Narratively Speaking

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Pandemonium by the very brilliant Lauren Oliver. Here's the synopsis:

"I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite."

I'm cheating a little here, not because the book is out as it isn't yet but because I've already read the ARC and OMG if you were a fan of Delirium, then YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK and that's all I can say on the matter other than look out for my review very soon! I'm not entirely sure about the cover design change as I'm not a big fan of doing this right in the middle of a series. I don't know when industry professionals are going to realise that this is never a good idea as then the books don't match and generally, there is outrage among the book blogging community. Anyway, what you see here is the UK cover and if you're interested, here is the US cover...
Again, the US cover is of a different design to Delirium but I have to say that I prefer the US covers in this instance. Pandemonium is published on 28th February, 2012 in the US and 1st March, 2012 in the UK.

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Purity by Jackson Pearce. Here's the synopsis:

"Hours before her mother died, Shelby promised her three things-- to listen to her father, to live life without restraint, and to love whenever possible.

Those promises were easy to keep when she was younger, but things get tricky when she turns sixteen. Shelby's still-grieving father joins a committee at their church to host a Princess Ball-- a dance where young women pledge their purity (namely, their virginity) to their father's safekeeping until they marry.

But Shelby has a Life List-- things she wants to do, to live without restraint like she promised her mother-- and getting married young isn't on it. Waiting until she's thirty to have her first time isn't on it either. But how is she supposed to keep her promise to listen to her father if she refuses to pledge? By exploiting a loophole- by losing her virginity before the Ball.

She and her best friend Jonas make a list of potential partners, but somewhere in-between failed attempts at losing her virginity, trying to answer some lingering questions about God, and planning the Ball with her Dad, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her PURITY."

I really enjoyed Sisters Red which as it stands, is the only book I've read of Jackson's although I still have As you Wish and Sweetly to read. I do like the idea behind Purity and am looking forward to the exploration of it through Shelby's eyes. I think it will be both entertaining and thought provoking and did I mention how much I like the cover? Simple yet effective. Purity is published in the US on 24th April, 2012 with no word of a UK release at present. To find out more about Jackson and her books, click here to visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is a book I heard about from the lady herself, last year when she was in London and that book is Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Here's the synopsis:

"Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process".

I think this book sounds hilarious and a little bit superhero like but with...interesting consequences. One day you have power. The next day you don't. So what happens when you're forced to face down your enemies on a day you have no super powers whatsoever? I for one am dying to find out. I also need to mention that I LOVE the cover. I'm a huge fan of hourglasses, red is my favourite colour and obviously that it supposed to be blood so I'm guessing it fits with the story. I really hope Jennifer injects a dose of her humour into this story as only as she can and you know what? I've already got this one on pre order. Every Other day is published on 2nd February in the UK, 8th March in the US and for some strange reason it is already available on kindle but you'll pay a premium for it.

The Book of Blood and Shadow Blog Tour

2012-01-10T23:22:00.003Z

I believe I am an unofficial stop for The Book of Blood and Shadow Blog Tour that has been happening lately and so without further ado, I'd like to welcome the author Robin Wasserman to the blog. Have you ever wondered what's involved in writing books? Or what an author's typical day looks like? Well, Robin is here to tell you all about hers...

ROBIN WASSERMAN – A Day in the Life

7:30 AM – Wake up. Check email. Notice the time and feel very proud of starting the day so early. Resolve to jump out of bed and be immediately productive.

7:35 AM – Back to sleep.

8:30 AM – Wake up again, begrudgingly. Skim the headlines, watch Daily Show and Colbert clips on gawker, whine on twitter, Google self, exhaust all potential procrastinatory activities and finally, get up.

9:25 AM – Crank up Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” dance, sing. NOW READY TO FACE THE DAY!

9:30-10:30 AM – Get waylaid on the path to productivity by clogged shower drain. Drano. Drano. Plunge. Plunge. Drano. Despair.

10:45 AM – Settle into coffee shop and either make small talk with fellow easily distracted writers or stare moodily into hot chocolate while mulling the chunk of story that lies ahead.

11 AM – Write.

11:10 AM – Check email. Check Gawker. Check twitter. Google self, again. Turn off internet as preventative/punitive measure.

11:30 AM – Write.

11:45 AM – Check email on phone.

12 PM – Cookie time!

12:10 PM - WRITE. No excuses this time. Internet off. Eyes forward. Type words and try to ignore how crappy they might be. Continue typing until the day’s word count is met.

3:30 PM – Triumph! Slam laptop shut and resist urge to throw it in the trash. Head home for productive afternoon of email triage, website management, book promoting, secret freelance project writing.

3:45 PM – Instead, re-engage with shower battle. More plunging. More Drano. More shouting.

4:30 PM – Email editor with minor question.

4:32 PM – No response from editor. Refresh email approximately every thirty seconds.

4:35 PM – Decide editor must hate me. Career is over. All is darkness and gloom. Start considering law school applications or refrigerator repair school.

4:40 PM – Google self again. Check in on Goodreads to prove to self that some people like my books.

4:42 PM – Remember that some people do and some people…don’t. Try not to weep.

5:00 PM –Busywork: Write more blog posts for blog tour. Answer fan mail. (Feel guilty about answering it so slowly.) Pay taxes. Finally get together copies of books to mail out to bloggers…discover that post office has been closed for hours.

7:00 PM – Dinner with writerly friends. Assure each other our books are not terrible, our careers are not over, our manuscripts will get finished. Feel very confident that’s true for everyone else.

9:00 PM – Wine and ice cream consumed. Feel very confident about pretty much everything.

11:00 PM – TV: Try to decide between catching up on Gossip Girl, rewatching Torchwood, starting Breaking Bad. Take the path of least resistance and watch current episode of Private Practice. Feel deep sense of shame.

12:00 AM – Lights out. Go to sleep vowing that next day will be more productive. Up and working by 7:30 AM, no questions asked.

Hey, it could happen.

Thanks Robin and WOW, that's pretty full on. The Book of Blood and Shadow is published on 19th January, 2012 in the UK and 10th April, 2012 in the US. You should check back soon for my review :) To find out more about Robin, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000Z

So, yes I've been a little quiet on the blog lately sue to the craziness that was Christmas and new year, but I'm back! "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Gilt by Katherine Longshore. Here's the synopsis:

"In the Tudor age, ambition, power and charismatic allure are essential and Catherine Howard has plenty of all three. Not to mention her loyal best friend, Kitty Tylney, to help cover her tracks. Kitty, the abandoned youngest daughter of minor aristocracy, owes everything to Cat – where she is, what she is, even who she is. Friend, flirt, and self-proclaimed Queen of Misrule, Cat reigns supreme in a loyal court of girls under the none-too-watchful eye of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.

When Cat worms her way into the heart of Henry VIII and becomes Queen of England, Kitty is thrown into the intoxicating Tudor Court. It’s a world of glittering jewels and elegant costumes, of gossip and deception. As the Queen’s right-hand-woman, Kitty goes from the girl nobody noticed to being caught between two men – the object of her affection and the object of her desire.

But the atmosphere of the court turns from dazzling to deadly, and Kitty is forced to learn the difference between trust and loyalty, love and lust, secrets and treason. And to accept the consequences when some lessons are learned too late."

Although this is historical and based around real events, I actually quite like the sound of it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed movies like Girl with a Pearl Earring, Perfume and The Other Boleyn Girl and so I'm excited to read this. I always like the idea of seeing stories from another perspective and so the best friend aspect is one that works for me. Gilt is published on 15th May, 2012 with no news of a UK release as of yet. To find out more about Katherine, please click here to visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000Z

So last week, I did not participate in Waiting on Wednesday. Yes, sometimes I suck. I can't even begin to tell you how busy I am at the moment ESPECIALLY as now I have to add Christmas to the to do list. Anyway, I'm definitely doing it this week! Just to remind you, "Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is a book I've been excited about since I first heard about it at BEA - False Memory by Dan Krokos. Here's the synopsis:

"Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.

Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can't remember loving.

Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter...when there may not be a future."

I've been wanting to read this for a long time now as I think it sounds potentially very good and I know Dan is a debut author and I want to support him. I'm certainly not quite done with the dystopian genre and like anything to do with memory as I find the subject fascinating which means this book is well and truly on my radar. The cover was just revealed recently and I think it's stunning. It kind of reminds me of the movie "The Running Man" but that's OKAY. False Memory is published on 14th August, 2012. No news of foreign rights sales as of yet.

WINNERS!

2011-12-02T21:40:00.003Z

Recently, I've had two giveaways and it's time to announce the winners! Thank you to EVERYONE who entered the contests but there can only be one winner and random.org has chosen the following people.

For the Stacey Kade book of their choice:

Brandi from Brandi's Book Musings.

For the UK hardback of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor:

Girlinthelens from Girl in the Lens

Congratulations ladies! The winners have now been e mailed and will have 48 hours to respond otherwise a new winner will be chosen. There will be more contests in the near future.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight Review

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000Z

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith may have a ridiculously long title but somehow it works and it’s highly appropriate considering the content. You know that part of the book when you finally realise why it has a particular title and/or the title gets used within the text? That’s one of my favourite parts of a book and I melted when this title was used in dialogue by one of the main characters. A fitting title perhaps from one of the most romantic books I’ve read in a while. It gave me the same warm and fuzzies I got from reading Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Not only is it an easy read, it’s hugely entertaining and you WONT WANT to put it down. Here’s the synopsis:

“Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.”

This book reminded me a little of the movie Before Sunrise where two strangers meet on their travels and spend 24 hours with each other. I have to say that I loved the concept of SPOLAFS from the outset. I mean, have you ever flown solo on a really long flight? If so, I’m sure you wondered about whom you’d be sitting next to, what they would be like. What’s funny about plane journeys is that they’re actually quite intimate. There’s no escape and you have to spend hours with complete strangers, making conversation and possibly getting to know each other. And if you’re lucky enough to meet someone that you’re interested in then it’s always sad to say goodbye when the journey reaches its final destination. But who says you have to say goodbye, right?

SPOLAFS is the ultimate romantic book and one of the strongest things about it? The dialogue. It was so natural and charming; there was nothing false or cheesy about it. Oliver was so lovely; I would quite happily sit next to him on a plane ride :) Speaking of which, there was a particular line in the book that that brought a tear to my eye and although it’s a personal story, I will still tell it. When I was 18, I was an au pair in America and I stayed out there for about 13 months without going home once. I bought endless phone cards and tried to talk to my parents whenever I could. I remember having a particularly rough day, crying down the phone when my mum said to me “Honey, I may be back in England but I love you and at the end of the day, it’s only geography”. There’s a really similar line in the book and it caught me off guard. Good job I already had some tissues at the ready!

I can totally see this book as a movie and I hope to God some hot shot production company buys the film rights as it totally deserves to be up on the big screen. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is dripping in gorgeousness and has stolen my heart. Whenever I have to fly solo in the future, I’m always going to be wondering if an Oliver will be sat next to me.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is published on 2nd January, 2012 in the US and 5th January, 2012 in the UK. I’d definitely recommend you put this one on your Christmas list!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-30T19:11:00.003Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. Here's the synopsis:

"When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge. His sense of humor, sense of his own strength, and incredible sense of honor make Travis an irresistible and eminently lovable hero in this fantastic and timely debut novel."

So, I read the first chapter of this the other day (which is on Trish's website) and I loved it so much that I pre ordered the book! I'm excited to read about a soldier (YUM) but also to delve into the issues surrounding what it's like to be out there in Afghanistan and what it's like to come away from that. I immediately loved Travis' voice and I'm looking forward to reading the book which will be a birthday present to myself....from myself ;)

Something like Normal is published on 19th June, 2012. There is no news about a UK release as of yet. To find out more about Trish and her books, click "a href="http://www.trishdoller.com">here to visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Starters by Lissa Price. Here's the synopsis:

"The first in a futuristic thriller series featuring a society where youth is coveted at an impossible price, and one girl's ability to bring it all crumbling down."

I realise there is not a great deal of information to go on but I remember hearing about this book at the Random House bloggers meeting. Lissa Price is a screenwriter and if I remember rightly this is something to do with hiring out your body to others but don't quote me on that. Anyway, will you look at that gorgeous cover? I love the dystopian genre and I can't wait to read this!

Starters is published on 13th March, 2012 in the US and 5th April, 2012 in the UK.

Movie Trailers

2011-11-19T14:10:00.002Z

There are a lot of movies coming out next year that I am EXTREMELY excited about and a lot of the trailers are just starting to appear now. Just in case you've failed to notice them or heaven forbid, have never heard of them in the first place, I wanted to show you...

First up, is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is one of my favourite trilogies EVER and I can't wait to see it up on the big screen. If you haven't read this yet, DO IT. DO IT NOW.

Then we have Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart. This is of course a retelling of the classic fairytale but it's what I lovingly call "the dark fantasy version". Snow White is portrayed as some kind of bad ass girl hero and I like that.

Then we have the rival film Mirror Mirror, which seems to be a much lighter retelling with comedic elements and probably aimed at a younger audience. I definitely still want to see it though and it will be interesting to compare the two films.

Finally, we have The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to see this. There is no official trailer as of yet but I loved this fanmade one.

I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a pretty good year ;)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Review (and a giveaway)

2011-11-19T00:01:00.003Z

I have decided that I’d quite like to live inside Laini Taylor’s head. Her imagination is OFF THE CHARTS and I’m suitably impressed with the amount of originality oozing off the pages of this book. I’d heard about Daughter of Smoke and Bone back in March when I had the opportunity to meet Laini (see here) and then I saw Laini’s post about her visit to her UK publishers (see here) and it was a feast for the eyes! I remember thinking “beautiful but weird” and now I’ve actually read the book, the decorations make sense! Curious? You should be. Here’s the synopsis:

“Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?”

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a high fantasy novel that takes you on an enticing trip around Europe and will have you adding places like Geneva, Prague and Marrakesh to your “places to visit before you die” list. Laini’s writing is effortless and more than worthy of a little envy I think. Her concept is original and highly entertaining and I feel more intelligent after reading this book, like Laini assumes her readers are intelligent and treats us as such.

I’m not sure I have a favourite character as they were all equally well written although I had a soft spot for Kishmish. I thought Karou was a fantastic protagonist - creative, intelligent, sneaky and a certainly not a girl to be messed with! And Akiva? You know what’s coming, don’t you? Yep *adds to list of literary boyfriends*.

I’m not usually such a huge fan of high fantasy but Daughter of Smoke and Bone took me by surprise and has me reconsidering my outlook on this. I’m very pleased to report that this is part of a planned trilogy and I will be watching with interest to see where the story goes next. A superb book that should act as a guide on how to write fantasy, and write it well.

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was published on 29th September , 2011 both in the US and the UK. To find out more about Laini Taylor and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Twitter.

If you would like to win a gorgeous UK hardback, then please leave a comment with your name and e mail address. This contest is open to UK readers only however if you are an international reader and are willing to pay for shipping, you can enter. The winner will be chosen at random and once notified, they have 48 hours to claim their prize otherwise another winner will be chosen. The deadline is 30th November and any entries made after that date will be disqualified. Good luck!

Shut Out Review

2011-11-17T00:01:00.000Z

I have to admit that any book or movie that features sport immediately makes my eyes glaze over. I am not and probably never will be much of a sporty person. FACT. And yet time and time again, when I DO give these sorts of stories a chance, I’m always surprised by how much I enjoyed them. For example, I had no interest whatsoever in watching the movie “The Blind Side” but when I finally sat down to watch it, I loved it. With that in mind, I wanted to give Shut Out by Kody Keplinger a chance aaaaaand....I really enjoyed it! It was nice to read a contemporary book for a change, not a hint of the paranormal in sight and yet it was equally as entertaining. Here’s the synopsis:

“Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

Inspired by Aristophanes' play Lysistrata, critically acclaimed author of The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) Kody Keplinger adds her own trademark humor in this fresh take on modern teenage romance, rivalry and sexuality.”

First off, let’s just get this out of the way early on. YES, the girl on the book cover REALLY looks like Liv Tyler. I’m sure it’s probably not her but it sure does look like her. I love the fact that this book is based on a play by the ancient Greek playwright, Aristophanes and even though it was written centuries ago, it STILL translates really well to modern day. This is a battle of the sexes but does anybody really win in the end?

I read another review of Shut Out a while ago that slammed Keplinger for choosing to write about how the girls only way of halting the rivalry was to use sex and how instead, they should have started some kind of youtube campaign. Had I been drinking coffee at the time, I’m sure I would have snorted it through my nose. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is entitled to their opinion but I thought that was an incredibly unrealistic thing to say. Youtube campaigns and petitions have their place but this is not one them. I commend the girls in this book for hitting the guys where it hurts (so to speak) and it wasn’t just about denying sex. There were plenty of girls who were virgins and so for them; it was more about withholding affection. Also, through doing this, some of the girls found out how their boyfriends REALLY felt about them when they were caught shacking up with someone else.

This book explores the issue of teenage sex and how everyone thinks that everyone else is doing it and no one knows if they’re doing it right because no one talks about it. When they DO start talking about it, it becomes a revelation for all. This is a book to get you thinking, it’s incredibly readable, highly entertaining and should ignite some interesting discussion among teens and adults alike.

Shut Out was published on 5th September, 2011. To find out more about Kody Keplinger and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Larkstorm by Dawn Rae Miller. Here's the synopsis:

"In the years following the destructive Long Winter, when half the world’s population perished, the State remains locked in battle against the Sensitives: humans born with extra abilities.

As one of the last descendants of the State’s Founders, seventeen-year-old Lark Greene knows her place: study hard and be a model citizen so she can follow in her family’s footsteps. Her life’s been set since birth, and she’s looking forward to graduating and settling down with Beck, the boy she’s loved longer than she can remember.

However, after Beck is accused of being Sensitive and organizing an attack against Lark, he disappears. Heartbroken and convinced the State made a mistake, Lark sets out to find him and clear his name.

But what she discovers is more dangerous and frightening than Sensitives: She must kill the boy she loves, unless he kills her first."

It's a dystopian!! You know how much I love dystopian books, right? This book sounds right up my street - full of angst, romance and struggle. Also, the cover is simply beautiful and I'm pre ordering as soon as the link becomes available. The good news is we won't have to wait very long for his as Larkstorm is published on 5th December, 2011. No news about a UK release but apparently it will also be available in e book format. To find out more about Dawn and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Shatter Me Review

2011-11-14T00:01:00.000Z

“He pulls my swaddled figure close to his chest and I shatter”

I have to admit that I had never heard of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi before BEA (Books Expo America) but there was a lot of blogger buzz about it and Tahereh was signing ARCs so I queued up to get one as I trust my fellow book bloggers. I was pleased to meet Tahereh and she was so sweet and tiny but that meeting has much more meaning now I’ve read her debut novel and I wish I could have hugged her and told her how fantastic it is. Yep, the girl done good and I can’t wait for you all to read it. Here’s the synopsis:

“Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now, so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.”

It’s no secret that I love dystopian books and I have to say that what I love most about Shatter Me is the writing - it is so beautifully lyrical and I’ve not seen a style quite like this before. I thought the opening chapter was amazing and so unexpected. In the beginning, Tahereh has you questioning so many things and I love that kind of mental stimulation.

Juliette is our protagonist and I just wanted to give her a hug (although it would probably kill me!). I felt her loneliness crawl off the pages and I can’t imagine what it would be like never to touch anyone for fear of hurting them. I tell you what though, it’s certainly a sure fire way to get the lustometer scale to go off the charts and DAMN, it certainly did. Adam is a hot, military man (dear God do I love a man in uniform) who has more secrets than a teenage girl’s diary. Seriously. And he has a connection with Juliette, only where do his true motives really lie? Ooooooh....you’ll have to read and find out ;)

I’m going to pause right here and make a confession which involves a short story so bear with me. I went to a Cassandra Clare event recently in London that was hosted by Sarah Rees Brennan. During the event, Sarah admitted to being the captain of Team Sebastian (for those of you who have not read the books, without going into detail, Sebastian is pure evil) and how he just needed some love and this made me question Sarah’s sanity (I love you really, Sarah). However, I now find myself in a position of complete understanding as I declare myself captain of Team Warner. In Shatter Me, Warner is the guy in charge and some might describe him as a bit of a psycho who wants to use Juliette’s power as a weapon but pffft.....I think he is a tortured soul with a complicated past who just needs the love of a good woman to sort him out! I found myself strangely attracted to Warner and this freaked me out for a short time but now I’ve made peace with it. Either I am extremely tolerant or Tahereh is a clever writer ;) I hear on the grapevine that he plays a critical role in the rest of the series and we will learn more about him in upcoming books. WOOT!

I have to admit that I have some slight reservations about where the series will go and if I’m honest; my biggest concern is that it has the potential to turn into X Men. I’m not entirely sure how Tahereh is going to avoid this or where indeed she will take the story but I sure do look forward to finding out. All in all, Shatter Me is a fantastic debut novel full of action and tension and I can't recommend it highly enough. BRING ON BOOK TWO!

Shatter Me is published on 15th November, 2011. There is no news about a UK release but surely, this can’t be far behind after all, the film rights have been sold and I can’t WAIT for this to be up on the big screen!! To find out more about Tahereh and Shatter Me, please click here to access her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. If you don’t know, Tahereh has the BEST Tumblr account ever and you can find that here.

The Crossroads Blog Tour CONTEST

2011-11-13T00:01:00.003Z

I hope you all enjoyed reading the author interviews I posted as part of the Crossroads Tour although I have to say that they're lacking in comment love somewhat :( I tell you what, one of the authors I interviewed as part of the tour was Stacey Kade and she has graciously offered to give away one of her books on the blog (a book of your choice - either a paperback of Ghost and the Goth or a hardback of Queen of the Dead). All you have to do is comment on one of the author interviews posted as part of The Crossroads Blog Tour and then leave a comment in this post with your name, e mail address and country. This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway and the winner will be chosen at random as part of some random winner picker software thingy.

Here are the links you will need and if nothing else, you will find out some juicy secrets from them!:

Day 1 with Lucienne Diver and Jackie Morse Kessler
Day 2 with Rachel Vincent
Day 3 with Shannon Delany and Carrie Harris
Day 4 with Kitty Keswick and Linda Joy Singleton
Day 5 with Joy Preble and Dawn Dalton
Day 6 with Jeri Smith Ready and Amanda Ashby
Day 7 with Stacey Kade and Judith Graves
Day 8 with Angie Frazier and Kiki Hamilton

The deadline for this contest is 26th November and all entries made after that date will be disqualified. The winner will be notified and they have 48 hours to claim their prize otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!

Crossed Review

2011-11-12T00:01:00.002Z

I’m a huge fan of Matched by Ally Condie which I reviewed here and Crossed, the upcoming sequel is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. You can imagine my elation when I found out that Ally was going to be signing ARCs of Crossed at BEA (Books Expo America) which took place earlier this year and fortunately, I was going to be in attendance for the first time ever! There was NO WAY I was going to miss out on snagging one of those ARCs and I also dragged my precious hardback of Matched across the ocean to get that signed too. I’d heard some whispers in the queue that Ally was only signing ARCs that day but I thought “stuff it! I’ve come all this way, I’m a huge fan and I can only ask”. So I got to the front of the line, pulled out Matched and Ally was more than happy to sign it for me *squee* (thanks Ally!).

Matched did not leave us with a cliffhanger as such but it was an ending that definitely left you wanting more. Ky was taken to the Outer Provinces and Cassia has gone after him and this basically forms the plot of Crossed. Here’s the synopsis:

“In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.”

I couldn’t wait to read Crossed and thankfully, it did not disappoint. I enjoyed it just as much as the first book but be warned, it is quite different in that no longer are we in a sprawling urban jungle as the Outer Provinces are made up of desert and rock. I was rooting for Cassia all the way and as the book went on, I became more and more DESPERATE for her to find Ky. What I didn’t expect was my change of heart for Xander and I definitely felt a pull towards him. In book one, it was all about Ky but Xander is the dark horse here and whilst he is only in the book for a short time, his absence is more like a presence. We find out a lot more about Xander in Crossed together with some startling revelations that I certainly did not see coming and these set the tone for the next book.

Whereas Matched was told from Cassia’s point of view, Crossed gives us a split narrative and we get to see the world through Ky’s eyes which I thought gave us more of an insight into his character. It was nice to see the current situation from both sides but I would have LOVED to have seen it through Xander’s ;)

I’ve heard a lot of people say that Crossed is slow and nothing happens but I couldn’t disagree more. I thought it was extremely suspenseful and carried the story along quite nicely. The writing continues to be lyrical and there were some stand out scenes for me. This is supposed to be Cassia’s journey and it was good to see a different part of the landscape and how The Society is involved in everything that happens, even in the Outer Provinces. I did not expect the ending that we were given and this only makes me hungry for more. I suspect that the next book will probably be the best one yet and I can’t wait to read it!

Crossed was published on 1st November, 2011 in the US and 24th November, 2011 in the UK. To find out more about Ally Condie and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

A note about Divergent

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000Z

I have been raving about Divergent by Veronica Roth since the day I finished reading it. This is easily one of the best YA books I've EVER read and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you don't know anything about it, read my review here or just read the synopsis:

"Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances."

I remember having a conversation with someone from Harper Collins earlier in the year about Divergent and how it hadn't sold as well as expected in the UK which shocked the hell out of me as this book is AMAZING! It was suggested that the cover might have something to do with it as it comes across as quite masculine like, although I have to say that I liked it just the way it was. Anyhow, I'm pleased to present a very new looking paperback of Divergent that will be released in February, 2012 and I think it's gorgeous! I'm probably going to have to get this now to go with my collection :) Definitely snap up a copy of this book and read it before the movie is made. You won't regret it!

To find out more about Veronica Roth, please click here to visit her website.

Overprotected Review

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000Z

NO ONE writes forbidden romance like Jennifer Laurens and Overprotected is oh, so good. As you might know, I’m a huge fan of Jennifer Laurens books and I really enjoyed this one. There’s something inherently sexy about someone protecting you, even if it is your childhood enemy and especially if you’re not supposed to be attracted to him ;) Here’s the synopsis:

“Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.”

Imagine being wrapped up in a bubble of protection, unable to live your life properly. Sounds like hell right? Especially for a teenage girl. Now imagine that your bodyguard is someone who used to tease you mercilessly and hell just became a whole lot worse. Ashlyn is sometimes a bit spoilt (as you might have guessed) but thankfully she is not annoying. She is a victim of her upbringing and as she’s been wrapped up in cotton wool for so long, she’s not been allowed to grow up. She’s not allowed to go to parties, to sneak out of class, to go on a road trip or any other rite of passage that normal teenagers go through and it’s all for her own protection. Something happened when she was younger that’s turned her dad into some paranoid mess and now that there’s been threats on her life? Well, that’s justification enough in his eyes.

Ashlyn’s last bodyguard got a little too close to her for his liking and so this time daddy isn’t taking any chances, hence the reason he hired the one guy he knew Ashlyn would never fall for. Enter Colin who is by far my favourite character. I love the way he struggles with his emotions vs. doing his duty and I find that incredibly hot. You can see what’s coming a mile off but that doesn’t affect the entertainment value one bit, in fact, it just adds to it as the lustometer soars out of control!

What with Colin, the death threats and the fact that her parents’ marriage is falling apart at the seams, Ashlyn has a lot to deal with and then the worst happens, she is kidnapped. Can Colin save the day? Does he care enough to save her? You’ll just have to read and find out.

Overprotected is yet another fantastic read from Jennifer Laurens and this book takes has pride of place on my bookshelves. With so many books under her belt now, I’m looking forward to seeing what Jennifer has in store for us next ;)

Overprotected was published on 29th April, 2011. To find out more about Jennifer and her books, click here to visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Touched by Cyn Balog. Here's the synopsis:

"Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn’t? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script to save a life, dooming another one in the process. Trying to change the future can have disastrous consequences..

But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something’s about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets Taryn, a girl with a dark family secret that may be the key to understanding his past. But will she also destroy his future? . Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there’s no way to stop it. Or is there?

In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he’s about to discover—or the choice he will be forced to make. . . "

I love Cyn and I love her books so of course I'm excited for this one! It sounds wildly different from anything she's written before but that's not a problem for me as I trust her as a writer. I think the synopsis sounds fab and will you take a look at that cover? GORGEOUS!!! I'm also quite liking the fact that it's a bit different from her other covers. I can't wait to read this one :)
Touched is published on 14th August, 2012. For more information about Cyn and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Starstruck Review

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000Z

Starstruck by Cyn Balog is the one book you can read whilst legitimately eating a donut and you know what? I TOTALLY DID. Not only did an early image of the book have a donut on the cover (I believe it was changed, presumably so it could not be blamed for encouraging mass donut eating worldwide) but our main protagonist Gwendolyn or Dough as she is more affectionately known lives in a bakery. Sounds like heaven, right? Not quite. Here’s the synopsis:

“When Gwendolyn “Dough” Reilly’s boyfriend and best friend Wish moves away in seventh grade, the only consolation she can find is in her family bakery’s donuts. Now, it’s sophomore year, and Wish is coming back. But in only three years, they’ve both changed—drastically. She’s seriously overweight, and suddenly Wish is the most popular guy in school, and girls everywhere want him. Dough has doubts that appearances don’t matter and that Wish can love her as she is, so she launches into a plan designed to keep them together. That is, until she discovers that Wish’s gorgeous looks and charm might not be all they appear to be.”

This has got to be one of the worst nightmare scenarios fate could ever throw at you EVER and I really feel for the girl. I have to say though that Dough handles the situation as best as any girl in that situation can by going on a crash diet and then giving up by eating donuts. HUGELY authentic.

There were tons of laugh out loud moments in the book and I loved Dough’s voice. I also enjoyed the fact that she’s not some skinny, beautiful girl with the world at her feet, rather she is a normal, average girl with the same insecurities that I suspect most girls have. She was definitely relatable, at least from my point of view. Wish is a nice guy and again, this made for a refreshing change. I love a bad boy as much as the next girl but sometimes it’s good to have a shout out for the NICE guy and I’m pleased to say that even though he morphed into hot stuff over the 3 years he’s been away, he’s still a nice guy. Phew! One of the things I particularly enjoyed about Wish was his e mails to Dough as he randomly capitalizes words and I do THE EXACT SAME THING!!! LOL although I like to think that it’s not so random in my case ;)

I believe Starstruck explores the theme of looks vs. Personality and what that means to us but not only that, surprisingly there is a touch of the paranormal to this book but nothing that you’ve seen before and nothing you would expect. Intrigued? You should be!

Cyn Balog is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and Starstruck is out and out fun - I enjoyed every minute of it. If you want to read something totally original and entertaining, something where everyone ISN’T beautiful, where the characters represent NORMAL people? Then, this is the book for you.

Starstruck was published on 12th July, 2011 in the US. For the UK’ers, you can buy it online or check with Foyles in London as they sometimes carry Cyn’s books. To find out more about Cyn Balog and her books, click here to visit her website. Cyn is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

The Scorpio Races Review

2011-11-06T17:45:00.003Z

It’s the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.

As some of you may know, I went to BEA (Books Expo America) this year and my whole trip was made in the first 5 minutes of the exhibition. Why? Because I’d managed to score not only an ARC of Forever but also an ARC of Maggie’s new book, The Scorpio Races. And as if that wasn’t enough, I was lucky enough to be invited to a US Scholastic event in the heart of New York City and had the opportunity to meet Libba Bray, Meg Cabot and of course spend time with Maggie who may or may not have been surprised to see me on her side of the pond for a change! I wasn’t able to read the book on the plane ride home (sorry, Maggie!) but I’m glad I waited until now because the book is set in October/November and this is the PERFECT time to read it.

I’m going to start this review with a confession. I read the premise and immediately screwed up my face and thought “huh? Water horses?” Do you remember that 2007 film, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep? Um, Yeah. The horses in Maggie’s book are not like that AT ALL. Forget cutesy, these horses are huge, monstrous creatures that are very, very carnivorous. Known locally as the Capaill Uisce, they immediately reminded me of this classic Guinness advert:

Yes, I’ll admit that I was terrified to read the book but not because of the killer horses but rather because I was scared that I wouldn’t like the story. I’ve actually been putting off reading it because I did not want to be the one blogger who didn’t like it, especially considering how much of a Maggie fan I am. And you know what? Even before I’d read the first 50 pages, I was already in love with it. I’ll even go as far as saying that I believe The Scorpio Races is Maggie Stiefvater’s best work yet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive fan of Maggie’s and I adored The Wolves of Mercy Falls series but her new book surpasses everything else and leaps into a whole new category. The Scorpio Races may be quite different from her other books but I absolutely loved it. Here’s the synopsis:

“It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.”

What’s interesting about The Scorpio Races is that Maggie does not tell you where or even when this book is set. We know it’s an island called Thisby but we don’t really know where that is. The dialect is British/Irish and because of that and the names of the islanders (and also Maggie’s Irish roots), in my head I had decided it was close to Ireland. I adore the island feel Maggie brought to the books where everyone knows everyone and there are of course those who can’t wait to leave but equally there are those who are married to the island, such as Puck (Kate) and Sean. The island is part of them; it’s in their blood.

Sean is effectively a horse whisperer. He loves horses and there’s no one better on the island at dealing with them, especially the Capaill Uisce. I believe this is not only because he loves them but because he respects them and knows he cannot control them. They are wild animals after all and I liken it to caring for lions - by all means love them but remember that they are unpredictable and that’s something Sean doesn’t forget and probably why after all these years of working with them, he’s still alive. There is one horse in particular Sean has come to love and that is Corr, only Corr belongs to the richest man on the island and Sean’s employer, Benjamin Malvern and he’s not willing to sell him, not even to Sean.

In Puck, Sean finds a kindred spirit. What’s interesting about Puck is that she seems to be the complete opposite of Grace from Shiver. Whereas Grace was neat, logical and practical, Kate is most definitely not practical, is full of fanciful ideas and clutter is her natural habitat. I remember this time last year when Maggie first told us that she had written another book and she promised beaches, blood and kissing. By the time I got to page 200 or even 300, I was so eager for kissing and there was none to be found. Maggie has indeed perfected the art of teasing her reader. She doesn’t give you all the information up front but has you questioning throughout and just when you’re wondering about something and thinking that it hasn’t been explained, she provides the explanation. I believe the same could be said for the kissing. Sean and Puck’s relationship is a very slow burn and really not the heart of the story, but a nice sideline. There are many other love stories going on within the book - brotherly/sisterly love, between the island and the water horses, between Sean and his horse Corr and between Puck and her horse Dove. One of the things I really enjoyed about Puck and Sean’s relationship (and worth mentioning) is that they never really alluded to their physical attributes. A lot of books mention eyes, lips and hair but it wasn’t like that for Sean and Puck. Whilst I don’t doubt that there must have been SOME physical attraction, it was more about spirit and personality.

I’ve always wanted a brother and I enjoyed the relationship between Puck and her brothers. Finn is the youngest and possibly a touch autistic. He likes to tinker with engines, can’t stop washing his hands and doesn’t take compliments well but he is my personal hero and you’ll find out why when you read the book ;) Gabe is the older brother, the one shouldering all the responsibility since the death of their parents and struggling to cope with this, after all he’s a young man himself and has a life of his own to lead.

I had to laugh at the mention of a family with the surname of Gratton and this is obviously a nod to Tessa Gratton, one of Maggie’s critique partners who has now effectively been immortalised in one of Maggie’s books. I shall be watching with interest to see how Tessa can slip the word “Stiefvater” into her next novel. Yeah, good luck with that.

Sean and Puck both have their reasons for entering The Scorpio Races and no matter who wins, the cost of losing is going to be high. A word about the ending, I thought it was just brilliant and had me pumping my fists in the air screaming “YES!!”. And yes, I seriously did that. The final pages were heart wrenching and damn it Maggie, you did it again and brought me to tears. This is starting to become a habit now! The Scorpio Races was absolutely brilliant and I can’t recommend it highly enough. There is NOTHING in the Young Adult market like it at the moment and the movie rights have just been optioned so we might just see it on the big screen and I for one cannot wait.

The Scorpio Races was published on 18th October, 2011. To find out more about Maggie and her books click here. Maggie is also a member of the Merry Sisters of Fates (together with fellow authors and crit partners Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff) and you can access the site here. Maggie is active on Facebook and Twitter.

The Secret of the Keepers Blog Tour

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001Z

I'm so pleased to be part of this blog tour as I loved The Light of Asteria and it's recently published sequel The Secret of the Keepers by Elizabeth Isaacs. If you haven't heard of The Light of Asteria before, please read my review here. I also recently read and reviewed The Secret of the Keepers here. I have to say that I loved the books and I can't wait for the third book in the series! The Secret of the Keepers was published on 1st November.

As part of the blog tour, I got the opportunity to interview Elizabeth and ask the questions I've been dying to know the answers to. Thankfully, she was more than happy to oblige. Welcome to the blog Elizabeth!

I've been dying to ask you how you come up with character names?

I love symbolism, and so names, for me, are extremely important. I do quite a bit of research on most of the names, but there are a few characters that appeared already named. For example, Jayril and Jakkar named themselves.

I love names that have meaning! Who is your favourite character in the series then?

That's a tough question. Aside from Nora and Gavin, I adore Edna. But this past year I have grown to love Rune. And, of course, Elias and Weylin are two of the hottest men that have ever traipsed through my head. :-).

I love Rune too and YOU KNOW how much I love Weylin *swoon*. Kailmeyra is a bit different to Earth, how did you go about world building?

World building is extremely difficult to do. I see Kailmeyra so clear in my mind it's often difficult to find the right words. Too, there's a fine balance in creating something never seen and overwhelming the reader. Readers have to have some semblance of reality to anchor fantasy to, so they can visualize the land easily. That takes finesse.

How important is music to you when you’re writing? Do you have a play list or a favourite piece of music to write to?

I know this might sound weird, but I have to have complete silence when I write. I'm a musician, and when music is playing my mind solely focuses on the layers of sound, how they interact and play off each other. I hear every instrument individually and so I can't think or create when music is on. The only exception is when I wrote the prologue in The Light of Asteria. I listened to Orff's Carmina Burana, which absolutely scared the bejeebers out of me!

Why should people read The Kailmeyra Series? (I already know the answer to this question, but sell it to us...)

I believe the strongest books are the ones that carry a message. The ones that make the reader stop and think, take stock in their lives and how they treat others. The Light of Asteria was originally written for my daughter as a message of what love is supposed to be and the power of forgiveness. The Secret of the Keepers explores that love is more than just the love of a mate. If you are looking for a series that has action, adventure, romance, and possibly a little insight then I think you'd enjoy the land of Kailmeyra.

How many books will there be in this series?

The third book, which I hope to have out this time next year, will be the final in this series.

What’s the biggest message that you want people to take away from your books?

The entire series goes on the premise that emotions hold power, and that we need to explore within ourselves the origin of thoughts, for its those very thoughts that guide our intent. I think it's a shame that so many people live their lives surviving day to day, never believing that they hold a power greater than anything they ever imagined. Never realizing that a simple act of kindness or love can change someone forever. In that regard, the land of Kailmeyra very much is real.

Can you give us any hints or spoilers for book three?

Our beloved clan heads back to earth, and this time Weylin accompanies them, which brings a little added flavor to the mix! :-D

Oh, I can't wait to read more about Weylin ;) What are you working on now (or after the series ends)

I'm currently working on the third book but but I also have a steampunk novel in the works. Lately though, what's been calling my heart is to write a serious piece for parents and teachers about the lessons I've learned from the children I've taught over the years.

As a final question, what YA books have you read and loved?

I have such eclectic tastes in books, and I'm probably showing my age, but some of my favorite books ... the one's that really stuck with me when I was entering college was the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen R. Donaldson. And then, of course, Harry Potter (even though it's considered children's literature by some). JK Rowling has an amazing depth to her characters. I also like the oldies but goodies ... the Hobbit, the Chronicles of Narnia, etc. And a little more recently I enjoyed Christopher Paolini's Eragon series, although I'm tired of waiting for the fourth book. While these are fantasy/adventure books, the romantic in me comes from historical romances and the old Harlequinn's my grandmother used to have, which I secretly read when we visited her farm. (She never knew I found her stash :-).

Thank you for answering my questions Elizabeth :) If you want to WIN an e book of The Secret of the Keepers, just leave a comment to be entered. The next stop on the blog tour is Lilliputian Journey and to find out more about the blog tour itself, please click here. To find out more about Elizabeth and her books, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000Z

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is a book I've wanted to read since I first heard about it a few weeks ago, Revived by Cat Patrick. Here's the synopsis:

"As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined."

OMG this sounds so awesome and right up my street! I really enjoyed Forgotten (Cat's first novel and one I still need to write my review for eek!) and I can't wait to read this book. I am in love with the concept and as if you need any more proof of how much I want to read this book, I have just hit the pre order button. Revived is published on 8th May, 2012.

The Secret of the Keepers Review

2011-11-01T00:01:00.001Z

"No one has ever doubted that you would die for those you love.

The question then becomes ... would you live?"

How lucky am I in that I didn’t have to wait that long after reading The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs before I got to read the sequel, The Secret of the Keepers? VERY is the answer! But for everyone who had to wait, let me tell you that it is so, so worth it! If you’ve read my review for the first book here then you’ll know how much I love this story and I couldn’t wait to dive back into the world of Kailmeyra. I’ve come to know and love the characters almost as much as Nora does I think and I’m glad that I can continue with them on their journey. Here’s the synopsis:

“Life for Nora couldn't be better; she has married the man of her dreams and loves living in the pristine land of Kailmeyra.

That is, until the darkness threatens her perfect world.

Now war is upon the land. She and Gavin must strengthen their clan and prepare to fight. But the enemy has an ally—one that not only wields power, but holds knowledge of the ancients' secrets. Secrets that could destroy creation itself.

As the darkness grows, doubt seeps in ... protectiveness hinders progress ... and the unthinkable comes to pass. Bewildered and alone, Nora shoulders the responsibility of leading an entire race to war. As she struggles with decisions that seem impossible to make, she is haunted by one choice.”

How jealous do I feel or Nora in the beginning of this book?! She’s married the man of her dreams and they are most definitely in the honeymoon period, living in one of the most beautiful, purest lands there is. Now THAT is my idea of bliss. This part of the book is written with such beautiful sensitivity that the whole thing is incredibly romantic and I really appreciated that. But you know what? The honeymoon can’t last forever and Nora has one hell of a fight on her hands with the Dokkalfar who threaten EVERYTHING she’s come to know and love.

This book was WOW. I loved it and couldn’t put it down! I laughed and cried as I shared Nora’s journey which was tumultuous to say the least. Be warned that there are quite a few revelations in this book and some shocking twists and turns that you won’t want to believe are true.

All the old characters are present and I have to say that I love Reena even more in this book, if that’s possible. She is such a bundle of joy that I wish I could pluck her out of the book and have her come live with me! Of course, then I’d also have to bring Weylin too *swoon* and just so you know, the only reason I wouldn’t take Gavin is because he is spoken for! Ah, but who pray tell is Waylin, I hear you ask? He’s just some hot, single warrior who oozes confidence and enjoys a challenge. I’M RIGHT HERE WAYLIN!!!! *adds to ever growing list of literary boyfriends*.

Another new character is Rune who I picture as a bit of a leprechaun/dwarf kind of character. I don’t know why, I just do *shrug* but he is adorable.

One of the things I enjoyed most about The Secret of the Keepers was finding out more about the culture and belief systems of Kailmeyra. I’m absolutely fascinated with the idea of everything having energy (which btw it does) and how this can be harnessed (which btw it can). And we find out the secrets behind Kailmeyra but unfortunately, so does the enemy and it aint gonna be pretty.

I love reading stories that explore the power of thought and also the power of faith which is why this series totally floats my boat. The writing is beautiful and strong for the most part but sometimes I got lost with who was speaking and where in time and space the characters were. The story is so strong however, that this did not detract from it at all. Overall, Elizabeth Isaacs definitely has talent and her books just keep getting better and better. I’m going to need book three STAT.

The Secret of the Keepers is published on 1st November, 2011. To find out more about Elizabeth and her books, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. I am pleased to tell you that I am part of The Secret of the Keepers blog tour so come back on 4th November for my post :)

Darker Still Review

2011-10-31T00:01:00.000Z

I first heard about Darker Still by Leanne Renee Hieber at BEA (Book Expo America) back in May of this year, which incidentally seems like a life time ago, after a friend showed me the incredibly beautiful cover. I read the synopsis and my interest was sparked - I HAD to read this. Unfortunately, all the review copies were gone but I got the opportunity to meet the wonderful Ms Hieber who as it turns out is basically more British than I am! She was born in Ohio LOL.

Thankfully, an extremely nice publicist at Source Books sent me a copy and I devoured it over the course of a couple of days. With nods to Dorian Gray and possibly influenced by Roald Dahl’s The Witches and Harry Potter with their living paintings, Darker Still is a wonderfully gothic tale set in Victorian New York and although I haven’t read a historical novel in quite some time, I absolutely loved it. Here’s the synopsis:

“The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.”

Although she is the also the author of the “Strangely Beautiful” series, this is the first novel I have read by Leanna and I have to admit to being suitably impressed. The style of language is on the whole authentic and I enjoyed the plot immensely. I have to say that New York is one of my favourite US cities and one that I’ve had the fortune of visiting on a number of occasions. It was wonderful to imagine the bright lights of New York dimmed down to reflect times of olde and I enjoyed reading a Victorian novel, set in another country other than London. Funnily enough, sometimes I forgot it was set in New York, I think because Lord Denbury hails from England. The Victorian era is a PERFECT setting for a story dripping in dark magic. I have to admit that it got a little creepy at times, but not enough for me to want to stop reading!

Natalie is of course the heroine of the story and although she cannot speak, she is a strong, intelligent young woman who does a lot of listening and keeps a lot of secrets. The story is told through diary entries with the occasional letter and newspaper article and this is a format that I haven’t seen in a long time. I actually thought that it was EXTREMELY clever of Leanna to have Natalie tell her tale in the form of Diary entries. This might seem obvious (as she cannot speak) but it’s not really something I had considered before I read the book. I have to say that I really enjoyed the idea that Natalie is looked on as the one to save Jonathan (GIRL POWER!!) and perhaps to the outside world she seems like an unlikely heroine but we know better ;)

I don’t really have a lot to say about Jonathan other than he is a dashing young gentleman and the equivalent of the beautiful girl who needs to be rescued....only he’s a guy. He just so happens to be a doctor and ordinarily that might make me swoon but I’m a nurse and I know the reality so doctor’s don’t have that effect on my anymore sadly. He seems like a nice guy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unlucky. On the flip side however, it’s LUCKY for him that Natalie comes along at the right time as she is the only one who has any hope of saving him.

Darker Still definitely works as a standalone and whilst I know this book is part of the “Murder Most Foul” saga, I’m not sure if any of the stories are connected or not. If you’re looking for a story that is a bit different from the norm but is still hugely entertaining, then I would definitely recommend this book. Let yourself travel back in time and experience the gothic delights of Darker Still.

Darker Still is released on 1st November, 2011. There is no news about a UK release as of yet but you can get it from online book sellers. To find out more about Leanna and her books, click here to visit the website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Nanowrimo

2011-10-30T13:09:00.003Z

It's that time again, NANOWRIMO or National Novel Writing Month is almost upon us. If you have no idea what I'm talking about click here to visit the official website which will tell you more. In short, aspiring writers and published authors attempt to write 50,000 words during the month of November. That's about 1667 words a day in case you're wondering and that includes weekends. It's a way of getting your arse into gear and turning off your inner editor, both of which I definitely need.

So you may remember that I participated last year and won which I'm incredibly proud about as it was my first time doing anything like this. This year however, I decided that I was going to do it...and then I wasn't....and now I am LOL. Thanks to one of my blogger friends, she convinced me not to be so worried about it and just go for it. So I am! I'm never short of ideas and there is a particular story that I've been thinking about for some time and will not leave my head. I believe it is demanding to be written and so this is what I'm going to do. It's called "The Guardian" and I actually posted the beginning of it on Figment (a writing forum) as part of a contest some time ago. I don't consider it cheating however as it's only a handful of words and they may even get scrapped anyway. If you're interested, the beginning is here.

So, it's settled. I'm all signed up for Nanowrimo and today I'm going to do some preparation. If the blog gets a little quiet or I'm late with responding to e mails in the next month, at least you will know why. I'm going to have to avoid Twitter and Facebook as much as I can and work my little socks off so please wish me luck! And...if you want to add me on Nanowrimo, my name is "Fairydust". I chose this name last year as I thought I needed a little fairydust sprinkled on me to win ;)

Movie News

2011-10-29T17:00:00.000+01:00

Just in case you haven't heard, I thought you might appreciate some awesome news about books I love being made into movies...well sort of. The film rights have been optioned and this basically means that film production companies have secured exclusive rights to make the movie if they want to AKA they like the story, think it has potential and do not want rival film companies to get their hands on it.

First up is FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick. I really enjoyed this book, especially the concept and I would love to see this up on the big screen! If you haven't read this yet, here's the synopsis:

"Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies."

For the official details of this news, please click here. Forgotten was published on 7th June, 2011 and you can find out more about Cat Patrick and her books here.

Next up is THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater. Now it's no secret that Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favourite authors and I loved The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy (I'm still waiting to see Shiver up on the big screen!). I have to admit that I haven't read this yet (it's next on the list) and I'm very excited about the fact that the film rights have been optioned and is further confirmation that this book is good! If you haven't read it yet, here's the synopsis:

"It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen."

For official details of this news, please click here. The Scorpio Races was published on 18th October, 2011 and you can find out more about Maggie and her books here.

Last but by no means least is HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire. I *LOVED* this book and I was very excited to hear recently that the movie rights have been optioned! I think Myra's story with it's humour and sensitivity would translate very well from book to screen and I CANNOT WAIT for this to happen so I hope it does! If you haven't read this yet, here's the synopsis:

"One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut."

For official details of this news, click here. Hourglass was published on 14th June, 2011 and you can find out more about Myra and her books here.

Now all you have to do is come up with your fantasy casts :-)

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 8 (FINAL DAY!)

2011-10-29T09:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to day 8 and the FINAL DAY of The Crossroads Blog Tour. Today I take great pleasure in hosting Angie Frazier and Kiki Hamilton. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up is Angie Frazier, author of some of my favourite books - Everlasting, The Eternal Sea and the Suzanna Snow books.

Welcome to the blog Angie! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

The book that is currently with my agent is a YA fantasy that involves a princess, an assassin, a girl disguised as a boy, magic, and more blood than I’m used to writing about!

Oooooh, I want to know more!!!! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

I get story ideas all the time. Literally at least once a day I find myself plotting out a whole new storyline. Ideas come from all over—the news, a picture, people watching, a place, something someone says. My imagination picks something up and runs off into the corner to play and plot and see if a story could be made of it.

On a separate note, are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I really want to have a fun costume. I’m thinking I’d like to dress up as Carol Burnett’s farce of Scarlett O’Hara—wear a curtain rod with curtains still on it, and a big tassel on my head. I’d like to see if anyone gets it!

Are there any more books in the Everlasting series? What’s next?

Not at the moment, though I’d love to write a third and final book. Next up is a second Suzanna Snow mystery, THE MASTERMIND PLOT (March 1, 2012), and hopefully (crossing fingers) a few more YA projects.

I would do ANYTHING to get that third book written Angie so if you want to me to beg or petition anyone, please let me know ;) Here's hoping for more YA books from you! To find out more about Angie and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is debut author Kiki Hamilton and her book is called The Faerie Ring.

Welcome to the blog Kiki! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

*gasp* Reveal my secrets?! Let’s see...Tiki meets someone in book two who is very handsome and equally intriguing....

I am going to try and remember that one for book two! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Hmmm, that’s an interesting question. They just sort of unravel in my head – some easier than others. I just wrote a YA contemporary novel where the idea for it came to me in a dream about a year ago. With THE FAERIE RING, I started with Tiki being a pickpocket in Victorian London and it just sort of went on from there.

Awesome, glad to hear it's being released in the UK too! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

The normal - handing out candy to the neighbor kids.

Yeah, I was going to do that but I ate all the candy *evil laugh* Will this be a series?

Yes, I have the second book written and there will be a third and maybe a fourth.

Fantastic news! To find out more about Kiki and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Thank you to both Angie and Kiki for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 7

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to day 7 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today I am hosting two lovely ladies - Stacey Kade and the organiser of this blog tour Judith Graves. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up for a grilling is Stacey Kade, author of The Ghost and the Goth and the sequel, Queen of the Dead.
Welcome to the blog Stacey! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Hmmm. We may see Alona in her gym uniform again. (Those of you who’ve read the end of Queen of the Dead will be the ones to understand the significance of that...)

Interesting....Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

I think it’s hard to pinpoint where inspiration comes from for writers. Sometimes, we take in information from all different sources, and it sort of simmers on the back burner until something comes together. Other times, an idea just shows up. Usually when you’re not thinking about anything in particular!

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Nope, just handing out candy. That’s actually my favorite part. I love seeing all the costumes!

Me too! What are you working on right now?

I just turned in a draft of my 2013 release, The Rules. It’s the first book in a new series. It’s about a girl who was raised as a genetic experiment hiding from her creators under the guise of being a “normal” sixteen-year-old, and the boy who tempts her to break the rules that confine her existence and keep her safe.

Oh I am enjoying hearing about what authors are working on next and The Rules sounds really good! *adds to wishlist*. To find out more about Stacey and her books, click here. Next up is one of the best Canadians I know and that is Judith Graves, author of the Skinned series (Under my Skin, Second Skin and Skin of My Teeth).

Judith! Welcome to the blog! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Any of my husband’s students will know this, lol…but it’s not common knowledge to most of my readers. The dolls featured in Second Skin, which I called, Reality Babes, are based upon real infant simulators used in schools. I have a total doll phobia, so when my husband told me about this one aspect of his Career and Life Management class I HAD to incorporate a version of them in Second Skin as the novel focuses on phobias, fears and nightmares. The infant simulators are so lifelike you can hear them breathing. Students have to care for these fake “children”, taking them everywhere with them for an entire week. Their parenting skills are then evaluated via a computer chip implanted in the doll. A great educational tool, yes, but damn creepy. I’d have flunked the class – refusing to take one home.

I hate dolls too...and clowns *shudder*. Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Inspiration strikes at any time, in any location. I’ve learned to carry a coil notebook with me at all times and have ones of various sizes to fit in the glove compartment of my car, my purse, my gym bag, etc. I also record ideas as audio files on my cell phone if paper isn’t handy.

Any thing, any one, any sound, setting or situation can spark an idea. The challenge is to figure out which ideas are worth pursuing.

I have learnt to carry a notebook everywhere and have just discovered the voice recording on my iphone lately ;) Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I’m probably going to do the usual, hand out candy, rent a ton of horror flicks and settle in for the night, however, I’m in awe of the Haunted House my writer friend, and fellow Crossroads Tour author, Dawn Dalton has planned. Might have to crash that party…it would sooo be worth the 4 hr drive. She’s creating all kinds of wicked decorations from chicken-wire ghosts to haunted mason jars. Check them out on her blog: http://dawnmdalton.blogspot.com/

What are you working on after this series ends?

I’ve got several projects in the works as I complete the Skinned series. I have a middle-grade non-fiction project, Most-Wanted Monsters (http://mostwantedmonsters.blogspot.com/) – with the amazing Dawn Dalton - and will hopefully be able to reveal more details about it soon.

I have a steampunk short story, Strangeways vs. the Wraith, coming out in the Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales, an anthology published by Leap Books with proceeds going to a literacy-based charity. Spirited also features stories by: Maria V. Snyder, Candace Havens, Jill Williamson, Shannon Delany, Kitty Keswick, Linda Joy Singleton, Dawn Dalton and more!

Check out the trailer: http://youtu.be/-9yZlLasZ7Y

Sounds great, a lot of YA authors are dabbling in MG these days! To find out more about Judith and her books, click here.

Thank you to both Stacey and Judith for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 6

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to day 6 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today I am hosting the very lovely Jeri Smith Ready and Amanda Ashby. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up is Jeri Smith Ready, author of the WVMP trilogy (adult urban fantasy books) and the Shade trilogy (YA series).
Welcome to the blog Jeri! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

In SHINE, we find out what’s really going on at Area 3A, that mysterious place in the Pennsylvania mountains run by the Department of Metaphysical Purity’s Investigation Division. It’s…not pleasant.

Sounds a bit creepy! How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Any way I can! Sometimes from the news, sometimes from my own experiences, and sometimes from music.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

We’ve spent Halloween with the same friends for the last ten years, usually handing out candy (and eating it) and watching cheesy horror movies. No matter what else is going on in our lives that makes us too busy to get together most of the year, we never miss Halloween. So that’s pretty special.

Sounds like fun, I like the idea of watching cheesy horror movies! What are you working on next?

I’m still revising/perfecting SHINE, the third part of the SHADE trilogy, which comes out May
Then I’ll write the final book in my adult vampire series, LUST FOR LIFE, which comes out next October.

Then I start my first YA contemporary, slated for a Fall 2013 release. We’ll be announcing more details later in October (probably by the time this interview is out!), but I can tell you this much: 1) it’s about a boy and 2) I am very, very excited about it!

Ooooh, I didn't realise you were working on something new so I'm hoping you will keep us posted and tell us all about it soon! To find out more about Jeri and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is Amanda Ashby, author of Zombie Queen and Fairy Bad Day among others.
Welcome Amanda! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

In one version of Fairy Bad Day my heroine got sucked into a computer and had a long conversation with the woman who lived inside the computer. It was actually quite a funny scene though of course it was completely irrelevant to the plot so I had to ditch it!

I love these king of revelations! Tell us how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

If you look at my above comment I think you can see that I like to play with ideas no matter how weird or dumb they are (and most of them are). So really it’s not so much inspiration, it’s about what we do with the ideas that we have.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Halloween isn’t such a big deal over in Australia though my kids (who watch a LOT of American television) do like to dress up and go trick or treating, though a lot of people don’t have anything to give them so it can be a bit of a pointless exercise!

I had no idea you were Australian! What are you working on right now?

I’m waiting for revisions on the third book in my upcoming middle grade series and I’m also playing with a few new book ideas to send my agent. None of which involve a talking computer!!!!

I believe there is another book in the pipe line too called Demonosity which sounds really interesting. To find out more about Amanda and her books (including Demonosity), click here to visit her website.

Thank you to both Jeri and Amanda for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-10-26T13:00:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Until I Die (the sequel to Die For Me) by Amy Plum. Here's the synopsis:

"Kate has chosen to leave the comfort and safety of her human world in order to join Vincent in the dangerous supernatural universe he inhabits. For his part, he has sworn to go against his very nature and resist the repeated deaths that are his fate as a revenant—even though it will bring him immeasurable suffering.

Heady with romance and rife with danger, the second book of the DIE FOR ME trilogy follows Vincent and Kate as they search—separately—for a solution to their plight, pursuing their quest from the glamorous streets of Paris to the city’s squalid underbelly. Although the experiment that Vincent attempts is progressively destroying him, he insists on seeing it through to the end. This prompts Kate to strike out on her own into the dangerous world of the revenants to find another way. But she unwittingly puts everyone she loves at risk when she discovers a family of ancient healers who hold the key to a secret that could help the bardia—the good revenants—overthrow their murderous enemies, the numa, forever.

And while the lovers search for something they have little chance of finding, a new threat arises among the numa. Kate finds herself in the midst of an ancient and deadly war, not as a bystander...but as a target."

So, this is a weird choice for me this week - not because I don't want to read the book but because although I have the hardback of Die For Me, I still haven't read it yet (I know, but if you saw my TBR pile, you'd totally understand). BUT, will you look at how STUNNING that cover is? I'd buy it for that alone at this point! I love the romance of it all and Paris is one of those cities that I've always wanted to visit so I know I'm going to enjoy these books. One good thing about not reading a book early or when it's just been released is that thankfully I don't have to wait as long for the sequel. HOORAH! Trust me to find the positive ;) Until I Die is published on 3rd May, 2012.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 5

2011-10-26T09:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to day 5 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and you can believe that I have ANOTHER two special guests on the blog today - Joy Preble and Dawn Dalton. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

First up is Joy Preble, author of the Dreaming Anastasia series.

Welcome Joy! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Ooh! Great spoilery question! Hmmm…. We actually are just beginning the editing process for Again and Again (DA3), so I never know what will stay and what will go, but I will say that Anne ends up having to confront Ethan’s past… and gets to find out more about a past love of his! Let’s just say that it’s interesting…

Ooooooh! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Lots of places. The Dreaming Anastasia series is obviously influenced by history. But beyond that, I think I’m always looking and observing. I study what happens to people around me and I think – what would happen if… Usually I’m taking some seed of a real life idea but I’m intensifying it to bring out the drama. Like when Anne meets Ethan. Lots of us wish we would meet this hot, handsome stranger. But what if he was from another time? What if he had a mission? What if he turned your life upside down? Life isn’t usually that exciting. But in a novel – anything can happen!

True, I would love to live in a novel *sigh* Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Not sure yet, but in a related topic, I will be working on my costume for Austin Comic Con. I will be at our Writing Ninjas of Texas booth in my lilac rusalka costume! For the uninitiated, a rusalka is a malevolent Russian mermaid that is the main supernatural creature in Haunted and also plays a large role in book 3 of the Dreaming Anastasia series, coming out next year!

What are you working on after this series ends?

I am so very excited to announce that I am finishing up a completely different book called The Sweet Dead Life, which will release in 2013 from the new Soho Teen imprint. I’ve gotten to work with the delightful and brilliant Dan Ehrenhaft again, which has been awesome. TSDL is another paranormal, but it’s definitely a little edgier, a lot funnier, and it’s set right here in Texas. The basic blurb goes like this:

THE SWEET DEAD LIFE, in which a sixteen-year-old stoner returns from a fatal car accident as his dying sister's guardian angel and helps her solve a vast family mystery.

Oh, I am liking the sound of that *adds to wish list*. Thank you for answering my questions Joy! To find out more about Joy and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is Dawn Dalton, author and contributor to the paranormal anthology Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales.
Welcome Dawn! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

They say every character has a little of the writer in them, and for the most part, I believe that. But the character in my current work-in-progress is more about who I WISH I could be – she’s outspoken, confident, athletic, and packs a pretty punch, figuratively and literally.

I love a strong, female character :) How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Everywhere! I read a lot of magazines and newspapers, eavesdrop on conversations, and carry a notebook with me at all times. One of my current projects was even inspired by a cliché.

Really? That's piqued my interest! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Halloween is a big deal at our house. We spend more money and time on Halloween décor than Christmas! My husband even built a coffin last year, and when the local trick or treaters came by, he gave them all quite a scare.

This year we moved out to the country and our yard is fenced – so we’ve rented the community hall and are throwing a great Halloween party for the local youth. We have animated ghosts and goblins, a creepy tombstone garden, and lots of gadgets that light up and make noise. I know, a bit overboard, right?

My family also does a pumpkin-carving contest, though my husband always wins. He’s quite the artist, and a construction worker…last year he carved his entire werewolf pumpkin with a skill saw!

Wow, I can't believe you make more of a deal out of it than Christmas. I'll bet Halloween is fun at your house! What are you working on next?

I always have a handful of projects on the go. I just finished a children’s graphic novel called Gotta Jet! (not creepy), and am co-writing with Judith Graves a series of non-fiction books for middle grade readers calls Most-Wanted Monsters (creepy!) I also write adult thriller and paranormal romance under the name, Dawn Ius.

To find out more about Dawn and her books, click here to visit her website. Thank you to both Joy and Dawn for being my guests on the blog today.

Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 4

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to day 4 of The Crossroads Blog Tour (wow, I can't believe it's day 4 already!) AND today I have another two special guests - Kitty Keswick and Linda Joy Singleton. If you have no idea what The Crossroads Blog Tour is, then you are seriously missing out and URGENTLY need to click here to find out more information as there are TONS of fabulous prizes to be won!

In the meantime however, First up for a grilling on the blog is Kitty Keswick, author of the Freaksville series.
Welcome Kitty! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Kasey falls in love with a new guy and is torn!

Ooooooh! Tell us how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

My dreams, life, art, etc.
Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I’m in the process of opening a bookstore. So I’d love to have a Halloween Launch. But construction is taking a wee bit longer than I thought, so I’m not sure. I’ll definitely be participating in trunk or treat, where local kids gather treats from cars rather than houses.

That sounds awesome, hopefully you will tell us more closer to opening! In the meantime, what are you working on right now?

I have a few things brewing in my pot. A YA that has some interesting elements, not truly Steampunk, but a slight flavour. It’s set in a world where electricity isn’t allowed. I’m also trying my hand at writing a Middle Grade novel. I’ve also written a short ghost story for charity called Death Becomes Her. It is in the Spirited anthology that is coming out in October.

Sounds good! Thank you for answering my questions! To find out more about Kitty and her books, click here to visit her website. Next up is Linda Joy Singleton, author of the Dead Girl series.
Welcome Linda! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Hmmm…well in BURIED Thorn goes out with a mysterious guy and they have a crazy adventure which involves painting a truck pink. BURIED comes out in March from Flux.

I love getting inside information! Tell us, how do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Dreams and daydreams and a lifetime of reading.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

YES! Around 30 members of the Singleton Family are going on a 4-day cruise to Mexico on Halloween day. It’s going to be crazy fun.

That sounds like a blast! What are you working on right now?

I just finished a science fiction YA (mystery-romance) and my agent is shopping it to editors. Since it’s the first book in a trilogy, I need to get started on Book 2 soon, so I’ve started writing down ideas for the plot. I have a general idea of what will happen but expect lots of surprises along the way.

Oh, I'm loving the sound of that already as it sounds right up my street! Hopefully you will keep us posted! To find out more about Linda and her books, click here to visit her website.

Thank you to both Kitty and Linda for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 3

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to day 3 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today my two special guests are Shannon Delany and Carrie Harris. First up is Shannon Delany who is of course the author of the 13 to Life series which I highly recommend. Shannon was a little bit naughty in that she didn't answer all of my questions and I can only think that she is holding her cards close to her chest which makes me that bit more curious but here's what I could get from her...

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

YES. I am participating in a great multi-author event in Johnstown, NY called Unmask the Writer Within. It’s a first year event and we’re doing workshops, readings, panels, signings and a ghost tour and masquerade to wrap things up! I’m VERY excited!

If only I lived in the same country! What are you working on next?

I am TOTALLY head over heels in love with the two projects I’m doing next... I’m working on a cyberpunk/sci-fi story that connects to my short Augmented reality-spiked story “To Hel and Back” (included in Leap Books’ anthology for charity SPIRITED: 13 Haunting Tales) AND I’m digging deep into some amazing historical research for a novel that deals with a revolutionary moment in American history (not the Rev War) which helped change things forever. And includes kissing. Huh. Both stories include revolution, rebellion and kissing. No wonder I adore them!

I like ths sound of both of those projects, I have to say! Thank you Shannon :) Next up, I'm pleased to welcome Carrie Harris (author of Bad Taste in Boys) to the blog.

Welcome Carrie! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

Well, in BAD HAIR DAY, Kate has more than werewolves on her hands. She’s also got to deal with another girl who’s trying to steal her boyfriend Aaron, and that means making some very tough choices. It’s hard to justify obsessing over your relationship when people are dying. And not everyone makes it out alive in this book.

Dum dum DUUUUUM.

Eek! How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

I get inspiration from all over the place. Movies, news articles, music. But more than anything, I get them from my friends. I hang out with some very strange people who send me emails that say things like, “I reserve the right to make a bacon hat.” My husband is a ninja doctor, and his nickname is Slayer because of the one time he ran up a sheer rock wall to save me from a swarm of bees. I’m always laughing at the crazy things going on around me, but there’s a part of my brain that’s carefully cataloguing every event for later. BEWARE, PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME. IF YOU MAKE ME ANGRY, I HAVE LOTS OF AMMO.

I’m kidding about that. Mostly.

Remind me never to upset you! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Halloween is of course my favorite holiday ever. It’s also my son’s birthday, which is so epicsauce. I think this year, he wants to have a costume party, which means that I will be making cupcakes with zombie hands sticking out the top and dressing up like Zombie Gaga and herding a bunch of eight-year-olds around my house. And I’m way too excited about this.

I hope there will be some photographic evidence available for that ;) What are you working on next?

I just finished copy edits on the sequel last week! It’s called BAD HAIR DAY, and it’s a whole new adventure for Kate involving werewolves and nanotechnology and killer coconuts and blueberry flavored astronauts. Can you tell that I had a lot of fun writing it? I’m also waiting for feedback on my third book, which I’m really looking forward to tearing apart. I’m a very heavy editor too—I admire people who can write pretty first drafts and send them in right away, but I’m not one of them.

In short, I’m plenty busy! That’s one of the things I like about my job—I can be working on lots of different things at once so I never get bored. And really, between the zombies and the werewolves and the blueberry flavored astronauts, it’s anything but boring around here.

Thank you to both Shannon and Carrie for being my guests on the blog today. Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 2

2011-10-23T12:30:00.007+01:00

Welcome to Day 2 of The Crossroads Blog Tour and today I am extremely pleased to present Rachel Vincent (author of the Unbound trilogy and Soulscreamers series) who agreed to a good old Narratively Speaking grilling ;)

Welcome to the blog Rachel! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

In my Unbound trilogy, the second book, Shadow Bound, was actually the one I proposed to my editor first. She thought it wouldn’t be the best introduction to the world I’d created and asked me to do another character’s story in that world first, which is how Blood Bound came to be.

How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Lots of hard work and brainstorming. And fajitas. Seriously.

I think I'm going to have to eat more fajitas then! Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I don’t dress up, but we always decorate the yard and make a Haunted Gingerbread House. And recently we’ve started having a Halloween “feast,” complete with gross but fun foods.

Sounds good! What are you working on after this series ends?

I’m not actually at the end of either the Soul Screamers or the Unbound series yet, but I do have several other ideas on my proverbial back burner. Nothing I can talk about yet, though.

Thank you Rachel! Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter here and on Facebook here

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

The Crossroads Blog Tour Day 1

2011-10-22T00:21:00.001+01:00

Welcome to day 1 of the Crossroads Blog Tour and I am very pleased to welcome not one, but TWO guests to the blog today. I had the opportunity to ask them some questions which I thought you might like the answer to. The first guest is Lucienne Diver, author of Bad Blood, Vamped and Revamped.
Welcome Lucienne! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

There’s a music video! Okay, maybe this isn’t something no one else knows, since we unveiled a sort of first draft of the Vamped series video at DragonCon, but it’s new and exciting all the same! I can’t wait to see the final cuts and to do the unveiling! It’s got an all-original song done by the amazing Catriona, who coincidentally looks a lot like my heroine, Gina.

How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

It’s funny, it’s usually not ideas that occur to me first, it’s characters. Then I have to figure out something for them to do beyond torment me night and day with fashion advice. I had to give Gina a plot and an entourage simply in self-defense.

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

Trick-or-treating with my son before he’s too old to want me tagging along! We generally dress up. Last year I was Hermione to his Harry Potter, but this year, I think I’ll go as Aphrodite, inspired by our trip to Greece back in April and the fabulous dress I bought there. Gina would be so proud.

What are you working on right now?

The fourth book in the series, Fangtabulous. This one is set in Salem, Massachussets. It will, I think, be the best yet! (Of course, I always feel that way about the current book.) You can find out more about the vamped series here.

Thank you Lucienne for answering my questions and my second guest and next in the firing line is Jackie Morse Kessler, author of Hunger, Rage and the upcoming book entitled Loss.

Welcome Jackie! Please give us a revelation about your newest or upcoming book (something new, something no one else knows)

There is major foreshadowing in LOSS about BREATH (the last book in the Riders of the Apocalypse) and the nature of Death. Hugely major. Majorly major, even.

How do you get your inspiration for story ideas?

Inspiration is all around us. Sometimes, that inspiration comes from personal experience. For example, I’m a former bulimic, and I’ve wanted to write a book about a girl with an eating disorder for a long time, and I finally wrote HUNGER. I used to play soccer in high school, so the protagonist of RAGE plays varsity soccer. I’m very uneasy about Alzheimer’s – actually, terrified is more accurate – and that theme comes up quite a bit in LOSS. And sometimes that inspiration comes from what I see or hear or read, or a topic that resonates with me.

And if none of that works, I take out an ad in Craigslist. ;)

Are you doing anything special for Halloween this year?

I’m going to be on trick-or-treat duty, either with our Precious Little Tax Deductions or being on Door Patrol when trick-or-treaters come in search of deliciousness in small packages.

What are you working on after this series ends?

I’m currently working on a super sekrit project, which I’m writing with my sons in mind. And then I want to write an urban fantasy book aimed at adults (read: nookie as well as graphic battle scenes). And I have an idea for a YA par-rom duology. We’ll see what happens!

Thank you for answering my questions Jackie!

Don't forget that each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page here and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Answers are to be emailed to bridgesocialmedia@gmail.com by October 31st at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on November 1st, the DAY OF THE DEAD. I will also be holding a contest in the near future and details are coming.

Follow the tour on Twitter: @TheCrossroadsBT

And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crossroads-Blog-Tour/218310244897337

BRIDGE Social Media is holding a special promotion for public libraries. Libraries that actively promote the Crossroads tour (post a link on their website, mention it in their newsletters, etc) can email us proof of their promotional activities by midnight on OCTOBER 31st to be entered in a draw to win a FREE SKYPE AUTHOR VISIT FOR THEIR LIBRARIES – WITH BEST-SELLING YA AUTHOR, RACHEL VINCENT.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is the final book in the Personal Demons trilogy, Last Rite by Lisa Desrochers. Here's the synopsis:

"What happens when you can't outrun Hell—or trust the ones you love?"

I suspect there may be a longer synopsis in the near future...or maybe not but you know what? It doesn't matter because I will STILL be dying to read it. I've made no secret about the fact that this is one of my favourite book series and reading this book will be bittersweet since it's the last one in the trilogy. I need to know what happens though and I'm still hoping for some sort of spin off or prequel. I'm also excited to see what Lisa comes out with next as you can be sure I will be buying it. As soon as this is available for pre order I will be buying it ;) If you haven't started this series yet, do yourself a favour and read them. Also, I LOVE this cover. Definitely the best one yet :)

Last Rite is published in May, 2012.

Lola and the Boy Next Door Review

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000+01:00

I feel like this book should come with a warning and it should be in large, neon letters that blink continuously and say:

WARNING! After reading Lola, you will be incoherent (that’s if you can speak at all) and have a far off dreamy look in your eyes whilst the rest of the world is screaming your name but you...alas...cannot hear them. There is no data on how long these side effects will last.

Yes. You WILL look like this...

Let’s get something straight, right off the bat. Stephanie Perkins knows how to write a damn good story. She did it with Anna and the French Kiss and she’s done it again with the companion book Lola and the Boy Next Door. I’m not entirely sure how she manages to do this but I’m hoping one day she will share her secrets with me. And yes, I realise that this is wishful thinking but what can I say? I’m an optimist. Whereas Anna for me was a cosy book, Lola is definitely a cute book that is dripping in gorgeousness. If Lola and the Boy Next Door were a costume, it would be a classy Cinderella gown littered with glitter, sparkly sequins and shiny pearls. The kind of dress that leaves you awestruck (please refer back to the opening statement for more details).

Here’s the synopsis:

“Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighbourhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.”

Lola and the Boy Next Door is a character driven novel and so I’m going to start with one of the main characters – Lola. I have to say that I have a certain amount of admiration for this girl. At her age, I would NEVER have had the gall to dress up in the ensembles she puts together on a daily basis. I love the idea of the wigs though and I can’t decide whether she is brave for putting herself out there to be ridiculed or whether she just doesn’t care. Actually, that’s not true because now I’ve finished the book, I know exactly why she does what she does but I want you to come to that realisation on your own because of course you’re going to read the book after this, right?! I do love her artistic spirit though and if there is one thing I would love to be able to do, it’s make my own clothes – I can only just about sew on a button! Not only is Lola amazing but she has two amazing gay dads and an unfortunate deadbeat mother who turns up when she needs bailing out of whatever mess she’s gotten herself into this time. I loved the fact that the dads were an ever present force in her life and not just family members that meld into the background. I also need to drop in at this point that Lola’s best friend Lindsay has the most fabulous name ever....just so you know ;)

The “boy next door” mentioned in the title is of course Cricket and what I love most about him is that he is the personification of a nice guy and HE PROVES without a shadow of a doubt that nice guys DO get the girl. This might sound like a spoiler to you but let’s be honest here, you’re smart enough to know what’s going to happen but you DONT CARE that you know, you just know that you WANT IT to happen. I mean, I like a bad boy as much as the next girl but nice guys melt my heart into a puddle on the floor. Cricket is endearingly awkward at times but incredibly sincere and he might be a bit geeky but the fact that he invents things is actually really cool and shows that he’s smart. And the late night chats across the facing bedroom windows? ADORABLE.

I think you can gather by now that I absolutely loved this book and Stephanie Perkins is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I’m planning on pre-ordering Isla and the Happily Ever After (the next companion book) as soon as it’s available and you can guarantee that I will read anything that Stephanie writes from now on. Just one last thing about Lola...if your heart doesn’t melt after reading this book, then there is something seriously wrong with you.

Lola and the Boy Next Door was published on 29th September, 2011. Isla and the Happily Ever After will be published sometime next year. I know you may find this shockingly outrageous (as I do) but there is as of yet NO UK PUBLISHER and there totally should be. If you want to find out more about Stephanie Perkins and her gorgeous books, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Twitter.

City of Glass Review

2011-10-15T00:04:00.003+01:00

In Lynsey’s book world, some of my favourite words are “sequel” and even better “trilogy” but do you know what tops even that? The following words....”There will be 3 more books in the series”. CUE FULL ON HAPPY DANCE x A GAZILLION!!! I have to say that after reading it, City of Glass AKA book three in the Mortal Instruments series could have wrapped things up quite nicely but by God am I jumping for joy that there are three, yes THREE more books in the series. It’s like Santa came early.

Anyway, I digress. Obviously it goes without saying that you should have read City of Bones and City of Ashes before even thinking about checking out this review and incidently, previous reviews for both books can be found here and here. For everyone else, let me just say that OMG THIS BOOK TOTALLY BLEW ME AWAY! It is easily my favourite book of the series so far. City of Glass is full of action and adventure only this time we’re in Idris and everything is building up to a climax. Here’s the synopsis:

“To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?”

You know what I love about Simon? He never ceases to surprise me and I personally think that he is completely awesome. Not only does he have some of the best one liners that make me laugh out loud but he (like Clary actually) is such an unlikely hero and this makes me love him even more. He may not be the romantic lead but he would make a fabulous boyfriend and I just wanted to get that out there.

Don’t worry though, I’m still totally in love with Jace as he continues to go through the mill (see City of Ashes). It’s quite obvious that it’s becoming harder and harder for him and Clary to fight their feelings for each other and Jace takes it upon himself to make the ultimate sacrifice for her. Well he would, wouldn’t he....HE’S JACE! Clary continues to surprise me with her hidden talents and Valentine is such a wonderful, multi layered bad guy that even when I try to hate him, I can’t. Not fully anyway so I can totally relate to Jace’s feelings about his father. Speaking of bad guys, I haven’t quite made my mind up about The Seelie Court Queen. I don’t think she is bad per say, but I do think she is mischievous and will twist any truth if it serves her purpose. I just know we haven’t seen the last of her. AND....we get to meet a new character called Sebastian. Trust me when I tell you that you’re going to be seeing a lot more of him ;)

There are plenty of revelations and explanations in this book as a lot of things seem to reach a jaw dropping climax as downworlders and shadowhunters come together for the first time in history for the fight of their lives...and not everyone is going to make it. I laughed, I cried, I may have even shouted at one point but I loved every minute of it. City of Glass was perfect and I can’t wait to read the next book!

City of Glass was published on 24th March, 2009. TO find out more about Cassandra Clare and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. Check out the official trailer:

Or this AWESOME fanmade trailer

City of Ashes Review

2011-10-13T00:01:00.001+01:00

City of Ashes is of course the sequel to City of Bones and book two in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Let me just say that it you haven’t read City of Bones, then I cannot recommend strongly enough that you read it before you check out this review as there be some spoilers for the first book in amongst it all. You could always check out my review for City of Bones in the meantime, if you like which is here. For everyone else, let’s continue.

If you’ve read my review of City of Bones you will by now of course be under no illusion as to how hard I have fallen for this series. And what do you think I did the minute I finished reading the first book? Yep, I dived straight into the sequel. I have nicknamed City of Ashes the “everyone goes through the mill” book because well...everyone does! Clary and Jace are struggling with their feelings for each other in light of what they now know, Alec is struggling with the fact that he thinks no one knows about his sexuality and is scared about how they will react, Isobel is just Isobel and Simon? OMG Simon has the roughest time out of everyone in this book and if you haven’t read it yet, then you’ll see what I mean when you do. Here’s the synopsis:

“As readers of series starter City of Bones already know, teenager Clary Fray is a Shadowhunter, a demon slayer who has the gift of sight and can spot Downworlder werewolves, vampires, and faeries. She is also an adolescent in an abnormally dysfunctional family: Her mom is in a magically induced coma and her father is probably insane and undoubtedly evil. All of which places Clary in situations that would challenge even the most talented average American girl.”

I have to start by saying that it’s nice to have all the original characters back, including the silent brothers (who I admit, I have a little soft spot for) but I also like being introduced to new characters too such as the inquisitor, for example. I liked that Magnus Bane had a bigger role in this book and I think I have a soft spot for him too. I don’t mean romantically of course, but I like his character. I heard from another blogger recently that they pictured Thomas Dekker in this role and I have to admit that I can totally see that (and I have a MASSIVE crush on Thomas FYI).

There is some major demon butt kicking in City of Ashes and Jace? Well, if he wasn’t fearless already, he certainly is in this book ;) There are some startling revelations about Jace and Clary respectively which can certainly only make them stronger - abilities that have never been tested, fears that have never been confronted, and transformations of the shocking variety. By the angel this book HAS IT ALL!

For those of you that have already read City of Ashes, I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear that the Seelie Court chapter was one of my favourites ;) And I especially liked the extra content from Cassandra (which you can find online) which is basically the same scene but told from Jace’s point of view *swoon*. I definitely recommend you look that up on her website as soon as you’re done reading the book.

City of Ashes is a worthy sequel and yet another fantastic book from Cassandra Clare. I have to say that this book is just as good as the first one and I am literally lapping up this series. I can’t wait to read what happens next but equally, I don’t want it all to end. Thankfully, there are plenty more books in the series to be carrying on with. PHEW! ONWARDS then, to City of Glass.

City of Ashes was published on 25th March, 2008. TO find out more about Cassandra Clare and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. Again, there is no official book trailer but I found a fan made one that I quite liked and here it is:

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman. Here's the synopsis:

"It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life."

I think this book sounds like a thriller akin to books like The Da Vinci Code and that has me MAJORLY intrigued. I love the idea of centuries old artefacts that hold incredible power and even though I've never read anything by Robin before, I've just pre ordered this book. Faith? It's a wonderful thing ;)

The Book of Blood and Shadow is published on 10th January, 2012. I do not know of any UK release as of yet. Incidently, in the meantime, Robin's other books have had a make over and check out the pretty!!! I WANT THEM!!

City of Bones Review

2011-10-10T00:01:00.001+01:00

So, I figure I am one of the last book bloggers to read Cassandra Clare’s best selling Mortal Instruments series even though I’ve had the books on the shelves for at least 18 months. Yes, you read that right and I know, I feel slightly ashamed and I have to say that HOT DAMN, YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT - THESE BOOKS ARE AWESOME SAUCE WITH SPRINKLES AND A CHERRY ON TOP. So why did I wait so long to read them after everyone else was raving about them? Well, I was afraid that they wouldn’t live up to the hype, I mean what if *gulp* I hated them? This now seems like the most ridiculous notion to me *rolls eyes* and I could kick myself for waiting so long. Pretty much overnight, Cassandra Clare has made a fan girl outta me and has guaranteed that I will automatically buy anything she writes. Seriously. Here’s the synopsis:

“When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.”

Stephenie Meyer was not wrong when she said she wanted to live inside this story world. I DO TOO! Let me tell you about City of Bones. This is the kind of book that you race home from work for, the kind of book you end up TAKING to work so you can read it in your impossibly short lunch break. If I have learnt nothing else, I have learnt to eat jelly (Jell-O for the US crowd) and read at the same time without getting it all over the pages.

I have to say at this point that books help me to retain my sanity and I could not wait to dive back into Clary’s world as often as I could possibly manage. Apologies go out to my poor, neglected boyfriend for the late night dinners, the pile of dirty dishes by the sink and the overflowing laundry basket. There was nothing more important than this book I’m afraid.

One of the things that struck me most about this book was that Cassandra Clare taught me an invaluable writing lesson about characters. I always thought that you had to write characters that people “got” and you had to explain everything so that the audience understood. What I adore about Jace is how on the surface, he seems so fierce, so arrogant and confident, almost aloof but if you look a little deeper, he’s actually quite a conflicted and complex character. NEWSFLASH: PEOPLE ARE COMPLEX and that’s what makes Jace so realistic. His confidence and bravery are definitely sexy and he reminds me A LOT of Richard Gere’s Lancelot in the movie First Knight. Lancelot was portrayed as man who had nothing therefore he cared about nothing and ultimately feared nothing as he had nothing to lose. That’s how I see Jace. Of course, then in walks Clary and suddenly Jace’s world is altered. I love that the more of the book I read, the more I learned about Jace and the more I came to understand him without really having him all figured out. I think that’s a good thing though as there is just enough mystery left to make him alluring ;) You could say that to love him is to understand him. I suspect that like most of the female readership, I’m totally in love with Jace. One of the things about Jace that is the most appealing to his ever growing hoards of female fans *I think* is that we all want to be the one that discovers him, the real him that he keeps hidden away, we want to the be the one that unlocks his heart so that he can love freely and without pain.

Jace and Clary’s relationship develops over time and it’s like you don’t notice that they’re falling for each other until you do (if that makes sense) and I admit that I fell for Jace in the same way, slowly and quietly without realising. He might be snarky, arrogant, brave, sexy, confident, funny, rude, honest, and insensitive but he’s got a good heart, and a fierce sense of loyalty and duty.

Clary is a girl whose life is tied up in secrets. Described as petite and beautiful but she doesn’t realise how beautiful she is. I love the flirtatious banter going on between her and Jace at times and how their relationship blossoms so naturally without being over the top or in your face. The way he protects Clary is so endearing and melts my heart into a puddle on the floor. Clary is the girl who doesn’t realise her own potential, mostly because she’s never been allowed to. Now, Jace is opening her eyes just as she is awakening something deep inside him and things will never be the same again.

Another character I quite simply adore is Simon who is Clary’s best friend, a boy she has grown up with since childhood and I cannot stop picturing a young Colin Hanks in the role (think Alex from Roswell High). Having said that, Colin Hanks is now a little old for that role so I'm going with Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) who would be perfect! Simon is a sweet, geeky goofball but he has some great lines and I’m interested to see where his character goes in the story, especially as he’s had a lifelong crush on Clary but has thus far neglected to tell her!

Reading about Alec Lightwood (Jace’s step brother of sorts) made me realise that I haven’t read a book with a gay character for a long time. Not on purpose or anything, but it’s not something I’d really thought of until now. I felt sorry for Alec who felt he had to hide his feelings for Jace for fear of ruining their relationship. Again, I'm interested to see how his character will develop.

Isabelle is Alec’s sister and she is sexy and confident and doesn’t she know it. I still like her though and she is the only heroine I know that would turn up to a dog fight in heels LOL.

I also want to mention The Silent Brothers whom I really liked and in fact, one of my favourite scenes in the book was when Clary went to meet them. I do think in part, that my fascination for them is influenced by a silent yet mysterious character in A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan whom I also loved but I saw The Silent Brothers as ancient monks in my head.

I’m so overwhelmed with the awesomeness of the characters that I haven’t actually mentioned the plot yet. I LOVE the fact that this book series is set in the heart of New York City and that mythical creatures don’t just exist in forests. The world of shadowhunters and demons blends into the backdrop of New York quite nicely as not everyone can see them, but Clary can. Why? READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT!

City of bones is a truly awesome read and part of one of the best book series I have ever read. I still can’t believe that this was Cassandra Clare’s debut novel and you know what? BLOODY WELL DONE GIRL. Nephilim, demons, vampires, werewolves, warlocks and faeries - you name it and this book has got it! Do yourself a favour and don’t wait like I did, if you haven’t read these books yet, pick up this series like NOW.

City of Bones was published on 27th March, 2007. TO find out more about Cassandra Clare and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter. I couldn’t find an official trailer but here is an EXCELLENT fan made one (only she used Alex Pettyfer) but I’m not complaining! I can’t wait for this book to be turned into a movie!!!!!

The Light of Asteria Review

2011-10-09T17:12:00.004+01:00

I had wanted to read The Light of Asteria by Elizabeth Isaacs for the longest time after hearing so many positive reviews about it. Sadly though, it was just too darn expensive to send from the US to the UK. But THEN, it was as if the book Gods had heard my plea and not only did it get cheaper by way of kindle format but I won a copy in a contest! HOORAH! *bows to the book Gods*

FULL of romance and spirituality, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I’m already clamouring after the sequel!! Here’s the synopsis:

“If Nora Johnson hadn't been on campus that day she would have never known her true destiny. Helping her friends move into the dorm that she wanted to call home, Nora accidentally collides with mysterious stranger, Gavin Frey. His very first touch sends flames through her heart. The world seems different-something within her has changed.

Nora tries to resume her mundane life, but she is now consumed with the one whose very presence ignited her soul, the one with eyes of emerald. Nora soon learns that an energy buried deep within has been unleashed. She now wields unimaginable power and has become Gavin's source, his strength.

Her newfound joy is shaken when she discovers that Gavin is not who he appears to be and she has been thrust in the middle of a war of mythical proportions. Negativity has allowed all things evil to flourish, the earth is under siege. The fate of creation hinges on the power within her heart. Will she be strong enough to survive?

A gripping tale of unbounded love and ancient power, The Light of Asteria will take you on an epic adventure filled with war, treachery, and demons, as well as unimaginable delights.”

Although I loved the book, I have to be honest and say that I’m not a huge fan of the “insta love” that happened over a couple of pages and arguably Nora and Gavin professed their love for each other way too early without really knowing anything about each other BUT I was willing to look past that and accept that some kind of soul recognition thing was going on. Once I’d quickly come to terms with that, I was hooked and the story took on epic proportions. There were a couple of standout scenes for me, one in particular involving butterflies which created the most beautiful imagery in my head. The tree house scenes towards the end of the book were also powerful but for entirely different reasons.

I thought the relationship between Nora and her school friends was realistic in that when people go off to college, relationships often grow apart but thankfully, Nora makes a lot of new friends. They just happen to be a little bit different from regular humans ;) The relationship between Gavin and Nora is special and I loved the idea of the soul stone amulets which I will say no more about, only that it is incredibly romantic and I’m still waiting for mine *glares at boyfriend*.

I also liked the idea of The Ancient One, a being that has existed throughout the ages and provides knowledge and understanding to others. If he so chooses to share it, that is. Another nod to the secondary characters has to go to Elias (whom I have a little soft spot for) as I like to think of him as a gentle giant with a warrior’s heart. I also thought Reena was sweet and she reminded me of Alice from Twilight. I do sometimes wonder if all sweet girls that play a best friend role will be forever compared to Alice from Twilight though. Something to ponder over.

The Light of Asteria will appeal to die hard romantics and anyone who is spiritual in nature. There were a lot of wonderful messages in the book about the power of forgiveness and how love is the most powerful thing we have. It also made me think about the power of thoughts. I’ve always thought this to be true and I often think about a quote (although I can’t remember who said it) and that is that “if we knew how powerful our thoughts are, we would guard them more closely”. Food for thought. The book also highlights the power of emotions and how they can quickly spiral out of control with potentially disastrous consequences.

The Light of Asteria is a fantasy for young adults that will also appeal to the crossover market and has remnants of childhood fairy stories. I thought it was beautiful and I can’t wait to read the sequel :)

The Light of Asteria was published on 22nd March, 2010. The sequel, entitled The Secret of the Keepers will be published this autumn. To find out more about Elizabeth and her books, click here to visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Here's the synopsis:

"Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is."

I really want to read this book. And I mean REALLY want to read this book. I love the idea of aliens living among us and hot aliens? EVEN BETTER :) Obviously I love a good action/adventure/romance/thriller and this book sounds like it is right up my street. I'm hoping for some serious chemistry and maybe a little bit of snark if I'm honest. Can't wait. Obsidian is released on 6th December, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Article 5 by Kristen Simmons. Here's the synopsis:

"New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police — instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior — instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested don’t usually come back.

17-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different.

In the three years since the war ended, Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the Federal Bureau of Reformation. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved."

Oooooh, I do like the sound of this especially the high stakes involved when Ember's mother is arrested by the only boy she has ever loved. Can anyone say AWKWARD?! I love the dystopian genre which just seems to get stronger and stronger by the day and I'm really looking forward to reading this one. CAN'T WAIT. Article 5 is published in the US on 14th February, 2012 by Tor Teen. No word as of yet on a UK release but a lot of foreign rights have been sold so watch this space! Find out more about Kristen Simmons by clicking here.

Dark Inside Blog Tour

2011-09-26T20:49:00.006+01:00

So, you may have noticed that I'm a little late with this blog post due to personal reasons but better late than never, right? I'm so pleased to welcome Jeyn Roberts to the blog to talk about how her book DARK INSIDE came about, specifically about the research she did and what inspired her. Take it away Jeyn...

Hi everyone! I’m Jeyn Roberts and I’m the author of Dark Inside. Inspiration is a funny thing. It often comes when you least expect it and in a variety of different forms. It’s always the writer’s number one question. Where do you get your ideas? For me it can be a number of things. I’m often inspired by things that happened to me in real life. Sometimes I take long walks when I’m stuck and often manage to work things out that way. But with Dark Inside, I was inspired by my dreams.

When I was a teenager, I used to dream about a reoccurring world. I call them my ‘River Dreams’ because they often took place beside a major river. The place I dreamed about wasn’t very friendly. Often I was barricaded in a house or a dilapidated apartment building. I was often with a group of people and we were always hiding from something. Whatever it was, it was evil. Sometimes I went back and forth in time, visiting the world during different events. I was in a hotel when the evil struck and started killing people. I was there years later, hiding in a house while a person walked down the street pushing a shopping cart. Whoever that person was, we were terrified of them. That’s pretty much where the Baggers came into being.

When it came down to writing Dark Inside, things got a little tricky. I was in South Korea, often spending my evenings in the Angel In Us coffee shop. An-nyong ha se yo! Caramel Macchiato, chu se yo. During that time, Google maps became my best friend. The journey Mason takes was easy enough for me; it’s the drive I often take between Saskatoon and Vancouver. But Michael and Clementine were a little trickier. I spent a lot of time looking at maps.

I felt very isolated in South Korea, being that I was so far away from my friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being there but I did feel alone. So I took that feeling and I went with it. I think in a way it really helped me, considering the world of Dark Inside is very isolated. That’s pretty much how Dark Inside was created. So pay attention to your dreams. You never know where they might end up taking you.

Thank you Jeyn! Are you following the Dark Inside Blog Tour? See below for where to go next and to catch up if you've missed anything!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Life Eternal which is of couse the sequel to Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon. Here's the synopsis:
Renée Winters has changed. When she looks in the mirror, a beautiful girl with an older, sadder face stares back. Her condition has doctors mystified, but Renée can never reveal the truth: she died last May, and was brought back to life by the kiss of her Undead soul mate, Dante Berlin.

Now, her separation from Dante becomes almost unbearable. His second life is close to an end, and each passing day means one less that she will spend with the boy who shares her soul.

Just when Renée has almost given up hope, she learns of the Nine Sisters—brilliant scholars who, according to legend, found a way to cheat death. She can’t shake the feeling that they are somehow connected to her dreams, strange visions that hint at a discovery so powerful, and so dangerous, that some will stop at nothing to protect it.

Renée thought she knew the truth about life and death. But there is a secret woven through history that holds the only hope for Dante and Renée. Unless they find answers soon, their time together is doomed to be cut short."

When I read Dead Beautiful, I wasn't sure what to expect but I absolutely loved it! When I heard there was going to be a sequel, I was very happy about this and reading the synopsis only makes me want to read it more!! If you need any further proof of this, I have it on pre-order :) Life Eternal is published on 24th February, 2012.

Stealing Phoenix Blog Tour

2011-09-16T18:36:00.004+01:00

So, by now I'm hoping you will have read my review of Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling here and realised just how much I loved this book. I am so happy to be part of this blog tour and so without further ado, it is my great pleasure to introduce Joss Stirling to the blog today who happily agreed to answer a few burning questions I had...

One of my biggest questions is are there going to be future books in the series featuring all the brothers because some of them are older than 18 right? Which would make it more an adult book than a YA book so I’m curious about this

I can’t give a definitive answer to this because I don’t have such a grand master plan. Many readers have asked for a full set but I realize the higher up the family we go, the further we are from YA territory. I know I’m OK as far as Xav (he is still in the under 20s bracket so it is within the zone for teen readers). I have my own ideas how to handle the aging aspect but you’ll find out more in the next book. I can say this though: I have plenty of ideas so I won’t be stuck for a subject that will appeal to my readership in YA if I do go in another direction.

Which brother will be featured next? Can you give us any information about the next book? Title? Have you started writing it yet?

As mentioned above, Xavier is the next up for his story to be told. I know the title but I’m keeping that to myself for the moment. I haven’t started writing but I have begun the note making process and planning for my research. I will probably need to make a trip soon to my chosen location so if you follow my twitter feed this autumn you might get some hints.

Is there always going to be a US/UK connection?

Well, the Benedicts are American and I am English so there’s one connection already. My main concern is to keep telling new and original stories so I won’t be repeating the plots I have already done.

How do you decide on the storyline/what fits for each brother? What inspires you?

I start from the love story. I sketched out the different characters for the brothers in Finding Sky, not knowing that I’d get a chance to tell any stories beyond that of Zed. Now I’ve been given a broader canvas, I expand from that original idea and develop a deeper idea of what that brother is going to be like. The boy in question then needs a contrasting girl. A story about them falling for each other with no hitches would not make much fun to write (or read) so very often they are opposites, on the surface at least.

As to what inspires me, that has such a variety of answers that I can’t really narrow it down to a single list. Travel definitely helps. Reading widely and watching lots of films also gives my mind a push. Some of the best ideas come from watching/reading something I don’t like as I get a chance to correct what I think was wrong about it. Talking to people, watching people, going for walks – all are important to my imagination.

What’s your favourite YA book and why?

I didn’t grow up with YA as it wasn’t a category in the 1980s. I was reading The Lord of the Rings and science fiction/fantasy in my teens, as well as adult books, so if I’m allowed Tolkien, I’d pick that. Why? Because he created an entire world so convincingly your mind can live in it beyond the page. This is what many writers aspire to do now, but they don’t get even close and always feel like cheap imitations. I can find many faults in The Lord of the Rings (lack of good women characters, a certain stiffness in speech) but the rich descriptions and powerful emotional journey to the fire are unmatched.

Thank you Joss!! Don't forget to check out the rest of the stops on the blog tour (see below) and tomorrow it's Dark Readers.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-09-14T00:01:00.001+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Fracture by Megan Miranda. Here's the synopsis:

"Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death."

Oh, how I do love the sound of this book, I just know I'm going to devour this story when I start reading it. AND I think the cover is gorgeous. I'm hitting the pre order button now :)

Fracture is released on 3rd January, 2012 in the US and 5th January, 2012 in the UK.

The Intergalactic Academy

2011-09-12T00:01:00.000+01:00

The Intergalactic Academy is now open for admissions. Well, sort of. Have you heard of this new website that launched on 2nd September? Basically, it's an online source for everything YA Sci-Fi and we're talking news, reviews and interviews with giveaways too. If you like a touch of sci-fi with your YA, then this is the site for you so go check it out here.

WINNERS!!!

2011-09-11T11:11:00.002+01:00

I have two winners to announce as I've had a couple of contests going at the same time. Firstly, you may remember that I had a contest to win signed copies of Everlasting and The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier. The randomly chosen winner of that contest is.....

Rhiana Reads

Congratulations Vicki! She has been contacted and should be receiving the prize as soon as it takes to get from the USA to the UK.

Secondly, I had a contest to win a copy of The Poison Diaries: Nightshade and I decided to throw in a little goody bag too. The randomly chosen winner of that contest is.....

Raimy Rawr

Congratulations Raimy! She has been contacted and I have already posted the prize so she should be receiving it soon.

Thank you to everyone who entered and commented. Look out for more contests in the future.

The Pledge Review

2011-09-10T00:01:00.000+01:00

My breath is my pledge to worship my queen above all others.

My breath is my pledge to obey the laws of my country.

My breath is my pledge to respect my superiors.

My breath is my pledge to contribute to the progress of my class.

My breath is my pledge to report all who would do harm to my queen and country,

As I breathe, I pledge.

I love it when a book comes along that really excites you and then even better, does not disappoint. I’m talking about the kind of book where you only mean to read the first chapter before going to bed and then find yourself stumbling into bed a couple of hours later, the kind of book you take to work with you in case you get a quiet moment, the kind of book you start reading as soon as you get home, forsaking all chores AND dinner because you simply cannot .put. it. down. And there you have it; I’ve just described The Pledge by Kimberly Derting, a dystopian novel set for release this November. I was extremely lucky to be able to read this early thanks to a very kind fellow book blogger who let me borrow the book. This is my first foray into Derting’s writing and I have to say that I am impressed. The main concept of the novel was genius, GENIUS I tell you and really appealed to my love of languages and words. Here’s the synopsis:

“In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.”

I loved this book. A lot. I would basically describe it as a dystopian fantasy for young adults that will appeal quite nicely to the crossover market. The plot was wonderful and there were a couple of “open mouthed” moments in the book, times when I was caught by surprise by sudden revelations and I still love when a book can do that as with movies for example, there are only a select few that I don’t guess what’s going to happen next.

The characters were brought to life really well and I loved how fiercely protective Charlaina is over her younger sister. Everyone is hiding secrets because the punishment for any wrongdoing it would seem is death, always death. The queen is one of the most evil, unmerciful characters I’ve seen in a long time and she is once scary mofo let me tell you. Thank god for Max who provides the necessary swoon in this book. He’s a mysterious, confident, strong and yet gentle military figure who becomes interested in Charlaina when they meet in an underground club. YOU KNOW he’s already been added to my list of literary boyfriends.

There’s twists and turns in this book that you may not be able to see coming right away and I think the ending concludes the current situation quite nicely whilst still leaving the possibilities open for further books and I for one am hoping for a sequel. I can’t tell you how much I adore this book and as if you needed any other proof, I’ve already hit the pre order button. Do yourself a favour and do the same as you’re not going to want to miss out.

The Pledge is published on 15th November, 2011. To find out more about Kimberly Derting and her books, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Wolfsbane Review

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000+01:00

I’m hoping by now that you’ve already read my review of the first book in the series, Nightshade which I reviewed here and that you’ve already read it yourself. You may remember that I only picked up Nightshade 24 hours ago and immediately dived into the sequel, Wolfsbane straight after. I couldn’t WAIT to find out what happened next after such an ending! Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. Here’s the synopsis:

“When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.”

I often say that sequels pick up right where they left off but in this case, it literally does. I’ve heard some bloggers say that they wished they had re-read Nightshade before reading Wolfsbane and I don’t have a lot to say on that I’m afraid as I read them back to back but I can see how that would be helpful. There appeared to be a big history lesson in the first part of Wolfsbane, an info dump if you like that whilst it was somewhat interesting, it did go on for a long time and I just wanted for the book to move on, I wanted some action! There’s no time for a history lesson when you’re in the middle of a war! In Wolfsbane, the battle really commences and we learn that everything Calla has been brought up to believe is essentially built on lies. The wolves have been betrayed by The Keepers and as always, the truth will out in the end. I like to think of Wolfsbane as a rescue mission – Calla tries to rescue what remains of her pack, rescue relationships, and rescue herself. I can’t tell you if she is successful on all counts but it makes for an interesting and entertaining read. There were a lot of revelations in this book, as in Nightshade but I know there is more to come.

Let’s talk characters. I really enjoyed a look into The Searcher’s camp and getting to know the new characters that we thought of as enemies in the past. One of my favourites was Connor who had what us Brits like to call a cheeky sense of humour. Adne was remarkable for her abilities and I thought the description of what she could do was just perfect, I saw it all in my head. It was also nice to see most of the old characters we’ve come to know and love as well but there are definitely some changes and sparks of new relationships being forged. I can’t wait to find out where they go in the next book.

I mentioned in my review of Nightshade that Ren had really captured my heart but what I failed to mention is that I only really realised that at the end of Wolfsbane and reading the first chapter of Bloodrose. THAT’S when I realised that I’d always been team Ren. I’m always rooting for the underdog (no pun intended) and if things go badly then you know what? MOVE OVER CALLA and Ren can come home with me. Of course, Ren is now firmly in my list of literary boyfriends and I think by now you’ve realised that I have a soft spot for him.

I’ve deliberately not mentioned a lot about Shay because there are a lot of revelations surrounding his character that I don’t want to give away. He remains in my eyes as an integral part of the story but also a distraction.

I thought Wolfsbane was a fantastic sequel and whilst I missed the wait between the first and second book, I’m now all caught up and caught in the wait for the third book. ARGH! You know what though? You can read the first chapter of Bloodrose here and OMG you definitely want to although be warned, it will whet your appetite even more for the third book! Bring on Bloodrose!!!

Wolfsbane was published on 26th July, 2011. Bloodrose, the final book in the series will be published on 24th January, 2012. I know what I’m spending my Christmas money on ;)
To find out more about Andrea Cremer, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-09-07T00:02:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Of Poseidon by Anna Banks. Here's the synopsis:

"Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings."

Oh. My. Goodness. Not only am I in love with the cover but I am totally in love with the synopsis. I don't know whether you know this but I'm incredibly terrified of sharks, to the point that I WILL NOT venture into any ocean, regardless of where in the world it is. However (and this is where it gets a bit weird) I have to watch every program there is on sharks. It's a strange kind of fascination. Anyway, so I'm not sure I'm looking forward to THAT scene but again, it will be fascinating to see what happens given Emma's gifts. I love the idea of a secret kingdom and that she could be the key to saving it. Definitely pre ordering this one! Of Poseidon is released on 22nd May, 2012. I'm not sure about the UK rights but I sure hope so!

Fateful Review

2011-09-05T00:01:00.002+01:00

I want you to know that I love Claudia Gray as an author but when I found out that she was writing a werewolf story SET ON THE TITANIC? I thought she was nuts. My immediate reaction was “this is never going to work” and having now read it, you know what? It totally does. Here’s the synopsis:

“Fateful is about a servant girl named Tess in 1912, who wants to escape from the house where she works, and most particularly the lecherous young lord of the manor. But that's not her biggest problem. While on a voyage to America, where she plans to escape and start a new life, she meets Alec, who's ruggedly handsome, fabulously wealthy, intelligent and yet so clearly troubled that she'd rather not fall for him, but she does. That also is not her biggest problem. Alec, it turns out, is a werewolf ... one cursed to change every night, unless he surrenders his independence and joins the Brotherhood, a pack of violently misogynistic werewolves who have been tracking him for months. You'd think that would be their biggest problem, wouldn't you? But no. Their biggest problem is that they're aboard the RMS Titanic.”

So one of the things that was different about Fateful is that in every other story I’ve read or seen about the Titanic, the sinking of the ship has always been at the centre of the story and taken up most of the screen time. In Fateful, it’s a short section of the book towards the end and I found this really surprising. I have a feeling that because James Cameron’s Titanic had been on TV a few days earlier, perhaps this is the reason I was expecting more. Funnily enough, there were times when I was reading that I completely forgot what ship they were on and what was in inevitably going to happen. I think Claudia set the story up really well and I did feel like I was right there on the ship with Tess. I liked Tess as a protagonist and how although she was a young servant girl who knows her place, she dreams of running away to a better life. She’s also very practical (unfortunately, I lack this skill at times) and is putting a plan in place to make this happen.

Alec on the other hand, is part of the upper class and so of course he has the looks, intelligence and wealth but he too is lacking his freedom but for entirely different reasons. He’s only a bloody werewolf which is most inconvenient when it comes to taking public transport. What’s good about Alec is that although he turns into a wolf every night, apart from that he’s actually a decent guy. He may have money and a good family name but there is no pretentiousness about him or his father and they only have three servants whom they treat very well as opposed to the Lisles family’s 35 servants. Alec had no problem coercing with Tess despite their class differences and at times seemed to prefer third class entertainment and who can blame him for that?!

Irene, the only decent member of the Lisles family stood out for me as one of my favourite characters as she was kind to Tess and treated her more like a human being than a servant.

On the other end of the decency scale is the bad guy AKA Mikhail who is menacing, sadistic and drunk on power. He thinks that women are merely objects put on this earth for his amusement and to be thrown away like trash when they are no longer entertaining or useful. He was quite an intimidating character who toyed with Tess at every opportunity he could get.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and the relationship that built up between Tess and Alec. The ending of the book was definitely left open but I’m not sure if it should have been. I would have liked to have seen it complete as a standalone and of course, it still might be. Fateful was a fresh take on the Titanic story with a dash of the paranormal thrown in for good measure. If you like paranormal YA stories about wolves and have an interest in the Titanic, then this is the book you’ve been waiting for.

Fateful is published on 13th September, 2011. To find out more about Claudia and her books, click here to access her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

Forever Review

2011-09-03T00:01:00.001+01:00

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater is the kind of book that turns your steaming hot cup of coffee into something lukewarm and undrinkable. Seriously. And yes, that has just happened to me as I started reading - I forgot all about my drink. It’s hard to believe that this is the final book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and I will be sad to see it end. Maggie’s books are like old friends to me and I’m thinking that I might just have to pay them another visit sometime in the future. Can I recommend to those who have not yet had the pleasure of reading Shiver or Linger to please go and get acquainted with them forthwith so you too can make lifelong friends and not encounter any potential spoilers that you might find here for the first two books. For those of you who have already read and enjoyed those books, let’s go on. As you will remember in Shiver, Sam was the wolf and in Linger, Grace was the wolf. Well, in Forever Grace is learning to live in her own skin as a wolf for most of the time and Sam desperate to have the girl he loves back in his arms (it’s a little awkward right now, what with her being a wolf and all). Unfortunately, there has never been a worse time to be a wolf as a devastating plan is put in motion to eradicate the wolves of Mercy Falls as they are thought to be a danger to the public. The trouble is, Grace doesn’t know. Eek. Here’s the very short yet tantalizing synopsis:

“In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.”

What I love about Maggie’s writing is that she lulls you into a fall sense of security. I find her books comforting to read and I inevitably read along at a steady pace when suddenly, out of nowhere there will be a particular scene that shocks me out of my comfort zone and into the moment. There were a few stand out scenes for me and I want to thank you Maggie, for keeping things interesting ;)

I’m not going to go into too much detail about what happens in the book but you can guarantee that as the tension mounts, the stakes are raised and it’s not just Grace whose life hangs in the balance but all of the wolves we’ve come to know and love.

I’ve heard some grumbles in the blogosphere about the ending and I have to say that I thought the ending was perfect. It didn’t give you all the answers you may have been looking for but you know what? We don’t need all the answers. We’re intelligent enough as readers to come to our own conclusions and every character had the right ending FOR THEM even if you wanted things to go a little differently. You may also be pleased to know that there are no wolf babies (although I think secretly I hoped for them LOL). What I will say however is that I advise you to wear waterproof mascara when you’re nearing the end of the book. Shiver made me cry; Linger didn’t but Forever had me bawling like a baby.

I have to say that I’ve loved every minute of reading this trilogy and I’m glad to have the books on my shelves. I’ve also got my sister into these books and I hope I’ve inspired others to read and fall in love with them too. With its rich characters, lush setting and lyrical writing from Maggie, this book series is to be treasured and remembered forever.

Forever was released on 12th July. Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with an ARC. To find out more about Maggie’s books including the upcoming “The Scorpio Races” click here. There is also a site dedicated to the Wolves of Mercy Falls which you can access here. Maggie is also a member of the Merry Sisters of Fates (together with fellow authors and crit partners Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff) and you can access the site here. Maggie is active on Facebook and Twitter.

The Poison Diaries: Nightshade Review (and win a copy of the book)

2011-09-01T00:01:00.000+01:00

I’ve just come back from the amazing experience I had at the Poison Diaries Event up in Alnwick Castle where we were presented with an ARC of Nightshade, the next instalment in the poison diaries series. To see the castle grounds in person and Hulne Abbey where Jessamine lived was awe inspiring, not to mention the real life poison garden. I was so wrapped up in the experience that I read the book on the very long train ride home and let me tell you, if you thought The Poison Diaries was dark, then wait until you read Nightshade which plunges further into the blackness. It goes without question to say that if you haven’t read The Poison Diaries yet (which I reviewed here) then please read that first before going any further. If you’re still with me, then here is the synopsis for Nightshade:

“A dark, gothic tale of romance… and murder.

Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reunite with her true love, Weed? Find out in this thrilling story where poisons, darkness and horror are a part of everyday life, and love is the only cure.”

Jessamine is all grown up and a far cry from the figure she cut in the first book. She’s more confident than ever in her skills and is no longer the vulnerable little girl she once was. Believing that Weed left her in her hour of need was pretty devastating but you can’t keep the truth hidden forever and this causes a series of cataclysmic events resulting in Jessamine leaving town trying to forge a new identity. She tries desperately not to use the skills that she’s learnt but she can’t help it and before she knows it, she’s tangled up in an assassination plot. I’ve really enjoyed watching Jessamine’s character grow albeit into something darker than she once was. I don’t blame her, I mean how could she not be changed by her experiences? She is definitely more of an interesting character now though. And what of poor Weed? Well, Weed is more human than ever and of course, his thoughts are never far away from Jessamine. I did particularly enjoy his journey to Padua, Italy in this book where he learned about how plants were used for medicinal purposes. Of course, there were reasons why he went there but I shall say nothing more of it.

Nightshade introduces us to some new characters, most of which are transitory but one of my favourites was Rye. You’ll see what I mean when you read it ;)

What’s interesting about how the story has developed is the character’s view of themselves. I was reminded of Pinkie from Brighton Rock by Graham Greene who thought that because he committed an unspeakable act, that there was no way back from that. He believed he was damned and if that was the case, he should just continue doing what he wanted and I kind of got that vibe, especially from Jessamine. I do believe that Jessamine has become somewhat of a poison to herself (ironically) and I just hope she realises that the cure is inside her. At least that’s what I think.

I thought this was a great sequel and I love that I have absolutely no idea where the story is heading. I get the feeling that Maryrose Wood is going to continuously surprise me and I’m all for that.

The Poison Diaries: Nightshade is published on 1st September 2011 in the UK and 25th October, 2011 in the US. Thank you to Harper Collins for giving me an ARC. If you’d like to win a copy of the The Poison Diaries: Nightshade then please leave me a comment with your name and e mail address. This contest is UK only and the deadline is 8th September . The Winner will be selected randomly and they will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

To find out more about Maryrose Wood and her books, click here to visit her website. The Poison Diaries also has a website which you can access here. If you’ve ever wondered about Alnwick castle and are in the fortunate position to visit, click here for more information.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. Here's the synopsis:

"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Imagine if she hadn't forgotten the book. Or if there hadn't been traffic on the expressway. Or if she hadn't fumbled the coins for the toll. What if she'd run just that little bit faster and caught the flight she was supposed to be on. Would it have been something else - the weather over the Atlantic or a fault with the plane?

Hadley isn't sure if she believes in destiny or fate but, on what is potentially the worst day of each of their lives, it's the quirks of timing and chance events that mean Hadley meets Oliver...

Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it."

Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to reading this one! And already it sounds like it's just begging to be a movie. It has a really long title (it shall henceforth be known as TSPOLAFS) and I'm totally digging the UK cover, I usually go for the US hardback copy of a book but I'm going for the paperback in this case. I'm hoping this is a thought provoking and thoroughly heart warming read :)

TSPOLAFS is published on 5th January, 2012. I know what I'll be spending my christmas money on!

The Hunger Games Teaser Trailer

2011-08-30T00:01:00.000+01:00

You know how much of a Hunger Games fangirl I am, right?! Well, I've been anxiously awaiting any sign of a trailer for the movie that comes out next year and a teaser trailer has just been released. I heard it was premiering on a music awards show in the States and I woke up today with my first thoughts being, I must see it! It's not very long at 1 minute and 6 seconds and personally I was a little disappointed with it but only because I wanted so much more! What do you think?

Nightshade Review

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000+01:00

I feel I should start this review with a massive apology to Andrea Cremer who is the author of Nightshade. I remember when I first heard about the book, how much I wanted to read it and how I entered every contest I could find to win an ARC. I think it was a Haiku contest on Andrea’s website that won me the book I wanted and also introduced me to a style of Japanese poetry I’d never heard of before. I’m not sure what happened next but basically it got buried in my TBR pile. It’s also possible that I had been reading a lot of wolf stories at the time and wanted to read something different thus leaving it for a while but to my detriment, I never went back. I even bought a finished hardback of Nightshade for myself (this is without reading it) and gave a UK paperback copy to my sister (who loved it by the way). I’ve felt guilty about it for some time now and I swear, with every book I pick up next to read, lately Nightshade has been calling to me, demanding to be read. I finally gave in and read it in one sitting and then promptly kicked myself for waiting so long. Here’s the synopsis:

“Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?”

What a fantastically strong first chapter Nightshade gives us. It set things up really nicely although I didn’t know where the story was going to go at that point. At first, I felt a little uncomfortable with the school situation – the way the humans cower before the wolf packs and no one mixes outside of their own group. I did get used it though and I guess you might say that this has always been the case though and teenagers have always hung around together in packs of some kind or another. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and I do admit to finding this slightly difficult at first but I quickly became accustomed to who was who and what pack they belonged to. This is the part where I admit to having a crush on Ren from the start. The sexual tension between him and Calla oozed off the page and I bought right into it. Shay started off as an unwanted inconvenience that quickly turned into a distraction for Calla, an alternative to Ren that she’d never really considered. Ren and Shay are very different characters and yet they have similarities. They’re both strong characters but for all his bravado and alpha status, I see a vulnerability in Ren that endears him to me. Shay is one brave mofo for challenging Ren for Calla’s affections and whilst that too is endearing, I fear my heart is already taken.

The whole book is a ticking time bomb, building up to the union between Ren and Calla. This union has been arranged since they were children and so there was never any choice in it. Surrounding that of course is the war between The Searchers and The Keepers which is embroiled in history and forbidden texts. Calla feels like she’s never had a choice and suddenly, she is presented with Shay who opens up all kinds of possibilities to her. Needless to say that the book ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, one that will have you reaching for the sequel in a heartbeat.

Nightshade is a fantastic debut novel that is sexy, dangerous and alluring. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’ve already picked up the sequel, Wolfsbane. If you haven’t started reading this book series yet, pick it up. NOW. Trust me ;)

Nightshade was published on 19th October, 2010 in the US and 28th December, 2010 in the UK. To find out more about Andrea Cremer, please click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

The Taker Review

2011-08-27T00:01:00.001+01:00

In a nutshell, The Taker by Alma Katsu is an epic love story and even epic is not big enough of a word to describe this book. It’s already been released in the UK and has gone on to its second printing since publication. With its imminent release due in the US, I am certain that this book will achieve the same amount of success, if not more over there. I actually got this book for review a while ago now and also saw it at BEA (Book Expo America) being handed out to book bloggers. Although the main character is twenty years old (kind of) , I would not consider this a Young Adult book, rather an adult book that crosses over into the YA world, a novel that will appeal to older readers within the Young Adult market. When I first started reading this book, I expected it to be a straightforward love story that spanned across time and place but of course there had to be a twist to the tale and I hadn’t quite figured out what that might be. Never in a million years, did I imagine the story would be about unrequited love, the kind of love that is unfulfilling and borders on obsession, the kind of love that has the potential to destroy everything. Here’s the synopsis:

“True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.”

How can you not want to read this book after a description like that?! The Taker is narrated by Lanore or “Lanny” and the book flits between the past and the present quite nicely. We learn of her history as she relays it to Luke, a doctor who is treating her in the ER after she is brought in covered in blood. The reader is taken on a journey through Lanny’s life and her everlasting love for Jonathan, the boy she fell in love with as a child. The words trials and tribulations don’t quite cut it and to be quite honest, I’m struggling to find the right words to describe the book. It was a fantastic read and one that lingers for some time afterwards, indeed I am still thinking about it. The book cover, both in the UK and the US is beautiful and the content is astounding, especially when you consider that this is a debut novel. That part blows me away. The Taker really captivated me and I was thrilled to discover that this is the first book in a trilogy.

What I found the most interesting was the title of the book. When I read a book, I play a little game with myself which consists of trying to figure out why the title was chosen in the first place. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it takes a little investigation. When I realised why the title was used, I thought it was incredibly clever because whilst you might assume that it relates to one character, I don’t think it does. I think each of the characters could be considered a taker in one way or another and I can’t wait for you to discover that for yourself.

I thought all the characters were wonderful but my favourite (and you might find this strange) was Adair. I thought he was wonderfully complex and I suspect that we still don’t know everything about him. He may be cruel and somewhat sadistic at times but I believe he has the capacity to love. I’m still trying to figure out what it means to Adair though and whether it is really love or not. Uzra was another favourite as there was something ethereal about the way she floated in and out of scenes like a ghost. I also admire the fact that she never submitted, she never went willingly. I realise that might sound a little cryptic but I’m trying not to give everything away.

Lanny’s love for Jonathan was steadfast and uncompromising. I think she was blind to his flaws and this most certainly did them both no favours in the long run.

I had a feeling I would like this book but it turned out to be a completely different story to the one I was expecting and you know what? I think I loved it more because of that fact. It was interesting and different and definitely not predictable. This book is epic in proportion and I really hope to see it on the big screen one day or even as a TV series as it deserves this kind of recognition. I’m passing on my copy to my sister and buying a hardback for myself. This is an astonishing debut novel and like I said, the first of a trilogy. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the story is going and feel like I’m on this journey with the characters. There’s no turning back now and I wouldn’t want to anyway, I’m definitely here for the duration.

The Taker was published on 14th April, 2011 in the UK and will be published on 6th September, 2011 in the US. To find out more about Alma, please click here to visit her website.

Wildefire Review

2011-08-25T00:01:00.000+01:00

Every now and then a book comes along that makes you stop and go wow, I *HAVE* to read that and Wildefire by karsten Knight was that book for me. I mean, how many books do you know that feature a kickass Polynesian Volcano Goddess, right? I had the pleasure of meeting Karsten briefly at BEA this year and although sadly there were no ARC’s, a friend stepped in and gave me hers :) And even though several pages were loose and kept falling out, it didn’t matter to me. I was finally reading the book I had longed to read since I first heard about it. Here’s the synopsis:

“Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behaviour escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smouldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.”

One of the best things about Wildefire (besides the humour) is the mythology and I really enjoyed learning about the history behind Gods and Goddesses. I thought the book opened with a bang and ended with a bang but Karsten made us wait a really long time to discover what Ashline could do. I never expected it to be a journey of discovery or rather a rude awakening more like and I look forward to seeing her discover more of her powers in subsequent books.

Ashline is definitely a strong female character but I thought at some points in the book, she came across as arrogant. I’m not sure if it got lost in translation but at one point Colt is talking to her about going on a date and when she accepts she says something along the lines of “time to join the big leagues”. I thought that sounded a little arrogant, like she was “all that” and he should be lucky that he is taking her out. With regards to Colt, I was wondering all the way through WHY he was attracted to Ashline, especially as she was verging on being mean to him in the beginning but he kept coming back for more. Was it purely her looks? Does he like a challenge? Does he have his own agenda? What I thought Ashline lacked was vulnerability and this is precisely why Eve (Ashline’s older sister) was my favourite character in the book. I liked the idea of putting a super power in the hands of a troubled teen and watching the chaos that ensues. She exuded a lot of flawed logic and thinks she can bribe Ash into loving her and running away with her if she promises not to hurt people. I thought Eve was the most believable character – she showed both a strength and a vulnerability which shined through the writing.

The secondary characters were interesting, especially her school friends who turned out to be Gods and Goddesses alike. Whilst I absolutely loved the sense of humour and witty one liners pouring out of this book, a lot of the voices sounded similar however and it would have been nice to see more distinction there.

Despite this, I have to say that I did really enjoy the book and after a particularly bad day at work last week, I was very grateful that reading Wildefire took me away from everything for a little while. And let me tell you that the ending will BLOW YOU AWAY and it’s one of the best, most shocking endings I’ve read for a while.

Overall, this is a promising debut novel from Karsten and I look forward to reading the rest of the series which in my eyes can only get better.

Wildefire was published on 26th July, 2011. Thank you to an incredibly kind friend and fellow blogger who gave me her ARC. To find out more about Karsten and his books, click here to visit the website. Karsten is also active on facebook and Twitter.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-08-24T00:01:00.001+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. After reading both Nightshade and Wolfsbane back to back recently, this week's pick is Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer. Here's the synopsis:

"Is true love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

Um, yeah. That's it. From what I can understand, the synopsis for this book is pretty much under wraps and I can understand why, this being the final book in the series and all where everything comes together and gets resolved. I understand that there will only be a limited number of ARC's for Bloodrose and I fully realise I have no hope in hell of ever seeing one but I've already pre-ordered my finished copy and I will be marking the day in my diary! My phone will be switched off, I will have wine and tissues (in case they are needed) and I shall have a "do not disturb" sign on my bedroom door. I guess I'm lucky in that I didn't have to wait for Wolfsbane to come out so I read Nightshade and Wolfsbane back to back but now, ARGH I've got to wait for Bloodrose and January can't come soon enough! If you're keen to read the first chapter of Bloodrose, YOU CAN RIGHT NOW here and OMG you definitely want to although be warned, it will whet your appetite even more for the third book. Bloodrose is published on 24th January, 2012.

Stealing Phoenix Review

2011-08-23T00:01:00.000+01:00

When I read the first book in this series, Finding Sky which I reviewed here, I seriously hoped that it wasn’t a standalone and thought that there was a lot of potential for the other Benedict brothers to come to the forefront and be the main protagonists in their own books. I’m happy to report that this is indeed what is happening and I couldn’t be more thrilled. In both books so far, I’ve absolutely loved the mix of US /UK influences and references and I lapped this one up. Here’s the synopsis:

“Yves' story.

This is about getting you out...I'm stealing you.

Phoenix belongs to the Community - a gang of thieves with paranormal powers. Yves Benedict - an American student visiting London - is her mark. But Yves turns out to be more than just a target. He is her destiny. Her soulmate. But the Community owns Phoenix's past and it wants her future too.”

Stealing Phoenix has a very strong beginning that throws you right in the middle of the action and there was even a reference to the London Olympics in there which I thought was a really nice touch. As if you didn’t know already, I’m definitely a romantic at heart so I just eat up the idea of soulfinders and I am DEFINITELY adding Yves to my list of literary boyfriends. Okay, he might have an unusual name but he is damn near perfect - he’s got the looks, the brains, the family loyalty, he wants to protect Phoenix and he’s got money. So what’s the flaw? I don’t think there is one. Yes he’s good looking but bashful with it and doesn’t realise what effect he has on other women. He is a little bit geeky but I don’t consider that to be a flaw and I love me a geek.

I really liked Phoenix’s fiery spirit, that survival instinct inside of her that pushes its way out all the time. She had a really cool gift that I would not mind having but I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself.

It’s nice that Sky and Zed made an appearare in the story; they’re just not the star attractions in this book. And I loved how the Benedict family came together when they needed to. It reminds me of the movie “While you were Sleeping” when Sandra Bullock’s character is introduced to this heart warming family and wishes she could be part of it. Secretly, I think I wouldn’t mind being part of the Benedict family but let’s just keep that between us.

I thought this was a brilliant story, one that I couldn’t have predicted Joss would come up with and she certainly kept it interesting and entertaining whilst introducing us to a bigger plot line that I’m sure will crop up again in the future. Of course, now I’m wondering which brother will be featured next and I CANNOT WAIT to find out. More please.

Stealing Phoenix is published by Oxford University Press on 1st September, 2011. Thank you to them for sending me an ARC to read and review. To find out more about Joss Stirling, please click here to access her website.

A Long, Long Sleep Review

2011-08-21T15:30:00.001+01:00

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan is a beautiful book from the outset and one that has been getting some pretty positive reviews so far from what I’ve seen but this book and I battled from the beginning. I spent the first 100-150 pages struggling to get into the story for various reasons and have to admit that I almost put it down. I carried on reading because I don’t quit books easily and with all the positive press, I had to admit that maybe I was missing something. And then as if by magic, everything clicked into place and I started really enjoying it to the point that I’ve been bawling my eyes out for the past fifteen minutes. You certainly don’t elicit THAT kind of reaction if you didn’t enjoy the book. Whilst I wipe my tears, I give you the synopsis:

“Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss.

Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.

Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all.”

The first thought that sprung to mind when I started reading this was that it reminded me of Beth Revis’ Across the Universe and I suspect a lot of people will make this comparison as the story features a girl who wakes up after spending 62 years in stasis but that’s really where the comparison ends and let me tell you that these stories are completely different. Sleeping Beauty also comes to mind as in A Long, Long Sleep, Rose is woken with a kiss which actually sounds quite romantic until you realise that in reality it’s actually more like mouth to mouth resuscitation. I also drew comparisons with The Terminator when I realised that Rose had a killer robot that won’t ever stop coming after her. Regardless of these comparisons, I do actually think that the story stands on its own merits but I bet you’re wondering why I struggled so much in the beginning? I think it was being thrown into a completely new world that wasn’t all explained right away and took some time to get used to. Not only is the lingo different but I also became confused about the difference in age between Rose and Xavier as it kept shifting. At first I thought that it was a mistake as I was reading the ARC and then I got a bit creeped out about it and the potential love interest connotations. Finally, a friend helped me realise what was happening and that it was indeed correct. Thank you Zoe! Then I realised that I had I just kept reading a little further, I would have discovered that revelation for myself!

As for the killer robot? During their first encounter, Rose doesn’t tell anyone and hides in the sub basement where apparently this futuristic and presumably intelligent robot doesn’t think to look. And then the very next day, she goes to school. Now, granted she is taking some kind of ant anxiety pills to suppress her emotions after all she’s been through and I understand the need for routine and all things familiar to make you feel safe but DAMN GIRL, I would be getting the hell out of there ASAP. Obviously she doesn’t watch scary movies. Later on, she tells us that she thought it was a dream or something and we realise that the robot is not all that it seems but still!

Anyway, so yes I started getting into the story and I loved how we learned about Rose’s past narrated to us through a series of flashbacks. My heart grew for Xavier and all that Rose had lost. If I’m honest, I was quite devastated in the end. This is a truly heartbreaking but beautiful debut novel that I’m glad I stuck with otherwise I wouldn’t have known that. And the end? Oh. My. Goodness was I bawling. Well done Ms Sheehan. Well done.

A Long, Long Sleep was published by Candlewick Press in the US on 9th August, 2011 and by Gollancz in the UK on 18th August, 2011. Thank you to Gollancz for sending me an ARC to read and review.

To find out more about Anna Sheehan, click here to visit her website. She is also active on Facebook.

The Eternal Sea Review (and win books!)

2011-08-17T18:37:00.003+01:00

By now, I’m hoping that you’ve read my gushing review of Angie Frazier’s first book Everlasting here and have hopefully read the book yourself so as not to encounter any potential spoilers. And by now you will also have realised how much I LOVED Everlasting and how I read it in three hours and then immediately picked up the sequel. One of the good things about not reading a book on or near its publication date is that if you leave it long enough, then you don’t have the enduring wait for the sequel. So whilst I was kicking myself for not reading Everlasting sooner, I’m glad I didn’t have many months to think about the book until I got to read the next one. The Eternal Sea picks up where Everlasting leaves off. A world where Camille has chosen Oscar and he is living and breathing, a world where they are living in Camille’s mother’s house until they can figure out what to do next, a world where Oscar has gone a little weird and is doing what I like to call “an Edward”. What, pray tell I hear you ask is “an Edward?” Dear readers, I am referring to Edward Cullen in New Moon when he does the most idiotic thing a person can do and that is to tell the object of their affection that they don’t love them in order to protect them *head desk*. Never mind Oscar, I still love you even when you’re being a doofus. Basically, Camille and Oscar learn that the adventure is not over yet and just to make things a little interesting, guess who’s found his sea legs and ventured halfway across the world to make sure Camille is okay? Oh, hello Randall. Here’s the synopsis:

“Romance and adventure are just around the corner . . .

After the thrilling journey that led Camille through the dangerous discovery of love, secrets, and a magical stone that grants immortality, Camille has everything she wants. She's escaped the men who wanted her dead, and now she is ready to build a new life with Oscar, her one true love. But things are not to be so simple. Oscar is acting strangely, and before they can even board a ship from Australia back home, to San Francisco, Camille learns that the journey is not over. If she does not follow the magic of the curse of Umandu, her life and Oscar's could be in grave danger.”

This time around, they set sail for Egypt but do not be deceived, before they’ve even set off on the journey; the path is fraught with danger. We’re introduced to the likes of “couriers” who to put it mildly, aren’t very nice. And what about the sudden arrival of Randall, I hear you ask? Well, it’s only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan so to speak. And you know what? All in all, it turns out that beyond the riches and businesslike manner, he’s actually a decent guy once you get to know him and he truly loves Camille. And this is somewhat of a conundrum as I found myself torn (like Camille) between them both. Personally, I think Oscar has the edge but still! He may be acting a little weird, but he’s still fiercely protective of Camille and will not let her come to any harm even if it costs him dearly.

The Eternal Sea introduces us to some new characters besides couriers such as Captain Starbuck (was Angie drinking in a certain caffeine selling establishment when she thought of this I wonder) and Maggie, a stowaway onboard The Eclipse, a ship hired by Randall to take them on the next leg of their adventure. Everyone is connected to the stone in some way, some of which comes as a big surprise. In Everlasting, we were introduced to Camille’s half brother Samuel and in this book; we begin to get to know him better although I’m sure there’s still more to come.

I really enjoyed the fact that the story took us back to the ocean for a little while before resting in the bustling city of Cairo. I also enjoyed the mysterious dreams that overtook Camille on the journey and how they bled over into the real world. And let’s just say that having two guys fight over you? Two guys that you love? SWOON CENTRAL.

The Eternal Sea has somewhat of a devastating ending but I do not believe all is lost. I have faith that things will be okay and I’m hoping (read: desperate) to see that in the next part of the trilogy as Angie has definitely left things open for a third book. I just hope that the book gets written as I hear that Scholastic are not lined up to publish the third book. I do hope (read: beg) they reconsider.

The Eternal Sea was published on 1st June, 2011. Thank you to Angie Frazier for sending me an ARC that I won in her contest. To find out more about Angie and her books click here and for a direct link to her blog, click here. If you want to WIN a SIGNED copy of both Everlasting and The Eternal Sea (I'm actually quite jealous!) then please leave me a comment with your name, e mail address and country where you live. This contest is INTERNATIONAL and the winner will be chosen at random. Deadline is 31st August.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-08-17T00:01:00.001+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is The Mephisto Covenant AKA the book I missed out on getting at BEA by Trinity Faegan. Here's the synopsis:

"Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?"

So first off, what a beautiful cover!! But even better, I think the story sounds intriguing and I love the idea of someone trying to win you over which pretty much guarantees a SWOON FEST. The mythology sounds really interesting too and I'm looking forward to reading this one :)

The Mephisto Covenant is published on 27th September, 2011.

Everlasting Review

2011-08-15T00:01:00.000+01:00

Besides sci fi, my favourite kind of movies are the Indiana Jones adventure style and so when I found a book that could be compare to the aforementioned, I knew I was going to love it. So, I bought this book and you know what I did then? I STUPIDLY and also accidentally let it sit on my shelves, buried under a bulging TBR pile for an entire year. Now that Summer has come back around, I’ve been attending a lot of sailing events (I live by a marina in a major UK port city) and am surrounded by boats and seagulls most of the time. I decided I wanted to read a book that featured boats and sailing as well as having a Summery feel to it. Simultaneously, I’ve also been thinking about reading my own books lately and what I mean by that is books I’ve bought for myself because I wanted to read them and not just review books. With that in mind, Everlasting by Angie Frazier seemed like the perfect choice and so earlier today, I was delighted to take it off the shelf in a “you have been chosen” kind of moment. What started out as an intention to read the first chapter before I got dressed and attended to the mountains of housework that needed doing turned into a three hour marathon and I finished the book. I’m pleased to say that WOW, I was right. I did love it. A LOT. Everlasting is set at the tail end of the 19th century so I guess you could call it historical fiction but it’s not stuffy or boring or uninteresting. It’s truly an adventure story full of secrets, romance, an ocean voyage and ultimately a mythical treasure with a devastating power. I think the synopsis will say it better than I ever could:

“Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.

Beautifully written and feverishly paced, Everlasting is an unforgettable journey of passion, secrecy, and adventure.”

What to say about Camille other than the girl is more prone to head injuries than Bella Swan. I thought she was a fabulous protagonist and I don’t envy her position of having to marry a man she doesn’t love to save her father’s business. On top of that, she is drawn to Oscar, a sailor who has grown up with her on the many voyages she has taken with her father throughout her teenage years. And it’s quite clear that he is more than a little taken with her but he knows his place in society and what could he offer her anyway? All of these issues pale in comparison of course when the ship goes down and Oscar and Camille begin their adventure. I really enjoyed Camille’s adventurous spirit in a society where going barefoot is not becoming for a lady. I love the fact that she would rather sail around the world with her father than take her rightful place in society with her betrothed, Randall. To be fair, we don’t know a lot about Randall and neither does Camille as they’ve never really gotten to know each other properly. Their relationship is built more on stolen moments as they rarely get the chance to be alone to talk. She longs to feel desire for him but unfortunately, his kiss just doesn’t do it for her. Yikes.

Enter Oscar, the handsome, rough and ready sailor who Camille has known for a few years. Being on multiple ocean voyages together affords some time spent talking so really Oscar has the advantage here. They’ve watched each other grow up for the past few years. What do I love about Oscar besides his strong physique earned by working on ships? As an aside, I’ve noticed this more and more about boys that work on boats *fans self*. Anyway, Oscar has a fierce loyalty towards Camille’s father who really has been a father figure for him. I adore the fact that Oscar protects Camille to the nth degree and would literally lay down his life for her. He’s strong, loyal and intelligent but he’s not perfect. He has a temper and can be stubborn for sure. But as I’m sure Camille would agree, it’s pretty hard not to love him.

I also enjoyed Ira’s character as the brash Australian con artist. In my head, I was picturing Bryan Brown (the Australian actor who starred in Cocktail) and was surprised to find out albeit not until the reading the sequel, that Ira is twenty years old. So now, I’m trying to picture a younger version of the guy who plays Jason Stackhouse because I know he is Australian.

I don’t want to say TOO MUCH about the plot for fear of giving things away but let’s just say that along the way, there is added motivation to get to the treasure before the bad guys and Camille has got some pretty tough choices to make. Let’s just cut to the chase here okay? I thought Everlasting was bloody brilliant and I’m happy to gush about it. I challenge you not to fall in love with the characters and get swept away not only in the romance but also in the pure adventure of it all. It may be a perilous journey, but you’ll be glad you went along for the ride.

Everlasting was published on 1st June, 2010. If you haven’t read it yet, don’t wait any longer and get to it! To find out more about Angie and her books click here and for a direct link to her blog, click here.

The Near Witch Review

2011-08-14T15:04:00.004+01:00

I suspect like most people, I started following Victoria Schwab before her book was even published. I read a snippet of her writing, decided that it was beautiful and that I needed to keep an eye out for her so to speak. I didn’t think I would get an ARC of The Near Witch as living in the UK often has its disadvantages where US authors are concerned but I met a lovely lady from Disney Hyperion at BEA who promised me she would send me a copy, and I believe it came on my birthday which was great timing *grin*. I expected to read another paranormal book about witches but what I got was a major flashback to my childhood love of fairytales. The Near Witch is a fairytale through and through. Set in a little village called Near which is surrounded by moors, it may as well be called Anywhere. Near is along the same vein as “Wall” in Neil Gaiman’s Stardust which in fact is extremely clever as it could be of this earth and it could be in some fantasy land, it doesn’t really matter. Although, the very mention of “moors” has me thinking of England and I can’t help that so I chose to set the book there in my head. The main protagonist is Lexi, a teenage girl with a fierce loyalty to her family and much love for her little sister Wren. Her late father used to tell them tales of The Near Witch and she regales in repeating it to Wren who often requests the story before bed. A mysterious stranger arrives in town the same night children start disappearing from their beds and you can guess where fingers are pointing. But Lexi suspects there is more to this stranger than meets the eye and with the help of the two sisters (i.e. the two old witches left in the village) she works to unravel the mystery of the missing children and find out what the stranger has to do with it.

What I absolutely loved about this story is that Lexi is a normal girl. She does not have any special super powers, she doesn’t have a lost family heritage and she doesn’t stick out in society as anything extraordinary. She could be you or me. That’s not to say that she isn’t intelligent, imaginative, loyal and willing to see good in people and perhaps these are the greatest gifts of all. She is willing to find out more about Cole, the stranger at a time when most people want to string him up by the neck. Lexi is willing to ask questions first before shooting the blame in his direction. Cole is a troubled soul no doubt but Lexi (the girl with no special powers remember) DOES seem to have power over him as she slowly captivates him.

The novel is littered with secondary characters, two of my favourites were indeed the sisters and I kept imagining the sisters in Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. I also enjoyed Lexi’s mother whose strength which was thought forgotten, shines through at pivotal moments.

Victoria’s writing is simply beautiful, breathtaking in fact. It’s very dreamy and lyrical and I would say that she does the most elegant dance with words. The way she describes the wind turned it into a character of its own and I never imagined that there was so much to say about one aspect of the weather. I feel like I have been taught a valuable writing lesson.

This book is not unputdownable, rather I think it is designed to be read slowly and steadily. It’s a book that you look forward to reading, a book that you would be begging your older sister to read you before bed if you weren’t old enough to do it yourself! The Near Witch is the first book where I’ve seriously considered buying the audio book, for the sheer enjoyment of having someone read it to me but don’t tell anyone!

The Near Witch is a beautiful debut novel and a refreshing read in that it’s so different from a lot of what’s already out there on the shelves. If you love fairytales like I do, then this is definitely the book for you.

The Near Witch was released on 2nd August, 2011. Thank you to Disney Hyperion for sending me an ARC. To find out more about Victoria, click here to visit her website. She is also active on facebook and Twitter.

What makes a good Summer read?

2011-08-12T19:17:00.004+01:00

I’ve been pondering the question “What makes a good Summer read?” for a while now and have come to the following conclusion: is it just me or do you think books have to be read at certain times? For example, would you read a creepy book in the Summer? Would you read a book set on a beach in Winter? See where I’m going with this? Personally, I prefer to leave creepy reads for the latter half of the year when the skies are grey and overcast, when the days are shorter and I can immerse myself in the best atmosphere for the book. Equally, I prefer to read books set on beaches in the Summer, again for the right atmosphere.

Here’s an example for you. I’ve just finished reading Forever by Maggie Stiefvater and I think I picked the perfect day for it – it was an overcast and blustery Sunday and it was the PERFECT time to read the book. Had it been streaming down with hot summer sunshine, I don’t think I could have read it. I’ll give you another example, I’ve wanted to read Sea by Heidi Kling for about a year now and I see it as a summer book. I mean it’s set in Indonesia and the synopsis says that it’s a perfect summer romance! How much more summery can you get, than that?! Now last year, I missed out on reading it over the Summer and before I knew it Autumn and Winter came upon us. In my mind, it was too late to read it. So, now that Summer is here again, it’s one of the books I plan to read this month.

So all in all, what makes a good Summer read? Number one, the setting. It has to be somewhere hot, a beach house, a resort, a foreign country, a forest, hell it just has to be Summer or feel Summery. Number two, I prefer a little romance whether this is first love, holiday romance or true love. Number three, let’s not forget one of the most important things – a good story and believable characters. There are plenty of fantastic books out there and I’ve got a couple lined up for the Summer and hope you have too :)

Fury Review

2011-08-10T18:45:00.004+01:00

Fury by Elizabeth Miles reads like a typical high school teen movie script and whilst the back of the ARC said that it was the perfect YA crossover novel, initially I disagreed. I just didn’t think that it had the depth required to appeal to the crossover market although having thought about it for a while, I may have been wrong. Because, whilst you might think some of it is superficial, as we all know it’s what’s lying beneath the surface that counts. Here’s the synopsis.

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

“It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.”

Fury is based around the Greek and Roman mythology of the Furies, a group of three sisters who dish out punishment to anyone breaking the rules of society. But what right do they have to do this? And should it really be an eye for an eye? What if the person affected has forgiven the wrong doer, does that person still get punished? These are the sorts of questions I was asking myself when I read the book. I’m not sure that I got a lot of answers to be honest and I should say at this point that the ending of a book normally answers the sort of questions that have been building in your mind but I found myself just asking more questions which undoubtedly means that there is at least one more book on the cards.

In Fury, to be quite honest a lot of the characters are not particularly likeable but then you’d have a hard time understanding why the furies came after them if they were all sweet and innocent. Now I certainly do not condone cheating but I can understand how things just happen, things that you didn’t necessarily want or ask for so I’m willing to cut Em some slack for lusting after her best friend’s boyfriend. But there’s a whole world of difference in liking someone and doing something about it. That’s all I’m going to say.

Chase was actually my favourite character. I liked the idea that he came from the poorest part of town but was still accepted into the popular crowd, mostly because he was good at football I imagine. I thought he was a little misguided in some of his actions but I harboured no ill will towards him.

The furies were stereotypically portrayed as beautiful, mean girls but we didn’t really find out a lot about the history behind them and so I’m hoping we get to know more in future books.

I should also make a note about the structure of the book at this point, I particularly liked the idea that the story was broken down into three acts, which reminded me of a play or Greek tragedy if you will. As you know, there’s a lot of books around at the moment about Gods and mythology so why should you read Fury? Fury blends mythology with the contemporary and brings it bang up to date making it accessible to all. It was an enjoyable read and ultimately thought provoking for me. Fury is a book to make you think about the consequences of your actions, take responsibility for your choices and ultimately remind you that karma is not just a bitch, but THREE evil bitches and they’re comin’ for ya.

Fury is released on 1st September, 2011. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC. You can find out more about Elizabeth Miles and Fury here. I'd also recommend you take a look at the newly launched UK Fury site here where you have a chance to win some Fury goodies!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-08-10T00:01:00.001+01:00

So you may have noticed that it's a little quiet on the blog at the moment and this is simply because it's been quite stressful in my personal life at the moment. Reviews are coming though! But as always, I don't miss out on "Waiting On Wednesday" which is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Here's the synopsis:

"Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet."

So I'm sure I don't need to tell you just HOW MUCH a) I want to read this b) I hope that Alex is okay and c) Lena and Alex find their way back to each other somehow. After the cliffhanger we were left with in Delirium, I've been desperate to continue reading Lena's story and I wait with baited breath! Pandemonium is a very special book to me because I won a contest with my suggestion for the book title and I just hope that it's as good as, if not better than Delirium. I have every faith that Lauren will deliver but we'll have to wait until 6th March, 2012 when the book is released to find out what happens.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-08-03T22:19:00.003+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Fever by Lauren Destefano. Here's the synopsis:

"Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever."

Oh, I can't wait to read this!! I really enjoyed Wither which I reviewed here and I'm excited to see what is going to happen next. I love the idea of a twisted carnival and I can't wait to see what tricks Vaughn has up his sleeve to get Rhine back to the mansion and most importantly, I want to know WHY. What makes her so special that he has to get her back? Is it simply that his son has requested it? Or is there something more sinister going on? Fever is not published until February, 2012 but I'm guessing that it's going to be worth the wait. And if you haven't read Wither yet? Go read it now!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins. Here's the synopsis:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Now, I'm sure it will come as no surprise to you that I absolutely LOVED Hex Hall and its sequel Demonglass (although I believe I still need to put the review up for Demonglass which is a bit of blogger failure on my part). Therefore, I am VERY excited and also a little sad to see how it all ends in the final book of the series. I have to say that this is one of the funnest, entertaining series' I've ever read, it doesn't take itself too seriously but at the same time, it's a bloody good read :) If you haven't started these books yet, do yourself a favour and go and get Hex Hall and by the time you've finished that and Demonglass, Spellbound will be here. For everyone else, we're in for a bit of a wait as Spellbound is published on 13th March, 2012. I don't know about you but I'll be dreaming of Archer until then...

The Poison Diaries Review

2011-07-24T18:07:00.005+01:00

The Poison Diaries has always called to me. I’ve seen it so many times in the book store and for whatever reason, have resisted its charms. Finally, I could take it no longer and bought the book knowing almost nothing about the plot. In fact, sometimes I think it is better to wait to read a book after you’ve bought it so that you can forget all the things you’ve already learned about it. Anyway, I digress. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book but I can tell you that it was very entertaining and very easy to read - I finished it in 2 hours. Here’s the synopsis:

“Jessamine has spent her whole life in a cottage close to her father's apothecary garden, surrounded by medicinal plants and herbs that could kill her -- although her father has never allowed her into the most dangerous part of the grounds... the poison garden. And so she's never had reason to be afraid -- until now. Because now a newcomer has come to live with the family, a quiet but strangely attractive orphan boy named Weed. Though Weed doesn't say much in words, he has an instant talent for the apothecary's trade, seeming to possess a close bond with the plants of the garden. Soon, he and Jessamine also share a close bond. But little does Jessamine know that passion can be just as poisonous as the deadliest plants in the garden...”

I have to admit that whilst I love plants, flowers and gardens, I definitely do not have a green thumb. I can kill house plants quicker than anyone I know and not from neglect or anything sinister. I actually don’t know the reason which makes me a little sad, but I do admire anyone who can turn their hand to this kind of thing. My grandma used to know the names of every plant and flower we came across whilst walking across the fields together and I have never forgotten this. I think my love for all things green (even if I can’t look after them) helped me to enjoy this book and I absolutely loved the concept. I had no idea this was a historical novel and that the setting is very real. The Poison Diaries is based on a concept by the Duchess of Northumberland who actually resides within Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. In case you didn’t know, this is the castle used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. The Duchess has a particular fondness for gardens and even has a real life poison garden which is probably where the idea came from although it was Maryrose Wood who penned the novel. The idea that plants can kill and cure is not new but I find it fascinating nonetheless and I really enjoyed how this came across in the book.

My favourite character was of course Weed who is the poor orphan boy that comes to live with Jessamine and her father. He has a lot of closely guarded secrets that he dare not share for fear of being labelled a freak. Eventually though, he is forced to explain his strange behaviour and face the fact that he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice for love. Whilst we got to know Weed as he is now throughout the book, I would really have liked to explore his history and where he came from. Are there others like him? Hopefully we will get to find out in future books.

Jessamine was sweet and we got a hint of her character when she stood up to her father who has to be one of the worst parents I’ve ever read about. He is solely focused on his potions to heal the sick which sounds noble in itself but this one track mindedness turns sinister and is going to cost him more than he could ever imagine.

The Poison Diaries is a refreshing read in a beautiful, real life setting. The concept of the book is fascinating and one I thoroughly enjoyed. All I can say is thank goodness there will be a sequel, entitled "Nightshade" and this is published in September, 2011.

The Poison Diaries was actually published back in 2006 but rebranded and the newest edition was printed in May 2010. To find out more about Maryrose Wood, click here and to find out more about The Poison Diaries, click here to access an interactive website. You can actually visit Alnwick Castle and the poison garden which you can find out about here.

As some of you may or not know, I recently won a poetry competition and the prize is an overnight stay in the castle and a visit to the poison garden itself! I’m terribly excited about this and hope to let you all know what happened after the event next week. If you’re interested, here is my poem:

Poisonous By Nature

You, who grow from the seeds of the earth,
Weaving your way through the ground you give birth
To a life that brings death to both man and beast,
An unstoppable force once your power is released.

But what if your poison could kill AND could cure,
In the smallest of doses, your death would ensure
That life could go on and with your last breath,
You’d know that you died the most glorious death.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-07-19T20:25:00.002+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Everneath by Brodi Ashton. Here's the synopsis:

"Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... "

Oooooh, I do like the sound of this book and the cover is GORGEOUS! I was very lucky to meet Brodi in New York during the time when BEA was going on and she is lovely. I only wish she had ARC's with her at the time *sob* Everneath is published on 3rd January, 2012. To find out more about Brodi, click here.

Shadows on the Moon WINNER

2011-07-16T16:21:00.004+01:00

Thank you to everyone who commented on my post for the Shadows on the Moon Blog Tour. If you missed it and subsequently missed out on seeing one of the most beautiful book trailers I have ever seen, then go take a look here.

As you will recall, there was a contest at the end to win a special prize pack consisting of the book itself (with a signed bookplate) and some Japanese inspired goodies, some of which are signed by Zoe. I have consulted with my good yet impartial friend Random.org and the winner is....

IRIDESSA

I have contacted Iridessa and she now has 48 hours to claim her prize. In the unlikely event that I do not hear from her, then I will choose another winner. Thank you to Walker Books for providing the prizes.

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-07-13T00:01:00.000+01:00

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I was so desperate to have this as my choice this week that I've gone ahead with it anyway despite there being NO SYNOPSIS released at present. Apparently, it's a secret! *shouts* C'mon Beth, GIVE IT US...PLEASE...WE BEG YOU!!!!!!!! So basically, I absolutely loved Across the Universe which I reviewed here and I cannot wait to read the sequel which should be released in January, 2012. Loving the cover too :)