{Guest Post by Meg Collett} The Angel in the Marble

Hey guys! I'm still on hiatus, but today I am excited to bring to you a guest post by Meg Collett, talking about her first book, The Hunted One, which will release January 14. So without further ado...here's Meg!

The Beginning...

I remember the exact day I started writing my debut novel, The Hunted One. It was Christmas Break in 2008. At the time I lived in Texas, where I went to Baylor University on an equestrian scholarship. I planned to fly home for the break, but the weather had delayed all the flights. Totally devastated, I drove back to my empty dorm. I was young, 18 years-old, and I just wanted to go home. My parents lived in Tennessee, so I was far from home, home-sick, and in desperate need of a hug. These feelings overwhelmed me until I pulled out an old composition notebook and started writing. 

I have no clue where the story came from or why, but out poured this paranoid schizophrenic young woman with a drug problem. Obviously, I am not a paranoid schizophrenic with a drug problem. But I took a sliver of the emotions I felt that day, and I pushed them to the rawest point possible in my story. Weirdly enough, it made me feel better, and I’ve been writing ever since.

Years and many, many rewrites later, The Hunted One was finally realized. My tortured young character grew into the Archangel Michaela (adapted from Michael). I always equate my writing journey to a quote by Michelangelo: 

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

That day in December when I was scared and alone, I had this huge block of rock in front of me with a story waiting inside. Years later, nearly five drafts abandoned, and three completely trashed books, I have finally found my angel. 

The Book:

Title: The Hunted One 

Author: Meg Collett

Series: End of Days, #1

Release Date: Jan 17, 2014

The fallen have trespassed into Heaven for the first time in eternity. Prepared for battle, Michaela and her Archangels open Heaven’s gates to confront the fallen. Only, Michaela’s Archangels—her brothers and sisters in Heaven—betray her. And when the fallen attack the sanctuary in the skies through the gates Michaela inadvertently left open, the holy angels accuse Michaela of planning the invasion.

One simple mistake with a thousand consequences.

Dragged to Earth by an Archangel turned fallen, Michaela will do anything to return to Heaven and save it. In her fervor, she kills the Archangel—something no angel has ever done before. Wingless, without any hope, Michaela welcomes death when an unlikely human ally, Clark, finds her. With the help of Clark and Gabriel, an innocent Archangel whose friendship deepens into something far more torrid and unexpected on Earth, Michaela must prove the holy angels have their own plan for Heaven, and it is one that may prove to be the End of the Days.

It may be too late to save herself, but Michaela is the only one who knows the truth about the holy angels. If she fails, she may never be able to return to Heaven. But even that may be a hopeless dream.

The Author:

Meg Collett lives deep in the hills of Tennessee where there the cell phone service is a blessing and internet is a myth of epic proportions. She is the mother of one giant horse named Elle and one giant dog named Wylla. Her husband is a saint for putting up with her ragtag life. End of Days is her first series, and trust her when she tells you that she hopes you enjoy it, because it has been a big pain in her #%&. Just kidding. Sort of. 

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Add The Hunted One to your 'to-read' on Goodreads!



Thank you so much Meg for being on the blog today! Doesn't her book sound AMAZING? Be sure to check it out when it releases in January!

The Shadow Cats {by Rae Carson}

Title: The Shadow Cats

Series: Fire and Thorns, 0.5

Author: Rae Carson

Purchase: Amazon; Barnes & Noble

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. And it was not Alodia.

Alodia is the crown princess of the realm. The sister who knows how to rule, and the one who is constantly reminded that she has not been marked for a grand destiny. But Alodia has plans, and she will be the greatest queen her people have ever known. So she travels--with her hopeless, naïve, chosen sister--to a distant part of their land, to begin to secure her supporters. This region needs its princesses, for it is plagued with a curse. The crops don't grow, the spring doesn't arrive, and a fierce jaguar stalks the shadows, leaving only empty homes splashed with blood behind. If Alodia can save them, no one will be able to deny her strength and her sovereignty.

But what she discovers could change the fate of her kingdom, if not her world. And it will most certainly change her opinion of her younger sister.

So I loved The Girl of Fire and Thorns. We didn't see much of Alodia, except for the fact that Elisa thought she hated her. And although Alodia wasn't the most likable character, I wanted to know more about her from her perspective. And that is what The Shadow Cats is, so of course I picked it up.

Alodia is the older sister, and crown princess. But her younger sister, Elisa, is the bearer of the Godstone. Because of this, Alodia feels cheated, overlooked, and rightly bitter. Alodia throws herself into kingdom, with plans to be the greatest queen ever, while Elisa sits around, naive and fat and hopeless (Alodia's thoughts, not mine). But everyone looks to Elisa, who is "destined" to do something great. Alodia, well, hates it.

This little novella was enough to give us insight to Alodia. She is bitter, yes, and it hard not to feel sorry for her, or at least understand where she is coming from. Even if you still don't like her, you respect her. Because she has worked so hard, only to be slighted. And no one can deny that Elisa was like that in the beginning, before the events of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. 

But during the events of this novella, Alodia starts to understand her sister. Starts to understand that maybe she was reading her wrong, not valuing her enough. She starts to see that maybe she was wrong about Elisa, that she is so much smarter and braver than Alodia ever gave her credit for. And the fact that Alodia is big enough to admit this is what makes her a better, and more likable, person.

Although Alodia may be proper to the point of being a snob, everything she does is for the good of the kingdom. She truly does want to be a better ruler. And it helps that she is a strong ruler, both physically and emotionally. She isn't a damsel in distress. Instead, as this story shows, she is able and willing to fight and defend herself and others. Being the crown princess, she could wait for someone else to do it, as it their job. But she is fully capable of taking care of herself and isn't afraid of anything.

I don't if this is completely vital plot-wise, if what happens is going to come back and be important in the later books. But although it isn't completely necessary to read, it does give insight into the sister's relationship. And although it is a short story, it is still full action and emotion, like one of her novels. Thsi will definitely leave you wanting more of this world.

Although I will say... does $2.99 for an ebook seem like a lot? Yes. Did I buy it (and the other two) anyway? Yes. I do love this story and the characters, and so although it hurt, I bought them. (The ebook library service my local library had didn't have them.) But what do you consider a reasonable price for an ebook? I just think of the fact that I have bought full books for less than that and cringe.

Rae Carson:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

{Blog Tour} Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf

Hey guys! Today I am happy to be part of the release week blitz for Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf! So without further ado...

The Book

Title: Unbreathable (Unbreathable, #1)

Author: Hafsah Laziaf

Publisher: Self

Release date: October 29, 2013

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy

One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often. 

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human.

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process. 

The race for Earth has begun.

Unbreathable is a tale of love, redemption, and sacrifice, and one girl's struggle to find her place in a world where she doesn't belong.

PURCHASE! Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Hafsah Laziaf was born on the east coast on a hot summer day in 1993, raised on the west coast and is now stuck in the middle – in Texas – with more books than she can read. She’s the designer behind IceyDesigns and the blogger behind IceyBooks.

UNBREATHABLE is her debut novel.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Now, characters can be what make or break a story, right? But what we are most interested in...are the love interests. Am I right? (I'm right.) SO today, I have the character profiles of Lissa's two love interests, Julian and Rowan

Julian

Age: 20
Height: 5’ 11”
Lung Type: Can breathe Jutaire’s air without consequence - too much oxygen deems dangerous
Inspired by: Perfection? 
Likes: Drawing, Earth, his mother, the color blue, Lissa
Dislikes: Power, Queen Rhea, Rowan, Gage

Since the death of his mother, all Julian has wanted is to join her. His grief from all that he has lost has led him to hurt himself. He’s broken in ways he doesn’t think can be fixed, and sees the world through a single lens, until it’s shattered by a few words Lissa says before thinking. He’s soft-hearted, cares for everyone but himself, and in the end, it nearly costs him his life.

Rowan

Age: 20
Height: 6’
Lung Type: Can only breathe the toxic air of Jutaire - full Jute
Inspired by: The Darkling (Shadow & Bone)
Likes: Power, attention, Lissa, Julian - even if he won’t admit it
Dislikes: Humans, Queen Rhea, anyone who stands in his way

Unlike Julian, Rowan’s grief has led him to hurt others and take revenge. The lines between good and evil are nonexistent in his eyes. As Julian’s half-brother, and twin in appearance, Rowan and Julian have identical needs, though their methods of acquiring them aren't as similar. Rowan’s desire for power and the need to be understood for who he is has blinded him to what is good and inclined him towards evil.

Giveaway details:

1^st place: a signed paperback copy of UNBREATHABLE (US)

2^nd place: an e-book of UNBREATHABLE (INT)

3^rd place: an UNBREATHABLE swag pack (US)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you for visiting! Definitely check out Unbreathable. I hope to have my review up soon, so check back!

November's Highly Anticpated

So although we have features like Waiting on Wednesday, some of those books can be way far off in the future. This feature highlights just a few releases that we are excited about this month. These can be reminders of books features on past WoW, or just newly featured altogether.

Books:

Champion by Marie Lu (Legend, #3) November 5, 2013

Love this series, and I love June and Day, so I can't wait for the series to conclude to find out what happens!

The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson (Fairy Tales #4) November 19, 2013

Love fairy tale retellings, so although Cinderella was never my fav, I can't wait to see how the author takes this one.

Pawn by Aimee Carter (Blackcoat Rebellion #1) November 26, 2013

Loved Aimee Carter's The Goddess Test series, and this one sounds so interesting!

Movies:

Ender's Game November 1, 2013

Yes, I realize the controversy surrounding this movie. In all honesty, I will probably not see it any time soon, just because I am actually terrible at going to see movies. In a year, I'll probably see it on DVD at the video store, and decide to rent it. But, guys, it looks so good. :/

The Book Thief November 8, 2013

Guys, I still haven't read the book. I know. I hope to soon. But doesn't the movie look amazing?

Catching Fire November 22, 2013

Guys it's Catching Fire do I need to say anything else OMG and we finally get to meet Finnick I can't wait aaaahhhh

Although I am not usually a movie person, I actually think this month is better in terms of movies coming out than books. But that may just be because of Catching Fire.

So what books or movies that come out this month are you excited about?