Guardians, Cephalopods & Zombies, oh my

I have three awesome tidbits for you today, plus a chance of prizes.

Happy Birthday to The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone

To celebrate, Pure Jonel Book Reviews is reviewing the book and hosting a giveaway in which you can win signed print copies, ebooks, bookmarks, a crystal, and a special surprise gift. You can meet Feather Stone at her blog, where she always has something interesting and entertaining to say. Also, digital versions of the book are only $2.99 until September 30.

This book will carry us over to the

Cephalopod Coffeehouse

where I'm breaking the rules, just a little bit.

I got sidetracked this month with preparing a novella for my very first venture into self-publishing (more on that in a bit), thus my reading time was crunched, so I hope you'll forgive that I'm going to go back to a different September 27th, exactly two years ago when I reviewed The Guardian's Wildchild.  Here's my Goodreads review of this story that still resonates with me. Click here to either join the coffeehouse or read about more great books.

I know this is going to sound totally cheesy, but truly, reading this book was a journey. Stone has a remarkable ability to draw readers into this world she's created. It's our world projected into a future that's lost the most beautiful part of being human. Really, what the protagonists are fighting for throughout the story is to bring this beauty back. 

It's hard for me to say whether this story was more character driven or plot driven - both are so strong. And the setting - most of it on a Navy ship out to sea - is fantastic. But I can say that my favorite part of the story was Sidney. She's a supernatural wild child, making her own set of rules but in the end wanting to do what's right. She's the classic heroine and yet unlike any main character I've ever read before. 

Okay, I have two favorite parts. My other favorite part was something I'm not sure I can quite describe, but I'll give it a shot. It was the author's ability to pull me right into the middle of a scene and feel the emotions. There are very few stories that have ever brought me to literal tears, and this is one of them. It wasn't even a climactic moment of the story, but I'd been so pulled into the scene, feeling what each of the characters were feeling and...yeah, I lost it. Twice. 

But that's not all!

If you have an extra few minutes, please pop over to Michael Di Gesu's blog for the reveal of the cover---designed by the fabulous Carol Oates at Custom Book Cover Designs---for my exciting and very mysterious new novella, which will be released on October 8 as a tricksy treat for Kindles everywhere.  And guess what? More chances of prizes because between now and the release day, I'm giving away 5 copies of my Zombie Fairy Tale, Hans & Greta. You can enter to win right here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway