Alive by Scott Sigler ~ My Review

Alive by Scott Sigler 

Publication Date: July 14th, 2015 
Publisher: Del Rey 
Pages: 368 
Received: E-copy from the publisher via NetGalley 
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

“I open my eyes to darkness. Total darkness. I hear my own breathing, but nothing else. I lift my head . . . it thumps against something solid and unmoving. There is a board right in front of my face. No, not a board . . . a lid.”

A teenage girl awakens to find herself trapped in a coffin. She has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Fighting her way free brings little relief—she discovers only a room lined with caskets and a handful of equally mystified survivors. Beyond their room lies a corridor filled with bones and dust, but no people . . . and no answers.

She knows only one thing about herself—her name, M. Savage, which was engraved on the foot of her coffin—yet she finds herself in charge. She is not the biggest among them, or the boldest, but for some reason the others trust her. Now, if they’re to have any chance, she must get them to trust one another.

Whatever the truth is, she is determined to find it and confront it. If she has to lead, she will make sure they survive. Maybe there’s a way out, a rational explanation, and a fighting chance against the dangers to come. Or maybe a reality they cannot comprehend lies just beyond the next turn.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

My Review:

I loved Alive by Scott Sigler! It is an exciting adventure that will keep you engaged, right to the end! 

A group of teenagers wake up with no memory, including who they are, where they are or how they got there. Their struggle to figure out what's going on and how to survive has a Maze Runner feel to it to me.  

I really enjoy survival stories like this. Em, the central character, is relatable. She is trying to do the best she can, but self-doubt, confusion, and anger get in the way sometimes. The other kids look up to her, which surprises her, but there are a couple of kids who would like to lead, which brings tension to the situation. 

I feel the book blurb is enough of a summary, and the author requests no spoilers so that new readers can get the same enjoyment from the twists and turns in the story as I did. So, I’m going to honor that. All I’m going to say is that I loved Alive. I felt like it ended well, meaning it didn’t leave me hanging. And I’m definitely going to read the next book, Alight, which is supposed to be out in early 2016.

A word of warning, there are some gruesome scenes and some cursing.

I would recommend Alive to any Sci-Fi/Dystopian fan! 

FTC Disclaimer: I received an ARC e-copy of the story from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.

It comes out tomorrow!! Woot!

Buy: Amazon • Barnes & Noble 
Add to Goodreads.

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

Any thoughts? Do you like stories like this? 

A Will of Iron Blog Tour ~ Guest Post & Giveaway!

Hey, Everyone! For my stop on the A Will of Iron Blog Tour, Linda Beutler is here with us today to discuss the interesting topic of Regency Funerals in conjunction with her new book, A Will of Iron! Now, this is one topic I haven't thought much about, but I found it fascinating!    

Many thanks to Jakki at Leatherbound Reviews for organizing this Blog Tour!

Also, Meryton Press is giving away a paperback of A Will of Iron to one lucky person! You'll find the information for the giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Funeral Folderol

Thanks so much for the opportunity to guest post! It is always great to have So Little Time... offer to host a stop on a blog tour. 

What follows might seem a tad morbid to some, but honestly, my best friend Jacky and I had a great time researching Regency era funeral fashions, customs, and slang for A Will of Iron. You see, there are a lot of deaths in this story, and three funerals (—ending with two weddings! Hmmm…one is a double ceremony. How do we count that, I wonder?). Anyway… thanks to The Regency Encyclopedia and similar sites for making my tale more authentic and stoking me with knowledge to make Lady Catherine de Bourgh reach new heights of pretension.

Rest assured, A Will of Iron is not a mystery. It is a macabre romp. Thanks to Anne de Bourgh’s journals being spirited into the guarding hands of Charlotte and Lizzy, readers learn the truth as Lizzy and Charlotte read the pertinent entries. There are murders here, but also enough foreshadowing to sink a battleship. The main death scene in the story is so weird that I hope it will also be relatively angst free. (There’s an author’s twisted logic for you. Or perhaps, there’s a twisted author’s logic?)

The first death in the story is the most important: Anne de Bourgh. Because she is the heiress to Rosings Park, Anne is first laid out for viewing in the largest, most splendid drawing room. Sadly, is it a warm April, and because Lady Catherine will have none but the Archbishop of Canterbury perform the funeral rites, and he has to preside at a royal event first, Anne must be removed to a cooler location (the basement of the Hunsford Church, where she is protected from rats and what-not by Mr. Collins). 

Go ahead and start saying “Ewww!” now, because it gets rather worse. But for the timing and unseasonable heat, Anne would have been transferred from the table in Rosings to her casket, the service would have taken place in the drawing room with no ladies present, and the casket would then travel via black-draped hearse to the de Bourgh family crypt in the Hunsford churchyard. Pallbearers would have carried the casket from the hearse to the crypt.

Emma Knows All by Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess ~ Excerpt

Hey, Austenesque Friends! Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess, authors of Dear Miss Darcy and Ask Eleanor, have come out with a new Austenesque story called Emma Knows All! It sounds really cute, and I will be reading and reviewing it soon. 

Blurb: 

Emma Benton—known as ‘Doctor Emma’—has a knack for advising the lovelorn and lonely on her radio show Heart Therapy. Em’s sympathetic manner and spot-on instincts provide the perfect answers, or so claims her boyfriend, the handsome and clever psychologist Frank, her producer Isabel, and her ever-expanding audience of listeners.

But Doctor Colin Ferris disagrees. During a guest segment on Em’s show, he challenges her advice on the air and offends her personally in their brief, private exchanges. Rude and pretentious, he’s the last person Em would imagine as the author of a best-selling guide on being a gentleman in modern times. He’s also the last person she would choose to work with—but Fate makes that decision before Em can avoid it.

In her worst PR nightmare ever, Em finds herself paired with Colin in a reality show quest to help a romantically-challenged young woman. Shy, awkward Harriet Smith needs more than just a little advice, but can two people so vastly different in their opinions really help her? As Em struggles to find common ground with Colin, she learns there’s more to him than meets the eye…and maybe more between them than opposing ideas about love.

Excerpt

He was waiting for her at the restaurant. A noisier spot than Em would normally pick, but it was the closest lunch spot to the station. He looked out of place in his suit and tie — did he ever wear anything else? — as he sat at a table for two in the middle of the skylight dining area.

She exhaled deeply, then approached. "Doctor Ferris," she said, sliding into the chair across from him. 

"I was surprised by this invitation —" he began, but Em didn't let him finish.

"Look, doctor, I won't waste your time. I asked to meet you here because I want to change your mind about agreeing to this — this ludicrous suggestion by the station to pit us against each other on the air again."

Behind those square-framed glasses, she saw a flicker of surprise in the dark eyes. "You do," he stated, flatly. "I would have thought the suggestion would have appealed to you."

"Well, it doesn't," she answered. "I have to confess, I'm astonished you actually agreed to do it. Did you? Or did I misunderstand my boss?"

"I did," he answered, calmly. 

"Then you want us to be paired up for some kind of matchmaking contest?" Em's voice couldn't contain either her disgust or astonishment. 

"No. Of course not," he answered, sounding equally revolted for a split-second. "I think it's a horrible idea. But I can't refuse. My agent insists. I'm not the easiest client to engage in public relations, so I'm rather limited now on what I can refuse."

That he regretted refusing less repulsive ideas than this one was evident in his voice. Em, however, didn't soften towards him in response.

"You hate the idea also, I gather?" he asked, dryly. 

"Hate is a strong word. But maybe not strong enough." A shadow of a grin on Em's face before she grew serious again. "No, it's better than cheapening my show with a gimmick. But the thought of us paired up together for six weeks, like the psychology version of  What Not to Wear..."

"Six weeks? I thought it was eight. Thank God." Her lunch companion's stony expression relaxed slightly. 

"Feeling better?"

"A little, Miss Benton."

"You really should stop calling me that." Em hesitated. "Enough with the formalities. Since we're going to be working together for awhile, you should call me something else." 

"I'm not calling you 'Doctor Emma,'" he answered, with a slight grimace.

"Fine." She shrugged. "Emma is good, or Emmy —" She saw him blench again at this second suggestion, "Or Emma," she concluded, politely — if by a thread. 

"Emma, then," he answered. 

"And I'll call you Colin. Is that all right?"

With a twinge of pain, she thought of an old joke of her father's, about calling him any name in the book, just don't call him her mother's husband.  Maybe Doctor Ferris found it insulting, to have a quack-psychiatry radio therapist call him by his first name. If so, he showed no sign of it this time.

"Of course," he answered. "Apparently, we're colleagues now." He said it in a tone of voice that made it sound like a bad joke. "In that spirit, Emma, I think we're in agreement on three subjects. First, that this project is barbaric. Second, that we're hardly qualified to be meddling in this young woman's love life. Third, that we both want to get through this as quickly and gracefully as possible, for the sake of our respective careers."

She was astonished by this speech, the longest and friendliest he had ever made in front of her. "Agreed," she answered.

Connect with Laura Briggs

twitter • facebook • website

Buy: Emma Knows All

So, what'd you think? 

What are you Reading? ~ July 8, 2015

I'm a little late getting started today! Still trying to get back into the swing of things after being gone for the last two weeks! :)

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll be reading next?

What am I currently reading? I'm still reading A Matter of Chance by L.L. Diamond. I am enjoying it, but it has slowed down for me a bit. I like the chase and the chase is over. ;) I still have a little over 100 pages left, so hopefully there will be some conflict ahead! One reason I haven't finished is because...




I'm also reading Independent Study: The Testing, Book 2 (The Testing Trilogy) by Joelle Charbonneau. I have this on my Kindle and Audible. I started listening to it on my seven and a half hour drive back home. I love that when I get home I can start reading right where I left off listening to it.





What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. I love this! I thought it had a "Hunger Games" feel to it, especially during the fourth phase of the testing when the kids being tested would do anything to make it to the end, including murder.







What do I think I'll be reading next? Next up is Mr. Darcy's Rival by Kara Louise. 






FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!


What are you reading? I'd love to hear!

Kara Louise ~ Mr. Darcy's Rival ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hey, Everyone! I'm super excited to have Kara Louise visiting here on So little time...! It's such a pleasure to have her here and you'll see why as you read her post! 

So, without further ado, Kara Louise...

I am delighted to be here with Candy today to wind up my blog tour for the launch of Mr. Darcy’s Rival. I have known Candy for several years, having first met her in 2010 when she drove from Tucson up to Tempe, Arizona for a book signing I did at Barnes and Noble. I also met fellow Arizonians Alexa Cochrane, Roxane Wolff, and author Mary Simonsen that day. At the time, I lived in Kansas, but since I had family who lived in Arizona, some of us met again a couple years later when I visited, joined by another Arizona friend, Linnea Smith, whom I had met a few years earlier. The five of us ate at a restaurant called… Darcy’s! (Actually, it was D’Arcy McGees, but we just called it Darcy’s.) What fun we had! Dare I say we spent three hours talking about all things Austen? Here is a picture. (Unfortunately, Alexa was not able to make that get-together.)

I have been fortunate to have met several from the Jane Austen community, both readers and other authors. When we meet someone else who has been moved by her works in the same way we have, we have an instant connection with them! And just think of how many more are out there that we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet!

What is it about Jane Austen that binds people together from all walks of life? She lived 200 years ago, and her life was very different from ours, society was very different, expectations were different; and how they spent their time was different. Our life is easy compared to what they had to endure. Yet we eagerly pick up one of her novels (or a variation) with great expectations of being transported into that world, and we read them over and over again. 

I spoke at our St. Louis Regional Chapter of JASNA in June, just a week after Mr. Darcy’s Rival came out. (It was perfect timing!) One of the gals I ate lunch with showed me her phone and scrolled down as she showed me the hundreds of Jane Austen ebooks she had purchased. After lunch, someone else came by and introduced herself (aren’t you glad we don’t have to wait for someone to introduce us!) and she told me she had read at least 400 Jane Austen variations. (Are there really that many?) What fun it was to talk about some of the different books we had read and the authors we liked. And they were eager to share with me their favorites of mine they had read, as well.

After lunch, I spoke to the group about my writing. Being a very diverse group of ladies, I knew there would be several who had no idea what a variation was. Many were not even aware of all the books that were being published based on Jane Austen’s works. I had to explain what a variation was, and how it takes her characters on a different journey than what she imagined and penned. While some people love to read the variations, others prefer to read nothing but Jane Austen’s own works. I’m sure there were both preferences in that group, and I reassured them that I was fine with that!

The different journey I take Darcy and Elizabeth on in this new book involves a rival for Elizabeth Bennet’s affections. The book begins with the visit to Rosings. Mr. Rickland, a nephew of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, is also visiting, but he has the advantage over Darcy in that he has already been there for two weeks before Darcy arrives. That means he was able to spend time with Elizabeth, and the two had the opportunity to get to know one another. He also has an advantage in that he has open and easy manners and is engaging and friendly. We know what Elizabeth thinks of Mr. Darcy’s manners.

When Darcy arrives, he is surprised by the presence of Mr. Rickland, but even more surprised when he discovers Elizabeth is just across the lane visiting her friend at the parsonage. 

Here is an excerpt from Mr. Darcy’s Rival. In this segment, Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam have arrived at Rosings, and they join Rickland on a visit to the parsonage.

Elizabeth watched the men and thought to herself she was going to enjoy comparing their differences. Mr. Rickland was obviously the most comfortable and sat leaning slightly forward with his arms resting on his legs, his hands clasped lightly. His engaging smile and the twinkle in his eyes suggested a familiarity and pleasure in his surroundings. And as had been the rule, he was most inclined to enter into conversation with the residents of the parsonage. 

In the middle sat Mr. Darcy, upright and stiff, and not at all inclined to smile. Elizabeth caught his eyes fixed upon her when she occasionally glanced at him, but he seemed distracted. He did not seem engaged by any of the conversation. His hands rested upon his legs, his fingers tapping lightly; likely a habit he exhibited when ill at ease. He remained, for the most part, silent. 

On his other side sat Colonel Fitzwilliam, an odd mixture of the other two. He sat as upright as his cousin, but it was likely due more to his military training. He entered into conversation directly, and Elizabeth noticed a smile appeared readily and frequently. While he would not be described as particularly handsome, he had a rugged friendliness and gentlemanly politeness that was quite attractive. 

They spoke of the pleasant weather, the upcoming Easter holiday, and a musical soiree the Collinses and their guests had been invited to attend the Saturday following Easter. Elizabeth smiled as she began to consider the men seated on either side of Mr. Darcy. In her mind’s eye, they served as bookends, propping him up. The thought of them being quite stylish bookends, with the unfortunate task of holding up a large, dull book, brought a smile to her lips.

*~*~*

Do you think Mr. Darcy has the slightest chance to secure Elizabeth’s affections when someone like Mr. Rickland is possibly vying for them? I hope you are intrigued enough to find out!

I am offering a paperback (US) and an ebook (international) in a giveaway, drawn from the names of anyone who comments. Share what it is you enjoy about reading Regency stories (Jane Austen’s or variations) or tell us about an experience where you actually met another Jane Austen fan face to face and felt as if you had always known them!

Thanks, Candy, for allowing me to come and share today!

*~*~*

You are welcome anytime, Kara! It was fun having you here. Thanks so much for sharing the picture of us! We had a great time at lunch, and we certainly had plenty to talk about! I of course, knew and read both yours and Mary's books, but I had no idea that I had also read one of Linnea's! Lol! I was blown away. Fun day!

Book Blurb

Mr. Darcy has learned he must prepare himself when he and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, make their yearly visit to his aunt, particularly when it comes to Lady Catherine’s expectation that he marry her daughter, Anne.

This year, however, will throw in a few additional obstacles to Darcy’s peace of mind with the presence of a nephew on the de Bourgh side of the family, and quite unexpectedly, Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

An interrupted proposal, a letter written and unknowingly lost, a harsh accusation, and a rival all conspire to thwart Mr. Darcy in securing Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s affections when he visits his aunt at Rosings.

Will Elizabeth find the handsome and engaging Mr. Rickland more suited to her than Mr. Darcy? And will a novel she reads that was written secretly by Miss Anne de Bourgh help smooth the path to the couple finding true love?

Author Bio:

Kara Louise began writing Jane Austen inspired stories in 2001 and has currently written nine novels, including "Darcy's Voyage" and "Only Mr. Darcy Will Do," which were both published by Sourcebooks. Her seven other novels are self-published, including the most recent release, "Mr. Darcy's Rival." She is also one of the contributing authors from the austenvariations.com blog.

Kara grew up in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles. She and her family moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1991, which was quite a (pleasant) change for them. They left the hectic, crowded busyness of LA and found themselves in a medium sized city with a small town feel. In September, 2013, she and her husband moved to the bustling St. Louis area to be near their son and his wife. In May, 2014, they were blessed with their first granddaughter, whom they love and spoil endlessly. They live on five acres in a wooded area with their five cats, one dog, and a Shetland Pony.

Connect with Kara Louise

Twitter • Facebook • Website

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time!! As you read above, Kara is giving away one paperback (U.S. only) and one e-copy (International). 


Thank you, Kara!

• One will win a paperback of Mr. Darcy's Rival ~ U.S. only.
• One person will win an e-copy of Mr. Darcy's Rival ~ open International.
• Leave a comment to enter with your email or twitter name. (If you leave your email, please substitute (at) for @ and (dot) for . .  Thanks!)
• Last day to enter is July 14, 2015, @ midnight pacific time. 

Good luck!

Remember to leave a comment and share what you enjoy about reading Jane Austen or JAFF, OR share if you've ever met a JAFF friend in real life! 

What are you Reading? ~ July 1, 2015

Happy July, Everyone!! 

What are you Reading? is my weekly Wednesday meme! You are welcome to join me, just answer the following questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll be reading next?

What am I currently reading? I'm reading A Matter of Chance by L.L. Diamond. So far, I'm loving this modern Pride and Prejudice variation! I'm reading it as part of the Austenesque TBR Reading Challenge. I'm a bit behind, so I thought I'd better get to it! ;)







What did I recently finish reading? I finished The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau. This was good! Exciting to the end, and I'm looking forward to listening/reading the next! 






What do I think I'll be reading next? I'm going to start the next in The Testing series, Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. I'm going to be on the road again in a few days and I'm saving it for then. I love listening to books while driving. It makes the drive so much more enjoyable! 





FTC Disclaimer: Links to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

What are you reading? Do you like to listen to audiobooks while driving?