Blog Tour: Cover Artist Michelle Monique

Hey guys, so I'm here today showcasing some of the amazing work done by cover artist, Michelle Monique. For those of you who don't know who Michelle is, she is the talent behind the cover of Mayfair Moon and Kindred by J.A. Redmerski,

Don't those look amazing? I love the color use on the two books. While Mayfair Moon is darker and a bit more mysterious, Kindred uses warmer colors giving it a... well for the lack of a better word a hotter look. Michelle definitely did an amazing job expressing the book on the covers. I mean looks at the male model's hands turning into claws.. How cool is that?

She also did the cover for Rift, a Nightshade prequal, by Andrea Cremer, Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debby Viguie and Kednrick and Sara of Draconia by K.T. Tran.

This cover creeps me out( in a good way of course).. I mean it has that creepy cool feel to it. The dark coloring again the girl looks almost in a trance? No? Well her facial expression is hard to pin-point. However, do you know what not hard to pin-point? The giant moon in the background which will have me betting fifty dollars that this is a werewolf book. 

So I love how fierce this cover looks. I mean the models face not only looks flawless but there is a determination to her expression. I love the weapon used and the glint it has. Again another drop-dead gorgeous cover.

 This cover is just plain awesome. I mean all the different colors in the clouds look great. Also I haven't read the book but I'm going to guess and say that the tattoo has something to do with the story of the book. Am I right? :)

Besides doing some amazing book covers Michelle has some amazing photography posted on her site. Check out some of them, these pictures are beautiful.

Love her dress..

Is it just me or does this girl look exactly like Lili from Tekken.

They are so cute together.

I got to admit the whole wittchy-voodoo look works for this girl.

This is definitely spine chilling, but it's still cool . Also I have a question how is it that every single one of the dresses is gorgeous, I mean sure this one is a bit... bloody.. but it's still so pretty.

EONA!!!! If any of you ever read Eon then you know what I'm talking about. Well minus the hair, although I like the hair.

What do you think, Greek Godess or some sort of Forest Spirit?

Rua by Miranda Kavi

Title: Rua
Author: Miranda Kavi
Published: August 28, 2012
Number of Pages: 163

Blurb from Goodreads: A girl with an unknown destiny. 

A boy from a hidden world. 

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. 

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.

He knows what she is . . .

Review: This book was so different that I didn't know what to expect. I thought this would be your everage Sidhe book. Well boo-hoo for me because it totally wasn't what I thought it would be. However, it was great.

    Celeste was a pretty average heroine but she was easy to relate to. I loved her relationship with her parents. It was really refreshing to see a heroine that has a close relationship with her parents and isn't somehow scarred by terrible parents or a lack of one.  I thought she might be weak because she wouldn't really handle things head on at the beginning but I was wrong halfway through the novel she really stepped it up.

  Tink... okay so he is not the love interest but he was so amazing that he deserves his own paragraph. He was the perfect friends and well this guy was hilarious. In short Tink is like one of my favorite characters.

     Rylan, oh Rylan. I liked you then I hated you( but kind of still wanted you) but then I loved you, so its all okay.  He was really sweet towards Celeste and I loved how he wasn't willing to really trust anyone. It was a totally good move on his part since it saved Celeste's life in the long run. I want to know if there is some sort of a deeper explanation for their attraction. It wasn't insta-love or anything but I just have that feeling that there might  be something paranormal to their love.

   I did not expect what happened in the plot. Actually I guessed totally opposite of what happened. ( That kind of surprised me  because usually I'm pretty correct :) so yes the plot is amazing )

  I give this book

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Published: January 10, 2012 by Dutton Books
Number of Pages: 313

Blurb from Goodreads: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Review:

That pretty much sums up how I feel right now, but here's the actual review anyway.

There are thousands of great books out there all amazing in their own sense. There are books that make you laugh, books that make you cry and there are even books that when you are finished you feel like you lost a friend. However, The Fault in Our Stars cannot even be described as a book, it truly is a masterpiece. Why else would I be sitting here at twelve at night  with a box of tissues bawling  my eyes out writing a review for the book that grabbed my heart and then ripped it out of my chest. This book is perfection. 

     Our characters are so realistic and yet they are so normal and happy  for a couple of kids who don't know if tomorrow is going to come or not. They know that life isn't fair and they can joke about it. When I was first introduced to Hazel, I felt bad for her, I mean wouldn't you? It's a human instinct to feel bad for sick people, to pity them and after their death to honor them and talk about how brave they were and hot strongly they fought. Hazel sees the truth and as painful as it may have been in a way she got me to see it too. That's what makes a great book when you can actually take some sort of understanding from what you are reading. 

      Augustus Waters.. I don't know how I can talk about him so I won't say much but I'll say this he was just a boy who had to learn that the world isn't a wish giving factory.

   The writing was beautiful. This book is written in a lyrical sense that draws you in, builds up the suspense and then knocks you off a cliff and sends you falling towards oblivion. You can say you won't cry I though the same thing but as soon as you meet the characters you'll feel connected to them their pain will become yours and I assure you that when they suffer you will too. After all as,  Augustus loved to quote "pain demands to be felt."

This book gets 

   

To Wed the Fae Prince by V. Vervain

Title: To Wed  the Fae Prince
Author: V. Vervain
Published:  August 4, 2012 by VVervain
Number of Pages: 103

Blurb from Goodreads: Etta Cooper has been promised to marry the Prince of the Faeries since before she was born. A move from her mundane life and family take her into the enchanted Faeryland where she is promised to the handsome Bronn, eldest prince of the Fae King, but when Bronn decides he doesn't want her she is betrothed to his elegant, introspective, and... sullen younger brother Farron. Farron is a human hater. Trapped in this lush, beautiful world of faery Etta longs to escape until she begins to spend time with Farron, and their conversations slowly chip away at the frosty, superior mask he wears. Perhaps, just perhaps Farron is exactly the challenge she's been looking for...

Recommended for ages 16 and up due to mature content.

Review:  So this was pretty good for a book that short. The characters were believable. I liked Farron, at first I thought he was going to be one of those sullen, mysterious heroes but that wasn't him at all and he really did care about Etta. He was hurt when she though that he was upset about marrying her and that he didn't want her as his wife. He really did love the girl and the things he would do were pretty sweet and taking her to see her parents he was pretty swoon worthy and well hot. There is a reason this book is 16 and over and I am 16 so believe me when I say  this book definitely needs to be 16  and over. 

    Etta was pretty cool but I felt like she was a little slow at times. It took her a while to get some things that Farron was doing and I kind of had to as if she was serious or not. She isn't annoying and she does try and make it work with Farron even in the beginning when she thought he hated humans.

   The plot wasn't spectacular there were certain things that surprised me but I think this novel is more about the romance between Farron and Etta.

  I give this book 

Someone Else's Fairytale by Emily Mah Tippetts

Title: Someone Else's Fairytale
Author: Emily Mah Tippetts
Published: December 6, 2011
Kindle Editon

Blurb from Goodreads: Jason Vanderholt, Hollywood's hottest actor, falls head over heels for everygirl, Chloe Winters, who hasn't gotten around to watching most of his movies. She becomes the woman every other woman in America is dying to be, but it just isn't her fairytale.

Review: Okay so the blurb really doesn't tell you much but this book is exactly what it sounds like. A hot Hollywood actor falls in love with a totally normal girl. This book is totally cliche and I loved it. You know they're going to end up together but sometimes a light read like this is what you need to believe in fairytales again.
         So I loved Chloe, she was amazing. Granted in the beginning if the book I just wanted to shake her a little and just get together with Jason. I see  why the author did it though. Even though it annoyed me it also proved to me that Chloe wasn't the type of girl that goes after just a guy's money. If she said something she stuck by it and I loved that about her. For a girl that had some pretty horrific things happen to her, Chloe was so positive.  She isn't a Mary Sue heroine and she hates using people to get what she wants. She was totally my type of heroine.
     Jason was the sweetest guy ever. I had to actually question how  a celebrity could be so down to Earth and so normal and just so...perfect. He really cared about Chloe and was willing to work around his rather complicated schedule to be with her. It was cute, the stuff he did and said was just so Prince Charmingish I wanted to squeal. 
   I guess you could the plot was predictable because you know they are obviously going to be together but the smaller elements of the plot were so shocking that I had one of those what in the sweet name of baby Jesus is going on.
   Overall this is a cutsie read that anybody who is even remotely into romance should read.

    I give this book 
      

Shift (Shift 1) by Elle Beauregard

Title: Shift ( Shift 1)
Author: Elle Beauregard
Published: April 16, 2012
Number of Pages: 250

Blurb from Goodreads: When Leah’s inability to control her new-found skill nearly sends her into a full blown shifter-tantrum in front of the entire high school, even she has to admit that the last week of school is no place for a new shape-shifter. 
Keeping her new, unpredictable shape-shifting skills a secret is paramount, so Leah agrees to spend her summer vacation with her eccentric Aunt Cecelia, a fellow shifter who lives in the deserts outside Tubac, Arizona. Begrudgingly at first, Leah learns what it means to be a shifter, discovering that, in nature, her kind is not as rare as she first thought. While coming to terms with her new identity and learning to control her skills, she meets the son of her Aunt Cecelia’s life-long friends. But Drake King is different from other boys, and not just because he is a shifter. When cornered by a pack of wild dogs one night in the unfamiliar desert, Drake reveals an additional, extraordinary gift that saves Leah’s life. 
Amidst rumors of rogue shifters who have broken their oath and revealed themselves to the public—threatening the tenuous new life Leah has just begun to love—she and Drake embark upon a journey that will redefine them as individuals and forever solidify them as a pair.

Review:  This was so not your typical shifter book. In Shift, people who are shifters can change their appearance and be pretty much anybody they want to be. I mean this is an ability I would want, don't get me wrong shifting into animals is cool and all but this was completely different and it was a breath of fresh air.

       At the beginning of the book I though that Leah was going to annoy me. She was a stubborn, confused, angst -ridden teenager. Luckily, that only lasted a few chapters and the author turned her into a pretty cool character who loves and is proud of what she is. Leah was a good friend even if her friend wasn't always a good friend toward her especially after she finds out that Leah is a shifter. 

      Drake was pretty cool. I mean he wasn't the most swoon worthy guy but he was still pretty great.I loved him because of the little things he would do for Leah and how he would call her Lee-Lee, that was pretty cute.

  Their relationship was great. It wasn't fast paced or anything but I wish I knew what their bond was. It's like the elephant in the room. Nobody ever explains what it is, and if you want to go there nobody really ever confirms its even something. Well except for maybe Aunt Cici who vaguely mentions the possibility of a bond, other than that I have no clue what the bondy thingy between them is.

   The plot was slow and there really wasn't any nail biting, edge of your seat action. I would say this is more of a mystery and I think there is going to be a lot more going on the next book. 

  The ending was abrupt and rushed but like I said before it definitely sets up for the next book. Overall I liked this book it was definitely totally different from other shifter books and if you enjoy a good paranormal romance then this book is worth checking out.

   I think this book deserves

Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram

Title: Being Jamie Baker
Author: Kelly Oram
Published: June 14, 2012 by Bluefields
Number of Pages: 353

Blurb from Goodreads: An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities. To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special. Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat? More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?

Review: This is the type of book you would read just to have fun reading. I warn you straight away this is not the book to read if you want your books to have deep meanings and clever motifs. This is a light, cliche. funny read, that I totally loved. 
    Jamie was a bit whinny but I mean I think I would whine a little if I was in her shoes. Then again maybe not actually definitely not I mean I would so put those powers to some use. Like if you can run the country in ten minutes well let's just say I would never be bored again. Jamie moped around a bit, complained a bit but to be fair she was a teenager if I ever knew one and well I am one so I know a few teenagers to say the least.  She wasn't the world's greatest heroine but she did grow through the novel and even managed to make friends with the people she pretty much despised.
   Ryan pretty much made this book. I mean I loved this guy. He was the best part. He was protective and funny and well I admit totally cocky and egoistic and arrogant but I loved that about him. I loved how even though Jamie kept pushing him away and telling him no and telling him to get lost and accidentally( well sometimes accidentally) shock him literally shock this guy just kept coming back I mean there was a part in the book where I really started considering that the guy was a masochist. He wasn't though he just really loved Jamie.
   I have to admit even though the plot wasn't mind-blowing I was still shocked with the twist. It was definitely an I-didn't-see-that-one-coming-moment. This was a totally cliche book but it's still a type of book you could curl up with when it's raining and you're feeling down.

  So I give this book

What a Boy Wants( What a Boy Wants 1) by Nyrae Dawn

Title: What a Boy Wants (What a Boy Wants 1)
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Published: April 6, 2012
Number of Pages: 119

Blurb from Goodreads:  Courtesy of watching his mom’s relationships, Sebastian Hawkins knows what girls need to do to get a guy. He has what he considers a PHD in hooking up. When he needs extra cash for a car, Sebastian starts up an online venture as The Hook-up Doctor, to anonymously help girls land the guy of their dreams. Of course, his services don’t offer a happily-ever-after guarantee. He’s seen firsthand getting together never means staying together. 

And then he falls in love… 

With the last girl he would expect…

Totally not in his game plan. 

Suddenly, Sebastian finds himself muddled in the game he’s always prided himself on. He can’t even pick up girls at parties anymore! Why would anyone want to be in love when it turns you into a stuttering, screwed-up, mess with really lame stalker tendencies? Stalking? Totally not his gig. 

But the Hook-up Doctor won’t let himself go down easily. He’s always known how to give a girl what she wants and now it’s time to figure out what a boy wants… and he definitely plans on getting it. 

Review:  This was such a cute read it makes me want to Awwwwww :) Its a heart warming story told from a guys POV( which automatically makes it awesome, I mean there are not enough male POV books out there.)
   Bastian thinks he knows everything there is to know about girls and relationships (which in his opinion never work) and love( which he thinks just doesn't exist.) After all he is the Hook-Up-Doctor and he has never failed to hook his clients up. After all hook ups are easy at least for him, the hot Sebastian Hawkins, the guy every girl wants to get with. He doesn't think he'll ever fall in love... Well the universe always loves a challenge :)
    So what happens when a guy who thinks that love's a joke falls in love? Well he makes mistakes for one, I mean Bastian messed up a lot but his mess ups were understandable... most of the times. I liked him as a character he took care of his friends and his mom and he was just and easy going guy. Sure there were times when I wanted to slap him and be all like "I AM A WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR!" as Bastian would say ;)  but I still though he was great hero. It was also really cool being in his head I mean this guy is hilarious.
   The plot was predictable. It was like three pages in I pretty much had an idea of how things were going to go down, but I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. You know what you're going into just from reading the blurb. However, there is a surprise that will leave you kind of speechless.
    Overall this was a cute, light, funny, heart warming read that I would recommend to pretty much anybody who likes romance.

  Thus I give this book