Release Party: L.K. Rigel

L.K. Rigel joined us today to celebrate the release of her new book, Bride of Fey. This is the second book in her Tethers series. She is also throwing a party TODAY through Release Day Diva at 11am to 7pm PDT on Facebook. The direct link is here so be sure to stop in to celebrate! We will have the review up next week and let you know all the scoop on what we think about the new book!

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Fairies are all the rage right now, but of course they've been around forever. Some say fairies descended from fallen angels. If that's true, they've existed for a long time indeed! Here are a few fairies I love: 

Shakespeare's Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream - as portrayed here by Michelle Pfeiffer. Titania is all about the sensual pleasure of being alive - a perfect fairy queen.  

 

Lucinda in Ella Enchanted. Vivica A. Fox was hilarious as the self-centered fairy godmother whose "gift" of obedience ended badly. A perfect illustration that we should beware fairies bearing gifts.  

Tinker Bell - the non-Disneyfied Tinker Bell as drawn by Greg Hillebrandt. When I read the original Peter Pan to my son, I was amazed. Yes, it's a children's adventure story. It's also a meditation on gender roles and duty told on an entirely adult level. As an adult, I saw Captain Hook as an antihero and Pan as the villain. And Tinker Bell is a selfish saucy hedonist, as befits a proper fairy.

 

Honey and Nectar, the Twixies in Shirin Dubbin's Keeper of the Way. Dubbin's smart and funny novella features a ton of interesting characters. Honey and Nectar are silly, bratty, gadfly-like pixies with a penchant for telling the inconvenient truth.    

The Cottingley Fairies In the early 1900s, two little girls took pictures of the fairies who lived near their home in England. The girls' story was championed by all sorts of people, from Theosophists to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The movie Fairy Tale: A True Story is based on these events.

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Thank you so much L.K. for sharing some of your favorite fairies with us and congratulations on your new release! I can't wait to finish up Bride of Fey and I promise I'll have my review up soon!

Stephanie Nelson's Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone!
I'm not sure if you've heard but Stephanie Nelson is doing a giveaway that will blow your mind. Trust me, you're going to want in on this and I have all the details you need to sign up!

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July 25th marked one year since I published Craved – Book 1 in the Gwen Sparks Series. It’s been an amazing rollercoaster and has forever changed my life. I’ve met some fantastic people, learned a lot and most importantly, found something I want to do with the rest of my life—write. The support of my readers, friends and family has been amazing to say the least. To show my appreciation, I’ve put together one heck of a giveaway. Because of you guys, Craved reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller’s list and #5 on Barnes & Noble’s bestseller’s list. Thank you guys for making my first year of being publish something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Check out what you could win below!

 8 Signed Paperbacks 

 13 Ebooks

 $100 Amazon Gift Card

 $20 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Plus swag 

(postcards, boomarks, magnets, mousepads from multiple authors!) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Blood of Fire by Wenona Hulsey

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read Blood Awakening and Burden of Blood, I would hold off on this review!

“Turning her back on everyone she loves, Nicole leaves Alabama to face the man who has made her life hell from the day he forced her powers to surface. She will face evil and end the war that has been brewing for centuries…or that's what she hopes will happen as the final story of the Blood Burden Series plays out. New characters, steamy romance, lives lost and an ancient war. Is it in your blood?"

The final book in the Blood Awakening series begins with Nichole on the run. She’s convinced that by leaving her loved ones in Alabama that she can defeat Loch and hopefully return to a somewhat “normal life”. But when a stranger quickly becomes a friend on the plane ride in, and her powers have disappeared unexplainably- Can this Slade guy be trusted? Further on, how can Nichole lead a land when she can’t defeat her own demons? Including the one who brought her power to life in the beginning, Loch.

Wenona covers so much in this book. With that said though, the writing is great and you can tell just how much planning and love Ms. Hulsey put into this book. She doesn’t overwhelm you with new characters, doesn’t bring in new storylines too suddenly but does push our friends to their limits and then some. I loved the idea of the fae versus the warriors with both sides looking to win and take full control. Nichole, both fae and warrior, aims for a society where both live harmoniously. And that just doesn’t seem possible.

My favorite part is how when all else fails and Nichole’s power is lacking, she’s still a kick butt police officer and a woman that I believe could give Buffy the Vampire Slayer a run for her money.

Without a doubt, I rate this book a

Blood of Fire was the perfect roundup to Wenona’s Blood Awakening series; full of action, tough choices, romance and friendship that's great for any lover of the paranormal genre.

Review: Lady Languish by S.C.D. Goff

"After her Uncle Malachy terrifies Evangeline Languish on her 16th birthday, she is abandoned at a boarding school by her parents. But when Evangeline discovers a strange young man, injured and alone, she is forced to change her mind about everything she knew. Could Malachy's stories be true? Evangeline must face her uncle once more ... can she get to him before he kills everything she loves?"

 For sixteen years, Eve Languish has lived an extremely sheltered life, hardly ever venturing beyond the grounds of her family's enormous estate in Ireland. That all changes suddenly, however, when her Uncle Malachy visits her on her birthday and she is whisked off to a strict boarding school merely days later. After spending months alone and nearly friendless at school, Eve returns home and learns secrets about her family and herself -- secrets that she doesn't want to believe are true. On top of these newfound revelations, she discovers that her uncle is bound and determined to kill her. Now she has to do whatever is necessary to protect herself and the few people that she holds dear. Lady Languish is a book that puts an intriguing new twist on the legends and myths surrounding vampires.

I rate this book: 

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything possible in it to help maintain my interest. The plot is suspenseful, mysterious, and somewhat dark. And the added hint of romance thrown in there was just like icing on the cake for me. What I loved most about it was the fact that it is set in Ireland. Since Ireland is on my list of places to visit, reading books that are set in that part of the world is always such a treat and this one was no different. It was a pleasure to read this book and feel like I was actually there with the characters as they traveled across the Irish countryside. The imagery and appeal to sensory details that this book provides is excellent. I also enjoyed how the author took the genre of vampire novels and went in her own direction with it. However, that's all I can really say about it, without giving too much of the plot of the book away. If you want to know what I'm talking about, then you should definitely pick up Lady Languish.

S.C.D. Goff works in the publishing industry by day, but at night she joins the legions of young adult writers and fans online to talk about books and writing. Lady Languish is her first novel, as well as the first in her Irish Vampire series.

Wondering on Wednesday: Copyrights

Hey guys,
Today, this is for everyone, but especially bloggers. I came across an article this weekend that had me a bit uneasy. Read this here. How many times have you pulled up Google because you needed a picture and simple typed what you needed into their search? From there, how many times have you posted that photo on  Facebook, your blog or some other social networking site?

Do you realize that you could be sued for using a copyrighted image? The stats may be low, but is it something you're will to take the chance with? If you didn't read the article above when I told you to, I'm asking you to please take a second, read it, then come back and finish out this post.

Are you back? Are you all mine?

Can you believe that? Roni Loren, author and blogger, was really sued for that. Not a single disclosure can save you from the possibility of being sued (and now I'm trying to figure out what the big deal is to include a disclosure on your blog in the first place). As she said, "None of that releases you from liability." No matter how innocent you are or how much you didn't realize what you did. I honestly don't have too much more to say because I think Roni said it best in that article. But I do want to mention the interesting thing she said about Pinterest:

"I have read way too many terms of service over the last two months. And I'm not a lawyer, so the legalspeak can be confusing and I am NOT giving legal advice. BUT both Pinterest and Tumblr (and most other social sites) say that if you load something into their site (i.e. Pin It or Tumble it) YOU are claiming that YOU have a legal right to that picture. And if the owner of that photo comes after the company, you will be the responsible party. And Pinterest goes so far as to say if you REpin something, you're saying you have the right to that photo. Yes, if that's enforced, it would mean that 99% of people on Pinterest are doing something illegal. Will that ever come up? Maybe. Maybe not. But I'm leaning on the paranoid side now. I don't want to be the test case. And I don't want to pin something the owner of the photo wouldn't want pinned."


Why would you build a site on something that's illegal from the beginning? I will never understand this. Which to me doesn't make sense because on Pinterest sure you repin, but as soon as you click on the picture to detail it, it comes up in a bigger page, and sends you straight to direct article it came from. Therefore I'm not claiming that I own this. At all. But I digress...

On another note.
When you hear all these things about SOPA and PIPA do you honestly understand what they're talking about? For me, I did at least loosely, but until I saw this video it didn't fully click. It's right under 15 minutes long, but the guy talking is easy to listen to. So if you have a few minutes, we encourage you to check this out:

After seeing that video I saw just how serious SOPA and PIPA are how much we need to stand up, talk to our senators and tell them that this isn't right. Sure, stealing and copying are wrong but there has to be another way to handle this then what they're doing. 

My point in today's post isn't to scare you, it's simply to make you aware of what is going on in our media world. Times have changed but unfortunately laws haven't caught up appropriately. But you can always do your part, to protect yourself and to stop this ridiculous law from going forward. And other bloggers need to hear this, really EVERYONE needs to hear this, so please talk, share and let people know what is really going on in our world.

Mainstream Monday: City of Bones Movie

Happy mainstream Monday!!!  With the City of Bones wrapping up casting (there are only three major characters left to be announced, Luke, Valentine, and Alec) I want to get the City of Bones madness started.  These books are some of my absolute favorites and while it has been a long wait for the movie to get going it was defiantly worth it.

Lily Collins has been casted to play Clary for quite some time now and since I didn’t have anyone in particular in mind I couldn’t be happier with the choice.  Lily is adorable and appears to be intelligent and ambitious.  You may know from hosting the teen choice awards (or was it the Nick awards or are those the same things) from way back when, The Blindside, Abduction, and Mirror Mirror.  She started as a runway model despite her height and is musician Phil Collins Daughter.

Jamie Campbell Bower has also been casted for a while to play Jace Wayland.  I was highly disappointed when Alex Pettyfer turned down the offer of the role because he is my Jace.  You may know Jamie from his small role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 as the evil wizard Grindelwald and as Caius, part of the Volturi, in the Twilight Saga.  In gossipy news, you may know him as the guy that was engaged to Bonnie Wright aka Ginny Weasley.  While he’s not my number one pick I’m hoping that his acting chops will erase my disappointment.

The fierce and lovely Isabel Lightwood will be brought to life on the big screen by Jemima West.  While I hadn’t heard of her before recently I think that she certainly looks the part which tends to make people more excited about the casting than someone that looks opposite of who they are portraying.  

Clary’s best friend Simon Lewis is going to be played by Robert Sheehan who is best known for his role as Nathan Young in the Misfits.  He has also been in Cherrybomb and Season of the Witch.  He is another character that I think looks the part which is always a fan favorite.  He is also someone that Cassandra Clare was really pulling for, which I find encouraging and awesome that she got some say in who was going to bring her favorite character to life.

 

Godfrey Gao will be playing the fabulous high worlock of Brooklyn, Mangus Bane.  Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about him other than he is a model and actor and hits the character descritpiton as well.  Mangus makes the books in some ways.  He adds a whole new level of complex and humor that I'm excited to see brought to life and I hope Godfrey is up for the challenge because playing Mangus is going to be one wild ride.

Lena Headey will be portraying Clary’s mom Jocelyn Fray.  This was a pleasant surprise for me as well because she is someone that I kept picturing ever since I saw a fan made trailer as Clary’s mom.  She also has some mad acting skills which she has laid out for us in the movie 300 and the HBO hit The Game of Thrones.  Both of those characters are strong women as is Jocelyn so I feel like she is going to be awesome for this role.

The ever so hot and cold Hodge will be played by Jared Harris who has been in the likes of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Mad Men, and Residence Evil: Apocalypse.  He has a few Emmy’s and SAG awards under his belt so I’d say he’s well prepared to step into the world of books made to movies madness.  

Pangborn and Blackwell, Valentines two sidekicks, will be play by Kevin Durand (I Am Number Four, Xmen Origins Wolverine, and Robin Hood) and Robert Maillet (Sherlock Holmes, The Immortals, and 300).

The City of Bones is set to start filming in August in Toronto and New York City and the movie is supposed to hit theaters August 2013.  Between the cast and Pretty Little Liars writer, Marlene King on board I suspect that The Hunger Games and Twilight will be given a run for their money and frankly I couldn’t be happier.  I have not been this pumped about a book to movie since the Harry Potter series!  Are you guys ready for this movie??

Incase you can't wait here is the most awesome fan made City of Bones trailer youtube!!!!

All of my movie information was from Cassandra Clare's twitter or tumbler, pinterest, and imdb.

Haven't read the books yet? There's still time!!

Jenny Pox Anniversary... and news!

Guys!
I haven't been this excited for while. Yesterday not only J.L. Bryan's 2 year anniversary for Jenny Pox but he also made a really cool announcement.

Ready?

Are you SURE you're ready?

There is going to be a FOURTH book in the Paranormal's trilogy! All about Esmeralda! To see full details check out Jeff's blog here. But for now, here's a little blurb... :)

Also, he's doing a giveaway to celebrate. Don't miss out on this opportunity!

Unguarded Release Party!

Once again we're teaming up with Jessi Gibson of Release Day Divas! This Facebook party takes place tonight 6:00 - 9:00 PST!

Guardian angel Selene was so close to becoming an archangel—the supreme of all beings—until she fell in love with Cole, a forbidden dark one. Once she discovers her vampire lover has been kidnapped and the only way to save him is by abandoning her number one priority—Caitlyn, her human charge—there really is only one answer in Selene’s mind, even though leaving Caitlyn unguarded will most likely cause Selene to fall from grace. But her choice to save Cole doesn’t come without a price…and now Selene is racing against time to not only save her dark lover, but find a way to keep Caitlyn alive as well. With the help of a new vampire ally, Luke, Selene will push her diminishing angel abilities to the point where her very existence lies in the balance. Now threatened with the chance of becoming a fallen angel or even dying, Selene can only pray she’ll have enough time—and good grace—to save the ones she loves.

You can find this book on Amazon for only $3.99! But for now, we're lucky enough to have Ashley Robertson right HERE at The Ink Puddle for an interview! So without further ado...

Where did Unguarded come from?
I was writing Crimson Flames (formally titled Crimson Rain), which is the sequel to my debut novel Crimson Groves, when out of no where, Selene pops in my head, demanding that I tell her story. Well, that guardian angel couldn’t have picked a better time to get my attention since I was having a major writing block on Crimson Flames. So I immediately dove into UnGuarded and the first chapter was written that same night. And granted, I did have several disagreements with Selene—over her relationship choices and some of her decisions—but I still did my best to get the story out the way she wanted it told.

Do you relate to any of your characters more than others? 
Sort of. I’ll keep the attention on Selene because of the theme of this release party. She’s a guardian angel, and that part of her I may not relate to as well, but she has the ability to shift into human form at will, which enables her to experience emotions most other angels don’t. So that’s where her and I connect. She struggles to do what’s right, though at times her human temptations prove to be too great. Actually, I think a lot of people can relate to that; think of the angel on one shoulder and the devil tempting you on the other. I may not have made all of the choices Selene did, but I’ve surely been in plenty of trouble where I had no one to blame but myself. Both of us paid the consequences, and yet there’s been a lot of times that I felt like I got a grace pass too.

Tell us something about you people would find surprising.
I have a slight case of OCD when it comes to my electrical hair-styling accessories and my clothes steamer. Not only do they need to be turned off, but they also must be completely unplugged before I can leave my house. This drives my husband crazy.

Do you have any favorite authors? 
I have several, and the list only continues to grow as I read more badass books. Richelle Mead, Jeaniene Frost, Keri Arthur, Karen Marie Moning, Nalini Singh, Stacey Kennedy, Heaven Liegh Eldeen, Stephanie Nelson, and Stephenie Meyer to name a few.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 5 things could you not live without?
Since you said things, I’d want my laptop (though I’m assuming I’d have a magical way to keep it charged on this island). And with that assumption, I’d also want my iPad, which is where all my kindle books are stored. Red wine (and a wine key to pop the cork with). My travel toiletries bag, which would have soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a couple razors. And lastly, a big comfy pillow and snuggly blanket to go with it. **I would’ve said my hubby, son, and pups (I doubt my cat would want to come along, but I don’t qualify them asthings)

What’s next for you? 
Due out in the winter of 2013, Crimson Flames will pick up right where we left Abby and her quest to learn more about the sorceress powers that were awakened inside her when she was turned into a vampire—making her a whole new hybrid species. There’s a group of rogue vamps banding together and forming a Resistance against the vampire governing body, The Head Council, and Abby’s newly discovered powers are the key to the Council’s victory. Now the Resistance will do anything possible to remove the hybrid threat, and with no other options, Abby is forced to rely on the aid of the Council, yet can she trust the very vampires that hunt for her human lover? And even worse, can she fight the unwelcome attraction that’s growing between her and one of those ancient vampire rulers?

After that, I plan on working on an adult novella series about a succubus, and I’m hoping to have two books complete by the end of 2013.

Thank you so much Ashley for stopping by! Congratulations on your new release and your party tonight. I hope everyone stops by for the fun and games, I know I'll be doing all I can to make it. :)

Review: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

“A deadly love triangle
Elena: beautiful and popular, the girl who can have any guy she wants.
Stefan: brooding and mysterious, desperately trying to resist his desire for Elena . . . for her own good.
Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him.
Elena finds herself drawn to both brothers . . . who will she choose?”

Elena is that girl in Fells Church. You all know the one I’m talking about – the girl who’s pretty and popular. The girl that all the other girls want to be just like and the one that all the guys wish they could have. Elena rules her high school as the resident queen bee. She’s used to getting her way all the time, especially when it comes to guys. So, when new student Stefan Salvatore comes to town, she immediately sets her sights on him – and is surprised when he repeatedly spurns her advances. Puzzled and more determined than ever, Elena’s persistent pursuit of Stefan leads him to reveal his darkest secret to her. And knowing that secret puts Elena in the midst of an age-old fight between Stefan and his brother, Damon. Now, Elena has to find a way to protect herself and those she loves from the danger that is Damon Salvatore. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening is a book that will leave you itching to pick up the next book in the series. 

I rate this book: 

I have to admit that I didn’t start reading this book until I’d begun to watch the television show. And, while the book and the show are completely different from each other, it’s not a bad kind of different. This book gives readers a refreshingly different take on both vampires and the hit television show that is based on the book series. I was a little concerned at first, since I had heard that the storyline of the book veered so much from the TV show. But I gave it a chance and I’m really glad that I did. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening has intrigue, romance, and mystery – a combination that is guaranteed to capture the attention of any reader. If you’re a fan of the TV show, don’t count this book out just because it’s not exactly the same. Be sure to check out The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening if you’re looking for a quick and interesting read this summer!  

L.J. Smith is the author of the best selling books The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, and The Nightworld.  The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle have been made into hit TV shows.  She lives in Northern California.  To learn more visit ljanesmith.net.

Book Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.

Percy Jackson has never spent more than one year at a school in his entire education career.   Between his dyslexia and ADHD he has “behavioral problems” and words sometimes literally float off the page while he is reading.  But he actually kind of liked the boarding school he was at in upstate New York.  He actually had a teacher and class that he did well in and a friend, Grover, who stuck out more than he did.  While on a field trip, when his substitute teacher turns into a monster and then he slays her with a sword that came out of a pen he’s a bit freaked.  But the fact that no one knows what he’s talking about seems to have him more freaked out.  When he gets expelled and sent home for the summer on his way home more strange things happen.  Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thing is an action filled fantasy for all Greek lovers young and old.

What I really liked about this book was that even though it’s for the middle grade age group I didn’t feel as if I was too old to be reading it.  For the most part the book isn’t set in a school and the characters don’t seem young.  The story is ageless.

I am a HUGE mythology fan and I love the different aspects that were used in the story.  I believe there need to be more mythology/demigod based books available.  Authors, here is a fresh idea that hasn't been overdone in the slightest.

I really enjoyed that, because it was a middle grade book, there was NO LOVE TRIANGLE.  Can I just say how over love triangles I am as of right now?  Or maybe just love stories in general.  While I do anticipate that in the later books of this series there will be some type of crush thing going on, I am happy to say that in this one it was love triangle drama free.

Rick Riordan was a middle school teacher and mystery writer.  His best selling book Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief was made into a movie that starred Logan Lerman a few years ago.

And the winner is....

Andrea!
Congratulations! I will be in contact with you to workout the details.

Thank you guys so much for all of your wonderful responses. We've learned a lot and I cannot wait to share those things with you as well as put those things into the works.

We will definitely be doing more giveaways in the future. :)

Announcing Wenona Hulsey's Release Party!

When I got a Facebook invite for Wenona's new book release for Blood of Fire I was incredibly excited. As you may remember, Wenona was the first author to ever ask us to read something of theirs and review. She believed in this blog before I ever believed in it or myself and for that, I will forever be thankful. The following Ms. Hulsey's playlist for the final book in her very anticipated series. We hope you enjoy!

Weight of the World by Evanescence

   

 Trying Not To Love you by Nickelback  

 Do It To Me by This Century

Three Wishes by The Pierces

   

 Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes  

 Lullaby by Hypnogaja  

 Misguided Ghost by Paramore

   

 I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin  

 Bulletproof by 12 Stones

   

 Brick By Boring Brick by Paramore

 

Be sure to join the party, sponsored by Release Day Diva, and come July 14th, 6:00 PST stop by for fun, giveaways and celebration! I'll be there!

Celebrating with Sarah Ross!

Yesterday we celebrated our bloggerversary, today we celebrate Sarah Ross's one year anniversary of being a professional writer! Way to go Sarah! It's hard to commit, stay focused and finish everything we start. But you have and since last year you've produced two great novels. Congratulations!

Speaking of those books... Mrs. Ross has decided to put all of her books on sale for $0.99 today through Sunday, July 15th! Whether you have a Nook or a Kindle, you can be set with this super low price. And I can speak from personal experience how wonderful these books are.

 Awaken

Amazon

B&N

Our Review

Echo of an Angel

Amazon

B&N

Our Review

Be sure to take advantage of this great deal and let me know what you think about these books! Congratulations once again Sarah, I'm super pumped for you and can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Happy 1 Year to Us!

Hello everyone!
Today makes our official one year of being here with you guys on the web. I couldn't be happier to celebrate with you all. Don't forget our giveaway that is going on until Friday! Click here to see all of those details and be sure to sign up if you haven't already.

We've gotten so many great responses from the giveaway questions and I'll share those with you come Monday when we announce the winner. But we wanted to share with you this time around.

What has The Ink Puddle done for you personally? How has it impacted your life in the past year?


Meg: It has given me people to talk to about my books. People who actually read and understand fantasy fiction.
Crissy: The Ink Puddle has allowed me to read so many new books, a lot of which I would never have picked up or heard of otherwise. It has also introduced me to many new and fantastic authors and I'm really glad that I get to be apart of something that helps to get the word out about these authors.
Me: The Ink Puddle has given me an outlet, it's given me something that's simply my own. It's opened me up to new books and authors and helped me meet so many new faces. This blog has given me perspective that I lacked enough to know where I belong in the world and what I should be doing with my life: literature.

Where would you like to see The Ink Puddle go?

Meg: I would like to get well known enough to receive ARCs from mainstream authors/ publishers before the books come out!
Chrissy: I would really like The Ink Puddle to gain a lot more publicity from indie authors as well as authors that are more well known.
Me: I want to continue to grow as a blog and I realize that while we have a long way to go ahead of us, everyone has to start somewhere and I'm pretty proud of how far we've come so far. :)


Is there anything you want to say to all the people who continue to support us?

Meg: Thanks for following and reading guys!!! We really appreciate it!
Chrissy: Thank you so, so much for all of your support! You guys are the reason we even do this and The Ink Puddle would not be what it is without you. You're all fantastic and I'm so glad The Ink Puddle is able to be of some help and use to you guys!
Me: I would like to say thank you, we love you and you guys are the reason we keep going when things get rough. You rock.

Some things you guys can look forward to is more commitment from us, more book tours with guest posts and interviews, more book reviews of course and more fun, exciting book news! (Sidenote: Have you seen the new movie picture for The Immortal Instruments coming out?! Who's as pumped as we are? AHH!)

So get those giveaway responses in!

Review: Feyland: The Bright Court by Anthea Sharp

SPOILER ALERT!: If you haven’t read Feyland: The Dark Realm yet, then don’t read this review!

“INSIDE THE GAME...
Jennet Carter escaped the dark faeries of Feyland once. Now, fey magic is seeping out of the prototype game, beguiling the unwary and threatening everyone she cares about.
MAGIC...
Tam Linn may be a hero in-game, but his real life is severely complicated. Still, he'll do whatever it takes to stop the creatures of Feyland, even if it means pushing Jennet toward the new guy in school--the one with an inside connection to sim-gaming... and the uncanny ability to charm everyone he meets.
ALWAYS WINS...
Despite the danger, Jennet and Tam must return to Feyland to face the magic of the Bright Court--and a powerful new enemy who won't stop until the human world is at the mercy of the Realm of Faerie.”

Just when they thought they’d escaped the world of faeries and thwarted the Dark Queen’s evil plan to enter the mortal realm, Jennet and Tam realize that their fight with the dark faeries of Feyland was simply round one. Suddenly, the two find themselves going into the game again, this time to save their classmates from succumbing to the strange powers of the new guy at school. However, even though they’re going back into the Realm of Faerie, they soon discover that the creatures of the Bright Court are nothing like their Dark Realm equivalents. Feyland: The Bright Court picks up where its predecessor leaves off and provides just as much fantasy, magic, and myth as did the first book. 

I rate this book: 

As with the last book, Anthea Sharp continues to use her descriptive ability to make the reader feel like they are really inside the world of Feyland. Another interesting tidbit was her inclusion of yet another myth, Childe Rowland, into the plot of her latest Feyland novel. Once again, the way the myth was integrated into the book’s central plot made me want to learn more about the myth itself. It was something I’d never read about, so I was definitely interested in finding out more. It’s always refreshing when authors inspire their readers to want to learn more about things that they wouldn’t take the time to look into otherwise. If you read Feyland: The Dark Realm and it left you wanting more, then Feyland: The Bright Court will definitely give you the fix you've been searching for. Check it out; you won’t regret the decision!

Growing up, Anthea Sharp spent her summers raiding the library shelves and reading, especially fantasy. She now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes, plays the fiddle, and spends time with her small-but-good family. Contact her at antheasharp@hotmail.com or visit her website – www.antheasharp.com 

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Review: The Dragon Gem: Book One of Korin's Journal by Brian Beam

“With nothing to go on but a vague dream which may or may not be memory, Korinalis Karell has traveled Amirand for three years in search of his birth parents. With a magical Contract to fund his journey and a magic talking wizard cat named Max to keep him out of trouble, Korin has made his way through the world with no success in finding them. However, what starts out as a seemingly simple Contract job to find a stolen gem for a count quickly turns into a fight for survival that brings about revelations about Korin's life that turn his world inside-out and upside-down. With the aid of a mediocre wizard who happens to be the daughter of the most powerful wizard in Amirand, a chatterbox Kolarin, and Max, Korin sets out to discover the secrets of his past so that he may live to see his future. This is a firsthand account of Korin's journey as he chases down thieves, is chased down by a dragon and gods-forsaken creatures of death, and finds out that life just never seems to get easier.”

After being raised all his life by a simple farmer and his wife, Korin is on a mission to find his birth parents. When he takes a Contract job to find an ordinary gem to fund his journey, he thinks nothing of it and feels sure that it will be a simple retrieval task. However, he soon learns that the gem is no ordinary stone and there are secrets about his life that he never even knew existed. Now, he and his friends will have to fight for their lives if he ever hopes to find out the truth about his parents. The Dragon Gem will keep you entertained with its suspense and humor until the very end of the book. 

I rate this book: 

I really enjoyed how the characters hook you from the very first page in this book. Korin is a rather endearing character to read about and it’s interesting to see how things happen from his point of view. But I have to say that my favorite character had to be his magic talking wizard cat, Max. The interactions between the characters in this book alone should be enough to recommend this book. But what seals the deal is the fact that nothing is ever what you think when it comes to the plot. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, something comes along to throw a wrench in the story, to turn the plot in a surprising direction. It’s like that from beginning to end. Even when there are slow parts (and most books typically have them), the pace picks back up rather quickly. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning, then you should definitely check out The Dragon Gem: Book One of Korin's Journal.

Brian Beam was born and raised in Kentucky and is a proud husband and father. He holds degrees in marketing and nursing, following his passion for writing in his free time. Having the pleasure of being a stay at home father for the latter part of 2011, he took the opportunity to write his first book, The Dragon Gem, between diaper changes, feedings, and playtime with his pride and joy. His writing has been influenced and inspired by some of his favorite authors including Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Patrick Rothfuss, and Terry Goodkind. Feel free to check out Brian and his book at: http://www.facebook.com/brianbeamauthor; http://www.goodreads.com/bbeams32; http://www.brian-beam.blogspot.com or shoot him an email at bbeams32@gmail.com.