Andy Peloquin The Last Bucelarii: Gateway to the Past

Tagline/Elevator Pitch:

A faceless, nameless assassin. A forgotten past.  The Hunter of Voramis--a killer devoid of morals, or something else altogether? (The Last Bucelarii--dark fantasy with a look at the underside of human nature)

Book Blurb:

The Last Bucelarii (Book 3): Gateway to the Past

The Hunter, legendary assassin of Voramis, has a purpose: protect Hailen, the boy he rescued from a demon in Malandria.

He joins a caravan in the hope of safe passage across the Advanat Desert. Yet he cannot outrun his enemies: the Illusionist Cleric on a holy mission to capture him, the bloodthirsty raiders out for blood and gold, and the Abiarazi, demons who masquerade as humans.

Every step north reveals who he was before becoming the Hunter, unlocking the truth about the woman who haunts his memories.

Fans of Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, and Brent Weeks will love the Hunter…

Book Info:

Title: The Last Bucelarii (Book 3): Gateway to the Past

Author: Andy Peloquin

Publication Date: March 31^st, 2017

Paperback Price: 15.99

Digital Price: 3.99

Pages: 400

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Bucelarii-Book-Gateway-Past-ebook/dp/B06XDKVD47/

Amazon Paperback:

Amazon Canada:

Goodreads:

Reviews:

"Creative, gritty, and beautifully dark...fantasy addicts will love it!" -- Peter Story, author of Things Grak Hates -- http://peterjstory.com/

"The fantasy world has a compelling new antihero…the Hunter will terrify and captivate you." - Eve A Floriste, author of Fresh Cut

"From the first words on the page this fantasy holds the reader spellbound even after the book is finished…his character is very well-defined even if his past is a mystery. Root for an assassin? Oh, yes, one must!" -- Carol Conley, for InDTale Magazine

"Oh the carnage! Fantastic bloodthirsty carnage! The fight scenes in this book were fast-paced, detailed and thrilling. I love a good sword fight and there is plenty of that here." -- Ami L. Hart

"One could get lost in this novel for its twisting plots, seemingly endless imagination, dark yet irresistible characters, or the mind-numbing paradox of its simultaneously dark and romantic world. One could follow the long and winding road of the dusky, fierce protagonist and fight tooth and nail not to sympathize with him. One could dance in the dizzying, intricate circles of Peloquin's neo-mythology, or even basque in the black sunlight of a well-crafted gothic novel that both entertains and enlightens." -- Jesse G. Christiansen

Andy Peloquin

Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious

I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.

Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!

Website: http://www.andypeloquin.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin

www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/

https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about 

https://www.amazon.com/author/andypeloquin  

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloquin.1

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYAKG5k06vcmc02Uy4fGLfA

http://andypeloquin.com/join-the-club/

10 Things You Need to Know About Me:

1. Hot wings, ALWAYS!
2. I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
3. I'm a head taller than the average person (I'm 6' 6")
4. Marvel > DC
5. I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of 14.
6. Selena Gomez, Skrillex, Simon & Garfunkel, Celine Dion, and Five Finger Death Punch are all in my writing playlist.
7. Aliens are real, but it's self-centered of us to believe that they would come to visit Earth.
8. Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
9. I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
10. I dislike most Christmas music, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Favorite Books: The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch, The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, Sherlock Holmes by A.C. Doyle, Warlord of Mars by E.R. Burroughs

Favorite Songs: Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch, Prayer by Disturbed, I'm an Albatraoz by AronChupa, Look Down from Les Miserables, Shatter Me by Lindsay Sterling and Lizzi Hale

Favorite Movies: 300, Red Cliff, Shoot Em Up, Love Actually, Princess Bride

Favorite Comics: Anything with Deadpool, Wolverine or Doop in it

Favorite Foods: Hot Wings, Meat-Lover's Salad, A good sandwich (made by me), Yaki Soba, Sushi

Favorite TV Shows: The Flash, Daredevil, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawaii Five-0, Brooklyn 99, Firefly (too soon!), The Last Ship, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones

The Last Bucelarii Book 3 Excerpt 2

A sound reached his ears: the low growl of a beast of prey. It came from somewhere off to his right, behind a small stand of rocks a few dozen paces back from the camp. He sniffed the air and immediately his senses were on full alert. The scent of predator met his nostrils: raw meat, blood, and the pungent odor the beast used to mark its territory. It mixed with another aroma, one he recognized. Scorched hair. Red-hot metal. Sweat-stained leather.

Graden!

The Hunter reached for his sword and cursed to find it missing. He'd left belt and blade hanging over the horn of his saddle. Only Soulhunger remained, the blade strapped in its sheath at the small of his back.

It will have to do.

He hobbled toward the outcropping of rocks as quickly as his injured knee allowed. The growling grew in intensity, accompanied a moment later by a loud, unmistakable grunt.

A new scent entered the melange, similar to the first, but distinct in its pungent odor.

Damn it! Two of whatever the accursed things are.

Ignoring the ache in his leg, he lurched forward into a run. Soulhunger slipped from its sheath with a ring of steel on leather. The dagger whispered in his mind, eager to feed. Man or beast, the blade didn't care; it craved blood, regardless of its provenance.

The Hunter raced around the pile of rocks, Soulhunger held at the ready. Graden lay on the ground, struggling with a massive shape so black it seemed a void in the evening gloom. Eyes of a horrible yellow burned above long fangs that shone in the darkness, and the creature's lithe muscles rippled beneath midnight feline fur. Graden's massive arms bulged as he struggled to keep the beast's raking claws away from his face. The battle was not going well.

To make things worse, another pair of amber eyes burned in the darkness beyond. The form moved like lightning, slipping through the night with all the stealth of a shadow. The burning orbs latched onto the Hunter and, for one heart-wrenching moment, stopped him in his tracks. Snarling, the beast crouched and leapt.

The Hunter had only a moment to raise Soulhunger before an immense weight slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Its warm, fetid breath reeked of blood and rotting meat. Drool dripped from the massive cat's jaws and soaked his face. He grunted as the beast's claws carved deep furrows across his chest, shoulders, and face. Blinded by his own blood, he struck out with Soulhunger and sliced through fur and flesh.

The beast howled and swiped at the Hunter with an enormous paw, laying open the arm he threw up to stop the claws from tearing out his eyes. Acting on instinct, he thrust Soulhunger upward. Hot blood gushed over his arm as Soulhunger's razor edge drove through flesh, bone, and cartilage inside the massive creature's gaping jaws.

The beast swiped at him, but the attacks grew weak. The Hunter, staring into the burning yellow eyes, saw primal fear fill its gaze. He forced the blade further, seeking the soft mass of the beast's brain.

The greatcat lashed out weakly with its massive paw, almost as if by reflex. With one final shudder, it slumped atop him and lay still, its immense bulk pinning him to the ground. Gore soaked through his clothing, assailing his nostrils with the scent of fresh blood. His face, chest, and arm throbbed where the raking claws had laid open flesh.

A stifled grunt of pain met his ears. Graden still wrestled the other beast, and the raking claws and long, razor-sharp fangs drew closer to ripping out the big man's throat with every heartbeat.

He can't survive much longer.

The creature had to weigh nearly as much as a horse, and every muscle in the Hunter's body strained as he heaved. Slowly, the enormous bulk shifted, lifted, and fell aside. Ignoring the burning slash marks on his upper body and face, he rolled to his feet and lurched toward Graden. He raised Soulhunger, its grip slick with dark blood, and slammed it into the creature's head.

The midnight cat barked in pain, but the blade's keen edge cut off its cries. The beast slumped, lifeless, and the Hunter shoved its bulk to the side. The effort sapped his last reserves of strength. He fell to his knees, panting, gasping for breath. Graden lay before him, clearly too exhausted to move.

'Kill him,' purred the voice in his head. 'Take his life force and let it fuel you. You're far away from camp. Everyone will think it was the beasts. Just like Udell.'

Soulhunger pulsed in his hands, lusted for blood.

Haven't you taken enough lives today? These two creatures died…

'Beasts! Insensate animals! We demand the blood of humans!' The demon's snarls set his head pounding with such ferocity that he nearly cried out.

No. The Hunter clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut. Not this man.

'Why not? What is he…'

Because I say so. He fought to push the voices back. You will have your prey, soon enough. But not him.

The Last Bucelarii Book 3 Excerpt 1

The Hunter peered out from behind the silent wagon. Good. No sign of Kellen or Graden. He'd have to keep an ear out for the caravan guards, but he should have plenty of time. The patrol had a lot of ground to cover.

Grunting, he shifted the heavy load on his shoulder and darted out from the row of shelters, hurrying toward the outcropping of boulders he'd chosen specifically for his task. He ducked behind the boulders and hurled his burden to the ground. A grunt and muffled cry came from the bundle, and something squirmed within.

He's coming to. Good timing.

The Hunter pulled back the canvas, and moonlight shone on Rill's pale, sweat-soaked face and wide eyes. Blood oozed from a wound on the bald man's temple. The Hunter hadn't bothered to be gentle.

"W-What?" Rill's eyes darted around, and his gaze fell on the Hunter. "What is this?"

The Hunter struck the man hard. "Justice."

Rill made to cry out, but the Hunter stuffed canvas into his mouth. "Ironic, isn't it?" His fingers twitched a corner of the thick cloth. "You spend every waking hour stitching up canvas. Fitting that it will serve as your funeral shroud. There was more than enough of it around your area to wrap you up."

The bald man's eyes widened, and he mumbled something through the mouthful of fabric.

The Hunter shook his head. "Better you don't speak. Nothing you say can change what's coming. Best you die with a bit of dignity. Watcher knows you had little enough while you lived."

Soulhunger, sensing blood, pounded louder in his mind, and the demon added its eager demands.

"I never understood men like you, knocking around your women." He squatted on his haunches. "Just doesn't make sense."

Rill tried in vain to shout through his gag.

The Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Did you know there is a special hell reserved for your kind? Those who take advantage of the helpless."

He slipped Soulhunger from its sheath, and held the glinting blade before Rill's eyes. "You may tell yourself she belongs to you, you can do whatever you want." He leaned forward, and his voice dropped to a low growl. "Just because you can, that doesn't mean you should."

Rill's eyebrows shot up, and his expression turned pleading.

The Hunter shook his head. "Save your excuses for the Long Keeper. You'll be with him soon enough."

With a vicious smile, he drove Soulhunger through the canvas and into the man's chest. The gag muffled Rill's scream, but the dagger's shriek echoed in his head with mind-numbing force. Soulhunger's gem flared, red light bright in the darkness. The Hunter grunted as a finger of fire etched a line in his chest. 

Power coursed through him, setting his muscles twitching, flooding him with life, and pushing back the voices in his mind.

Slowly, the brilliance leaking from the gemstone faded to nothing, and Rill's screams of agony and terror fell silent. The Hunter basked in the stillness of the night. A soothing breeze washed over him, the chill soothing the burning of his new scar. Glorious silence echoed in his head. The voices had been sated. He had peace, for a time.

He straightened and stared down at the bundled corpse. Perhaps the Long Keeper will have mercy on you.

An image flashed through his mind: a pitiful figure huddled at the entrance to Rill's tent, covered in filthy rags and reeking of blood and coitus. Rill's desire to punish Gwen had made it easier for the Hunter to slip in, knock the fat bastard out, wrap him in his own canvas, and slip out unnoticed. The man's absence wouldn't be discovered until morning. Few would care.

He took a deep breath, relishing the cool scents of the desert at night. He would wait a few minutes until he was certain Graden and Kellen had passed, then he would dispose of the body, bury the canvas, and slip back into camp. Without the voices shrieking and pleading in his mind, he might even be able to catch a few hours of undisturbed sleep before the morning breakfast bell.

Tonight would be a good night. 

The Last Bucelarii - Gateway to the Past Cover Release

Alice La Roux - Skin Deep;Zeke Cover Reveal

About the author:
Alice La Roux is a dirty minded, mouthy Welsh author who is still trying to find her genre while dabbling in erotica, fantasy and horror. She’s a bookworm who reads anything and everything and is addicted to social media. She’s happily married to her wonderful husband and loves her lazy little dog. She’s always written but never considered being a writer until she realised she couldn’t live without a pen in her hand.

Stalk her:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliLaRoux

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asmadasAlice/

Book Blurb:

Lust. Desire. Pain.

I trade in these things and get paid handsomely for it.A tattooist. An artist.A Dom. I own you, and I won't let you forget it. Ever.

This is a delicious short story about a need that only someone who understands your hunger can satiate. Meet Zeke and his glamourous but guarded client Avalon. The connection they have goes beyond the money she pays him and the proclivities they share, but will she give him a shot outside the studio? 
"A tale of tantalizing Eroticism that left me dying to read more. The author combined sensuality with alluring storytelling skills which are sure to leave you yearning" - Sai Marie, author of Simply Scarlet.

Warning: This short story contains adult content and is only suitable for readers 18+

Review - Ice Guardian by Erin Maxwell

Title: Ice Guardian

Author: Erin Maxwell
Series: A Sacred Journey Short Story
Pages: 17
Release Date: November 27th 2016

Genre: SciFi
Publisher: 
Source: Amazon
Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Amaya is a Syhien like no other—the only warrior among her guardian protected kind. With a love for weapons and a good fight to keep her strong, the snowy plains of Palacous provides the fight she needs to prove she doesn’t need her guardian to protect her. But, she encounters more than she bargained for and soon learns there’s more to her journey when she unearths secrets lost beneath the ice. 

Authors Note: Hey everyone! Just a quick note to let you all know that Ice Guardian, Book One in the Sacred Journey Short Story Series, is a very short read. Only 4000 words long! I know that is an incredibly short read, but I'm writing these books as an introduction to the main novel, Sacred Journey. It serves to introduce some of the side characters in the novel, giving you a deeper look into Planet Khrellia and its inhabitants!

This book starts the countdown. Once the countdown ends, Amaya's story will begin!

My Review: This short story is the first of 4 about Amaya. Amaya was brought up in Palacous by an Ice Guardian after the death of her parents, while she is there on her first part of the journey she fights the giant that brought her up along with a few other creatures and along the way she stumbles upon the Ice Queen and her sword.

This book is just to introduce you to the main characters, I enjoyed it but I really wished it could have been longer there is more that we could learn about Amaya but I guess we will learn more in the next three books.

Currently Reading: Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
Read In 2017: 5/25

Review - Christmas In New York by Holly Greene

Title: Christmas in New York

Author: Holly Greene
Series: N/A
Pages: 70
Release Date: October 28th 2013

Genre: Womens Fiction, Chick Lit
Publisher: 
Source: Amazon
Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: A gorgeously escapist Christmas romance set in magical NYC from the bestselling author of the ESCAPE TO ITALY and ESCAPE TO THE ISLANDS series.

Grab a mug of hot chocolate, sit back and escape to New York this Christmas....

When Londoner Penny decides to visit her best friend Kate in New York for Christmas, the surprise appearance of a previous suiter sends her plans for a relaxing, carefree visit into complete disarray. When she and Mike last saw each other, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

But when Mike decides to show Penny the very best of what a snowy, festive, New York has to offer at Christmastime – resolving to make it a trip to remember – will she be able to resist his charms this time round?

My Review: Penny works a lot and doesn’t have time for anyone since her husband Tim died a few years ago that is until her best friend Kate makes her fly out to New York for Christmas, Penny is happy to be with her friend and to see her God Son but she just wants to hide in her apartment that is until she meets Mike.

Mike was at Kate's wedding he the best man, he tried it on with Penny but she was still upset about her husbands death that had happened a few months prior to the wedding and Penny and Mike had a disagreement, upon meeting him again they argued and Kate stopped them.

The next day after Mike had spoken to Kate's husband Ian and he explained that at the wedding Penny was grieving and Kate tells Penny that Mike didn't know about Tim as they kept it secret, Mike and Penny end up talking and then they go on a date.

After the date all that Penny can think about is Mike and they start to get on really well and they go on more dates, in the end Penny decides to stay in New York with Mike and Kate is happy to have her friend back.

Currently Reading: Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
Read In 2017: 5/25

Review - Hunter by Sarai Henderson

Title: Hunter

Author: Sarai Henderson
Series: N/A
Pages: 155
Release Date: July 8th 2016

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Evernight Team
Source: Netgally
Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Hunter belongs to the Telepathic Alliance for the Latent or Newly manifested, otherwise known as Talon, a bounty hunter community known for their ruthless tactics. Her latest mission in San Diego was supposed to be a piece of cake, but when the job takes a treacherous and deadly turn, not even her telepathic abilities could have warned her of the dangers lurking around the corner.

There's only one place for Hunter to go, and that's straight into the hands of the government and their Psychic Intelligence Team, but even the “normal” world isn’t safe. With each passing hour throwing her deeper into the game of life and death, Hunter must decide who to trust before this mission becomes her last

My Review: Hunter and her work partner Bear are bounty hunters and Hunter is the best at the job, she is the first one that Captain picks when it comes to the hard cases, the main problem is as a part of their deal she is supposed to get 3 days off between cases but he hasn’t given her time off in a while, so when Hunter and Bear get back after a case she expects to have at least three days off but Captain has other plans, he is sending Hunter and Bear to San Diego on an important job to find someone who seems to be off the grid.

Once Hunter and Bear get to San Diego things go wrong and Bear turns on Hunter and Seeker the guy that their supposed to be taking down helps Hunter and her explains that Captain has put a hit out on her and he tells her that he can help and send her into a sort of witness protection programme.

When they get to the ‘bat cave’ she gets locked in a cell where there’s a guy in another cell called Duke who tells Hunter he’s been there for years and that he knew her father. He somehow convinces Hunter to escape from the cell and take him with her because he know how to escape the ‘bat cave’.

After climbing up an elevator shaft and through an air duct to be stopped by Seeker, after refusing to let Duke and Hunter leave, Duke pulls a pun and points it at Hunter and she finds out that Duke was the one who killed her father, in the end Seeker ends up shooting Hunter in the shoulder to kill Duke.

After being shot and fixed up Hunter gets to meet the man in charge ‘Smith’ and he makes a deal with Hunter that if she joins them she will be safe, once she agrees to join him he uses her as bait to get to Captain and to take down her old family.

After being used as bait Hunter tries to run but the PIT agent catches up to her and Bear shoots him just to get shot by Hunter. After the shooting Hunter gets picked up by a PIT member who takes her to her old home to help out Seeker who is in trouble trying to take down Captain.

The ending was horrible it made me sad, I was really hoping that Seeker would be able to save the day instead it is Hunter who helps to save the day, luckily for Hunter Smith gets taken by the CIA and she gets to become in charge of the telepaths while cruising around in her old home helping to locate and help other telepaths.

Currently Reading: Spy Society by Robin Benway
Read In 2017: 2/25

Review - Smart Housekeeping by Anne L Watson

Title: Smart Housekeeping

Author: Anne L. Watson
Series: N/A
Pages: 61
Release Date: November 9th 2016

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Pronoun
Source: Netgally
Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: There's no shortage of experts to cheerfully advise you on how to declutter, organize, and clean your home. But do they know what YOU want and need? Or are they only pushing rigid, quirky systems that ignore people's differences and how we really live?

With insight, wit, and common sense, "Smart Housekeeping" cuts through the clutter of questionable and often silly advice to offer practical keys to reclaiming and maintaining your home.

My Review: I received a copy of this book for free to read and review through Netgalley. This is a straightforward, to the point book with a wide range of tips to help you keep your house in order. I found it helpful in helping me to de-clutter my home.

The book is to help you find a comfortable solution that you will use to help reorder your home as different things help different people. There are also tips on how to get the whole hose involved. It gives good advice about how to improve the house management, step-by-step.

This is a quick read and has some valuable tips for anyone who feels like getting their home under control is a daunting task. The book did not make me want to do some housekeeping, but it did have excellent tips.

Currently Reading: Spy Society by Robin Benway
Currently Reading: Hunter by Sarai Henderson
Read In 2017: 1/25

Interview - Jessica Brody 2017

          

1) Other than Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up what else will you have for us in 2017?

2017 is shaping up to be an exciting year! Addie Bell comes out in February, and then in August, I have a YA contemporary (with a magical twist) called IN SOME OTHER LIFE and in November, I have another YA contemporary releasing called THE CHAOS OF STANDING STILL.  You can read about both of those here: http://www.jessicabrody.com/books/teen-fiction/in-some-other-life/about/

2) Was it hard changing from female main character to all male character for Boys of Summer?

You know, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be! It’s really about figuring out who this person is as a human being (gender aside). Once you do that, it doesn’t really matter if they’re a girl or a boy, you just write them.

3) Do you think you will ever revisit Sera and Zen? Maybe by doing a spin-off of them growing up happily ever after? (I know it ended up with a happy ending but I think your fans will agree that we need more)
I’m so thrilled that people want more of Sera and Zen! I actually get this question a lot! I have no plans right now to do a spin-off or revisit them. But the movie is still in the works, and I think it might be fun to do something to tie into the movie release, although I still have no idea what that would be. But stay tuned!

4) Can we expect any Boys of Summer sequels?
OOH! Um...well, all I can say right now is...maybe. J

5) Is there any news of an Unremembered movie or TV Series?
There is! Unfortunately, nothing I can divulge yet. But keep following me on all the social medias. I’m hoping to post some new updates SOOON!

6) Are you working on anything new and if so how did the idea for it come to you?
I’m currently working on TWO secret projects (that I can’t even talk about yet!) and I’m also working on revisions for THE CHAOS OF STANDING STILL which comes out in November. It’s about two teens who get stuck in the Denver airport during a massive blizzard and accidentally swap phones, sending them on a crazy, all-night, life-changing adventure. That idea came to me most likely because I pretty much LIVE in the Denver airport and I just love thinking about all the different “stories” that pass through that airport (or any airport) every day. So I decided to tell one of them.

7) Although A Week of Monday’s isn’t out in the UK have the reviews been good overall so far?
YES! I’m so excited about the response to A WEEK OF MONDAYS. I’ve been getting such positive feedback from readers which just makes my day!

8) What made you switch back to Middle Grade from Young Adult with Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up? And will you be writing more Young Adult books in the future?
I will be writing tons more YA and tons more middle grade in the future! I actually really enjoy writing both! With ADDIE BELL, I just really wanted to tell a story about a girl who grows up too fast...like REALLY fast (she magically goes from 12 to 16 overnight). It’s still set in high school but she has a twelve-year-old mind, so it was fun to kind of blur the lines between YA and MG.

9) What do you like to listen to or watch while you’re working?
I can’t listen to music while I write. I get too wrapped up in the melody and lyrics and I lose my focus! So mostly I just listen to white noise tracks!

10) Finally what was it like being chosen to write the Descendants series for Disney?
OMG! A dream come true! I’m an UBER Disney. Like crazy Disney fan. We actually have a Disney-themed guest room in our house! So it’s kind of like being paid to write fan fiction. J

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Happy New Year

I would just like to wish everyone a very happy New Year, I hope you all have a great 2017

Don’t forget to set yourself a goodreads challenge.

Have a great New Year love Annamarie

Top 10 Tuesday

Ten things I hope that New Years to bring me

1. A Job in a school as a TA
2. A New house
3. The ability to read more books
4. To lose weight
5. To be able to make two cool Cosplay costumes for 2017's Wales Comic Con
6. To connect with more authors
7. To finish writing my book
8. The stuff I need to create a scrapbook
9. To pass my uni course
10. The one thing I really want a puppy

Happy Christmas

I would just like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas, I hope that you all have had a great day and got lots of nice presents.

Review - Puck by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Title: Puck

Authors: Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Series: Twisted Lit

Pages: 319

Release Date: November 15, 2016

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Doublet Press

Format: Paperback and Kindle

Buy It: Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Add It: Goodreads

Summary: Life isn’t always fair, and no one knows that better than fifteen-year-old Puck. When she’s unceremoniously booted from yet another foster home, this city kid lands at DreamRoads, a rehabilitation wilderness camp for juvies. Her fellow campers include a famous pop star with a diva attitude, a geeky, “fish out of water” math whiz, and a surly gang-banger with a chip on his shoulder. The program’s steely director aims to break Puck, but she knows that every adult has a breaking point, too. Determined to defy this realm of agonizing nature hikes and soul-sucking psychobabble — even if that means manipulating four lovestruck camp counselors and the director’s dim-witted second-in-command — Puck ultimately gets much more than she bargains for in this “wondrous strange” outdoor odyssey inspired by The Bard’s most beguiling comedy.

My Review: Puck is about a young messed up girl who is taken from her foster home in the middle of the night. Puck is a handful and because of this she has been to many different schools, lived in lots of care home and had seen a lot of different therapists, but who can blame her for acting out after what happened to her.

Puck is living with a nice young woman Paula, but when Puck makes an accusation about Paula's fiance Paula has had enough and sends Puck away to DreamRoads hoping that it will help her to let go of all her anger and finally learn to trust someone.

While at DreaRoads we meet seven other children who have all done different things wrong to end up being stuck there, and it turns out that there stay could be longer than they imagined.

First is a pop star Tatania (Tonya) who was rich and successful but she got sent to DreamRoads because she was stealing, then there is Nissa who was sleeping with her married teacher, Frances who took an overdose, Quin who got hooked on medication, Peabo who liked to set fires when he was angry, Snout who acts like a crazy person but is there because he was hiding out in his school for seven months after playing off his parents, he only got caught because he accidentally set the canteen on fire while cooking and DreamRoads longest resident Ronnie who hurt someone bad enough to put them in a coma.

At first Puck decides that she is going to do everything she can to get out of the place and she starts a fight with Tonya on her first night and ends up injuring the woman in charge Barb and is punished by making her take a cold shower to get all the food of her.

The next morning the campers are split into two groups with two cam chaperones Puck is with Mia and Xander while Ellen and Dmitri are assigned to watch the other campers while they hike through the desert to where they will start working on the four Stepping Stones to help them get out of DreamRoads and back home to their families.

Stepping Stone one Fire - the campers had to be able to light a fire with the exception of Peabo, this is the Stepping Stone that Ronnie keeps failing at and why he is still at DreamRoads, at the same time Puck is also failing at it until Ronnie uses a lighter he stole from Tonya to light the fire and Puck takes credit for it.

Stepping Stone two is Air - this challenge requires the campers to rappel from a mountain, Puck goes second down the side of the mountain and half way down she stops to take in the scenery and everyone thinks she has stopped because she is scared but she shows them that she isn't scared by free falling until Xander stops her decent.

Stepping Stone three Earth - for the earth challenge the campers are made to dig a hole so that when they are stood in it, it comes up to their necks after digging each camper is given paper to write anything they want on it, it could be a poem, a confession anything, they are told that no one will ever read what they have written it was a promise, Puck struggles to write anything and then just before they are make to stop she writes something. Barb tells the campers to put the paper in the hole that they had dug and then they cover it up.

Stepping Stone four Water - for the water challenge the campers take a short hike and then they are put into groups again where they get into boats to go down stream on it the only problem is Puck has a fear of the water because of something that happened to her when she was younger. Puck manages to get onto the boat and help sail down the river until they hit a problem and the boat capsizes and Puck gets stuck under the water and Barb has to save her but Puck doesn't realise that it is Barb trying to save her.

Once the campers have completed all the Stepping Stones they go back to DreamRoads safe house for graduation Ronnie and Puck don't graduate because of something that Puck did that was dangerous and it got her kicked out and because Ronnie didn't complete the Fire challenge.

The campers preform a new version of The Wizards of Oz and Tonya sings a song that she had written while at DreamRoads and she decides to donate all of the money from that song to DreamRoads who use it to fund a new scholarship that they give to Puck.

Currently Reading: Hunted by Sarai Henderson

Read In 2016: 34/35

Review - The Case of the Curious Canine by Tara Ellis

Title: The Case of the Curious Canine

Author: Tara Ellis
Series: Samantha Wolf Series
Pages:
Release Date: December 22nd 2016

Genre: Children's Fiction
Publisher: Tara Ellis Publications
Source: Author
Format: eBook

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The next best thing to owning your own dog is having a job where you get to take care of them. That’s what Sam figures when she, Ally, and Cassy all volunteer at a local animal shelter. But they don’t expect the trouble that comes along with the work.

When dogs start showing up at the shelter with odd symptoms, the director doesn’t seem concerned. However, strange coincidences start to happen and Sam doesn’t believe that they’re random.

Confronted with the hard decision of following either her heart or her nose for a good mystery, Sam faces an emotional dilemma. Sometimes, the right path is the most difficult and this is one challenge that’s going to take all of her friends to help solve.

My Review: Another amazing book in the Samantha Wolf series. In this adventure the girls are volunteering at an animal shelter where they bathe, walk and help to clean out the cages. While they are volunteering they are also still doing their charity club and are working on a bake sale to help raise money for a women's shelter and the girls are looking after Cora the  5 year old daughter of their neighbour Kendra most nights.

While at the animal shelter someone brings in a cat that they have found and asks about a dog that their neighbour has lost but the shelter haven't seen the dog that they describe, only to find out that a dog that was brought in earlier that day was the one they were looking for, this dog was sick, it had missing fur and red swollen eyes that the vet had determined was an allergic reaction to something it could possibly have eaten, the same day two more dogs with the same injuries get brought in and Sam falls in love with a poodle she names Rocky.

Sam and Ally look after 5 year old Cora one night and when Kendra comes to collect her she is wearing a lab coat and when she picks little Cora up Cora has an asthma attack and Kendra takes off the lab coat that she had forgot that she was wearing and tells Sam and Ally that Cora is allergic to some of the things she has been working with and because she was in a rush to get back to collect Cora she forgot to take it off.

One day Sam is travelling to Cassy's house by herself as Ally is babysitting again and see's a car going really slow and the driver and passenger are acting strangely, when they pass her she spots the same symbol on the side of the car as one that was on the lab coat.

On their next visit to the animal shelter someone comes in and takes one of the sick dogs away claiming that it was theirs but Sam recognizes the man as the one from the car and she believes that he is the one causing the dogs to be ill.

Later on in the story Sam notices that Kendra looks like she has been crying and after telling Ally and Cassy while they are baking with Miss Covington she ends up using Miss Covington's advice to let an adult talk to Kendra rather than talking to her herself and getting into trouble and Ally says she will get her mum to talk to her.

John and Sam go to the lab so that John can ask questions for a school project and so Sam can see if she can recognize any of the people working there as the people who took the dog and Sam ends up wandering off and as she is exploring Kendra bumps into Sam when she is exiting a room where Sam hears dogs barking.

After Mrs Parker has spoken to Kendra she agrees to take Cora to Covington Ranch so Cora can ride the horses and to see if she is allergic to them too. While they are at the Ranch Sam sits with Kendra and after some light conversation Sam gets a phone call from the shelter telling her that Rocky had been collected by his owner and this ends up getting Kendra to tell her all about what has been going on at the lab. The concoct a plan to prove that the owner of the business had no idea about what one of his employees has been up to and this causes Sam, Ally, Cassy and the boys getting caught sneaking onto the property of the lab where Kendra is being held and they get held hostage until the director of the animal shelter finds them and takes the five kids, Kendra and the dogs.

The kids parents come to the animal shelter to collect them after the incident and they get told that they don't think they will be able to help in the shelter anymore but John suggests that they stay as a part of their punishment plus it gives the shelter extra hands as they are struggling with just the three staff members.

The ending of the story is awesome, I won't spoil it but it is great.

This installment is due to be released on December 22nd so click the link above to pre-order now

Currently Reading: Hunted by Sarai Henderson
Read In 2016: 34/35

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 is Top 10 things I want for Christmas this year

1. Jessica Brody's A Week of Mondays
2. To catch up on my uni work
3. To move house
4. A new laptop
5. A job
6. The rest of the Hunger Games, Divergent and Alice in Wonderland DVDs
7. A car
8. A WWE Paige T-Shirt
9. To be able to get everyone presents
10. To spend Christmas with my family

Review - I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Author: Ally Carter
Series: Gallagher Girls
Pages: 309
Release Date: April 25th 2006

Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Publisher: Orchard Books
Source: Amazon
Format: Paperback

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school - that is, it would be if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is a second-generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she's already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (one of which involves a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for a boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through town without his ever being the wiser - but can she have a relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's beginning her most dangerous mission - falling in love.

My Review: I decided to read this book because I had previously read the Heist Society series and I had read a lot of good reviews about and I really enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to get started on the next one.

Cammie is a student at Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women and also the Head teachers daughter. The Gallagher Academy is an all girls school for young spies where the girls are taught various languages and numerous ways to kill someone.

Cammie and the rest of the sophomore girls get to join the Cov Ops class and the first mission Cammie and her friends go on turns out to be a lot more complicated than they first thought, Cammie falls in love while on the mission.

Cammie has to make up stories so that she can keep on seeing him without letting it slip that she goes to Gallagher Academy. This is easy for Cammie as she is taught on how to keep a fake identity straight, her friends help her to get to know the guy by pulling off their own missions and stake outs to get dirt on the lad.

This story has a lot of great scenes that I want to write about but if I do the it will spoil it so if you have't yet read this book WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Currently Reading: Hunted by Sarai Henderson

Read In 2016: 34/35