Book Nerds Across America

Mary's Post:

Oh 2013......I can't believe that you have gone already...

Here is my list of best of 2013 (this is no words):

1.  Delta Project: Rescue (Book 2) by Jessica Jaster

I love to read and I love authors! I have been trying to figure out a way to give back to the authors that I love and that is why I came up with 31 Days of Authors. FOR THE WHOLE MONTH...YES the WHOLE MONTH...I will be giving away a prize for an author I love.

Here is the CATCH: you will be able to enter in the allotted time. Each day there will be a Rafflecopter at the end of the post. ENTER ENTER ENTER!!!

I WILL ANNOUNCE ALL THE WINNERS ON JULY 20!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh, how I love some Love Triangles!! Let's see if my lists matches yours:

1.  Alex, Aiden and Seth -  This triangle come from Jennifer L. Armentrout's Covenant series!!! I LOVE THIS SERIES!!  This is by far one of my favorite love triangles!!

2. Shelby, Dade and Leo - This triangle come from The Amethyst Dragon Series by D.C. Grace.  I have just recently read this series and loved it!

3. Sameya, Gabriel and Maximus - This triangle is from Taboo Kisses by Gracen Miller.  Yes, yes this is the book that Gracen warned  me that I would blush a lot in (which I did) and this is the same book that has made me look at strawberries in a WHOLE new light.

4. Cassie, Conner and Jackson - This triangle comes from The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf by Katella Stegmann.  I love this series!  I love these werewolves and I love it all.

5.  Olivia, Cash and Nash -  This triangle comes from The Bad Boys series from M. Leighton.  Hello, twin hot guys ........ what more do I need to say!!!!!!!!!!!!


Now, go over to Jacque's Book Nook, Confessions of A Book Addict and Dreaming Dreams and see who they put on their lists!

OMG! This is so hard! 5 Favorite couples!?  Well, I did it .... here is my list:

1. Eden and Kiran - Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson - Even through all their ups and downs you all know that they are perfect together!!

2. Maggie and Caleb - Significance by Shelly Crane - At a corner stoplight Maggie saved Caleb's life and then one touch of their hands ...... PERFECT!!

3. Cassie and Conner - The War of the Werewolves by Katella Stegmann - If you do not know this series, or this couple, you are truly missing out!  Cassie and Conner's relationship was not love at first sight!  But, it did get there.

4.  Alex and Aiden - Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout - This series is not finished yet, but I can't wait! I love their relationship and how it is not "allowed" but the make it happen!

5. Jen and Decebel - Beyond the Veil by Quinn Loftis - What?! Did you think that I would forget my most fave couple ever!!  I don't even need to explain why I love these too.  Just remember that Decebel is really mine, I just share with Jen (for appearances, only)

Amazon Description:


If you knew you would die tomorrow how would you live today?

Everyone has a destiny, a purpose for being. So when evil threatens to rise up and reign, high school student Cassie Hill and her close-knit community of friends must defend their world from falling into darkness. In the fourth and final installment of “The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf” series the Lupos’ journey comes to a close with a war of epic proportions as the pack meets their destiny. 

With a missing leader, a spike in disappearances, and the uprising of a sadistic power-hungry government the Lupos and their allies have a lot to contend with, and the stakes have never been higher. The fate of everyone they hold dear depends on them. Outnumbered and overpowered, they are forced to team up with their former enemies to better the world.

Growing up isn’t easy. It is painful, beautiful, and confusing. It means sacrifice, heartache, and accepting the inevitable. Life changes in a heartbeat. Children become adults as they prepare to fight the battle of their lives. As war wages on the Lupos grow closer while they deal with stress, love, and other bumpy obstacles thrown in their path. Along the way they learn that sometimes you trust those you should not trust, you grow to hate those you have loved, and every now and then you learn to love those you have hated. 

With death nipping at their heels all they can do is live their lives a day at a time. Their fates have been building to this battle. Good and evil are going to have it out, and they know that not everyone will survive. Who will be left standing? Who will emerge victorious in the end?

MARY'S REVIEW

Oh, Katella! I didn't believe you when you told me this book was an emotional roller coaster! Brake out the tissues, for this final chapter of the Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf.  I have loved the first 3 books so much that I was excited and sad to see this series end.  However, I had faith in Katella that she would go out with a BANG and SHE DID!!!

Best part of the book: The WHOLE book was amazing!! There is no way I could just pick one part.  I loved Cassie and Conner!! Sean and Finn keep me laughing.  Rob and Kat and their crazy relationship and how they love each each other more than anything.  I love every character that Katella has wrote for this serious!! Yes, even the bad guys because ... they weren't always what they seemed.

Each book of this series has some "twist" to it BUT this book had me crying most of the time.  Every twist that was thrown at Cassie and the Lupos was a "twist" of my heart! However, even though I was crying, this book was AMAZING!!

Not so great about this book: Here is what I did not like: it ended.  Its all over and the journey that Cassie has gone through is just amazing, outstanding and great to read!!

Note to the Author: 

Katella, thank you so much for this amazing series.  You have created an outstanding world and characters!! I cannot wait to see what you have in store next!!

Amazon summary:


Crossport, Idaho is a small town with a big secret. For many centuries the secluded city has been guarded by a group of werewolves who are sworn to keep humans safe. The job of a werewolf is never done. As long as evil exists it is up to the good guys to keep the world out of danger. The supernatural world is crawling with threatening beings with no regard for human life.

Cassie Hill and her rambunctious family are faced with a new threat and a brewing war. Cassie attempts to deal with old foes returning, a long distance relationship, and new challenges that push the Lupos to their limits. The beginning of an epic battle between good and evil has the odds stacked against them, but they refuse to give up.

In an action packed world of vampires, werewolves, witches, and hybrids the Lupos waver through their troubles like any other family. By sticking together. Throughout their tedious duties they still find a way to enjoy life, whether it’s having philosophical conversations or putting out accidental fires caused by smiley face pancakes.

All of your favorite characters return in the third installment of the Barking Mad Werewolves series in which the pack begins to grow up in their own right. It is a tale with a little bit of Romeo and Juliet, a smidgen of Star Wars, and a ton of barking mad werewolves.

this picture of the book also came from Amazon.com


Mary's review:


OK, I need to calm myself down before I write this review because in this book 3 I cried, laughed, yelled, and now dislike Jackson ... A LOT!

On the plus side of this book I saw Cassie really grow up.  Oh and I am TEAM CONNER now!  The Lupos thought Devon was taken care of ... wrong! Now, we have the witch Macy involved to bring down the Lexiv Guard and to help with Devon.  The Guard want Devon's ring that Cassie is still guarding and let's not forget that Devon wants it back too.

I was a mess after reading this book. I did not think I could handle anymore stress while reading this.  The twist and turns of this series keeps a reader on the edge of their seat.

The one thing that I did not like .... is that Book 4 will not be out until later this year......

UGH! I do not know if I can wait that long .................

Amazon summary:


The tale of the barking mad werewolf is far from over. Cassie Hill is trying to balance her duties as a werewolf, going to school, and maintaining a budding romance with her mysterious but loving new boyfriend, Jackson. As the walls between the two lovers come crashing down, they start to uncover the truth about one another. 


In a tale of Romeo and Juliet with fur, she finds herself caught in the crossfire of feuding families, but when a powerful enemy threatens everyone she loves she gathers her courage and tries to pull those in her world together to unite to overcome a common adversary to save their town.


Being a wolf isn’t all fun and games, but with the help of her pack, her family, and a few unexpected friends Cassie discovers the true meaning of life, love, and what it means to be a werewolf.


No one is perfect, especially not the supernatural, but imperfection can be hilarious. With her pack providing her with a combination of maturity, innocence, optimism, focus, loyalty, and humor, Cassie wades through the trials in her life with enough sense to not let it get her down.


Mary's Review


What can I say about Book 2? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I thought book 1 was good this book put me on  an emotional roller coaster!

Cassie and her pack are trying to protect the town from the evil supernatural world.  On top of that, she is trying to figure out if Jackson (her boyfriend) is part of the supernatural world.  Let us not forget that she still has school and her adopted parents are already pushing college.  Oh yea, Devon is still trying to kill her!

Poor girl!  However, there is one thing that I love about Cassie.  Her positive outlook on life.  But sometimes there is too much thrown onto ones plate and her outlook sometimes wavers.  The only thing that Cassie can count on is her pack and her love for Jackson.

What I did love about this book was Conner because he is usually so quiet he comes out of his shell (just a little bit). I love how Sean and Rob are always so funny and Kat is ... well ... Kat!  Let's not forget Finn and Zach, this pack is so perfect together.

There are some serious twist and turns in this book and Katella makes sure we get every detail.  So, the question is: does evil win or does good prevail?

Onto book 3.....................

Amazon summary: 


Wise cracking werewolves, non-sparkling vampires, a dash of romance, and a journey of self discovery. Being a teenager is hard. It's even harder when you're part wolf. Cassie Hill has always had trouble fitting in. She's not smart enough to be in the book club, not emo enough to be in the goth club, and not glamorous enough to be in the girls with 'tudes club. But when she starts waking up in the middle of the woods with little memory of how she got there she learns she belongs to a club many people don’t know about.


She discovers a world filled with secrets, corruption, and a wacky pack of werewolves who spend their time playing dare or dare, placing ridiculous bets, and fighting crime. But she also discovers that being a werewolf isn't all fun and games. In between the laughter and fun she and her family stay busy protecting the town and investigating suspicious murders. Just when Cassie thinks she has her life balanced a new guy moves to town to throw her completely off her game. She is instantly smitten with him, but when she gets to know him she finds out he is harboring secrets of his own. She wants to believe the best in him, so the internal battle between her intuition and her heart clash. She digs for answers about him, but the more she digs the more she discovers about her past. It is only a matter of time before the lies in her life start to unravel. Nothing in her world is as it seems. Can she find the courage to follow her heart?


Mary's Review:

Between reading Quinn Loftis' Grey Wolves Series and starting this series I think I am falling in love with werewolves.....Flo would be so proud! Or maybe something is wrong with me.........hhhhmmmm....


I have to say that this is an awesome set of characters.  Each are unique to the story.  Cassie just finds out that she is a werewolf and becomes part of this awesome pack:  Zach (the Alpha), Rob and Kat (husband and wife), Finn and Sean (brothers and so FUNNY), and Conner (emo and reserved).  

Cassie deals with all this change as best as she can but then there is a new guy in town, Jackson.  He is different but no one can figure him out.  However, Cassie is drawn to him.  She wants to have a normal life but at the same time she knows that she is still a wolf.

However, there is bad guy, Devon, who wants Cassie and her ring! This just adds more to her stress levels because she does not want to put Jackson in harms way.


What is a girl to do?  That is why there is a Book 2!


This book series was recommended to me by @JennNun.  She truly becoming my book "pimp". (ha! ha!)