*TBT Review* "The Soul's Mark: FOUND" by Ashley Stoyanoff!

Hiya peeps! As if I'm not reviewing enough already, I'm going back to doing TBT Reviews! These posts are for books I've reviewed in years past, but want to re-visit, because you may like it!

Check out this book I originally reviewed/published on October 9th, 2013.

The Soul's Mark: Found

~Author: Ashley Stoyanoff

~Released: July 20, 2012

~Length: 274 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, New Adult Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Goodreads

Amazon

Anxious to leave her destructive past behind, Amelia Caldwell moves to Willowberg, excited for a fresh start. Once there, she discovers that her birthmark is more than it seems. She has been marked by a vampire's soul. Not only does she hold his soul, but Amelia is also his soulmate.

After almost a century of searching for his soulmate, Mitchell Lang fears the worst—he is going to lose Amelia to another man. His heart takes over, and his impulsive decision to take away her free will and to intensify their bond quickly turns her growing love into hate.

When they become trapped in the emotional rollercoaster of their souls' bond, open conflict erupts. Amelia has no intentions of belonging to anyone, not even her soulmate, and Mitchell refuses to let her go.

While she frantically searches for a way to escape his grasp, Amelia unlocks the painful memories of her past and uncovers a powerful secret. But before she has a chance to explore her newfound edge, she finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly game of revenge and is forced to realize that YOU CANNOT RUN FROM DESTINY.

Blog Update

Hiya peeps! I've got a blog post update for you all, and I'm excited!

When I started Desert Rose Reviews, I hadn't intended for it to be a book blog. I just wanted to share my reviews of stuff, as suggested by a friend to help boost my confidence, and get me out of my shell a bit. 

I had set it up to review everything, not necessarily to be book focused. When I stared it though, I had recently re-discovered my love for books, and was spending most of my time reading. Therefore, my posts were about reviewing books.

I adore this blog, and it's going to keep going! However, I am making some changes.

I'm ready to expand the kinds of reviews I post though, and still want to use this blog to do that. I want to review books, movies, music, food, places, jewelry, clothes, products - anything I can!

Still, I do adore books. They are a huge part of my life, and I love promoting books and authors! So, I've made a second blog, that is specifically a book blog! I'm so stoked!!

Desert Rose Word Candy

I hope you'll follow that blog and keep up with my book posts. It'll basically be the same stuff I post here, but even more, as I'd like to delve further into the book world...again.

I do hope you'll stick around here though, especially if you have multiple interests, like I do! I'll be reviewing a bunch of stuff, and sharing them all right here.

Thanks a ton for your support, and I hope to see you in future posts! =D

Ciao for now,

~Rose

@Desert Rose

Do You Review?

Hiya peeps! I'm sharing a blog post from my author blog today, cuz more exposure and self-promotion and all that. Ah, indie author life. =P

Anyway, basically this is a request to reviewers. I don't currently have spare time to email awesome-sauce reviewers one-on-one, or even compile a mailing list. So, for the moment, I am compromising by posting some quick blog posts, instead of doing nothing.

I have helped indie authors promote their books for years, but you never really know how difficult it is until you become an indie author yourself! I've always held a lot of respect for indie peeps, but that's gone to a whole new level the past year and a half, that's for sure.

So, from this blogger-turned-indie-author, I'd love to connect with some reviewers! If you would be interested in reviewing any of my books, I would appreciate it greatly!!

The first book in my YA Adventure series is currently FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. If it sounds interesting, please consider picking up a copy and leaving a review once you've finished - I would appreciate it!

Second, and probably at this point, more importantly, is my stand-alone NA contemporary novel. It has no reviews!! I published it quickly in December, and haven't been able to promote it much, which is totally my fault, but yikes! I've had several people read it, but I'm not getting any reviews on it yet.

If you would like to review that one, I have it up on Instafreebie here, and it's also available on Kindle Unlimited. I would adore some reviews for that one, as I don't even know if it's any good yet! No one has told me anything! Gah! If it sounds interesting, please consider reading and reviewing it.

I'm hoping to get some better promotions going this Summer, but my family is currently in a transition that's taking far longer than it was supposed to, and I'm simply treading water trying to keep from drowning til that's finished.

If you wouldn't mind helping a girl out, I would appreciate it so much. It's difficult to ask for help, or put your stuff out there, so hopefully this didn't come off too pushy!

Also, if you have any suggestions on how to promote and publicize books as an indie author, I'm always on the look out for great ideas!

Either way, thanks for the support, and for checking out my blog. Hope you have a fantastic week! =D

*New Release!*"Prae Lium" by Roze Wallin (ME!!)

Hiya guys! Doing some self-pimping today!

I'm going to be releasing "Prae Lium" on Amazon and Barnes & Noble on Monday!! This will the the final installment of my Swirling Secrets Trilogy.

I'm so excited to be finishing this series up. It's been an amazing journey, and I can't really believe it's finished already.

I loved writing this series, and I hope you guys love reading it!

"Prae Lium" is available RIGHT NOW on Amazon! You can pre-order a Kindle copy, and it'll be delivered to you on Monday!

The paperback edition should be available next week as well, assuming everything goes well with the proof copy. ;)

Check it out, and please add it to your TBR list if it looks interesting!

~Released: October 3rd, 2016

~Length: 224 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, New Adult, Paranormal

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Fate is stitching two sides of a vicious war together, using love.

Magnhild, is no longer a freak. Blossomed from an awkward duckling, into a radiant swan, she finds her place. The only question now is, can she survive it?

Everything changes, a brutal war explodes, and loved ones are lost.

Who will survive to lead the world? It's the Desi Pere vs. the Sospi Tare, and the fight will shake the fabric of reality.

No matter the outcome, one thing is certain: our fragile world, will never be the same.

Thanks so much guys! Please share this series with anyone you think would enjoy it, I would really appreciate it! =D

Swirling Secrets #2 is out!! Whoot!

Cue happy dance!

I'm so excited that it's finally out, and to be honest, it's all still a bit surreal to me. I'm still processing the fact I published the first book at all. O.O 

(I take a while to process things lol)

At the moment, it's available for Kindle on Amazon. I'm planning to have it available in print copy by the end of the month, hopefully within the next couple of weeks.

I'm also adding it to Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords! Those will also be up by the end up by the end of the month.

Check it out!!

Sospi Tare

Swirling Secrets, #2

~Author: Roze Wallin

~Released: June 2nd, 2016

~Length: 285 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Adventure

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Magnhild, is still a freak.

It's much easier to be a freak, however, if you are able to be confident in who you are. Magnhild has found the path to confidence and finding herself, with the help of her friends.

While the Sospi Tare are persistently attacked, Magnhild struggles to find her strength, and keep her new family safe.

Some questions are answered, while shadows grow darker, and more secrets arise.

Will she learn to harness her powers in time, or will she fall prey to her past, and the Desi Pere?

Be sure to add it to your list, and let me know what you think!

If you like it, tell your friends!! =D

"Star Path" by Joshua Tate! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.
Originally published May 11th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

~Published: February 18th, 2013

~Length: 135 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi

Goodreads
Shelfari
Amazon

Dren Samuel has never left his planet before and is on his way to Draden, a boarding school for geniuses. His world is turned upside down when he and his three new friends are kidnapped for their minds’ potential.

After their transport vessel crashes, the teens struggle to stay alive and figure out why they’re so important to the men that desperately pursue them.

The journey home takes them to far away planets battling monstrous creatures and ruthless men who will stop at nothing to get what they want – a chance to own the future.

FREE Promo for "Desi Pere" by Roze Wallin!

Hiya guys! Happy Monday!

I'm excited today, because Desi Pere is FREE for three days! =D

Be sure to pick up your copy, and tell your friends!

Release Day!!

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!!

Desi Pere is finally released! Eek!!

Feel free to add it on Goodreads, or get it on Amazon!

"Soul Cutter" by Lexa Cain! *Review & Spotlight*

Hiya guys! I'm so excited, I've actually had a little bit of spare reading time lately! Yay! 

I've got a really cool book to share with you guys today, one that's been on my list to review for far too long. I've started it probably five different times, and finally got the chance to finish it this month! Whoot!

I really enjoyed it, and hope you do too! Check it out!

~Released: December 6th, 2013

~Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

~Length: 300 Pages

~Parent's Guide: PG-13

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Horror, Fantasy

Goodreads

Amazon

The Soul Cutter is hunting again.

Seventeen-year-old Élan spends her free time videoing psychic scams and outing them online. Skepticism makes life safe—all the ghosts Élan encounters are fakes. When her estranged mother disappears from a film shoot in Egypt, Élan puts her medium-busting activities on hold and joins the search.

In Egypt, the superstitious film crew sucks at finding her mom. When a hotel guest is killed, whispers start—the locals think their legendary Soul Cutter has come back from the dead. Élan's only ally is Ramsey, a film-crew intern, but he’s arrogant, stubborn—and hiding dangerous secrets.

When Élan discovers the Soul Cutter is no scam, she finds herself locked in a deadly battle against a supernatural killer with more than her mother’s life at stake.

Élan is fighting for her very soul.

Shelfari + Goodreads = Tears

Hiya guys, how are you?

If you're a fan/user/member of Shelfari, then you've most likely heard the latest news. Shelfari will be no more, as of March 16th-ish.

 

Why? Well, Amazon bought/acquired Shelfari several years ago, and in recent years, got Goodreads under their umbrella as well. Since they have two sites which, in their eyes, do the same thing and offer the same services, they're dropping one. Of course, since Shelfari isn't nearly as popular, mainly with authors, they're dropping it, and focusing solely on Goodreads.

There are several pros and cons to this move, many of which relate to the people who use the group features. Most everyone I've heard compare over the years, agree that Shelfari's group setup is far superior to the Goodreads options, and therefore, much more social. Goodreads almost has a Facebook-wannabe feel, with their status updates and "liking" everything. Shelfari was more like the old-school Myspace or online groups, most of which are now also obsolete.

So, I'm curious - what do you think of this "merge" or really, dropping of Shelfari? Are you excited? Will you move from Shelfari to Goodreads, or are you going to be moving to another site altogether, perhaps one not currently owned by Amazon...yet?

There seem to be three other book-related sites that are popular enough to be staying afloat under Goodreads' shadow: Leafmarks, LibraryThing, and BookLikes. I'm a member of all three, and have to say, if given enough attention, any of them could become awesome!

I'm curious to see what happens this Spring and Summer as those of us who used and love Shelfari deal with the withdrawals.

In the end, we'll all move on, I'm sure. We'll miss Shelfari (those of us who use it), but we'll find other areas to share our book love.

Be sure to let us know your thoughts!

P.S. If you haven't done so already, be sure to move your books over to Goodreads (if you're planning to use their site), so you don't loose your work!

Tour Invite for Desi Pere!!

Hiya everybody, hope your week is going well! Mine is so far, fingers crossed.

I'm excited today, because I'm sharing my tour signup link! =D I'm running a release tour in February, and am so excited! It's nothing fancy, just a bit of fun to celebrate releasing my first book =)

I'd love to have anyone interested sign up to host. I'm offering ARC reviews, as well as promo posts. I'll send out excerpts, a playlist and soundtrack, do interviews & guest posts, and basically anything else you can think of!

Please check it out below, and sign up if you have time!

Desi Pere

(Swirling Secrets, #1)

~Releasing: February 1st, 2016

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal

Goodreads

Magnhild, is a freak. From her name, right down to the naturally bizarre visage she can't seem to get rid of- she's an odd duck. 

Her life has taken a swirling plunge into the drain the past few months, but it's nothing compared to what's coming. All she wants is to finish school, and start over somewhere fun. Fate, has other plans. 

Enter the Desi Pere underground organization, and three of it's loyal members: They've enlisted Magnhild's cooperation, whether she likes it or not. They mean to exploit her superhuman gifts, ones she didn't think anyone knew about. Overnight, she's dragged into a world, and a war, the normal world doesn't even know exist. The bait: reuniting her with her mother, who's supposed to be dead. 

Danger, confusion, deception, and self-loathing fog each decision Magnhild faces. She desperately hopes to find her mother, and bring meaning to her past of abuse and isolation. 

Will she see through the web society has spun around her, or fall captive to century-old lies? In her search for the truth, she discovers she cannot find what she seeks, without first becoming herself, accepting her inner strength, and embracing her bizarre life...

Sign Up Today!!

Thank you so much! I can't wait to see what readers think of this book. More than that though, I can't wait to keep working on the sequel! Writing is so much fun!! =D

If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate if you'd share this sign up invite with your friends - the more people joining the fun, the better! Thanks!! =D

I hope you have a fantastic week!

Ciao for now,

~Roze

Cover Reveal Invite!

Hiya everybody! Hope you're doing amazing!

First off, I want to say how grateful we are to all of you! The support and enthusiasm you guys continue to show us is amazing, and we love you all for it! We plan to grow a lot this next year, and hope you'll all stick with us!

We're getting ready to say goodbye to 2015, and welcome 2016 with a bang! I'm so excited for this next year, especially for the first couple of months. I'm going to be releasing my debut novel, Desi Pere! It's the first book of the Young Adult Paranormal adventure, Swirling Secrets.

I've designed the cover myself, and am organizing a cover reveal for January 11th! I'd love to add anyone who'd like to participate - the more the merrier! =D

To sign up, please fill out this form.

I can't wait to share the official cover with you guys!

I'll have more info about the awesome Release Tour after the New Year.

Now, onto welcoming 2016! I hope you have a wonderful last day of the year!

Tons of love!

~Rose & Ken
@Desert Rose

Merry Christmas!!

We hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas!

In our family, we celebrate Christmas until after New Years. Why stop now, this season rocks! =D

If the Christmas celebration ends for you after today, we hope it was awesome for you, and hope the rest of December is smooth sailing!

What are you plans for the next week? Any ideas on how to end the year? We always like to try and go out with a bang! =D

One more week for 2015 - we hope it's marvelous!

Thanks for all your support, and for being so awesome!

~Rose & Ken
@Desert Rose

Holiday Update!

Hiya guys! Happy Christmas Eve Eve ;)  Hope you're all enjoying your holiday so far! =D

I wanted to write an update post real quick, to let everyone know what I'm up to at the moment. As most of you know, and can see from the note on the left sidebar, we are super backed up on reviews. I literally still have requests from last year I haven't gotten a chance to complete, which makes me cringe to admit.

I keep expecting and hoping that life will ease back up, and allow me to read more again. It's not. While I'm modifying my schedule to fit in more reading, it's still slow-going. With my own book due for publishing soon, I'm going to have even more reading time lost. #juggling #balancing

So, I figured the best thing to do, for now, is write temporary reviews/updates for the books I've started, and have a somewhat comfortable feel for. I've started reading several books, and simply haven't been able to finish them, which so sucks! Isn't that the most irritating feeling? Ugh.

So, I'm going to be sharing several posts in the coming weeks, for books I've started & enjoyed. Once I'm able to finish the books - and I will finish them all - I'll update each review accordingly. I'm hoping to get my list at least cut in half by New Years, fingers crossed.

I am hoping the authors that end up with a temp review from me are alright with that. I know if it was my book, I'd rather that, just so I know the reviewer doesn't hate it, or I'm getting jipped or something. I certainly don't want anyone thinking of Desert Rose as unreliable, and I think this is the best way to avoid that.

So, if you're an author and you believe you have a review pending from us, hopefully you'll get an updated review soon! I won't be posting negative reviews for this type of temp update, since that's not really fair. The few I've put up already have been positive, and it's so nice to at least have something there, haha.

I'm still crossing my fingers that I'll have more time to read next year, but starting two businesses and publishing a new series is time consuming. Not holding my breath, but keeping my digits crossed ;)

I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday, and enjoying Winter so far!

I am curious - have any other authors or bloggers had to do the temp review thing? I've seen others who have, but I'm curious how it went, for those who've been in a similar situation?  Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for visiting & reading. Please feel free to share this post with your friends! =D

Ciao for now,

~Rose