REVIEW: Stella Steiner: A New Star is Born (Stella Steiner #2) by T. Anderson

Title: Stella Nova: A New Star is Born (Stella Steiner #2)
Author: T. Anderson
Publication Date: September 30, 2013
Source: Via the author for review.

Stella has awakened. Following a risky surgery and months in a coma she is grateful to have narrowly escaped death but struggles to accept that it was all a dream. Full of opposition, Stella’s life after waking is nothing like it used to be. 
To keep her sanity she vows to put the past behind her and begin again. Stella decides to put college on hold and find adventure through travel. On the anniversary of her original departure she’s destined for Oslo but takes an unexpected detour—California! With proof of her birth family at her fingertips, Stella is forced to confront all she has worked so hard to forget.
Teaming up with those she believed were imaginary characters from her dreams, Stella is whisked into a mysterious and transformational quest to protect an ancient secret—immortality. Faced with obstacles, she wonders what is true and who to trust. 
Relying on clues from past lives and Scandinavian lore, Stella uncovers more about herself and a purpose greater than she ever would have believed. To fulfill her destiny Stella must embrace change, sacrifice much, and risk everything. She becomes something new, someone powerful and unearthly. 
Stella Nova. Defender of the One.

AMAZON // BARNES & NOBLE 

Stella Nova is the second book in the Stella Steiner series. It's so hard for me to review series books because I don't want to give anything away. But I'm going to do my best, so here goes..

In Stella Nova, we open to find that Stella has been in a coma because of the brain tumor she developed in book one. She is still having dreams of past lives, but is told that it's all her imagination. After her recovery, she sets out on a world journey to discover who she really is.

Stella Nova started off kind of slow for me. It was mostly because of me and not the story itself. It's been over a year since I've read Monad (the first book) and I was confused. I felt like this story did not pick up where the first one ended. But I pushed on. I must say that it all came together nicely.

Once Stella stepped off that airplane, the story really drew me in. No lie, I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down. We meet all the characters from Monad plus a few more. I loved that we finally got some background stories on all of them as well. That was the one thing I thought Monad was missing, but Stella Nova fills in all the gaps.

It really was a nonstop ride from about chapter 4 to the end. The bulk of this story is about only one day in the book. But because it's told from every character's point of view, it's constant action and learning.

I really don't want to give away to much, but if you read Monad, then you absolutely must continue! And if you haven't read either, then get on the ball! I don't think you will be disappointed.

I loved Stella Nova and I can't wait for the next in the series. I have to know how Stella's story is going to end! Special thanks fo the author, T. Anderson, for sending me a copy of Stella Nova and allowing me the chance to read her story! I loved it!

 *Be sure to check out my review of T. Anderson's first book in the Stella Steiner series. Monad: The Awakening of Stella Steiner.

Read More

REVIEW: The Unseen by J.L. Bryan

Title: The Unseen
Author: J.L. Bryan
Publication Date: October 31, 2013
Source: Via the author for review.

Cassidy is a young tattoo artist living in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. She’s always suffered terrible nightmares, and sometimes the hideous creatures seem to follow her out of her dreams and into her waking life, though she’s the only one who can see them. Drugs and alcohol can blot them out, but never entirely chase them away.
When a demonic cult begins to take control of the people in her life, including her younger brother, Cassidy discovers that the unseen world of monsters is very real. She can no longer avoid it. To protect those she loves, she must accept her own hidden supernatural talents and face the forces of evil before the sinister cult achieves its twisted goals and casts the world into darkness.

AMAZON // KOBO

This post is about The Unseen by J.L. Bryan and how wonderfully awesome it is! I have adored every one of Jeff's books that I have read so far & The Unseen is no different. He takes it back to the creepiness of his Jenny Pox series. The Unseen is a crazy mixture of good vs evil. Demons vs well, normal people. Throw in a few witches & you've got a great story!

The Unseen centers around Cassidy. After an incident in high school, she has been able to see all of the unseen things in the world. Monsters & demons that are invisible to the average person. Thinking she's just going crazy, Cassidy starts using drugs & alcohol heavily. When she's high or drunk, she doesn't see the monsters. But, of course, it isn't long before she has to face her fears & stop the demons once & for all.

The Unseen is a very dark story. There isn't many warm, fuzzy moments. I, personally, love that. Cassidy has to learn to trust herself & others in order to face her fears. Her best friend, Brenda, has stuck by her side since the incident in high school. Sometimes a good friendship beats romance any day. I love how they stick together no matter what. Brenda dabbles in the witchcraft scene, so she always believes the crazy things that Cassidy tells her. Through out this book, you will see relationships begin & end but Cassidy & Brenda always remain the same.

This story isn't for the faint of heart. It gets real disturbing at parts. It has some pretty heavy drug & alcohol use in several different scenes. It also has some strong language.  There is even a demon orgy that happens. My mind will never be the same. Jeff puts a really twisted spin on satanic worship. It's interesting & terrifying at the same time. But I really wouldn't recommend this to anyone under the age of 18.

If you don't mind blood, guts & demons getting it on, then you will love The Unseen. Your imagination will go places you didn't think it could. The Unseen is simply fascinating. I suggest you get to reading it, now!

Read More

Project Home Introduction!

As much as I love books, I also have other things that I love just as much. So I'm going against the normal "book blogger" status and posting a mashup of things. One thing that I am very passionate about is all things DIY. I love to paint, sew, craft, crochet (still learning!) and read. So why not be able to share all of thses things in one space? This is my blog after all, I have that choice. Which is actually where my name came from. Geek for the book lover in me and Glitter for the crafty part. 

So I have decided to share our remodeling journey with you here on the blog. Every Thursday you will see a Project Home post. About 5 years ago, my husband and I bought a trailer. Neither of us had very good credit at the time, so our options were very limited. My parents own about 13 acres in the country, so we set up home next door to them. We couldn't be happier. I was raised here and I love being here. We have the freedom to do whatever we want! But after several years, we've decided to pretty much remodel every room in the house. Over the last year we've already done alot of work, so the first few posts will be playing catch up with the things done already. 

Anything that has to do with our remodel will be posted here, on the blog, on Thursdays. Anything else that I do (crafty, DIY, furniture, etc.) that doesn't have to do with our home will be shared on my Facebook Page. So if that is your cup of tea, be sure to like GeekGlitter on FB so you don't miss out! There will also be plenty of bookish things on FB too, but I don't want to be to repetitive. I'd like to keep a nice mix of different things going on in different places.

Basically this was just introducing you to my Project Home idea. Next week will be the first official post, with pictures and stuff. So be sure to stick around and check out what we've been up to! You can also check out the hashtag #ggprojecthome on Instagram to keep up as well. I've been trying to tag all of our home pictures with that tag for easy tracking.

Do you enjoy crafting as well? Tell me about some of your projects!

Read More

New Year & January TBR

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've updated this crazy thing. But I do have a fairly good explanation. A few months ago, my husband dropped my lap top and shattered the screen. I'm suprised I didn't cry. It's entirely possible that I cried on the inside tho. And while it still hasn't been fixed, I'm forging through it and posting anyways. We are able to hook it up to the television and use the tv as a giant moniter. Which is a huge pain in the butt, but it works. I just haven't been able to justify paying to fix my screen when the tablet/computer that I want is only $100 more. So we'll see what happens. One or the other will come to be in the near future because I can't handle the tv situation for to much longer.

It is now a new year! It's incredibly hard to believe that 2014 is upon us. Last year flew by! But this is my year. I can feel it. I've made plans, I've got a notebook. I'm ready for this. So expect lots of fun things coming this year! I mainly just wanted to post this to say hello and apologize for my absence.

I also wanted to make a note of my January TBR list. I'm not making promises that I will finish all of these this month, but I'm gonna do my best!

  

 

    

At the beginning of February, I'll update with how I did and also post my TBR for the next month. I also signed up for the reading challenge on Goodreads again this year. I picked 60 books. So I figure if I can do 5 a month, I'll be right on track. Although I know some months will be more and some will be less. 

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful christmas and New Years! I'm looking forward to a sweet book year with you guys!

What are you reading this month? I'm always looking for more book suggestions!

Read More

BOOK BLITZ - The Unseen by J.L. Bryan

Today, I have something pretty exciting to share with you! One of my absolute favorite authors, J.L. Bryan, has a new book coming out! It is called The Unseen and it sounds incredible. I am currently reading, although I'm only a few chapters in so far, but I am loving it! Keep on reading to find out more and get the links to buy this gem for yourself! Plus, there's a pretty sweet giveaway!!

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan
Publication date: October 31st 2013
Genres: Horror

Goodreads: Click Here!

Cassidy is a young tattoo artist living in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. She’s always suffered terrible nightmares, and sometimes the hideous creatures seem to follow her out of her dreams and into her waking life, though she’s the only one who can see them. Drugs and alcohol can blot them out, but never entirely chase them away.
When a demonic cult begins to take control of the people in her life, including her younger brother, Cassidy discovers that the unseen world of monsters is very real. She can no longer avoid it. To protect those she loves, she must accept her own hidden supernatural talents and face the forces of evil before the sinister cult achieves its twisted goals and casts the world into darkness.

 BUY NOW:

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // J.L. Byran's Site

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan has a special release price of 99 cents through Halloween.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.

He is the author of The Paranormals series (starting with Jenny Pox), The Songs of Magic series, Nomad, and other books. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, his son John, and some dogs and cats.

Website: www.jlbryanbooks.com
Twitter: @jlbryanbooks

Demon-Summoning Do’s and Don’ts

So you’ve cast a circle and you’re ready to bring an infernal spirit into your home for a visit.  Or are you?  Summoning demons takes care and consideration—it’s nothing to jam in between doing the dishes and catching the new episode of Walking Dead.

These simple tips will help you put together an exciting evocation, without all the messy embarrassment of getting your soul ripped from your flesh and devoured.

DO offer a blood sacrifice.  Your guest has traveled across endless darkness from the lower pits of Hell and will be expecting a snack.  Chicken or lizard blood will do nicely for a lesser spirit.  For an archdemon, you’ll want to sacrifice a human being instead—anything less is considered rude.  Virgins are still preferred, but no longer expected by more modern demons.  Finally, an activity you can do with that annoying neighbor you’ve always wanted to eliminate from the earth!

DON’T call up the wrong kind of demon.  Incubi and succubi will arrive with certain expectations, because these unholy hornballs only have one thing on their evil minds at all times.  If you’re not ready for a swingers’ sabbat, avoid them.  If you do summon them, you’re going to need a little more protection that the typical enchanted circle provides—the beasties get around.  Also avoid gluttony demons, because these corpulent creatures not only look like disgusting mountains of flab with enormous mouths, they’ll also destroy your snack bar and leave an unpleasant flatulent odor that takes weeks to remove from your carpet.

DO be polite.  Powerful demons resent being summoned by mere mortals, but minding your manners can go a long way towards creating a more pleasant evening.  When you say, “I bind thee and summon thee, foul Mephistopheles!” and the enraged horned demon appears in a flash of fire and brimstone, don’t forget to add, “Thank you!”

DON’T expect them to bring wine or a hot dish.  Again, they’ve come a long way and can’t be expected to carry host gifts up from the abyss.  Also, demon food tends to be rotten and vermin-infested, so how badly did you really want that casserole, anyway?

DO remember to take pictures!  Remember, the only reason to do anything extraordinary in life is so you can brag to your friends on Facebook.  A picture of you and Beelzebub with his host of flesh-eating flies will totally shut up that one friend who’s always bragging about the time she met Colin Farrell on an airplane.

DON’T forget to banish!  If you don’t send that demon right back to Hell when you’re done, it may move onto your couch and stay there for months.  Demons don’t pay rent, they don’t do chores, and they never, ever give up control of the remote.  They will, however, watch home shopping channels twenty-four hours a day and max out your credit card to ordering useless knickknacks.  They won’t take subtle hints to go home, either, no matter how many you drop—you have to order them out.  Exercise your right to excorsize!

Following this list is sure to make your demonic encounter a more successful one!  When you summon horrific spirits from the fiery underworld into your living room, you don’t want it to ruin the rest of your weekend.

Enter below to win both these fabulous prizes that are pictured PLUS 

a signed copy of The Unseen!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

RELEASE DAY: A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand

Today is the day that Heather's first New Adult book A Risk Worth Taking is available for purchase!! This book looks incredible and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Keep on reading to find out more about A Risk Worth Taking, Heather & a sweet giveaway!

When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale. 
Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.
Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. 
Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy. 
When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

 Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays.
Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.

Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visitwww.accendopress.com.

Buy NOW on Amazon!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

COVER REVEAL {A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand}

Today is the day that Heather's new book is revealed to all of you guys! As you all know, I have been a huge fan of Heather's Dirty Blood series and I can't wait to dive into something new. A Risk Worth Taking is a New Adult tile that sounds fantastic. So, without further ado, I give you the cover for A Risk Worth Taking!

When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale.
Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.
Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations.
Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy.
When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

 Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays.

Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.

Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visit www.accendopress.com.

Website / Facebook / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter

How fantastic does that look and sound?! I absolutely can NOT wait to get my hands on a copy! In addition to this awesome cover reveal, Heather is doing a fantastic giveaway. One lucky winner can choose any 3 of Heather Hildenbrand's current titles to receive as ebooks. Be sure you enter, you don't want to miss out on this!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Blood Rule (Dirty Blood #4) by Heather Hildenbrand {Blog Tour}

Title: Blood Rule (Dirty Blood #4)
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Publisher: Accendo Press
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Source: Via the author for review.

Forty-six.That’s how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That’s how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that’s how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond.
Two days. Three Valium. Fourteen hours of sleep.That’s what it took to realize I wasn't losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head.
Sixteen.That’s how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That’s how many days I’ve sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to remember the exact shade of brown in his eyes.
Zero.That’s my chances of skating by with Gordon Steppe and the Hunter Council. They want me for questioning. I’m afraid what’ll happen if I give them answers.

Goodreads // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

First of all, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to read Blood Rule before it's release. I absolutely love this book series! Let me just say, I devoured the whole thing in a single sitting. It's that good!

We are, once again, reunited with Tara, Wes, George, Cambria & all the rest. (I won't name them all!) Tara has made her choice about the hybrids and is now paying the consequences. The world centers around Tara's hometown, so, of course by now, we all know what that is like. In Blood Rule they travel to a secret location. Literally, an invisible house. The way Heather described this house made it seem awesome. Can I please have an invisible house in the mountains?!

There is still a hint of the Wes/Alex love triangle going on. And I can feel Tara's struggle. Wes is amazing. Probably one of my fave book boyfriends, but there is just something about Alex. As much as I like Alex, I don't like him with Tara. But the more I read, the more I find my mind growing used to the idea, should it happen.

Two of my favorite characters are Tara's Mom and Grandmother. Granny is a badass! Always has been, Always will be. In Blood Rule, we finally get to see the hunter come out in Tara's mother. 3 generations of kick butt, werewolf hunting women? Yes please! And I have a feeling with the way Blood Rule ended, we'll be seeing more of badass mamma.

Which brings me to that ending! Heather, are you kidding me?! Come on! When I say cliffhanger, I'm talking 500 foot drop. Straight Down. To the ground. Now I have to wait (im)patiently for more!!

Blood Rule is non stop action straight from page one. I rarely read a book in one sitting but I literally could not put this down! I can not say this enough... Read the Dirty Blood Series. It is magical...

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was home schooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays.

Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.
Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visit www.accendopress.com.

Website // Facebook // Facebook Fan Page // Twitter // Goodreads // Newsletter

Be sure to check out all the other fantastic blogs on Heather's Blog Tour! You can find all kinds of cool posts from reviews, to interviews just by clicking HERE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More