#Juliana spink mills

[margueritegibson]

Heart Blade REVIEW (Juliana Spink Mills)

4 Stars. Heart Blade was a really fun book to read! The premise is really strong, the plot flows well, the characters are interesting, complex and engaging and most importantly, the ending was incredible! Plus, Arthurian Legend references FTW always and forever (Merlin fans unite!!). I'm going to start with the characters first. I loved reading about them and their emotional journeys, but (yes, unfortunately) this book did have one of my ultimate pet peeves and that is *drum roll* constantly changing multiple POV's!!!! *throws confetti* I really, really, really dislike multiple changing POV's, particularly in the first book and especially when random side characters get moments because I'm still grappling with the main cast and it just throws me out of the whole atmosphere of the plot. I liked the main cast - Del, Ash, Camille, Alex (should have been more of his chapters in my opinion!) and Rose (she missed out a little too, now that I think about it). They were great, especially the character arcs for Del, Ash and Camille, which were explored really well, and Rose had a fantastic arc too, but she was a little more on the backburner. This leads into my next point... The plot. Overall, very engaging and fun to read. The world of Heart Blade really gave me The Mortal Instruments vibes (they aren't the same, just one of those if you like this, then you'll like that circumstances... or maybe I've binge watched too much Shadowhunters?) though Heart Blade does feature multiple supernatural beings, an overriding law/ government body and then angel hunters to keep the peace. The first half of the book did leave me confused at times because: a) The information about the world thrown at me that I had to understand immediately and ended up with me being confused, although once the mythology was set-up, it was very well-formed and explained and... b) The CONSTANTLY CHANGING POV's!!!!!!! Since I couldn't get a grasp, and therefore a foundation, with one or two of the characters, because by the time I was getting their voice some else's chapter had started, the start felt jarring, as I kept on being thrown out of the world. Once I got past the halfway point, I knew all my characters, and the story hit its stride, heading towards an absolutely fantastic conclusion, I was fine and loving every moment, unable to tear myself away from the book, but yeah, the start is tough going to pick up all the lingo of the world/characters, so just a heads up! That all being said, I have to give the author a round of applause because even though she delves into several POV's, every single character is distinct and had a wonderfully unique voice. I didn't feel like I was reading the same person over and over, and as I got to know them, I liked reading multiple character's stories, so I never got bored, but yeah, it is just a pet peeve of mine. The little touches of romance were sweet and worked for me! I'm curious about what might happen between certain characters in the future. Also, the ending was absolutely brilliant, as when I turned the last page I thought "Wut? That's it?" and felt sad that the journey was over for now. There is so much left as mystery and intrigue and that just makes me want to find out even more in future books. So, will I be reading on? 100% yes! Would I recommend Heart Blade? Absolutely! Especially for The Mortal Instruments fans and with the mindset that this has multiple POV's, so what are you waiting for? Another fantastic read awaits! (Side note: isn't the cover gorgeous!!! *heart eyes*)

[weirdletter]

Gorgon: Stories of Emergence, edited by Sarah Read, Pantheon Magazine, 2019. Cover art by Daniele Serra, internal illustrations by Luke Spooner (Carrion House), info: amazon.com.

Many myths are stories of transformation, of emergence. The beginnings of new things—new creatures, new eras, new adventures. In myth, transformation can be empowering or punishing. A curse, or an ascendncy to great power—or both. Collected here are new myths, bew stories of transformation—the emergence of the best new voices in genre fiction. Enjoy, and be changed. Gorgon: Stories of Emergence contains 42 transformative stories spanning all genres from both emerging and new voices alike, with all new stories by Gwendolyn Kiste, Richard Thomas, Annie Neugebauer, Eden Royce, Beth Cato, D.A. Xiaolin Spires and more, and featuring 10 illustrations by Carrion House.

Contents: Editor’s note – Sarah Read Who are You? – Filip Wiltgren The Face God Gave – J. Ashley Smith Undone – Richard Thomas Psalms – Aimee Ogden Fit for the Wolves – Annie Neugebauer The Goddess of Birds and Wind – Alex Shvartsman Gods of Empty Places – A.T. Greenblatt The Boy Who Drowned – Duke Kimball Seen and Not Heard – Barbara A. Barnett Tips for How to Deal with Your Daughter When She’s Become a Monster – Gwendolyn Kiste An Illusion of Substance – C.M. Muller Iris and Chiaroscuro – Erin Robinson We Did All We Could for Them – Rebecca Ann Jordan Only the Mirrors Tell You – Rhonda Eikamp Bluebeard’s Surrender – Julie C. Day Burning Bright – Carina Bissett The Wallflowers – Lora Gray Swings and Suspension – D.A. Xiaolin Spires Amazon – Tori Cardenas A Quick Getaway – Sherri Cook Woosley The Queen’s Secret – H.L. Fullerton She Shells – Eden Royce Raven Hearts – Stephanie Herman Her Blood Like Rubies in the Ground – Eugenia Triantafyllou Edges of Love – G.D. Watry Discarded Skins – Steve Toase Abyssal – Lorraine Schein Bioluminescence – Maria Haskins Portrait of My Wife as a Boat – Samantha Murray Silvermouth – Doug Murano A Fish for Ophelia – Craig Wallwork Green – Sharon Jimenez Cold Burn – Shannon Connor Winward Down by the Weeping Shore – Natalia Theodoridou King Swan – Juliana Spink Mills Moth’s Wing in Spider’s Web – J.E. Bates Walls of Nigeria – Jeremy Szal Of Talons and Teeth – Brent Baldwin Awaken My Bones Old and New – Beth Cato Kq’ – Nicole Givens Kurtz The Scorching – Dan Rabarts Dark the Sky, Rust the Earth – Hal Y. Zhang

[autumn2may]

Then was The Middle Book Syndrome panel with Sharon Lee, Kenneth Rodgers Jr., Sarah Beth Durst, Juliana Spink Mills, modded by Fran Wilde. And it was so much fun! Part writing advice, part therapy session, all amazing! 😂🤣❤ (at Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt-JR9CgTBK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13z57gk1e6n6v

[mymillymollymo]

Distaff A Science Fiction Anthology by Female Writers - The Cover.

The Science Fiction Anthology, Distaff is due out in August 2019.

Distaff is an all female science fiction anthology. By all, we mean everything from concept to cover, the stories within are both written by and edited by women. It’s been an amazing project. Not only do I have a story in the science fiction anthology due out in August, but I also designed the cover.

  We all know how important a good cover is and I didn’t want to let the other authors down.

As a reviewer I’ve fallen in love with so much cover art but that wasn’t enough. My history in web design helped too. I know the role a cover plays in enticing a potential reader. it has to attract the eye, it has to stand out.

It’s harder to design an anthology cover. You’re not just working with one story. There is such a variation of styles in an anthology that it can be very tricky to capture the spirit, even if there is a theme.

As a reader, borrower and buyer of books the cover has a different call, it has to promise the reader something and implying what lies within.

There’s nothing shy and retiring about the stories in Distaff, nor it’s cover.

You can pre-order Distaff: A Science Fiction Anthology by female authors from Amazon, now, and save yourself some money at the same time and you can check out Distaff’s supporting website created by Juliana Spink Mills here. You’ll find information on all the talented authors I’m sharing space with there.

Distaff A Science Fiction Anthology by Female Writers – The Cover. was originally published on MillyMollyMo

[margueritegibson]

Most Anticipated Debut Author Reads of 2017!!!!!

2017 promises a lot of really fantastic new reads and releases, particularly from debut authors!! There are some books on this list I've been waiting for since this time last year, so I am more than ready to start reading. I order my most anticipated debut author list by release date (though, being super honest, Wintersong is my most anticipated debut author read of 2017, just saying).

Let's start!

Poison's Kiss (Breeana Shields) Released: 10th January, 2017.

A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves. This commercial YA fantasy is romantic and addictive like-- a poison kiss-- and will thrill fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya a poison maiden is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon. Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose. This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats

Really excited for this one. My copy is on its way and I'm looking forward to starting immediately.

 Wintersong (S. Jae-Jones) Releases: 7th February, 2017.

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell. All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns. But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts. Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.  

I've been talking/blogging/generally gushing about this book since early 2016, so to say I'm excited for this is the biggest understatement of the year. The second I get my hands on a copy, I'm doing nothing else but reading.

 Empress of a Thousand Skies (Rhoda Belleza) Releases: 7th February, 2017.

Empress Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne. Fugitive Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life. Madman With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy. A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.  

 Doesn't this book sound amazing? Gives me The Diabolic vibes, which I loved, plus isn't the cover just gorgeous!

 Gilded Cage (Vic James) Releases: 14th February, 2017.

Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved. Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. A girl thirsts for love and knowledge. Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price? A boy dreams of revolution. Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution. And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts. He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

 I just came across this book recently and it looks really interesting. Another early release for 2017.

 Heart Blade (Juliana Spink Mills) Releases: 14th February, 2017.

The Heart Blade will rise in light, or in darkness. Teenage half-demon Del Raven wears a promise in scarred letters upon her skin. Now, pressured to make her first kill and seal her demon nature forever, she flees her pack and forges a dangerous partnership with young angel-blood Ash. But Del isn't the only one on the run from the demons. For seventeen years the Guild of Saint Peter has done its best to hide orphan Rose, a key player in the centuries-old Heart Blade prophecy. The threads tangle, and soon Del, Ash and Rose find themselves in the crosshairs of an ancient war between demons and angels... and the hunt for a mythical weapon that could change the balance of power forever.

 Really looking forward to this one! Looks like a fun, interesting read.

 Daughter of the Pirate King (Tricia Levenseller) Releases: 28th February, 2017.

A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure. Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship. More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Pirates. That is really all I have to say about this book. Just like with Blackhearts last year, anything to do with pirates will interesting take my interest, so I'm looking forward to reading this one!

 Blood Rose Rebellion (Rosalyn Eves) Releases: 28th March, 2017.

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place. Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary. Her life might well be over. In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells. As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

 This is another book I've been looking forward to since early in 2016. Blood Rose Rebellion features everything I love in a good book - a fascinating setting, historical undertones, romance, action and mystery! Also, the author is running a fantastic preorder deal at the moment for a map print, signed bookplate and bookmark which you can check out HERE.

 The Traitor's Kiss (Erin Beaty) Releases: 9th May, 2017.

No Cover Yet!

An obstinate girl who will not be married. A soldier desperate to prove himself. A kingdom on the brink of war. With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them. As the girls' military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.

 This looks like a really intriguing read!

 Shimmer and Burn (Mary Taranta) Releases: 8th August, 2017.

To save her sister’s life, Faris must smuggle magic into a plague-ridden neighboring kingdom in this exciting and dangerous start to a brand-new fantasy duology. Faris grew up fighting to survive in the slums of Brindaigel while caring for her sister, Cadence. But when Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and is sold into slavery, Faris reluctantly agrees to a lucrative scheme to buy her back, inadvertently binding herself to the power-hungry Princess Bryn, who wants to steal her father’s throne. Now Faris must smuggle stolen magic into neighboring Avinea to incite its prince to alliance—magic that addicts in the war-torn country can sense in her blood and can steal with a touch. She and Bryn turn to a handsome traveling magician, North, who offers protection from Avinea’s many dangers, but he cannot save Faris from Bryn’s cruelty as she leverages Cadence’s freedom to force Faris to do anything—or kill anyone—she asks. Yet Faris is as fierce as Bryn, and even as she finds herself falling for North, she develops schemes of her own. With the fate of kingdoms at stake, Faris, Bryn, and North maneuver through a dangerous game of magical and political machinations, where lives can be destroyed—or saved—with only a touch.

 THIS. BOOK. SOUNDS. AMAZING. Oh, and the cover - sooooooooooo pretty. Also, a handsome magician you say, well, that can only end well.

Wicked Like a Wildfire (Lana Popovic) Releases: 15th August, 2017.

All the women in Iris and Malina's family are born with a gleam—a unique way of manipulating beauty through magic. Seventeen-year-old Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, her twin sister Malina interprets moods as music, and their cold, distant mother Jasmina bakes scenery into decadent treats at her confectionery in Old Town Cattaro, Montenegro. Jasmina forbids Iris and Malina to share their gleams with anyone, and above all, she forbids them to fall in love—being discovered could shatter the quiet lives they’ve built in their tucked-away, seaside town. But Iris and Malina are tired of abiding by their mother’s rules and rebel in secret whenever they can. Yet when a mysterious, white-haired woman attacks their mother and leaves her hovering between life and death, the sisters unearth an ancient curse that haunts their line—a wicked bargain that masquerades as a blessing, and binds the twins’ fates—and hearts—to a force larger than life. To save each other, they must untangle a thousand years of lies and reveal their own hurtful secrets. But even the deepest sacrifice might not be enough. Wicked Like a Wildfire is the first book in a sumptuous, bewitching duology about the power of love, death, magic, and the many faces of beauty.

 I am not going to dance around it - it is the gorgeous cover that first drew my eye. Then I read the synopsis and I was 100% sold. This book sounds amazing!

 Mirage (Somaiya Daud) Releases: 6th November, 2017.

No Cover Yet!

A YA fantasy/SF trilogy inspired by the author's Moroccan background, in which a poor girl from an isolated moon must become the body double to the cruel imperial princess, and learns that life in the royal palace is far more dangerous and complicated than she imagined. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2017.      

 Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! This book sounds incredible!!!!!!!!! Another book giving me The Diabolic vibes. I really love the body double/ secret life stories and then perhaps there may be some awesome romance.

 Those are the books that have caught my attention at the moment, but 2017 is young, so I'll probably be coming across many more amazing debut author reads later in the year. I might even do a mid-year most anticipated list, as many of these books release in the first three months of 2017.

[margueritegibson]

I can't help myself, I have to keep on spreading the cover love for this gorgeous book! Merilliza Chan has done it again (you know, the same amazingly talented artist who created all the beautifully stunning Air Awakens covers, plus also Orphans of Tarnalin). Anyway, Heart Blade is by Juliana Spink Mills and releases on Valentine's Day. Interested? Here is the synopsis:

The Heart Blade will rise in light, or in darkness. Teenage half-demon Del Raven wears a promise in scarred letters upon her skin. Now, pressured to make her first kill and seal her demon nature forever, she flees her pack and forges a dangerous partnership with young angel-blood Ash. But Del isn't the only one on the run from the demons. For seventeen years the Guild of Saint Peter has done its best to hide orphan Rose, a key player in the centuries-old Heart Blade prophecy. The threads tangle, and soon Del, Ash and Rose find themselves in the crosshairs of an ancient war between demons and angels... and the hunt for a mythical weapon that could change the balance of power forever.

You want to read it, don't you? I would pre-order now, because on Amazon it is only a dollar in the U.S and 1.40 or so in Australia, so as you can guess, I've already pre-ordered! If you want a paperback, it becomes available for order on release day, so just wait until then! :)