Waiting on Wednesday - The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

The Great Hunt 
by Wendy Higgins
Expected publication: March 8th 2016 by HarperTeen 

Kill the beast. Win the girl.
A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage. Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment. Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear. Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale, “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.

I am made of all things fairytale in case you didn't know this by now. I also like the darker, not so happily ever after version such as the Brother's Grimm provided. If you have never heard of the tale of "The Singing Bone" you should definitely read it. It is a rather disturbing account of a brother who kill his younger to take credit for a kill and marry the king's daughter. Then the brother bones are found and made into a horn which then rats out the murder and all is brought to bloody justice! LOVE IT! These aren't the types of fairy tales for your children nor for the weak of heart. I am incredibly curious to see Mrs. Higgins' take on this account. I also have learned to temper my expectation when a blurb promises the comparative qualities of another story. I guess all in all we shall see. i am still thrilled to read this!!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
Expected publication: February 16th 2016 by Greenwillow Books 

Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman. Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own. In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance.

Here is another one of my 2016 amazings!! I can't wait for this. The few chats I have had with Mrs. Heilig have made me pretty excited. A ship that can sail to any place and anytime is right up my alley!!

Book Expo America 2015 Recap

Hello there darling readers!! 

Today I wanted to tell you about my adventures at...

I registered for BEA long before I joined this lovely blog so my personal blog name is on my badge along with some awesome sauce buttons!

This was an experience I won't ever forget. I had begun planning this expedition during BEA of 2014. The wait was agonizing and of course it was over WAY too fast but I cherished every second of it! Here are some awesome banners they had hanging around. Also those stairs!!!!

After much planning ( I mean months of planning) I began my journey by taking a Greyhound the 3.5 hour trip to New York City. I had lived in the city for 5 years when I was younger so I felt very comfortable navigating my way around. I met my roommates at our hotel where we then quickly got ready and headed to Brooklyn for the P.S. I Still Love You Launch with Jenny Han. It was one of the nicest book launch's i have ever been to. Not only was Jenny adorable but the set up was sweet. There was an amazing dessert table complete with macarons and they were serving champagne, both of which went way too fast, There was a make -up artist and a lady  to do some amazing nail art as well. Those lines were out of control but we DID take advantage of the phot opt. in Lara Jean's bedroom. SO CUTE!! Yes, I am the one rocking the heart shaped glasses. I need a pair of those!

JENNY HAN

After a quick subway ride back to the hotel it was off to bed, or really off to chat till 2 am. We woke bright and early the next day got to the Javits Center around 9ish. 

My roommates and I
(From left to right)
Sarah -  Words with Sarah, me, Becca from Pivot Point Review,
Pili from In Love with Handmade

Even though I was scheduled to go to Bloggercon I had bigger fish to fry, so I went and got in the already huge line for the door. Mind you they didn't open till 1p.m. Everyone there had one goal...

TRUTHWITCH BY SUSAN DENNARD. 

Truthwitch Line 2 hours before floor opened

After a mad dash. Yes people were sprinting so I am glad I had my lovely friend Cassie to pull me across the whole floor, VICTORY WAS MINE and I got one of the 100 tickets they were giving out for the signing. That was the highlight of my day! Susan is awesome!! I also had to be sure to grab the newest Little Elliot book for my darling son. Mike Curato wrote a birthday message for him and it was just darling.

SUSAN DENNARD

Day 2 - After a goodnight sleep we awoke at the crack of dawn to arrive at 6:30 so we could be near the front when the door to the convention floor were opened. This was the line for that morning. Crazy right? The staff wanted the line to be 4 across which was not a smart idea.

Today's morning mission was PASSENGER BY ALEX BRACKEN. I was pleasantly surprised that walking got me in the line for this book just in time. Once again I obtained one of my MUST books. Alex was the sweetest!! The next few hours were basically a blur of different lines and random blogger sighting. There is just so much to do and see you kind of get lost in the flow of things. also you end up with a gang of books so YAY!

Alexandra Bracken

JOSEPHINE ANGELINI

     

Day 3 - Sadly this day came to fast for me since I had to leave that afternoon. This was the most laid back day for me since the only book I NEEDED was Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. If I could make the other two limited book I 100% positive I could nab this one. Also I was planning to sit there till the line started anyway. I bumped into some pretty cool authors and got to chat with them a bit including two of my favorites James Patterson & Melissa Grey.

JAMES PATTERSON

MELISSA GREY

This convention was so much fun although I felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of this thing. Next time I go I will absolutely make it a priority to socialize more since I feel like that was the one thing I missed out the most on. Now what you really want to see.... THE BOOKS!!! Hope to see you all there next year in Chicago!!

The Game of Love & Death by Martha Brockenbrough: Review & Giveaway * Rockstar Book Tour*

Hello all! I'm very excited to be a part of this unique book and this awesome tour!

THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH Martha Brockenbrough
Pub. Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic)
Pages: 352

Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now . . . Henry and Flora.
For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always.
Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance?
Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured — a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.
The players have been chosen. The dice have been rolled. But when human beings make moves of their own, what happens next is anyone’s guess.
Achingly romantic and brilliantly imagined, The Game of Love and Death is a love story you will never forget. 

My Thoughts

"She Whispered this into the baby’s ear: Someday, everyone you love will die. Everything you love will crumble to ruin. This is the price of life. This is the price of love. It is the only ending for every true story." 

This tale literally blew my mind. I have never ever read a thing like it! The whole book is based on the premise of the LOVE & DEATH, in a very human like guises, making a friendly little wager. Only they deal in human lives. The tale is told in alternating first person perspectives between Love, Death, Flora, and Henry. Each characters lives it's own tale unaware of how they wander further and further into the messy trap that has been laid before them since there very birth. There was so much pain staking detail put into the time lines of each Henry and Flora's life that I can't help but marvel at Martha's talent.

Not only is it a brilliant story about Love and Death but there is another perhaps more important story within regarding racism in the early 1930's. Flora wants nothing more than to fly her own plane but knows all to well what anyone would think of that. A female let alone of of her "color" would never ever be taken seriously, even though she is more talented than the lot of them. Henry knows he is just a friendship away from being a broke orphan so he does what he must to keep his adopted family happy included being wooed by an evil conniving woman. When a few chance encounters ( or maybe not so chance since death and Love seem to have their little fingers in everything) put these two on a collision course the spark that fly are so brilliant. I couldn't get enough of these sweet courtship. Henry and Flora are both the most outstanding characters! It is heart breaking since I wanted things to so badly go right for both of them but that doesn't seem to be  part of the game!

If the story line isn't enough to hook you, Martha really goes out of her way with some stunning and poignant prose. I was devouring this book since the writing was sheer BRILLIANCE! There is so much more I wish to say but can't give to much away so I'll leave you with this. If you are a fan of historical fiction/fantasy.THIS IS A MUST READ!! There is so much goodness here that it is a bit overwhelming. My feels are still recovering!

Blizzard Read!!!!!

 Find it:
 Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

About Martha:     

Martha Brockenbrough (rhymes with broken toe) is the author of two books for adults and five books for young readers.

She's the founder of National Grammar Day (every March 4), and she's written game questions for Cranium and Trivial Pursuit. The former editor of MSN.com, Martha has interviewed lots of celebrities, including the Jonas Brothers and Slash (his favorite dinosaur is the diplodocus). Her work has been published in a variety of places, including The New York Times. She also wrote an educational humor column for the online encyclopedia Encarta for nine years.

She lives in Seattle with her family. Her favorite kind of food is Indian, although Thai runs a close second. Besides writing, she likes board games, playing music with the family band, travel to places far and near, drinking lots of coffee, and working out really hard at the gym.

Website  | Blog | Twitter  | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads

5 winners will receive a finished copy of THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH! US Only.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Follow the Tour 

Week One:

4/20/2015- Alice Marvels- Interview

4/21/2015- Books, Bones & Buffy- Review

4/22/2015- A Glass Of Wine- Guest Post

4/23/2015- Jump Into Books- Review

4/24/2015- IceyBooks- Interview

Week Two:

4/27/2015- Fiction Freak- Review

4/28/2015- Nerdophiles- Guest Post

4/29/2015- The Starry-Eyed Revue- Review

4/30/2015- Seeing Double In Neverland- Interview

5/1/2015- Winterhaven Books- Review

Waiting on Wednesday - The Uninvited by Cat Winters

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

The Uninvited
by Cat Winters
Expected publication: August 11th 2015 by William Morrow 

From the award-winning author of In the Shadow of Blackbirds comes a stunning new novel—a masterfully crafted story of love, loss, and second chances. Set during the fear and panic of the Great Influenza of 1918, The Uninvited is part gothic ghost-story, part psychological thriller, perfect for those who loved The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield or The Vanishing by Wendy Webb. 
Twenty-five year old Ivy Rowan rises from her bed after being struck by the flu, only to discover the world has been torn apart in just a few short days. But Ivy’s life-long gift—or curse—remains. For she sees the uninvited ones—ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked, unwelcomed, for they always herald impending death. On that October evening in 1918 she sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother’s chair. An hour later, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a young German out of retaliation for the death of Ivy’s older brother Billy in the Great War. Horrified, she leaves home, to discover the flu has caused utter panic and the rules governing society have broken down. Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion, and freedom, where people live for the day, because they could be stricken by nightfall. But as her ‘uninvited guests’ begin to appear to her more often, she knows her life will be torn apart once more, but Ivy has no inkling of the other-worldly revelations about to unfold.

This book looks so dark and incredibly thrilling. As morbid as it might be I have always been fascinated with the epidemics of the early 1900's. Also the fact that all my lovely blogger canaries have done nothing but sing this womens praises. I am desperately needing this book in my life ASAP! Who doesn't love a good ghost story!?

Waiting On Wednesday - Starborn by Lucy Hounsom

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Starborn (The Worldmaker Trilogy #1)by Lucy Hounsom
Expected publication: April 23rd 2015 by Tor UK

 Death and destruction will bar her way...
 Kyndra's fate holds betrayal and salvation, but the journey starts in her small village. On the day she comes of age, she accidentally disrupts an ancient ceremony, ending centuries of tradition. So when an unnatural storm targets her superstitious community, Kyndra is blamed. She fears for her life until two strangers save her, by wielding powers not seen for an age - powers fuelled by the sun and the moon. Together, they flee to the hidden citadel of Naris. And here, Kyndra experiences disturbing visions of the past, showing war and one man's terrifying response. She'll learn more in the city's subterranean chambers, amongst fanatics and rebels. But first Kyndra will be brutally tested in a bid to unlock her own magic. If she survives the ordeal, she'll discover a force greater than she could ever have imagined. But could it create as well as destroy? And can she control it, to right an ancient wrong? 

Book One of the Worldmaker Trilogy

I don't know who I have to bribe at Tor UK to get my hands on a copy of this but any takers let me know!! I pay we11. KIDDING. I love the premise of course. I have always found people beliefs in superstitions to be a strange yet interesting thing. Thank goodness I don't have to wait to long for this one!

Waiting on Wednesday - Queen of Shadows by Sarah j. Maas

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) 

by Sarah J. Maas 

Expected publication: September 1st 2015 

by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

 Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . . She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

*DROPS MIC* 

Kidding! If you know me then you know my absolute unrequited love for this series since forever and a day! If I could only read one book the rest of my days, it would be one of these. I tear up everytime I read this through. I can't wait to see the heights our girl Celaena will go through to save those she loves. It is time for sweet sweet vengeance, if that is at all possible. There is so much up in the air at the moment, so many lives hanging in the balance. All I can say is September feels so very far away!

Waiting On Wednesday - Armada &The Shattered Court

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

Milka's pick...

Armada
by Ernest Cline
 Expected publication: July 14th 2015
by Crown Publishing

THE NEW NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF READY PLAYER ONE
 It’s just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom—if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks he’s going crazy. A minute later, he’s sure of it. Because the UFO he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. But what Zack’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it. Yet even as he and his new comrades scramble to prepare for the alien onslaught, Zack can’t help thinking of all the science-fiction books, TV shows, and movies he grew up reading and watching, and wonder: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little too… familiar? Armada is at once a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien-invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with author Ernest Cline’s trademark pop-culture savvy.

Why?

After the awesomeness that is Ready Player One, anything Ernest Cline comes up with will be interesting for me. This one sounds epic, imaginative and action-packed and I am sure it will be just as detailed and well written as Ready Player One.

Britt's pick...

The Shattered Court (A Novel of the Four Arts #1)by M.J. Scott

Expected publication: April 28th 2015 by Roc

First in a new fantasy series from the author of the Novels of the Half-Light City.   Entangled in a court ruled by tradition and intrigue, a young witch must come to terms with newfound power and desire—and a choice between loyalty and survival.… The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practicing the tamer magics of the earth—ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden. Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed—or perhaps cursed—with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown. Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.

Why? 

 I love anything that has to do with court politics so the fact that this has to do with an ancient line of witches and magic is like the icing on the cake for me. It sounds like an adventure full of deceit, forbidden love, and limitless power. I personally CANNOT wait!!

Waiting on Wednesday - Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Expected publication: September 15th 2015 by HarperTeen

When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit… The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story. Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker. Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after. Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

I love fairy tales. These retellings are my cup o' tea! This one sounds like a fabulous mish mash of all the things I love! Also, COVER LUSTING!! I am just a sucker for these and am reveling in the fact that there are so many out right now!

 

Waiting on Wednesday - Tangled Webs by Lee Bross

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Tangled Webs (Tangled Webs #1)

by Lee Bross
Expected publication: June 23rd 2015 by Disney Hyperion

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours—for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London—secrets.
But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, an infamous thief who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.
Everything changes when she meets Grae Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is—not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

I'm going to sum this up in 5 phrases - Scandalous, Secrets, Criminal Underworld, Elite Circles, and PRETTY PINK COVER! This book look like my cup o' tea for sure. I love scandals and cads in elite society!

Waiting On Wednesday - Spelled by Betsy Schow

Welcome to Waiting On Wednesday here at

 Winterhaven Books!

This is a feature created by Jill at Breaking The Spine where we share some books we are anxiously awaiting.

This week's pick...

Spelled by Betsy Schow 

Expected Publication: 

June 2nd by Sourcefire Books

 Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day. Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future. Talk about unhappily ever after. Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

I really don't need much more than the promise of Wizard of Oz & Hans Christian Louboutin heels!! I have been awaiting a story like this. I didn't enjoy the last one so I'm hoping this lives up to my expectations!