"To find out what a story's really about,' the Librarian said,

'you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader."


- SNOW & ROSE by Emily Winfield Martin


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: GAIA (The Wings of War #2) by Karen Ann Hopkins (YA)


by Karen Ann Hopkins
Expected release date: 
Published by: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult Supernatural 
Format: Paperback, eBook


SUMMARY

Watchers and Angels are at war. Which side will Ember choose?
As the apocalypse draws near, Demons are becoming bolder and Watchers are joining forces to fight them. But the Watchers have their own agenda, one that defies Biblical scripture. They don’t want the rapture to happen, making them enemies of the Celestial Host.
Against her own better judgment and an impassioned plea from a higher being, Embers stays true to her first mentor, seeking out a powerful earth Watcher to continue her supernatural lessons. Ember has had a glimpse into the future and knows what’s coming. She is being forced to develop her powers as quickly as possible, to fight the dark forces that are spreading across the earth. Heaven’s sentinels have abandoned their posts to prepare for war. And the walls between the planes of existence are weakening. But who can Ember trust? Her guardian and lover is a Demon. Her best friend is a growler. And her mentor is a psychopath. Humankind is on the precipice; at the end of times. As Ember struggles with morality, she soon discovers that there’s something more frightening than anything she’s faced before.

Excited about Gaia? Then be sure and sign up to be a part of the blog tour in August!






GIVEAWAY

- ONE lucky winner will receive a $25 gift card (Amazon, B&N, iTunes).
- THREE winners will each receive a paperback copy of book one, EMBERS! 
- Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. 
- Giveaway is open internationally.

(Bumbles and Fairy-Tales will not be held responsible for any lost, stolen, damaged, etc. prizes.)



ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Karen Ann Hopkins


Karen Ann Hopkins resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats. Karen's main job is homeschooling the kids, but she finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lived in. The experimental knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.

Karen grew up about a mile from Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. She was bitten by the horse bug at the age of five, and after diligently taking riding lessons for several years, was rewarded with her first horse when she turned eleven. The feisty horse's name was Lady, a Quarter Horse-Thoroughbred cross, who became Karen's steadfast companion. Through the years, the constant force in her life was horses. Eventually, she found her place as a riding instructor herself. Before accepting her fate in the barnyard, she worked a short stint as a paralegal, traveled abroad, and guided tourists on horseback riding tours in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. 

Karen is currently working on her Amish mystery series, Serenity's Plain Secrets, along with the YA paranormal/fantasy series, The Wings of War. Karen is also excited to announce the Temptation series has been optioned for TV by Pilgrim Studios and is available on Audible. More books in the Temptation series are in the works. 


Waiting On Wednesday #138: A THOUSAND NIGHTS by E.K. Johnston


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!!
And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 


What I'm currently waiting for... 


by E.K. Johnston
Expected U.S. release date: October 6th, 2015
Published by Disney Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Retelling
Format: Hardcover, eBook


SUMMARY

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife.
When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong. 

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air. 

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster. 



Why I am waiting for A THOUSAND NIGHTS... 

First of all... which cover do you think is the prettiest??? 
Surprisingly, I am leaning towards the US cover... I feel that it suits the actual story much, much better.

Second... from the summary, it seems that the story is hardly a retelling. I'm curious to see what other changes, twists, etc. this author has done.

Lastly... it's one of my very few classic favorites! I'm really looking forward to it!!!



SO, what are you waiting for this week???


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday #137: MADLY by Amy Alward (YA)


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!
The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!!
And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 


What I'm currently waiting for... 


MADLY
The Potion Trilogy #1
by Amy Alward
Expected release date: September 29th, 2015
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult 
Format: Hardcover, eBook 

SUMMARY

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors traveling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn.

Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company?

Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime?

And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news.
No big deal, then.


Why I'm waiting for MADLY...
First... it's an original modern-day fairytale!!!

It is being compared to The Princess Bride!...
(I have to be brutally honest, that is a really hard book to live up to. So. I have decided to ignore that comparison and not force this book to be something that it may not be. Just saying!)

Next... did you see the bookcover? Did you see the UK edition???
Hard to choose!!!
Although, I am a hardcover kinda girl... hmmm...

Lastly... I just know it's probably going to be a fun, cheesy, adventurous and magical kind of book! I really can't wait to read it :)





SO, what are you waiting for this week???

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Book Haul #97: Tonight the Signs Point to SIX OF CROWS!


Good day, fellow bookworms!!!

I know that for most of you, school has been done and over with for quite a while now. But for us - our last day was this past Friday! You have no idea how excited my boys and I are for finally having some time to just hit the snooze button and stay in our pjs all day... for the next week or two, lol! This has been a really long school year! Both of my big boys excelled in their studies - we are beyond proud and blessed! It's now time to rest and have some much needed fun!!!


I am SO very lucky to have received SO many amazing books this week!!!
Starting next week, things are going to be pretty active around here - many different blog posts and a new feature will be popping up on Monday, I can't wait to share it all with you!!!
(But, if you follow on my on Instagram, you may see a sneak peek sometime this weekend!)

For now, here's my latest book haul :)


*What I received for review...
- INK AND BONE (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine (ARC) from the author
- JUST SAY YES by Alyssa Goodnight (Adult/eARC) from Entangled 


From Simon & Schuster (Middle Grade)
- THE WAND & THE SEA (The Key and the Flame #2) by Claire M. Carter (ARC)
- GOBLINS ON THE PROWL by Bruce Coville (ARC) 

From Bloomsbury:

HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER by Valerie Tejeda (eARC)
MISTLETOE and MR. RIGHT by Lyla Payne (ARC) 
- RED GIRL, BLUE BOY (If Only #5) by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (ARC) 



From Macmillan/Fierce Reads
- FIRST & THEN by Emma Mills (ARC) 
- SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo (ARC) 
- TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS by Leila Sales (ARC)
- FIREWALKER (The Worldwalker Trilogy #2) by Josephine Angelini (ARC)
- SIGNS POINT TO YES by Sandy Hall (ARC) from Swoon Reads
- THE ANATOMICAL SHAPE OF A HEART by Jenn Bennett (ARC) 
- YOUNG WIDOWS CLUB by Alexandra Coutts (ARC) 



From Macmillan/MacKids (Middle Grade):
- LITTLE ROBOT by Ben Hatke (HB) 
- CRENSHAW by Katherine Applegate (ARC)
- JAMES TO THE RESCUE by Elise Broach and Kelly Murphy (ARC)
- THE SPINNY ICKY SHOWDOWN (The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut #3) by Laurie Keller (ARC)
- ON THE RUN by Tristan Bancks (ARC) 
- FINDING FORTUNE by Delia Ray (ARC)

*What I purchased...
- SCORCHED (Frigid #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (NA/eBook)

* * * 

A few pics from the past few weeks... 

Baby Bee got some cool new big boy shoes :)
Boy #2 is now NINE years old!!!
Got myself a pretty new planner!
(Webster's Pages Color Crush - white)

* * * 


Thanks for stopping by!!!

Please leave a comment with your link so I can visit your hauls too!!!
xoxo

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Cover Reveal (Teaser/Excerpt): BEFORE & AFTER by Nazarea Andrews (Adult)


by Nazarea Andrews
Expected release date: July 30th, 2015
Published by A&A Library
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook


SUMMARY

Rike and Peyton fell in love in college. 

A boy from the wrong side of the tracks, covered in ink and crooning in a bar is the last person a straight laced girl with an art major should fall for, but his rough edges made her jagged, alive, shaving away the coddled southern princess and revealing a soul wild and brilliant. 

They fell in love, despite her family and his past and all the reasons why it wouldn't work - and with their best friends, they made a life. Everyone was supposed to live happily ever after. They, more than anyone, knows that life doesn't go according to plan.

Rike and Peyton fell in love in college.

A boy with a guitar, and a poet's heart, and a girl with freckles dusted over her nose, a perfect fucking fairy tale.

But what happens when the fairy tale doesn't fall apart - but is forgotten?


EXCERPT from BEFORE & AFTER

"You're girl was late," Scotty rasps as we land on two stools at the bar. It's late and the crowd of sorority girls has thinned to almost nothing, although a pair are nursing Cosmos and watching us speculatively.

Surprisingly, Scott's ignored them completely.

"Need anything, boys?" Manda asks as she sways past, giving Scotty a flirty smile. He grins at her, letting his gaze sweep over her.

My best friend is a fucking slut. But with Manda, it's all flirting and no action. She'd take him up on it - she's made that very clear. But Scott doesn't fuck where he works, and Barries has been too good for us to risk screwing it up for a quick fuck.

Which is good, because I'd have to kick his ass if he touched her. She might be a little too friendly and a little desperate, but she's a cute kid and I like her.

"Bourbon, Manda," he says and she glances at me questioningly. I nod and she pours the drinks. 

Scotty glances at me. "What are you waiting on?"

I shrug and grit my teeth. Scotty twists and gives her a look over his shoulder. "Fine. Stay here and keep Manda company. I'm going to introduce myself to your siren."

I jerk him back by the collar of his shirt before he can take more than two steps and throw him back against the bar. "Back the fuck off, Scott." I growl.

He grins, a challenge and a taunt in that expression. "Then make your move, Rike."

I snatch the bourbon from Manda and take a deep breath before walking to her table. 

And wait. 

For a long. Fucking. Time. 

It takes almost a full minute for her to look up, almost long enough for my courage to fail. I'm almost ready to retreat when she blinks and looks up at me, her eyes widening a little as they find mine. She looks startled, and sleepy, and as gorgeous as she looked at a distance, is nothing compared to how fucking flawless she is this close. 

There are freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and dusted over her nose. 

I swallow a groan as she licks her lips and gives me a tentative smile. "Hi."

"Hi," I say, and then go blank.

Because in none of my fantasies did I ever consider we'd actually ever get to this point. And the smirks and smooth lines won't work - not on her.

"What do you call a group of unorganized cats?" I ask and her eyes cloud, confused.

She gives me a pretty frown and I grin, "A cat-astrophe."

For a second, all either of us do is stare, and then she giggles. "That is literally the worst pickup line I've ever heard."

I grin, "So you want me to leave?"

Laughter dances in her eyes. "Have a seat, jokes."



ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Nazarea Andrews


Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read.
She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.




Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #136: A WHOLE NEW WORLD (Twisted Tales #1) by Liz Braswell (YA)


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!
The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!!
And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 



What I'm currently waiting for... 


Twisted Tales #1
by Liz Braswell
Expected release date: September 1st, 2015
Published by Disney Press
Genre: Young Adult Fairytale Retelling
Format: Hardcover, eBook


SUMMARY

Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways!
Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed???

This dark and daring version of ALADDIN twists the original story with the question: 
What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?

When Jafar steals the Genie's lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish. To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next?
A Street Rat becomes a leader.
A princess becomes a revolutionary.
And readers will never look at the story of ALADDIN in the same way again.



Why I'm waiting for A WHOLE NEW WORLD...

FIRST of all!... a whole new Disney series from Disney reinventing classic Disney movies/stories?!
Yes, please!!!

Second of all!... this is a dream come true for me!!!
I have always imagined all of the 'what ifs' since I was a kid!!! And someone is finally giving me the twists that I've always longed for!

Lastly!... isn't that a gorgeous cover!!!

P.S... I am wondering if there will be multiple authors for this series...??? 
That would be an added bonus, am I right?!



SO, what are you waiting for this week???

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Cover Reveal: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN by Renee Collins (YA)


 "UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN by Renee Collins - 
a time-slip romance where love, murder, and mystery make for a swoon-worthy read. It is The Time Traveler’s Wife for teens, and meets 1920s glamour that’s perfect for fans of The Great Gatsby and Bright Young Things."



by Renee Collins
Expected release date: November 3rd, 2015
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction/Time Travel/Mystery
Format: Hardcover, eBook


SUMMARY

They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time.

Cassandra is a headstrong teenager craving drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants it to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger named Lawrence shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own - and that the year is 1925 - she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. 

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love - and Lawrence's life - in jeopardy. 

Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history - 
or risk losing Lawrence forever. 



MY THOUGHTS

Oh my, this cover fits the summary so very well!
There's a feeling of mystery and nostalgia; longing and vagueness... 

I am SO intrigued!!!
Time travel! Romance!... Can't wait!!!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Renee Collins


Renee Collins grew up on a beach in Hawaii. 
Sadly, she never met anyone from the past on those shores, 
but she did go on to get a degree in History, which is almost the same.



Release Day (Excerpt and Giveaway): SCORCHED (Frigid #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (New Adult)


“Armentrout’s latest new adult offering tackles substance abuse and mental illness — and, thankfully, the love of a good man is not going to be what heals this heroine.” 
– RT Book Reviews


by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release date: June 16th, 2015
Published by Spencer Hill Press
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Format: Paperback, eBook


SUMMARY

Sometimes life leaves a mark…

Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…



EXCERPT

Tanner
              Aw, shit.
              I watched Andrea walk into the living room, the normal twitch of her hips absent. No one swayed ass like Andrea, and seeing it gone from her step was answer enough. Our normal whatever-the-fuck-it-was between us had gone further than I intended. No doubt what I’d said had cut her, but shit, it was no different than any other day.
              My hand tightened on the neck of the bottle. For the life of me, I had no idea what the hell Andrea Walters’s problem was. Honestly. No fucking clue. One minute, sweet and sugary words parted those pouty pink lips of hers. Next second, she was a fire-breathing dragon from hell—a hot, fire-breathing dragon, but still. Her moods flipped more quickly than cups did during a game of flip cup.
              Maybe it was because she was a redhead?
              I smirked.
              She’d always been this way with me, and the most fucked-up think about it, there was a part of me that actually looked forward to whatever was going to come out of her mouth. Twisted as fuck. It was like a game between us, to see who could hit the hardest without lifting a finger. If nothing else, it was damn entertaining—or at least, it had been until now. Now, I wasn’t too sure about it.
              Those pretty doe eyes of hers had looked suspiciously damp right before she’d looked away, and yeah…that didn’t sit right with me.
              Kyler shot me a look as he walked past me and grabbed a beer out of the fridge, but I watched Andrea sit on the edge of the couch, her posture unnaturally rigid.
              Sydney leaned against the arm. “We’re thinking about leaving early in the morning, around six.”
              My gaze flicked to Andrea, expecting her to make some kind of crack about not getting up that early, but she was abnormally quiet. My spine stiffened.
              “That should put us at the cabin between nine and ten in the morning, depending on traffic.” Kyler stood beside me as he screwed off the cap. “Then we’ll be heading back the following Monday.”
              “Sounds good to me.” I didn’t take my eyes off Andrea as she fiddled with a strap on her sandals, slipping them onto her feet.
              Sydney glanced at me, smiling softly. “You’re definitely off from the fire department?”
              I nodded. Kyler had mentioned weeks ago about wanting to hit up the cabin before everyone headed back to class, and I’d requested the time off then. Which had meant I’d pulled a lot of doubles, but I hadn’t minded it. Wasn’t too different from the twelve-hour shifts we worked in the first place, and I’d only be there until February of next year, and then I was off to the academy. Not that I was in any hurry to leave the fire department, but being a cop was in my blood. Except I wanted to be a good cop. I’d probably still volunteer at the fire hall once I knew what kind of schedule I was looking at on the force.
              “It makes sense if we drive up together.” Sydney toyed with a strand of her hair. “Kyler and I can pick you two up.”
              Andrea had twisted toward Sydney and started to protest the whole idea of taking one car. I zoned out, staring at her as the bottle of beer dangled from the tips of my fingers.
              Damn…she was a cute girl. Nah, she was more than cute, and it wasn’t like this was the first time I’d noticed that. From the first time I’d seen her at the bar with Sydney, she’d done more than just poke my interest. Hell, anyone with eyes knew she was a very pretty girl. Lush lips. Freckled cheeks and thick, dark eyelashes. Come to think of it, she reminded me of a girl I’d had a crush on in middle school. Hell, couldn’t remember that chick’s name, but she’d had freckles and red hair. I think I used to pull on her braids or some annoying shit like that. My lips tipped up in a small grin as I lifted the bottle to my mouth. Andrea was a motherfucking firecracker, though, not the kind of girl who was easily tamed.
              Hell, not the kind of girl you even wanted to tame.


PURCHASE LINKS




GIVEAWAY

*Bumbles and Fairy-Tales will not be held responsible for any lost, damaged, unclaimed, etc. prizes.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Jennifer L. Armentrout


# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. 
She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.




http://www.inkslingerpr.com/

 
Imagination Designs
Images by LabyrinthofDreams