Cover Reveal: Mark of Betrayal by A.M. Hudson

WOoHOo. You guys want to see the cover for Mark of Betrayal (Dark Secrets Series #4) by A.M. Hudson?

It's gorgeous, just like the others. And I'm wicked excited to read it. It releases October 31, 2012.

What do you all think?

I can't wait!

Review - The Heart's Ashes by A.M. Hudson

Death never leaves us. Once it's touched our souls, it hungers for our return--waiting for us to fall. And if it finds Ara again, she will have no way to escape.

Moving on from David was hard, forgetting the abduction and torture was almost impossible, but nothing as devastating as the thought that now, because of her, David might face the horrific punishments of the Set.

No one knows where David went after he lost Ara, but she can only hope he's the one leaving subtle clues for her to discover, and it makes her desperate to find him--desperate enough that she would risk her life, hanging out with an informant who means to kill her. What truths she is told about David's dark past, though, will threaten to change her heart and destroy the way Ara perceives everything. She must ask herself if it's right to love one monster, then hate the one who tried to destroy her.

In all her searching, the promise of immortality will finally be renewed, but sold at a price Ara's not sure she's willing to pay.

Is love enough to make her submit to this new role, or will it fail her once again and leave her reaching back for the grasp of death?

First of all, stellar cover. I love, love, LOVE it. It's gorgeous. Love the font, the colors, everything. Gorgeous.

Ok... so The Heart's Ashes was sent to me as an advanced copy by the author, A.M. Hudson. And I'm really upset with myself that it took so long to read it. Because it truly is a wonderful book. I've just been in this funk which has resulted in a reading slump, so I wasn't doing much of ANYTHING. I got some reading done at my family reunion but that was about it.

Anyway... I'm not sure what I can say about this book that won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it (or the previous novels in the series)... so I will tell you there are a lot of twists and turns and TONS of surprises. This story leaves me with conflicting feelings for a character that played a terrible role in the last installment. I wanted to hate him... but I found myself liking him more than I probably should have being that he was a "bad guy".

David and Mike are true to form. Forever the gallant and chivalrous protectors. That's what is so wonderful about them, though. You don't find enough of that in real life anymore. It's nice to be able to find them in books. Emily is a tad bit different in this story, but I suppose anyone in her situation would have a little attitude adjustment. And poor Ara. There's some serious head-screwing with where she's concerned. She can't tell which way is up sometimes. Sure she has her moments... she is still a teenage girl, after all. But she goes through a LOT in this story so you've got to hand it to her.

Like I said before, I LOVED the story. Everything about it. If you've read the first two in the series, definitely grab this one as soon as you can.

Review - Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson

Blood and death aside...love is all that should matter. Tragedy brought her to a new place. Fate put her in the arms of a vampire. The truth will tear her apart. Hailed as the most inspiring read since Twilight. Take a journey of tears and heartache as Ara finds that love is a reason to live. Will the vampire be her knight, or will the truth about him finish what Fate started?

This review has been a long time coming. And I apologize for that. This is actually the second time I've read Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson. This time, though, I had the pleasure of reading the hard copy novel. It's changed a lot since the first pass through and the changes have just made it that much better.

Ara has moved to the US from Australia following the death of her mother and her little brother. Broken inside and devestated by the loss, she starts life over with her father, stepmother, and step brother in a new house, going to a new school, and trying to blend in with new people. Leaving behind everything she's ever known.

She's immediately befriended by Emily, who is spunky and cheerful and takes Ara under her wing. Not to mention she's caught the eye of the school hunk, David Knight. A mysterious, tall-dark-and-handsome boy who, at first glace, seems way out of her league.

Ara's been through a terrible ordeal. She's trying to piece her life back together and move on and that's a hard thing for anyone to do after such a tragic loss. David makes her feel whole again. And she doesn't want to let it go. But David has a secret that can't be told and Ara has to make a decision she doesn't really want to make.

I love the characters in this series. I've said before that Emily kind of strikes me as Patty Simcox from the movie Grease. All peppy and bright eyed. She's warm and welcoming and a genuine friend that would be great to have. Ara is a typical teenage girl with a broken past struggling to make her way in life. It's fun to "listen" to her inner monologues and "watch" her as she zones out while she's debating things with herself. David is very... Edward Cullen-esque but without the possessive "You have to do what I say or I'm going to take apart your vehicle to make you listen" kind of deal. He's sweet and he's sensitive and he truly cares for Ara. I used to DREAM I'd find my own David. He's just... ::sigh::

I almost want to scream at her the ENTIRE book because if it were me? No brainer. But her? Not such a no brainer. She and I have been in similar places in our lives. I found my light and I wouldn't give him up for anything. But she risks losing him because she's holding on to something that just can't be anymore. And it makes me mad.

This was a great read. Both times. I loved book two as well and book three is definitely going to follow in their footsteps. I recommend this to anyone who's read and loved Twilight definitely. Because this is, as I said in my first review long ago, kind of like Twilight but in reverse. And you'll have to read the story to understand what I mean. :-) Go check it out!

I'm Sorry

Sorry guys for my lack of posts this month. I'm not feeling too well right now. Hopefully all will be back to normal soon and I'll get this back up and running.

For now though I'm re-reading Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson. It was great before and I'm noticing things this time around that I didn't pick up on before because I didn't know what I know now... does that make sense?

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.

You can grab it for free HERE on Amazon for Kindle. Go check it out!