just worked for me. It's an incredibly creative way to write.

There is a lot of action in this book, and the tale is somewhat more dark and grim than the prior book. There are lots of new characters introduced, and a few scenes that seemed unnecessary; however, I feel like they are going to come into play later. Without giving a spoiler, I will just say I loved the one word whispering hospital patient in London.

Some may be disappointed in the romance element that was building pretty strongly in the first book. I am not one of those people. There is enough going on that a realistic, sixteen-year-old boy's first love story would have been a distraction. It's good that Jacob's love interest is in her 80s. There is a little schnogging, but it's not the focus of the book. Sensitive readers, there is violence, and several pretty horrific scenes with pictures to help the imagination along. There is a bit of historical fiction woven into the story, which adds to the horror. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Riggs, Ransom. (2011). Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children.  Quirk Publishing.

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Imaginative, fantastic, inventive! I really liked this book and pretty much read it straight through in one sitting. What seemed to be a turn-off for some(that the cover was creepy but the story wasn't quite creepy enough) was fine with me. The creepiness was not found in the peculiar children (though the child who can reanimate the dead is CREEPY) so much as in the creatures hunting the peculiar children -- but make no mistake, there was a creepy element. 

And as for the pictures: I loved them! They harkened back to carnival side shows of old and the fascination with the freakish, and in later years, of being drawn to something that had been defined as politically incorrect and inappropriate, but - like the proverbial train wreck - you can't stop looking. Whew!

I found myself quite impressed with how Riggs found these pictures and then incorporated them into the story. True, some pictures were simply mentions, but not one seemed like it didn't belong. He weaves a great story, with plenty of plot twists and turns, and richly described characters. Some of the characters seemed familiar (hello Charles Wallace from A WRINKLE IN TIME?), but overall, this book was unique and entertaining, and as soon as I finished it, I ordered the sequel.

The book is appropriate and entertaining for anyone over the age of twelve (adults included), I'd think, though younger readers may find the monsters and their attacks a little too intense.  There is some fairly bloody violence and disturbing situations, war, and death. Adults drink alcohol readily, and heavily. Also, there is reference to adultery, a budding romance and some kissing, but the language is clean.

Why not a 5? Can't go into that without revealing spoilers, but let's say that I found our main character's relationship with his parents and decisions and situations in relation to them a bit unrealistic.

Timeless (Transcend Time Saga #3)

Madow, M. (2012). Timeless. NY: Dreamscape Publishing.
YA Fiction / Romance, Sci Fi

To be released 11/20/2012!

I gave this book 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads

ARC provided by Michelle Madow -- thank  you!

Timeless is the third and final book in the Transcend Time Saga (Remembrance, Vengeance).  It is a very short and quick read, coming in at just 121 pages, with a fair amount of the beginning is taken refreshing the readers' memories about what happened in Remembrance. (Interestingly enough, not much is filled-in from Vengeance, but it was probably intentional and not an issue.)

My recommendation is first and foremost, commit to suspending your disbelief.  There is more action, convenient solutions, and perfect alignment of circumstances than one would think possible in such a short story. If you can just roll with it, you'll love it and how it all ties up neatly with a big silken bow on top. Happily, it's not completely predictable and does have a surprise or two in store.  The characters seem to be plucked right out of Any High School, USA, so they are believable.  If anything, Madow does high school boys a favor by making them a little more mature than the norm in this third installment.

The writing is very basic and even a bit condescending at times -- there were too many "reminders" that our main characters have been reincarnated.  Oh, and don't forget that they are just normal teens trying to make their way in a universe with reincarnation, curses, portents of doom, time travel, and semester exams.  But it's a fun read as long as you're not trying to make it serious or scholarly.  And you have to love that the whole trilogy was inspired by Taylor Swift's song Love Story -- it is amazing what Michelle Madow spun from that idea.

This book gets a perfect 5 out of 5 on the Clean-O-Meter! How refreshing! There is no vulgar language, no sexual situations or references, and no violence (aside from a few birds dying in somewhat unnatural ways).  As such, I'd say anyone from sixth grade on up could handle this trilogy just fine.  

Enjoy the trailer made by one of Michelle's Superfans:
 

11/5/2012 email subscribers to michellemadow.com can pre-order the book and will receive a signed copy, autographed oversized bookmark, and a personal thank you from Ms. Madow. Click here to order!  (price includes shipping)

Sapphire Blue (Book 2 of the Ruby Red Trilogy)

Gier, K. (2012). Sapphire Blue. NY: Henry Holt & Company.
YA Urban Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Paranormal, Sci Fi, Mystery

I won this ARC in a contest, but I’m not sure who was the sponsor -- they didn't include anything in the package. Thank you, though!

RELEASE DATE IS TODAY, OCTOBER 30, 2012

I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads

Overall, I enjoyed Sapphire Blue, but our main characters, Gwen and Gideon, were a bit more stereotypical teenagers than in the first installment, and it was a distraction for me.  In the trilogy’s first book, Ruby Red, Gwen spoke and acted younger than a sixteen-year-old; in this second installment, she was too much a sixteen-year-old and was frequently “dumbed-down” in her actions and thoughts.   It was as if Gwen felt she wasn’t particularly smart or talented, and this bothered me.   Gideon was all over the place, and it was hard to figure out if he was immature, bipolar, or simply confused.  His actions were hot and cold with Gwen, which almost made it appear he was struggling with himself.  Almost.   The case may be that some things were lost in translation.   

This story has a little bit of everything mixed-in --  a dash of history, a tease at romance, and a looming mystery – all wrapped around the concept of time travel and a secret society doing it to SAVE THE WORLD! From what they are saving the world, the reader does not know, but Sapphire Blue does carry the story forward enough to see the answer is coming.

As with the first book, the smart and delightful Leslie plays a significant role, as does a gargoyle, and both characters are clever mechanisms to feed Gwen information she needs to time travel, deal with Gideon (and her horrible cousin, Charlotte), and inch closer to solving the mystery of the Circle of Twelve.  The evil (or is he?) Count Saint-Germain is back and busy doing his evil (or are they?) deeds,  but he’s not the only one who can’t be trusted. No one seems to be exactly what they appear.

There was a convenient twist at the end that changed the course of one entire angle in the story, resulting in a bit of a cliff-hanger.  As with Ruby Red, there are some helpful charts and information to keep all the characters and information about the Circle of Twelve straight. It’s unfortunate that I don’t read German (or Portuguese?) as the third book in the trilogy, Emerald Green has been out for some time.  The English translation isn’t expected until 2013.

The Clean-O-Meter rating for this story is 4.5 out of 5.  There may have been two incidents of the word “s**t,” but other than those slips, there is absolutely no vulgar language or vulgar situations. No sex, sexual situations, or references to sex. No remarkable violence – the worst is when the readers are told someone’s throat was slit without further details. 

I look forward to seeing how all of this turns out in the final installment, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Gwen and Gideon mature a bit and that Gwen quits underestimating herself.  

Since I discussed the book covers of Ruby Red, it only seems fair to show the covers of Sapphire Blue. I think getting away from the original, stuffy look of Ruby Red was a good idea, but now it greatly resembles a Harlequin Romance/Bodice Ripper-type book. Bleck. Surely we can do better. . . 

This one is kind of eerie, mystical.

  

Looks like a Grimm tale.

Nope. Too silly.

Better but stuffy.