#ReadIndie Recap

It's time to wrap up the first annual (because I do believe this is going to become an annual event) #ReadIndie challenge! I hope all of you who participated had as much fun as I did!

For those of you who don't know, #ReadIndie was a challenge to review as many indie books as possible during the first two weeks of December. I hope you'll join us next year! 

Don't forget we still have a couple giveaways running, so get your entries in for The Bound Series by Stormy Smith and Never Never by Brianna Shrum while there's time!

CHALLENGE RECAP

Christina interviewed S. Usher Evans about her book The Island, Stormy Smith about Bound by Duty, and there was an interview with Brianna Shrum on Cornerfolds. Joanne Macgregor shared an excerpt of her book Recoil & Layla Hagen shared an excerpt of her newest book, Your Inescapable Love.

Of course what kind of review challenge would this have been without reviews? Here's a list of reviews that were done by our review team and challenge participants through December 15th (click to be taken to each review): 

(12/1) The Blazing Star (Du Livre)	(12/8) Copper Reign (Du Livre)
(12/1) The Road to Amazing (GJ Alvi)	(12/9) Crows on Heartstrings (Cat's Shelf)
(12/1) Colorblind (Midsummer Night's Read)	(12/9) The Chasm (Books & Prejudice)
(12/1) Dollars (Bookfever)	(12/9) Double Life (Cornerfolds)
(12/2) Veiled (Journey Through Fiction)	(12/9) Bossman (Rebel Mommy Book Blog)
(12/2) The Foxhole Court (Quite the Novel Idea)	(12/10) Puck (Bookfever)
(12/2) Trick (Cat's Shelf)	(12/11) Flash Gold (Bookfever)
(12/2) Bittersweet (Rebel Mommy Book Blog)	(12/11) Raising the Bar (Bookish Kiddo)
(12/2) Empath (Cornerfolds)	(12/12) Zia the Teenage Zombie (Read All the Things)
(12/3) An Exaltation of Larks (Bookfever)	(12/12) The Foxhole Court (Cat's Shelf)
(12/3) Labeled Love (Bookish Kiddo)	(12/12) Bound by Duty (Books & Prejudice)
(12/3) Your Irresistible Love (Cornerfolds)	(12/12) The Mistake (Rebel Mommy Book Blog)
(12/5) Anyone? (Read All the Things)	(12/12) Bound by Prophecy (Cornerfolds)
(12/5) Other Systems (The Bookavid)	(12/12) Mr. Match ((Un)conventional Bookviews)
(12/5) Foreshadowed (Quite the Novel Idea)	(12/14) Floor 21 (Read All the Things)
(12/5) The Human Cure (GJ Alvi)	(12/15) Timekeeper (The Bookavid)
(12/5) This Is What Goodbye... (Books & Prejudice)	(12/15) Scented (Bookish Kiddo)
(12/5) So Much More (Rebel Mommy Book Blog)	(12/15) The Foxhole Court (Midsummer Night's Read)
(12/5) Jackaby (Cornerfolds)	(12/15) Girl From Above (Bookfever)
(12/6) The Pawn (Bookfever)	(12/15) Floor 21 (Cornerfolds)
(12/7) Bound by Duty (Read All the Things)	(12/15) Fight or Flight (The Bookavid)
(12/8) Possess (Journey Through Fiction)	(12/15) Another Castle (Cat's Shelf)

Christina and I had a great time hosting the #ReadIndie Challenge and supporting some amazing indie authors! We can't wait to get started on next year's challenge! Want to participate? We'll have a sign-up post next year closer to the event. So keep an eye out for it!

#ReadIndie Book Review: Floor 21 by Jason Luthor

Title: Floor 21 (The Tower Legacy #1)
Author: Jason Luthor
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Kindle Press
Pages: 234
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As humanity lives out the remainder of its existence at the top of an isolated apartment tower, young Jackie dares to question Tower Authority and their ban on traveling into the tower's depths. Intelligent and unyielding, Jackie ventures into the shadows of the floors below. But will her strong will and refusal to be quiet—in a society whose greatest pride is hiding the past—bring understanding of how humanity became trapped in the tower she has always called home, or will it simply be her undoing?

One of my absolute favorite types of stories involves people who are confined to a community apart from whatever is out there. The Village and The Forest of Hands and Teeth come immediately to mind. I will be the first to admit the cover of Floor 21 is not what caught my attention - it was the synopsis. I read it and I HAD to know what was outside of the tower and why Jackie was stuck on the inside!

As you've probably figured out, Floor 21 is about a society of people that lives in a tower. It's extremely tall, extremely old, and it's entirely built on secrets. No one knows how far down it goes, only that things get worse the further people descend. For this reason, no one but a select few are allowed past a certain floor, which doesn't sit well with Jackie, who desperately wants answers.

This story is told in recorded journal entries, which was a little weird to read, but made me feel like I was really able to understand Jackie and her fears and motivations. I identified with Jackie very strongly and found it very easy to relate to her skeptical nature. While everyone around her blindly accepts that the tower is the only thing left in the world and their only means of survival, Jackie is determined to know all of the facts that no one wants to share.

Floor 21 has one of the creepiest atmospheres I've come across, especially for YA fiction. Between the mysterious Creep that has overtaken the lower levels of the tower and the creepy guys on the top floor, it was hard to catch a break. I was literally on the edge of my seat almost from page one! So let's talk about the Creep for a minute. It's some kind of almost muscular substance that reacts to emotions and basically eats people. I have no idea where it came from or what it is, but I have a feeling that that'll all be revealed in book two.

One thing I didn't love about this book is that it switches points of view pretty late. I do understand why the author chose to do this at the particular place where he did it, but it was somewhat jarring. Because of the journal entry format of the story I never felt really connected to any of the other characters, which made switching to another POV really weird. It certainly didn't ruin the story though - it's just something to be aware of!

When I was reading this I didn't realize it was a series. I was really confused the closer I got to the end wondering how in the world it could possibly be wrapped up so quickly. Well, IT COULDN'T and it ended on a major cliffhanger so now I'm dying to know what happens next! I can't say too much more about Floor 21 without spoilers, but suffice it to say it blew me away! This book is creepy and I adored the main character. I will definitely be continuing this series soon!

#ReadIndie Interview: Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum

Fun fact: I love Peter Pan retellings. More specifically I LOVE Captain Hook. Not Disney Hook, but the Hook from various other retellings, movies, and TV shows. Most specifically of all, Hook from Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum.

INTERVIEW WITH BRIANNA

> Describe Never Never in a word.

Magical.


> Peter Pan retellings have become really popular lately. What do you think it is that brings people back to that story over and over again?

I think Peter Pan is one of those stories that just encapsulates this particular magic and danger of childhood, and there is this combination there that EVERYONE can relate to in some way. It's this dark but also hopeful and childlike story that basically embodies magic.


> Never Never has such excellent worldbuilding. It's so vivid! Was there anything other than Peter Pan that inspired Neverland?

Thank you!! For Neverland, I mostly just sat around and thought for like 4 days haha, just coming up with weird, magical stuff. The nymphs did come from this glowing beach in the Maldives that I was totally mesmerized by.


> Peter was truly psychotic. Please tell me he's not based off a real person?

HA thank the lord, no. I basically just pulled out the darker elements from the book that adapters typically gloss over and emphasized those.


> How much research went into Never Never?

A LOT. Into the original story, and into England at the time, and what tiny references a young English boy would understand, the distance between Kensington Park and Eton College--it was just a TON of little details through every step.


> What were some of your favorite books growing up?

Oh man, let's see. I adored The Hobbit, Where the Red Fern Grows (don't ask me why; it's the saddest book ever), but the book that made me LOVE reading SE Hinton's The Outsiders. #StayGold


> How has your experience been working with a small press?

It's been good! I mean of course you have a smaller advance, lesser distribution, that kind of thing. But I still regularly to see my story in Barnes and Noble, and the editing and cover was fantastic, and yeah, it's been a good experience for me.


> Are you a pantser, a planner, or the hybrid plantser?

Hybrid absolutely. It COMPLETELY depends on the book; sometimes I plot a ton and sometimes I just say and see where it comes. For Never Never, I plotted out everything and actually wrote the last line before anything else.


> Where can we find you online?

My website: http://www.briannashrum.com
And Twitter: twitter.com/briannashrum
And Instagram: instagram.com/bchrumby

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Never Never
Author: Brianna R. Shrum
Publication Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 368
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My Review

James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child—at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does.

And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.

Except one.

FAN BOOK TRAILER

by YA Book Traveler

#ReadIndie Book Review: Double Life by S. Usher Evans

Title: Double Life
Author: S. Usher Evans
Publication Date: June 12, 2014
Publisher: S. Usher Evans
Pages: 244
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Piracy is a game. How much are you worth?

Since she was a little girl, everyone - from her father to the Great Creator himself - told Lyssa Peate the same thing: she's worthless. But when she becomes the pirate bounty hunter Razia, she can see the price tag on her own head. Employed by one of the four pirate syndicates, she uses bank transactions and her considerable wits to capture rival members. At least, she would be if Razia's boss ever gave her a chance. It's a man’s world, and all she’s allowed to hunt are purse snatchers while she languishes on probation.

To pay the bills, she's stuck in her old life as Lyssa, discovering and analyzing distant planets and selling them for cash. She's doing just enough to stay out of trouble, pretending to be continuing her father's mysterious research while away for long periods of time. Her slimy boss is always asking questions and even assigns one of her younger brothers, Vel, to intern with her. Already struggling to keep the balance between her double lives, she tries everything to rid herself of the kid...

...until the universal police mistake Lyssa’s intern for Razia's hostage.

Dr. Lyssandra Peate spends her days as a Deep Space Explorer, excavating planets and exploring the universe. Razia spends her free time as a bounty hunter, chasing down the most wanted pirates in the universe, while trying to avoid being captured herself. Lyssa comes from a large, prestigious family - full of people who hate her. Razia has no family. Lyssa leads a double life, and she is anxiously awaiting the day when she can become simply Razia.

I have now read at least part of every series written by S. Usher Evans, and I find it a little funny that her debut novel is the last one that I read. I wish I had picked it up sooner, because Double Life was a really fun ride. Piracy is literally a game in Razia's universe, with four major pirate webs vying for the top spot. Razia is the first (and only) female pirate, and she has to prove her worth time and time again before she is taken seriously.

I typically have a hard time connecting with a lot of female characters, but I did like Lyssa/Razia. Of course, there were times when she was stubborn and impulsive to the point of making very dumb decisions. Sometimes I wished she would just take a step back and think for a second before acting out whatever scheme she was cooking up. However, knowing what had happened to her throughout her life, I completely understood why she acted the way she did. The supporting characters were also amazing. I adored Vel and Sage and I really can't wait to see them more in the next book.

While I really enjoyed the story and characters of Double Life, there were some things that I did not fully understand. I am still a bit confused about how the pirate web system works. It's a very cool concept, but I don't have a good grasp of all the rules and intricacies of it. I was able to understand more and more as the story progressed, so hopefully that means I will be able to learn more about the pirate webs as I continue with the series. I also don't understand why Lyssa's family hated her so much. I am assuming that I will learn why as I keep reading, but for right now, they just seem like incredibly cruel people.

Overall, Double Life was a really fun ride that left me excited and wanting more. I can't wait to continue with the series and have all of my questions answered. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this story takes me!

#ReadIndie Excerpt & Giveaway: Recoil by Joanne Macgregor

Title: Recoil (Recoil Trilogy #1)
Author: Joanne Macgregor
Publication Date: May 14, 2016
Publisher: Joanne Macgregor
Pages: 258
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When a skilled gamer gets recruited as a sniper in the war against a terrorist-produced pandemic, she discovers there’s more than one enemy and more than one war. The Game is real.

Three years after a series of terrorist attacks flooded the US with a lethal plague, society has changed radically.

Sixteen year-old Jinxy James spends her days trapped at home – immersed in virtual reality, worrying about the plague and longing for freedom. Then she wins a war simulation game and is recruited into a top-secret organisation where talented teenagers are trained to become agents in the war on terror. Eager to escape her mother’s over-protectiveness and to serve her country, Jinxy enlists and becomes an expert sniper of infected mutant rats.

She’s immediately drawn to Quinn O’Riley, a charming and subversive intelligence analyst who knows more about the new order of government and society than he is telling. Then a shocking revelation forces Jinxy to make an impossible decision, and she risks losing everything.

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EXCERPT

We had just stopped at a traffic light when Leya pointed out of the window and said, “Look.”

We all turned to follow her gaze. At once, the driver checked the doors were locked, then reached for his phone to call in the sighting, relaying our exact GPS coordinates to the operator while we stared at the man clinging to the pole of a street light a few feet away from us. On the left side of his body, he was wearing exactly half of a stained, white personal protection suit, which looked like it had been torn vertically down the middle seam. His right side was completely naked.

“Ugh, gagnasty,” said Graham, swallowing hard. “Imagine what he smells like.”

The man’s lips were moving furiously. Was he literally talking to a lamp post? Then he banged his head against the pole. And again. Over and over he banged it, perhaps in time to the inner rhythm of some hallucinated music that only he could hear. The skin of his forehead split open, and blood ran down into his eyes and mouth and beard and dripped onto the remnants of the PPE suit and the skin of his chest.

Without warning, he turned and hurled himself at the van, banged on its sides and windows, and screamed loudly enough for us to hear it through the sealed windows and reinforced panels. His bulging eyes were wild, unseeing, and washed red with blood. His skin was stippled with the purple-red rash and blotched bruises of the disease. His swollen lips twisted and split open as he howled. Then he slammed his head against my window, and the driver cursed and pulled off at top speed. Immediately he called ahead for a decontamination and disinfectant squad to meet us at our destination.

“Effing rabid!” said Bruce, his face twisted with disgust.

I stared at the smear of blood on the window. It looked black against the tinted glass. My heart was thudding somewhere in the region of my throat, and I fought the urge to throw up.

“I’ve never seen a rabid before,” said Graham who looked, if possible, even paler than before.

“Don’t call him that. He’s a human being,” I said.

“Not anymore he isn’t,” said Bruce. “They should take them all out.” He mimed aiming a rifle out the window and taking a shot, his lips popping a sound.

“How can you say that?”

“What?” Bruce held up his hands. “It’s not like there’s a cure for rat fever. Might as well put them down and save them the suffering. We do it for rabid animals, why not people?”

“Put them down, dude? Really?” said Leya. She turned to face Bruce, or maybe she was turning her back on the window so she didn’t have to see the blood. “Talk about a mouth-fart.”

“They’re people. They have a right to compassion and proper treatment,” I said.

Bruce made a dismissive noise. “What treatment?”

“President Hawke said they’re making progress with developing a vaccine.”

“As fast as they isolate and study the virus, it mutates. My aunt is an epidemiologist at the CDC, and she told me it evolves in two ways: gradually through random mutation, and very rapidly as different strains of the virus. It can even swap genes inside a single animal or person. Nature is always one step ahead,” said Graham. He sounded almost smug.

“One day there’ll be a cure,” I said.

“One day in the next week?” Bruce mocked. “By then, that one will be dead.”

“He might live,” I said. It was extremely rare, but some survived the initial illness.

“You can’t call that living. Going blind and lying like a dead vegetable with your skin peeling off. Just existing for a few more months until pneumonia or rotting bedsores take you out. There’ll never be a cure for that kind of brain damage. Once they’ve gone rabid, there’s no coming back. They’re not human anymore, they’re oxygen thieves.”

“You’re wrong. That man is someone’s son, maybe someone’s father or husband or brother.”

“Not for long he isn’t,” said Bruce.

“For an average of thirteen days and two hours,” said Graham. He was picking bits of lint off his PPE suit.

“You don’t agree with him, do you?” I asked Leya.

“Mostly I just feel really sorry for them. And their families,” she said.

“Me too, it’s freaking tragic.”

“Well, of course I feel sorry for them. Everyone does,” said Bruce. “But I think we should rather use all the money we put into trying to treat them and keeping the survivors alive into research. You know, trying to find a cure, or come up with a vaccine or treatment that actually works. Or into fighting the terrs.”

I was only half-listening. I’d heard all the arguments before — or, at least, read them on online forums and discussion boards aflame with the debate. We never spoke about the plague at home. Whenever conversation approached the topic, even tangentially, Mom would change the subject or leave the room, clearly upset, so Robin and I had learned not to mention it in front of her.

“Hey Jinx,” Leya said to me, “you’re really upset. Big hug.” People didn’t give hugs anymore, they only said them.

“It’s just … It could be any one of us.”

“Huh, not if I can help it,” said Bruce.

“We’re here,” said Graham, and I turned to look out a window. One without a smear of deadly blood.

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#ReadIndie Audiobook Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

Title: Jackaby (Jackaby #1)
Author: William Ritter
Narrator: Nicola Barber
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
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“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

I have had my eye on Jackaby for over a year, at least. The cover is just gorgeous and the synopsis is intriguing. For some reason, though, I was scared to actually read it. I think part of it was that there's no romance, which is something I really prefer to have in my YA. I was also a little iffy about a book that was described as "Doctor Who meets Sherlock." Coming out on the other side, I am glad I read it, although it wasn't quite as incredible as I'd hoped it would be.

This isn't so much Jackaby's story as it is the story of Abigail Rook who is new to New Fiddleham and in immediate need of a job. She stumbles across Jackaby by accident and basically stumbles into becoming his assistant. I really enjoyed Abigail and found her to be a refreshingly normal heroine. She didn't have any super magical powers or amazing skills other than being an intelligent young woman, and I really enjoyed that after a long string of (admittedly incredible) fantasy novels.

I also really loved Jackaby! It is very obvious that he is essentially Sherlock Holmes, just with a little bit of a paranormal flair. However, I'm not entirely sure why he was compared to Doctor Who, unless it was just because of his personality. He did give off a strong Ten/Eleven vibe. That's really where the comparisons to Who end though and I'm not sure it's entirely fair for the synopsis to claim that similarity... Regardless, Jackaby was a fun character, although I've heard that he did get on some readers' nerves, and I can also understand that position. Personally, I loved his quirks and strangeness, but I'm also a huge fan of Ten! ;)

Jackaby and Abigail together were so much fun to read about! I loved the relationship between the two of them, platonic as it was. There was also a great cast of minor characters including a really interesting ghost and duck duo. Despite there being no -real- romance in this story, there was a teensy bit of romantic feelings thrown in for good measure and, although I'm not sure there was a real need for it, I did find it to be cute and believable.

The plot of Jackaby had a very whodunit atmosphere and it kind of felt like being in an episode of Scooby Doo, but with legit supernatural stuff instead of a guy in a mask. I really enjoyed this addition to the more classic Sherlock Holmes tales and did enjoy the way the fantastical elements were worked in, although it did make the whole read feel a little more silly than I might have expected from this kind of mystery. New Fiddleham also offered a fantastic atmosphere to the mystery.

Overall, I enjoyed Jackaby, although it isn't necessarily the kind of book I would usually read. One thing that I did find odd was that Abigail repeatedly described herself as an adult, all the other characters were adults, but this was a young adult novel. I think this may be the first time I've encountered a YA book with an all-adult cast. As I've said, it was a little more silly than what I would usually read, and it actually was a little slow in places, but the mystery was fun and every now and then I enjoy a lighter read.

#ReadIndie Review & Giveaway: Your Irresistible Love by Layla Hagen

Title: Your Irresistible Love (The Bennett Family #1) 
Author: Layla Hagen
Publication Date: January 15, 2016
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Pages: 326
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Sebastian Bennett is a determined man. It’s the secret behind the business empire he built from scratch. Under his rule, Bennett Enterprises dominates the jewelry industry. Despite being ruthless in his work, family comes first for him, and he’d do anything for his parents and eight siblings—even if they drive him crazy sometimes. . . like when they keep nagging him to get married already.

Sebastian doesn’t believe in love, until he brings in external marketing consultant Ava to oversee the next collection launch. She’s beautiful, funny, and just as stubborn as he is. Not only is he obsessed with her delicious curves, but he also finds himself willing to do anything to make her smile.
He’s determined to have Ava, even if she’s completely off limits.

Ava Lindt has one job to do at Bennett Enterprises: make the next collection launch unforgettable. Daydreaming about the hot CEO is definitely not on her to-do list. Neither is doing said CEO. The consultancy she works for has a strict policy—no fraternizing with clients. She won’t risk her job. Besides, Ava knows better than to trust men with her heart.

But their sizzling chemistry spirals into a deep connection that takes both of them by surprise. Sebastian blows through her defenses one sweet kiss and sinful touch at a time. When Ava’s time as a consultant in his company comes to an end, will Sebastian fight for the woman he loves or will he end up losing her?

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I have read two books by Layla Hagen in the last couple years and, although Withering Hope is forever my favorite by this author, I thoroughly enjoyed both! When I got a chance to read the first in her newest series, The Bennett Family, I expected no less than a great read! It is worth noting that the books in The Bennett Family series, like those in Hagen's Lost series, can be read as standalones or in order.

Your Irresistible Love is about Sebastian, a man who has created an incredibly successful business from the ground up, and Ava, the woman he has hired as his company's new marketing consultant. Ava is an independent woman working for a company with a strict no fraternization policy while Sebastian is not terribly interested in finding love, much to his family's dismay. Unfortunately for Ava and Sebastian, they are instantly attracted to each other and don't seem to be able to escape their chemistry.

I really enjoyed Ava and found her to be a fantastic, strong main character. I love it when female characters are already complete people before "the man" arrives. I also really liked Sebastian, although I had some problems with his Alpha Male antics at first, although he grew on me. Sebastian's greatest assets are his upbringing and family. These things allow him to be both confident and humble at the same time, which made for a love interest I did end up enjoying.

The romance between Ava and Sebastian was undeniably insta-love. Although I usually hate this, I was okay with it here just based on the fact that it's a standalone romance novel. I did like the forbidden romance feel that it had because of their work relationship and I really enjoyed the banter they shared. I also loved many of the other Bennets in the family who I'm sure we'll get to know more of in future installments!

Your Irresistible Love is an enjoyable, light-hearted romance that will definitely be loved by anyone who likes the genre! I would like to point out that, although this book is shelved several times as New Adult, I don't really feel like the characters fall into that age range. This is definitely adult romance. Overall, I did enjoy this and plan to continue reading Layla Hagen romance in the future!

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#ReadIndie Book Review: Empath by S. Usher Evans

Title: Empath
Author: S. Usher Evans
Publication Date: May 12, 2015
Publisher: Sun's Golden Ray Publishing
Pages: 244
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Lauren Dailey is in break-up hell.

Stuck between moving on and letting go, she puts on a brave face while crying herself to sleep at night. But when a mysterious voice promises escape from her sadness, she is suddenly transported to a new world. And in this place, the slightest touch pulls her out of her tortured emotions into the mind of another - an empath.

The villagers - sweet Aerona and her mischievous twins, wise Siors, and hunky Cefin - welcome her and the blessings her empath powers bring. But this world is not without its dangers. The Anghenfil, a fire-breathing monster, has haunted the village for decades, and has a taste for empaths. And that mysterious voice promising escape from sadness? It's sounding more like a whisper tinged with smoke and embers.

Can Lauren keep the monsters in the mountain and in her head at bay? Or will she succumb to the darkness like the empath before her...

Lauren Dailey has been having a rough couple of months. She has ended things with her boyfriend after realizing that he wasn't interested in marrying her. She is stuck in a boring, dead-end job. She keeps replaying her breakup in her head, wondering why she couldn't make it work. And worst of all, it seems that everyone around her is happily in love and rubbing it in her face. She feels like she has hit rock bottom...until she is transported to a different world with no running water and a dragon hiding in the mountains. Oh, and she's also an empath.

Anyone who has been through a breakup knows that it usually feels like the end of the world. And in a small sense, it is; it is the end of a big part of your life and it often comes as a shock to the system. Not quite as much of a shock as being transported to a new world and becoming an empath, however, as Lauren quickly learns. She has spent months after her breakup burying her feelings and pretending that she is ok. But now, suddenly, she cannot touch another living thing without being overwhelmed by an onslaught of emotion.

It took me a little while to connect to the characters in Empath, but I eventually grew to care about all of them. Sometimes I was so frustrated that Lauren wouldn't share her true feelings with people, but I understood her anxiety and was able to relate to her thought process. I have been there before - not giving people a chance to grow to love the real me because I assumed they wouldn't like me. I loved that Lauren was able to encounter other characters with the same fears, so she could learn that numerous people, no matter what walk of life or world they live in, struggle with the same worries and anxieties.

Empath was written as a response to a time in S. Usher Evans' life when she felt a lot like Lauren. The story comes across as very personal, but not like a diary entry. You can easily get lost in the adventure and dragon fighting, but you are still left with a wonderful and personal message. Anyone who has lived with anxiety or depression (whether related to a breakup or not) can empathize with Lauren's story. It is a lovely lesson in learning that sometimes you can admit that you aren't ok - and that is ok.

Empath is the sixth S. Usher Evans book that I have read. While I have truly enjoyed them all, Empath has now become my favorite. I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it as much as I did.

#ReadIndie Kickoff & Giveaway

Welcome to day one of #ReadIndie! This event is all about promoting indie authors and their work! If you haven't signed up for the challenge and you want to join in sharing your favorite indies, you can still sign up HERE!

For the next two weeks this blog is going to be totally taken over by independently published titles. We will be posting reviews, indie lists, and hosting several awesome giveaways! Make sure to check out my co-host Christina's blog, Books & Prejudice, for other fun stuff including exclusive interviews!

Christina and I have also recruited an amazing team of reviewers to help with this event! You can check out their blogs and indie reviews here over the next two weeks:

Amber @ Du Livre
AJ @ Read All the Things
Alma @ Journey Through Fiction

Bee @ Quite the Novel Idea
Cat @ Cat's Shelf
GJ @ GJ Alvi
Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog
Jessica & Olyvia @ A Midsummer Night's Read

Stephanie @ Bookfever

If you've already signed up for the challenge, thank you!! You will have a chance to gain extra entries in our giveaways for each indie review you post between today and December 16th. Please share your progress on Twitter using #ReadIndie!

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GIVEAWAY 

We're kicking off #ReadIndie with a bang by giving away books by two amazing indie authors: paperback copies of The Outlaw and Infected by Alan Janney, as well as paperbacks and eBooks of Just a Few Inches by Tara St. Pierre!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Free Copy of Book 1 

A masked vigilante stalks the streets of downtown Los Angeles, disrupting crime and creating havoc. After being spotted on security cameras and thrust into the national spotlight, he is pursued by both the media and powerful new enemies. Little does the world know the Outlaw is just High School junior Chase Jackson wearing a mask and hoping the beautiful brunette down the street notices.
 
 The Outlaw series, winner of the 2016 NIE Awards in Science Fiction
"Janney's pacing is excellent, as are the action sequences" - Kirkus Reviews
"The Outlaw shines" - San Fransisco Book Review
 
Book One of the must-read, young adult, super charged, paranormal (ish), adventure romance Outlaw Series.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes

All Carrie Roberts wants is to be a little bit smaller.

To fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. To look beautiful for her boyfriend, the school’s star basketball player. To keep his jealous ex-girlfriend, a rival cheerleader, away from him. And to be noticed by her classmates.

Exercising and dieting don’t work, but an advertisement for weight loss pills promises a quicker solution to her problem. As time runs out, she takes more than the recommended dose until she’s just a few inches slimmer. Heads turn when she arrives at the dance, and the wonderful night with her boyfriend is beyond what she dreamed it would be.

Days later, Carrie discovers that her body is changing in ways that should be impossible. While her doctor searches for a cure, she desperately turns to her friends and family for support. Everyone is noticing her now whether she likes it or not, and even the media is intrigued by her incredible story. Getting everything she once wanted has created new problems—problems that are growing more terrifying every day.

Because Carrie Roberts is shrinking.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#ReadIndie Challenge December 1st - 16th signup

Welcome to the first ever #ReadIndie challenge! This event was created to promote indie authors who we think are amazing! What is this challenge, you ask? #ReadIndie is a two week time span in December during which we will only be reviewing and promoting indie titles. My co-host for this event is Christina from Books & Prejudice! To help out with this #ReadIndie, Christina and I have also recruited a team of reviewers to help promote some amazing indie books!

THE REVIEW TEAM

Amber @ Du Livre
AJ @ Read All the Things
Alma @ Journey Through Fiction

Bee @ Quite the Novel Idea
Cat @ Cat's Shelf
GJ @ GJ Alvi
Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog
Jessica & Olyvia @ A Midsummer Night's Read

Stephanie @ Bookfever

THE CHALLENGE

So what is #ReadIndie all about? This isn't necessarily a read-a-thon. Instead, the challenge is simply to post indie reviews for two weeks in place of the reviews you would normally post. However, each review you post and link up will gain you an extra entry into an indie book giveaway! This is ALL about spreading the word about incredible authors who don't necessarily get the hype that they deserve.

THE RULES

• » Linkup to the blog or account where you will be reviewing. 
• » If you're using a blog, create a blog post linking back to this signup post and listing your goals.
• » Grab the button below and share.
• » Post indie book reviews between December 1st and 16th. 
• » You do not have to post indie reviews exclusively (but only indie reviews count toward the challenge). 
• » Books do NOT have to be read during the challenge dates, but that is when the reviews must be posted.
• » Titles must be from independent publishers. (i.e. not the big 5)
• » Link each review you post in the rafflecopter to gain entries. 
• » Giveaway will be international. (More details to come when challenge begins!) 
• » Include #ReadIndie in your review titles. (e.g. #ReadIndie Book Title by Author Name)
• » Tweet your progress using #ReadIndie.

THE PRIZES

(This list will continue to be updated as prizes are added!)

• » Amazon gift cards
• » Signed copies of Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum
• » Physical copies & eBooks of The Bound Series by Stormy Smith
• » Physical copies & eBooks of Recoil by Joanne Macgregor
• » Physical copies of The Outlaw Series books 1 & 2 by Alan Janney
• » Physical copies & eBooks of Just a Few Inches by Tara St. Pierre

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Link-Up

If you'd still like to join, just link your intro post in the comments below!