Showing posts with label resurrection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resurrection. Show all posts

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Review: Resurrection by A.M. Hargrove

Title: Resurrection
Author: A.M. Hargrove
Source: Won
Genre: Young Adult
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: Will contain spoilers from first book in series!

"Maddie knew she was dying. Her life started to flash before her. She had visions of running down the soccer field, scoring a goal, eating her mother’s yummy, homemade, sticky cinnamon rolls, standing in her foyer listening to the police tell her father that her mother had been killed in a car accident. Each vision was disturbingly clear—as if it was happening again."

Rayn Yarrister, the first-born son and Leader of The Guardians, has been imprisoned on Vesturon for breaking their most sacred of covenants. He is suddenly jolted by Maddie's telepathic pleas for help, as her life hangs in the balance. Can he alert The Guardians in time to save his soulmate? Or will he face his trial alone and broken without his one true love?

In Resurrection (Book 2), The Guardians of Vesturon are facing their biggest challenges as Earth is threatened by an invading species from a distant planet intent on destroying it for its resources. The Guardians, as protectors of the universe, have been assembled to defend not only Earth, but other vulnerable worlds as well. The Yarrister family is threatened by an unknown entity intent on discrediting them. Will they uncover this plot in time to save themselves from ruin? Will The Guardians succeed in stopping the Xanthians, or will Earth be invaded and ravaged by this marauding species?

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The sequel to Survival starts off exactly where it left off, with Maddie kidnapped again, injured and fighting for her life. The Guardians at the compound she was staying find her and save her. Once that ordeal is over, it’s time to find out how it happened. Weren’t they safe? Didn’t they have a shield up for protection to keep Maddie from going out too far? Soon they discover that somebody tapped into their security system. Now to find out who and why they would do such a thing.

The conflict of Rayn and his love for Maddie versus the life of a Guardian continues. A lot of people are against him falling for a human, but the people who spend time with Maddie think otherwise. They see how the two of them are with each other and know there is something deeper. By the time the trial arrives, everything comes together in a delicious twist that nobody expected.

Maddie grows up a lot more in this book than the first. She learns a lot about herself--maturing into a woman, one who knows what she wants and can fight on her own. Rayn is as loveable and wonderful as ever. All of his family are fantastic, especially in the way they respect and love Maddie as their own, even before she becomes part of the family. And the love between her and Rayn is just as great as ever. Even though they hit a rough patch, their love conquers all.

My only complaint (if it even IS one) is that there was so much contained in this one book. It was almost overwhelming at times, and once in awhile it went too fast through scenes. There were certain parts, like when Maddie goes to the Guardian Academy, that I would have liked to see expanded on a teeny bit. It could have been split into two books, but it’s kind of good in a way, not dragging on and on (like some series). So, even though I would like to have seen a little bit of expanding in certain spots, I’m glad it didn’t go on forever and get tedious or boring.

This continuation of The Guardians Of Vesturon series was as good as I hoped. The characters were enjoyable and sweet, the love story grew to amazing heights, and even though one story may have ended, a new one is beginning. Resurrection is a worthwhile sequel. A.M. Hargrove continues to keep me interested in the Guardians and their stories. The next book in the series is Determinant. Keep your eye out for that one, it is coming out very soon!


My Rating:

Very Good: Stay up late

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Excerpt from Survival by A.M. Hargrove and Giveaway of Resurrection!


I am participating in the blog tour for A.M. Hargrove's Survival! Check out the other blogs participating in this tour on the What's Your Story Book Tours website. Today you will get to read an excerpt from this novel AND get an opportunity to win an ebook copy of the sequel, Resurrection.


Survival by A.M. Hargrove
~Add it to your Goodreads shelf~

Currently available for FREE (so get your own copy today!):
~Barnes & Noble~ * ~Amazon~
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"Maybe I was caught between the two worlds. I was having serious trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality."

While on a backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, nineteen-year-old Maddie Pearce finds her world has been thrown into a vortex and is madly spinning toward the impossible. Abducted by a mad psychopath, Maddie narrowly escapes with her life. But that is only the beginning. Her mysterious rescuer introduces her to a world that Maddie has difficulty accepting as reality. Will this strikingly gorgeous stranger be the key to her future or will she return to her mundane world, scarred from her experience? Follow Maddie as she is forced to make difficult decisions that carry her to mysterious places.
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~EXCERPT from SURVIVAL

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I heard someone screaming, and I wanted it to stop. The noise reminded me of a wounded animal; it was ear-splitting and unnerving. It never occurred to me that I was the one producing the horrific noise.


Suddenly, the strangers moved aside to make way for another person. I became aware of someone touching my arms. Then came soothing words in a language I didn’t understand.


“Madeline, look at me!” he commanded.


I ignored him, still squirming and trying to free myself. I once again felt like a trapped animal.


Louder still he commanded, “Madeline, look at me! Look into my eyes!”


I was shaking my head from side to side, not wanting to see this person who held me prisoner.


I felt him firmly take my chin in his hand and once again command, “Madeline, I command you to look into my eyes!” He placed his hand on my forehead, and I felt the inability to ignore him. The fight in me simply fled.


Oddly, I felt peaceful and calm. I no longer felt the terror that had only moments before held me in its grip. Then, something else bizarre happened. I inhaled deeply, and my senses were filled with the most wonderful of fragrances. It was the forest of pines again—that delicious woodsy, earthy scent. I felt my nostrils flaring with the intensity of it. My curiosity had me now, so I dared allow myself to look at the person responsible for this tranquility.


I lifted my gaze, and my eyes locked onto an exceptionally tall boy. No, not a boy at all, or not like any of the boys with which I hung out. This was a man of the likes I’d never seen—an unbelievably amazing man.

His long and wavy thick black hair brushed the tops of his broad shoulders, and he had one long, thin braid hanging down past his chest, which looked strangely out of place. A lock of his hair hung down his forehead, and my fingers itched to brush it back in place.

His facial features looked like they had been drawn by a brilliant artist, and then molded to perfection by the most talented of sculptors. Everything was perfectly shaped, but his mouth was absurdly beautiful. His full and sensuous lips grabbed my attention and refused to release it. I suddenly had visions of touching them and… tasting them. Whatever was I thinking? I had never been affected by anyone like this… ever!



~*~*~*~

 
About the Author, A.M. Hargrove:
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One day on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodgeball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone and hit #4 on her speed dial.


“Hello.”
“Boss, is that you?”
“Why yes A. M., who else would be answering my phone?”
“Er… right. Well, I’m calling to let you know you can pick up my luxury Ford Focus at Starbucks near the interstate because I quit.”


A. M. hit the end button and speed dialed her husband.
“Hi yummy hubby, can you pick me up at Starbucks?”
“Sure honey bunny… having some car trouble?”
“Not at all. I need a ride because I just quit my job.”
“You WHAT?!”
“It’s time for a new career and I am going to be a very famous novelist.”


So began A. M. Hargrove’s career as a young adult paranormal romance author of self-published ebooks. 


Well, it didn’t happen exactly like that. The real story is that after years as a successful sales manager in the world of pharmaceuticals, her company was gobbled up by a larger one and her career came to a screeching halt. Always one to look at the glass as being half full, she took the job loss as an opportunity to forge down the path of her life-long dream– that of becoming a writer. Her series, The Guardians of Vesturon, centers around a family of six siblings and is a mix of humor, mystery, suspense and of course, love. Survival is her first book in the series and her second, Resurrection will be released in January 2012.
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Where you can find A.M. Hargrove online:


~GIVEAWAY~


Since you can snag a copy of Survival for FREE on Barnes & Noble and Amazon, I am pleased to offer ONE ebook copy of the sequel, Resurrection, to you! (Copy will be provided through the author via email.)

Rules:
1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open to international followers.
4. This contest runs from April 26th to May 2nd (ending at midnight).
5. Winner will be selected on May 3rd and notified via blog post announcement and email.

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER!