Saturday, March 28, 2015

Review: Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
Goodreads Book Profile 
Published: December 2014
ARC via Netgalley

Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?




Of Beast and Beauty was good. Princess of Thorns was better.

From the author of the Beauty and the Beast retelling comes a jaw-dropping, girl power (ish?) and cross-dressing gift of a novel. The cross dressing? To save her bother and get men to see her as something other than to marry. The girl power? Because she’s stopping at nothing and proving that hells to the yes she’s just as strong as a man. Jaw dropping? Because they’re fighting and humanity and immortality and darkness and a guy who is not book boyfriend material but totally you need to be my best friend now right after I hit you with a frying pan for how you objectify women. You know what I mean? Who know I could actually like a guy who objectifies woman. If I ignore the objectify thing. (Don’t worry y’all. Our main girl totally shows him what’s up.) So what was this book about in my own words?

This book was about a quest to save the world, to find one’s self, and to maybe try real hard not to fall in love with a boy (who has a swan issue) who is intent on marrying her, although he doesn’t know that she is her. Confused yet? Overall, it’s about empowerment and hope and what it means to save a life. This Sleeping Beauty (Grimm version, of course) sequel follows the beauty’s daughter, Aurora. Her mother killed herself to grant Aurora her fairy gifts. Her gifts make her fierce, brave, strong and compassionate. It also has the unfortunate pattern of sending anyone she kisses into being completely and utterly under her control. This part of her gifts, Aurora hate. Set out to find her brother who’s been captured by the evil queen she runs into Prince Niklaas who becomes her side kick. A sexist, amusing, pig of a side kick. He’s also cursed to turn into a swan like his eleven brothers before him if he doesn’t marry. (YAY FOR FAIRY TALES)

Onto what I think. I adore the relationship that Niklaas and Ror have before he knows that she is, in fact, not male. They’re like two brother and friends and partners in crime and their conversations are some that I’m pretty sure that I’ve had with some of my friends before.  The characters are well formed. For example, Ror eats like a man and pretty much acts like one and only most of it is part of her disguise. She’ll do anything for the one’s she loves. She is capable of making mistakes and recognizing them and learning from them. I hate it when a character doesn’t acknowledge their mistakes. Makes me feel a bit stabby. She’s just so freaking noble.

I’ve already destroyed one strong, clever, beautiful boy. I won’t destroy another” (ARC).

And then some of the things that the princy dude says. . .

“ “And sometimes we’re the ones who do the breaking”, I say, cutting off her protest, “But that’s what searching for love is like. You keep pushing on, breaking and being broken, until you find the person you want to hold safe, the only one who knows how to keep you in one piece” “ (ARC).


I guess my main point in this is that this is a book worth reading. Keep your expectations even and wait till the last fight. The last fight is totally the most kick-ass.


Quick note. Any of y'all heard I Wanna Be Your Man by Endeverafter? It's basically the Prince's theme song through the majority of the novel. If not, the songs awesome. Go forth and listen. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

ARC Review: Dating Down by Stefanie Lyons

Dating Down by Stefanie Lyons
Goodreads / Amazon /  
Publsihed: April 8, 2015
Review Copy Via NetGalley + Publisher

Summary 

When a good girl falls for a bad boy

She thought she loved him. She thought she could change him. She thought if she just believed in him enough, his cheating and his drugs and his lying would stop, and she'd be his and he'd be hers and they'd love each other forever.

But for Samantha Henderson, X-the boy she will not name-is trouble. He's older, edgier, bohemian . . . and when he starts paying attention to Sam, she can't resist him. Samantha's family and friends try to warn her, but still she stays with him, risking her future and everything that really matters.


As moody and vivid as it is captivating, Dating Down is told in scenes and bursts of poetry that create a story filled with hurt, healing, and hope.


DNF at 38%

What I expected: I freaking love the whole lyrical writing style and poetry (oh lord I freaking love poetry) and romance. Especially romance that shouldn’t be or has something seriously messed up about it. I mean hello? Who doesn’t love the dramatic and messed up love? You? Oh, oops. Anyways, this book was written in the lyrical style so I expected flow and magic and a lovely story progression. I expected characters who jumped in and jumped out and who I was able to connect with. I expected a story line that I’d be able to sympathize with. I expected to be rooting and cheering and booing and throwing rotten tomatoes. You know, feeling emotions other than boredom. I also expected to know what the hell as going on.

What I got: No cohesion. I’ll just tell you now, I am a huge fan of cohesion. Like, ginormous. I really like knowing what’s going on. I like knowing the plot from the book and not just from reading the summary on the goodreads page. I like a story plot. I find them useful when trying to depict one scene from the other. I believe that most humans (as well as extraterrestrial beings) also find these two things really important. Too bad, I didn’t really find much of either in this beautifully covered novel. Here’s what I’m trying to say: I love poetry. Love, love, love it. But it didn’t really work in telling this particular story. It’s not like it was bad really. A story like this (as I soon figured out) needs to have a bit more structure that poetry allowed it to have. I also wasn’t able to form a connection with any of the characters.

The whole progression of the story I found to be really slow. Which was really frustrating because I had high hopes due to the fuh-reaking gorgeous cover and amazing summary. I had high expectations, maybe too high. Maybe I quit too soon. Did I? Someone please tell me if I did. Did I quite right before it was going to get amazing?

Anyways, this one wasn’t my cup of hot chocolate.
Can you believe it's almost April? Holy crap, where did the school year go? And how have y'all's lives been? Busy? 
Do you love poetry? Have any recs for me?


Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Cover Reveal: Until Beth by Lisa Amowitz


She doesn’t just play, she kills it.

Talented rock guitarist Beth Collins has been barely holding herself together for months, ever since her boyfriend and bandmate became the latest victim in a string of suspicious disappearances. When her brother is injured an accident and she sees something dark billowing around him as he hovers close to death, she’s convinced her sanity is collapsing for good. 

Then she's accepted by a boarding school for the musically gifted. All of her new friends are bursting with talent, but they're also keeping secrets. Can she trust Vincent, who's so sweet that his very touch makes her fears melt away? Or Xavier, who's trying to tell her something but is hiding even more?

And will anyone be safe when her true Talent comes out?
Title: Until Beth
Author: Lisa Amowtiz
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Expected Publication Date: September 29 2015


Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.
Lisa has been a professor of graphic design at  Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly eighteen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.
BREAKING GLASS which was released July 9, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first book in the Finder Series, released September 9, 2014 and its unnamed sequel will release winter, 2016. UNTIL BETH, a YA urban fantasy, will release September 2015.
So stay tuned because Lisa is very hyper and has to create stuff to stay alive.
Lisa is represented by Shannon Hassan of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So what do you think? Personally, I think the cover looks pretty wicked. The guitar imprint in the grass: brilliant. Leave some comment love!





Sunday, March 22, 2015

ARC Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Goodreads / Amazon
March 31, 2015
ARC via Bloomsbury

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?





This book is a cute, spring feeling romance novel with a story of overcoming disaster, fear and yourself. The Start of Me and You is a YA contemporary by Bloomsbury that deals with a common theme in young adult novels- the death of a family member, a friend, a loved one. This story is a tale of second chances, and in this book, they’re seriously in abundance. From love to friendship to promises to hope and to fear- there is second chances for them all. Unlike a bunch of novels in the genre, this one is set in the school year. Something I didn’t particularly think I would enjoy. 

The setting was the perfect set up for the entire story to take place. The school year brings real life situations that enhance the novel. Okay, so basically after her four-ish month boyfriend drowns all she sees in the faces of other people are pity, she has reoccurring nightmares of downing and now she doesn’t know how to live. Honestly and completely, she has forgotten how to live. Then, at a back to school event she meets a guy that gets it. Granted that it’s not the guy that I really want her to end up with, but that’s a whole different story. 

So, y’all, let’s have a chat about characters. Can I just say who ardently I admire Max? Because I do, I really love him. In all his gentle nerdiness and knowingness and he sounds sweet.  This was a story about self-growth in the loveliest way. He wasn’t quick to judge and he kept his promises. I think he was the main part of her self-growth. 

So who is the girl I have not named? Paige. And as much as she frustrated me with her list, I understood her reason for it and ohmigod her reasons are totally valid and heartbreaking. Her mom and dad, the boy she hardly knew and basically everything else. But her healing was magnificent. MWAHAHA. I mean, there was no kissing involved what so ever. *giggles like a schoolgirl* And her friends are the absolute bestest. There like this awesome Nutella and marshmallow sandwich with strawberries and raspberries. So basically pure awesome. 

My one complaint, and this is the reason for the 3.5 stars, is that I found this novel to be pretty predictable. It didn’t really have anything that seriously stunned me or left me breathless. And I like a bit of sunshine-in-my-eyes stun when it comes to books. This one, really, was vanilla with some hot fudge drizzled on top. Delicious, but average. Now I want ice cream. 


So, overall, this book was saccharine sweet and had the qualities we readers all know and love. But that’s the thing- we all know them. I’d have liked to have a wow moment. I enjoyed reading it and totally recommend it though. It’s a getting-to-know-yourself story that has a very spring-renewal-y feel. 


So, that cover. And I'm thinking about giving away my copy of this book. Tweet me or message me on FB if any of y'all are interested. 


Saturday, March 21, 2015

{Giveaway} Burn For You by Jillian Leeson

23783691


About the Book:

Title:Burn For You
Series: Burn Into Me #2
Author: Jillian Leeson
Release Date: March 19, 2014
Cliffhanger: No


Against all odds, they’re finally together: Ryder, the billionaire Wall Street tycoon and Elle, the tattooed student activist from the rough parts of Harlem. They had a rocky start—the clash of their two worlds almost pulled them apart. But they’re determined to make their relationship work. An idyllic holiday to Asia seemed like the perfect chance to spend time together and overcome their differences.

How wrong they were.



What started as a relaxing getaway, soon turns into their worst nightmare. A nightmare that sees them ripped apart, changing their lives forever.



Will their love be enough to bring them back together?



Set in the exotic backdrop of Hong Kong and south China, Burn For You is a wild, thrilling, sexy ride that will keep you glued on the edge of your seat until the very end.

If you like to read new adult/college and romantic suspense books that include sports car racing and the billionaire lifestyle, then you will love Burn For You. 

This is the sequel to Burn Into Me, but can be read as a standalone novel. It contains mature content and is recommended for 18+ due to mature language and adult situations. Full-length HEA new adult/college romance with sports novel (94,000 words) told from two perspectives.






Buy Links:



About the Author:
1 - I love being a writer, but first and foremost, I love being a wife and mom, and taking care of our imaginary kittens.

2 - If I'm not in front of my laptop, working on my latest romance, you'll find me in the kitchen whipping up sweet creations. I have yet to find a way to incorporate these in my stories.

3 - Reading great romance stories is one of my favorite pastimes, but nothing beats the thrill of creating love on the page. As Benjamin Disraeli once wrote, "We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence and its only end."

Stalk her:
Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads Google plus


Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card
5 ebook Bundles of 
Burn For You/Burn Into Me
is up for grabs!

Rafflecopter Giveaway


Friday, March 20, 2015

Oh-So- Quoteable



Remember when you're heart got shattered into a million pieces? Are there any other hardcore Alex fans who also have not read the last book of this fan-freaking-tastic series by Lauren Oliver (AKA Ms. Genius)? Seriously. I love you. Remember, they cannot take it. I want to cry again reading the quote. And the background? Perfect. 

Oh, Alex. Oh, Mr. Bookboyfriend Sir. I love you. 

Remember, they cannot take it. 

AHHHHH. BE STILL MY HEART. 

BE. STILL. MY. HEART. 

Anyone else dying of swoon?




Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Review: After the Rain by Renee Carlino

Goodreads Profile 
ARC via publisher in exchange for an honest review
Published November 11, 2014

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.

Under the bright arena lights of a rodeo show, young Avelina Belo falls for a handsome cowboy with a larger-than-life personality. After a whirlwind courtship, she happily moves away from her family in northern California and settles into married life with her cowboy on a seven-thousand-acre cattle ranch in Montana. One freak accident later, Avelina’s hopes for the future come to an end.

Nate Myers graduated from UCLA medical school at the top of his class, ready to follow in the footsteps of his father, a superstar cardiothoracic surgeon. Six years later, Nate’s career is being ruined by a malpractice suit. Questioning himself for the first time, he retreats to a Montana cattle ranch to visit his uncle and gain perspective. There, he meets a beautiful young woman named Avelina who teaches him more than he ever knew about matters of the heart.



So here’s a sort of kind of maybe confession that is not really a confession but more a statement of fact: I freaking adore sad books with heartbreak and make me feel something. Those are my favorite. Now, here’s a real confession. It’s something that has never happened to me in all my years of living: this book made me cry before the second chapter. Not just cry. Nope. It was full on body trembling sobs with snot and tissues and coughing and trying to breathe. Ava’s story is one of my worst nightmare and Carlino’s ability to capture the emotions of not only Ava, but everyone else around her as well, was captivating.

“After the Rain” began with love: heart stopping, all consuming, head over boots love. It was Ava and Jake along with the world and their horses in the Rodeo Circuit. God, I want a love like that. Before the accident, Jake worshipped the ground Ava walked on. He would do anything for her, go anywhere for her. After the accident, everything changed. The way it changed is what made me cry. Jake’s story end with suicide after a final goodbye/ I love you / apology.  Five years pass before Ava opens up her heart to emotions other than guilt and fear. Five years.

‘Everything reminds me of you’ has never meant so much.

I love that Nate had issues too. Is that sadistic. I love the letters. I love that Ava was broken and how her story sort of kind of mirrored that of her mother. I love all the minor characters.

So I bet you’re wondering what I didn’t like. Honestly, not much. I love that Ava began to see her late husband’s flaws. I didn’t like her overreaction in this one scene. Yup, that one scene. Overall, I felt like the story development was epic and the characters were scarred and selfish and scared but they still had the capacity for hope and they still liked the sunshine and warm water and horses. That’s what made them them.


They’re what made this contemporary novel worth reading. “Sweet Thing” has been on my shelf for a while. I think I’ll go read it. 




Monday, March 16, 2015

Mythical Places that are Totally Visit-Worthy {Guest Post}

Hello, hello, everyone! How lovely it is for you to stop by today. I do hope you enjoy Ms. Craw's guest post about mythical places. I loved reading through the post!



As a one-time student of anthropology with a particular interest in archaeology, it was a delight to write this post about mythical places for No Bent Spines. Thank you for having me over.
Some of the greatest finds in archaeology have come about after studying, analyzing and scrutinizing cultural legends and myths for elements of truth. As an archaeology enthusiast, I love it when physical evidence can link us back to the truths within stories…especially ancient ones. What follows are seven examples of mythical places and short discussions about the archaeological finds associated with them. Let’s have some fun!
Xanadu
Samuel Taylor Coleridge popularly described Xanadu in his poem, Kublai Khan, as a stately pleasure dome, where every fantasy could be indulged. The ideas in his poem were unique for the early 1800s when it was published, but they didn’t spring forth from Coleridge’s imagination like Athena from Zeus’s forehead. He was inspired by writings based on the travel accounts of Venetian explorer Marco Polo.
Marco Polo recounted visiting Xanadu, also known as Shangdu, in 1275 AD. He said it was the summer home for a Mongol ruler. According to him, there was a grand marble palace at Xanadu. Some of the many rooms inside it were gilted with pure gold. Other rooms were lined with fine silks or expertly painted. Outside the palace were fountains, rivers, brooks, and beautiful meadows to wander and explore.
Marco Polo’s account of Xanadu sounded plausible, but skeptics doubt he ever made it into China during his travels. As more and more people came to believe his stories were based on hearsay, Xanadu lost its standing as a historical place and became more of a mythological idea.
Then in 1870 some ruins were discovered north of Beijing near the modern city of Duolun. They included remnants of temples, blocks of marble, and tiled artwork. After careful study, there was enough correlation between Marco Polo’s description of Kublai Khan’s summer palace and the layout of the ruins to suggest the site had once been the real Xanadu.
Most of the artifacts have gone missing since they were discovered. It is believed villagers began carrying them away to use in constructing their own houses. Today, all that is left of Xanadu is a grassy mound where a palace once stood…but we can say with relative certainty it did exist.
Ironically, Marco Polo gets the last laugh. Either he really did make it to China or his source of information was uncommonly reliable. Only he knows for sure.

Finvarra’s Kingdom

According to folklore that extends back to a time before written record, a magical people once lived in great cities underneath the trees of Ireland. A group of those people were led by King Finvarra. King Finvarra was a pretty decent guy. He was a good listener and willing to grant favors to people so long as they agreed to assist him when he needed it. His biggest character flaw was a tendency to kidnap pretty human women. Something that was always getting him into trouble.
In legend, the entrance to Finvarra’s magical kingdom is located within the Knockma Woods of western Ireland. Recent archaeological excavations suggest that Knockma was occupied sporadically between 6000 and 7000 BC. During that time, ancient people were building passage tombs there, suggesting it was a significant ceremonial place.
Some believe that stories about the ancient people of the Knockma Woods were passed down orally through the centuries and that those stories serve as inspiration for some of the myths about King Finvarra and his people.
The City of Troy

Homer wrote about the battle of Troy in his epic poem the Iliad, but because he wrote it almost five hundred years after the battle supposedly took place, there has always been some debate about how much of Homer’s story is historical versus fictional.
Just for giggles, let’s do a speedy review of the battle of Troy.
The trouble all started around 1200 BC when King Menelaus invited his frenemy Priam, the King of Troy, over for dinner. Rather unwisely, Priam brought his son, Paris, along. Paris had issues with boundaries and when he took a liking to Helen, the King’s wife, he stowed her away in his luggage for the boat ride home to Troy. Not surprisingly, this infuriated King Menelaus…and the battle was on. The Greeks sailed to Troy and besieged the city. They didn’t make much progress against the Trojans, though, because the city was well fortified and King Priam had friends on the outside who would stir up trouble to draw the Greek forces away every now and then. After ten years of living in a tent outside the city walls, someone came up with a pretty farfetched idea. Let’s build a wood horse, he proposed. We’ll put some of our best fighters inside it, and then the rest of our army will pretend to sail away. When they see us go, those gullible Trojan’s will open the city gates and pull our wooden horse inside to celebrate victory. Then our fighters will jump out and kill them all. Though farfetched, the plan worked, and the Greeks burned the city of Troy to the ground.
By the mid-1800s, most people thought that if the city of Troy ever really existed, it would never be found. Then along came the wealthy German businessman, Heinrich SchliemannHe was obsessed with the myth of Troy and hunted down every clue he could find within the words of the Iliad. His work paid off, and believing he’d finally unlocked the mystery, he started an excavation in northwest Turkey. In 1869 he published his findings and asserted that he had found Homer’s city of Troy.
Today, Schliemann’s Level VII at Hissarlik is generally, but not conclusively, identified as the archaeological remains of the legendary city of Troy.

Camelot

If you want to start an argument at a dinner party full of historians, all you have to do is bring up King Arthur Pendragon. Though the myths of King Arthur are colorful and rich, his historical existence has been the subject of debate and dispute for centuries.
The stories built around the myth of Arthur’s castle in Camelot are diverse but generally include a common set of elements. Camelot was Arthur’s capitol city. He married his wife, Guinevere, at a chapel within its walls and held court with his Knights of the Round Table there. Sometimes the city is described as pastoral, standing along a river, surrounded by plains and forests. Other times it’s described as an example of advanced engineering, built out of white marble that glistened in the sun.
What we can assume with some degree of confidence, is that Camelot, or the city that inspired it, would have been walled defensively. Arthur, or the man who inspired him, was a fighting guy who led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders. It’s logical to think he would have made contingencies for a battle on his home turf. We can also assume the city would have been occupied for a period of time 400 and 600 AD.
Now here’s where it gets gloriously curious. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s fanciful account says Arthur’s capital city was Caerleon in Wales. Interestingly there are quite a few archaeological finds in Caerleon that correspond nicely to the legend of Camelot, including a still-visible Roman amphitheater, which has been associated with the round-table element of Arthur's tale. However, there is also record of a historical leader with characteristics similar to Arthur who lived near Shropshire, England. The remains of an ancient city and castle fitting the correct time period have been found near there too.
I won’t venture a guess as to which, if either, of the two cities is more likely to have inspired Camelot, but I’d sure like to visit both possibilities someday.

The Isle of Avalon

Avalon is the legendary island where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and where he was later taken to heal from his wounds after the Battle of Camlann. In some accounts, Avalon was the original home of Morgan le Faye, a healer, enchantress and the eldest of nine sisters with like abilities. She and Arthur may have been half-siblings, but they never really got along.
In Welsh, the “island of Avalon” translates to the “island of apples.” Somewhere around 1100 AD, Avalon became associated with Glastonbury because of the abundance of apples that once grew there. Skeptics of the idea, pointed out that Glastonbury isn’t an island. Proponents argued that the land is raised and surrounded by marshes that flood. When flooded enough, Glastonbury would look a lot like an island.
Around 1190 AD, monks at Glastonbury Abbey conducted a survey of their grounds and found a massive treetrunk coffin and a lead cross. Inscribed on the cross were the words, "Here lies entombed the renowned King Arthur in the island of Avalon.” When they opened the coffin, they found two bodies, one female and one male. It was recorded that the bones of the male were gigantic. Not surprisingly, the Glastonbury monks gladly proclaimed they’d found the remains of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere. In 1278, the remains were reburied with great ceremony.
Most historians today think the Glastonbury monk’s made up the story about finding Arthur and Guinevere’s bodies. They attributing it to a publicity stunt. I tend to agree with them. Yet it is still possible that Glastonbury served as inspiration for the isle of Avalon.

El Dorado

It was said the streets of El Dorado were paved with gold, and for more than two hundred years after the first recorded mention of it in 1535 AD, the myth continued to seduce European explorers. Greed and misguided attempts to find it, cost the lives of hundreds of people along the way.
The inspiration for the El Dorado myth seems so twisted that looking back at it would be laughable if the consequences hadn’t been so sad. When conquistadors heard whisperings of an El Dorado…or gold one, it was probably easier for them to visualize it as a place rather than as a person. Undoubtedly, the natives were happy to let them believe El Dorado was a place, hoping the Spanish would leave and look for it somewhere else.
In actuality, El Dorado seems a reference to rulers of the Muisca Empire and one of their initiation ceremonies. Each new ruler had to undergo a rather unique ritual wherein he was covered in honey and gold dust… becoming the gold one. Then he was loaded on a raft and sailed out onto Lake Guatavita. After a time, he would wash the gold off while his priests threw more gold and precious stones into the Lake.
Archaeologists have since found some remarkable artifacts at the bottom of Lake Guatavita in Columbia. Many of which are made of pure gold.

The Lost Island Of Atlantis

Fun fact…I wrote a book based loosely on the myth of Atlantis. It’s called Atlantis Rising. You should probably read it, because it’s a lot of fun.
Plato wrote that the island of Atlantis was ruled by ten kings who were Poseidon’s sons by a mortal mother, making them half human and half gods. The Atlantean people had an amazing grasp of science, architecture, seafaring and civil engineering. For a long time, they lived peacefully with a strong moral conscience. Then pride and greed crept in, turning them into an invading and warring civilization. Gathering a huge army together, the Atlanteans went to battle against the ancestors of the Athenians. By then, the gods had become angry with the people of Atlantis and helped the Athenians defeat them. When the Atlanteans returned home, the gods sunk their island in just a night and a day’s time.
For hundreds of years, people have wondered if Plato’s Atlantis was a real place. In the late eighteen hundreds, amateur archaeologists started to seriously speculate on its location. Their theories put it in places like Antarctica, Bolivia, Turkey, Germany, Malta and the Caribbean. One by one, these ideas were dismissed.
As a writer, I’m apt to believe that Plato took inspiration for the story of Atlantis from the retelling of a massive volcanic eruption that devastated the island of Santorini around 1500 BC. The eruption and tsunami that followed destroyed the Minoan city, Akrotiri. Archaeological evidence suggests the Minoan people had complicated systems of architecture, trade and seafaring. They are also thought to have enjoyed relative peace without much infighting between settlements. All of these elements are characteristic of Plato’s Atlantis. As is the volcanic eruption which destroyed Akrotiri.

Whether the island of Atlantis is still to be found, whether it was inspired by historical events or whether it is entirely fictional…it is a myth that continues to inspire imagination and some pretty good stories. 

Release Date: 1/16/2015
What would you do to protect those you love? For Alison McKye, protecting her adoptive family means being as invisible as possible. To exist and yet never be noticed. It's the only way Alison can protect her family from who—and whatshe is...
Alison isn't exactly human. She's a Dewing, an ancient race of beings with strange and powerful gifts.She has the ability to “push” thoughts into the minds of others, but her gift also makes her a target for those who desire her power for themselves.
There's a war brewing between the Dewing, and humans are caught in the middle. If Alison's gift falls into the wrong hands, there's no telling what might happen.
And if they're all terrified about who she is, wait until they see what she can really do...

Gloria Craw grew up reading and daydreaming in the desert southwest. She attended the University of Utah and graduated with a degree in Anthropology. These days, she lives near Seattle, Washington. She creates alternate realities, featuring suspense, the supernatural and a twining of romance. When she's not writing, she's fangirling over Arrow and Grimm. Sometimes Sleepy Hallow and Covert Affairs too. Twitter / Facebook / Website