Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Chime by Franny Billingsley. Here is the Goodreads description:

"Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know".

Witches are definitely one of my favourite paranormal creatures and so I'm really looking forward to this one. I recently read a glowing review of this book from a fellow author and immediately added it to my wish list. I love the idea of the "Old Ones" and how Briony is hiding lots of secrets because if the villagers find out she's a witch, she'll be killed. And of course, I'm also pleased to see that there is a potential love interest in there.

Chime is released on 17th March, 2011 in the US by Harper Collins and 4th April, 2011 in the UK by Bloomsbury. If you're interested in finding out more about the author, visit her website here.

Half Moon Review

I'm honoured to be part of the White Flame Tour to promote Half Moon, the sequel to The Crescent by Jordan Deen and today is my turn! The tour started on 10th December and ends on 13th January which is the official release day for Half Moon. There are 11 bloggers taking part, each posting interviews and/or reviews AND you have a chance to win a prize pack. For more details, please visit Jordan's blog here. Anyway, on to my review...

Back in March of this year, I had the pleasure of reading an amazing book called The Crescent by Jordan Deen which I reviewed here. I devoured it in one sitting and absolutely fell in love with the story. I couldn’t wait to hear what happened next and I’m extremely privileged to have gotten my hands on a copy of Half Moon, the sequel to The Crescent.

I have to admit that I read Half Moon a little while ago now and loved it but I’ve just read it for the second time to remind myself of the story so I can write a half decent review. It certainly wasn’t a chore to read it again and one of the things I love about Jordan’s writing is her ability to suck you into the story. It’s like you can’t physically stop reading, you have to carry on and find out what happens next.

In Half Moon, Lacey, Brandon and the rest of the Amana pack are holed up in a secluded mountain camp. Lacey has disguised her appearance so as not to be recognised and they’re all lying low. Lacey has neither transformed nor fully bonded with her soul mate Brandon yet and if this doesn’t happen soon, then both of them will die. Stuck in the middle of an ancient prophecy and still fighting with her feelings for both Alex and Brandon, Lacey learns that the entire future of the werewolf race rests on her shoulders. So no pressure then.

Phew, you can definitely feel the tension building in this book and I actually feel quite sorry for Lacey. She has a lot riding on her and she’s still not really sure of herself never mind living up to other’s expectations. I also feel incredibly sorry for Brandon who is so in love with Lacey and desperately needs for her to return his affections. I think if there was a theme song for Lacey it would be “Hot ‘n Cold” by Katy Perry that goes “You’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes then you’re no, you’re in then you’re out, you’re up then you’re down”. Anyone else thinking that? However, there may be reasons for her fickleness and you’ll just have to read the book to find out what I’m talking about.

One of the things I really liked about Half Moon is that Lacey learns more about the pack’s history and her heritage which throws up a startling revelation and one that I hadn’t expected but was pleasantly surprised by. We also learn that the normal rules don’t apply to Lacey and so anything goes.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Half Moon and now I’m clambouring after the next instalment “Full Moon” which I believe Jordan is currently working on. Half Moon is released on 13th January, 2011 and I URGE you to pre-order your copy NOW. If you haven’t read The Crescent, do it as you won’t be sorry.

To find out more about Jordan and her books, visit her website here. She is also on Facebook and Twitter. The next stop on the White Flame Tour is The Bookshelfsophisticate on 30th December so be sure to check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann. Here is the Goodreads description:

"The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried".

Oooooh, does that sound creepy or what?! I love the supernatural aspect to it although everytime I look at the cover, I find myself thinking of "Knowing", the film with Nick Cage in it where his child finds a document covered in numbers and Nick's character cracks the code to predict catastrophic events. In the beginning of the movie there is a little girl sat an old fashioned desk like the one on the cover of the book and I'm sure at one point, she is writing on it or dragging her fingernails down it.

Anyway, I digress. I really enjoyed Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann (I admit I have yet to read Gone but it's on the list) and so I know I'll be getting a good story. It's also nice to know that there's not that much longer to wait now as it's released in February 2011. What are you waiting on?

The Twelve Deaths of Christmas Blog Tour

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
A corpse hanging from a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven Templars fighting
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight crawlers creeping
Seven Templars fighting
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine Knights of Nowhere
Eight crawlers creeping
Seven Templars fighting
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten Gods a-quarelling
Nine Knights of Nowhere
Eight crawlers creeping
Seven Templars fighting
Six yetis freezing
Five buzzing saws
Four Wheezers wheezing
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree

Welcome again! I was the third stop and I'm also the tenth stop on The Twelve Deaths of Christmas Blog Tour, courtesy of The Chainsaw Gang which is made up of Alex Bell, Alexander Gordon Smith, Alex Milway, David Gatward, Sam Enthoven, Sarwat Chadda, Steve Feasey, Jon Mayhew, Stephen Deas, William Hussey and Sarah Silverwood. They are a group of UK horror authors who write about vampires, werewolves, zombies, dragons and a whole host of other things that make you want to hide beneath the bed covers!

As part of the blog tour, I had the opportunity to ask them all questions and I've chosen one that elicited a lot of answers:

What is your favourite horror story?

Jon Mayhew
(Author of "Mortlock")

The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs. A fantastic piece of writing that sums up the great English Ghost Story, understated but leaves enough to your imagination to keep you awake at night.


William Hussey
(Author of "The Witchfinder")

Jekyll and Hyde. No competition. The best horror tale ever written because, unlike those other horror staples, Frankenstein and Dracula, the monster in Jekyll and Hyde comes from within. You can't hide from or defend yourself against the evil of your own heart. Plus, it's got one of the most chilling revelations in horror history - Jekyll's realization that it was the first batch of ingredients that was tainted, and that he cannot now trace his way back to the ingredient that activated the potion. Even God cannot help him now...

I love that story so much I wrote a stage adaptation of it that was put on around Lincolnshire. It was my reaction against the mistake that most adaptations make - giving Jekyll a love interest! If he had a girlfriend and a well-balanced love life he wouldn't become Hyde!


Sarwat Chadda
(Author of "The Devil's Kiss" and Dark Goddess")

The Woman in Black stageplay. It has only two actors in it and minimal props but the slow build up of tension is excruciating. The reveal of the woman in black is the only time in my entire life the hairs on the back of my neck really did stand up.mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}


Steven Feasey
(Author of "Changeling" AKA "Wereling")

Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Still the best vampire story out there, and a great example of the horrow supremo at his chilling best. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin runs a close second.


David Gatward
(Author of "The Dead")

What, just one? Are you mental? The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill, The Hellbound Heart, by Clive Barker, Mr Hands, by Gary Braunbeck, 20th Century Ghost, by Joe Hill, pretty much everything by HP Lovecraft, The Lost, by Jack Ketchum, Skinner, by Neal Asher. The list could go on...


Stephen Deas
(Author of "The Thief Taker's Apprentice")

Tough call between Stephen King's "The Fog" or else Clive Barker's "Weaveworld". Adam Nevill's "Apartment 16" was a pretty good more recent read.


Sam Enthoven
(Author of "Crawlers" AKA the book with the most disgusting cover ever)

Do you know Gabriel-Ernest, by Saki? If anyone reading this hasn't come across Saki's stories before, you should definitely check them out: he's like an unholy mixture of P.G. Wodehouse and David Lynch. Gabriel-Ernest is a drawing-room werewolf story, and it's terrific. But as with any time I'm asked what my favourite something is, I reserve the right to change my mind, possibly within the next two minutes... Hmmm, now my favourite horror story is "The Loves of Lady Purple", by Angela Carter. Hang on, now it's "Let's Go to Golgotha!", by Garry Kilworth. Whoops, no, now it's "The Dark Land", by Michael Marshall Smith. Or...ARGH! ;D


Alex Bell
(Author of "Lex Trent Versus The Gods")

"The Whistle". I can't remember who wrote it but it was read to me when I was a child, and seriously creeped me out. Also, "Blood Crazy", by Simon Clark: the original parents-are-zombies novel. And by far the best.


Sarah Silverwood
(Author of "The Double Edged Sword")

"Salem's Lot", by Stephen King, or "The Birds", by Daphne Du Maurier.


Alexander Gordon Smith
(Author of "The Furness" series)

It has to be the M.R. James classic "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad" (and the BBC adaptation which was even scarier). It's about a man who finds a whistle on the beach, inscribed in latin with the words 'Whistle and I'll Come to You'. Of course, the man blows it... It's absolutely terrifying. I love Japanese ghost stories too, especially the ones told by Koizumi Yakumo. I dare you to read Mujina without getting goosebumps (check it out here on my friend Cristy Burne’s site!) One of my favourite contemporary horror writers is Ramsey Campbell – nobody on earth conjures the same gut-wrenching atmosphere of pure horror as he does.


Thank you to all the authors that answered my question and for Sarwat for being chief organiser of the blog tour. NEXT STOP is at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books. Be sure to check it out tomorrow!

For more information on the Chainsaw Gang and about The Twelve Deaths of Christmas Blog Tour click here. There are prizes to be had!!

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Shadows on the Moon by UK author Zoe Marriott. Here is the Goodreads description:

"On my fourteenth birthday when the sakura was in full bloom, the men came to kill us. We saw them come, Aimi and me. We were excited, because we did not know how to be frightened. We had never seen soldiers before."

Suzume is a shadow-weaver. She can create mantles of darkness and light, walk unseen in the middle of the day, change her face. She can be anyone she wants to be. Except herself.

Suzume died officially the day the Prince's men accused her father of treason. Now even she is no longer sure of her true identity. Is she the girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama? A lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens? Or Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands?

Everyone knows Yue is destined to capture the heart of a prince. Only she knows that she is determined to use his power to destroy Terayama.

And nothing will stop her. Not even love."

I recently met Zoe as part of her surprise author visit to Walker Books in London where she was greeted by a small barrage of UK book bloggers, including myself. She managed to infect me with her enthusiasm for all things Japanese and suddenly I found myself lusting after her new book, Shadows on the Moon. I love the idea of "shadow-weavers" and assuming new identities. Throw in a love story and I'm hooked! Shadows on the Moon will be published in July, 2011 and I've been very, very lucky to have received an ARC of it only I won't be reading/reviewing until closer to the release date so look out for that in the future.

If you can't wait, Zoe has written other books such as The Swan Kingdom which you can find out about here.

And Daughter of the Flames which you can find out about here.

How awesome are those book covers?! Find out more about Zoe and her books by visiting her website http://www.zoemarriott.com

British Books Challenge

The British Books Challenge is something that Becky over at The Bookette is hosting and this challenge is about supporting British writers by reading their books throughout 2011. I should stress that you don't have to *BE* British in order to participate in this challenge and the books can be old or new and any genre. They don't even have to be YA. As an added incentive, there will be prize packs up for grabs exclusively for challenge entrants. If you're interested in taking part, click here for more information.

I have to say that I wasn't going to sign up for this challenge as I tend to read a lot of US books but I've had a sudden change of heart. I've read quite a few books by UK authors recently (Finding Sky by Joss Stirling and Before I Die by Jenny Downham for example) and loved them. Let's also not forget that I am a UK blogger after all and I love the idea of supporting British writers so I'm in. I've got a few books lined up and I'll make sure I mention in the review if it is a British book. I'm actually looking forward to the challenge and I hope you'll join me in supporting British writing talent :)

White Flame Tour

So remember how I read and loved The Crescent by Jordan Deen which I reviewed here? Well the sequel Half Moon will be released on 13th January, 2011 and I'm really pleased to announce that I will be part of the White Flame Tour in order to publicise Half Moon. There are 11 stops on the way and each blogger will be conducting a brief interview with Jordan and posting a review of Half Moon. Also, there will be prizes up for grabs including a signed ARC of Half Moon!! To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is comment on all of the stops on the tour including the White Flame Tour post on Jordan's blog. As more people comment, MORE prizes will be added :)

The calendar looks something like this:

11/12/10 www.ReadingTeen.net

13/12/10 www.Totalbookaholic.blogspot.com

16/12/10 www.theleosden.blogspot.com

19/12/10 www.Bibliophilicbookblog.com

22/12/10 www.simpleloveofreading.blogspot.com

27/12/10 www.narrativelyspeaking.com

30/12/10 www.bookshelfsophisticate.blogspot.com

02/01/11 www.jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com

05/01/11 www.ataleofmanyreviews.blogspot.com

08/01/11 www.MurphysLibrary.com

11/01/11 www.MundieMoms.blogspot.com

You can see the original White Flame Tour post on Jordan's blog here and don't forget that my stop will be on 27th December so please make sure you come back and check out my review. Good luck to all who enter :)

Before I Die Review

“I want to live before I die”

You have no idea HOW many times I picked up Before I Die by Jenny Downham in the book store before I bought it. Given the title, I wasn’t sure whether it would be too depressing but I still really wanted to read it. In the end I’m glad I bought it though as I’ve just finished reading it and I loved it. I found myself asking the question: how can a book about death be so full of life?

Before I Die is the debut novel from UK author Jenny Downham. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t tend to read a lot of UK books but I’m beginning to come around to this idea now, especially after reading this book. Before I Die tells the story of Tessa, a 16 year old girl who has terminal leukaemia and is therefore faced with her own mortality. She makes a sort of bucket list of things she wants to do before she dies and lets us know that the normal rules don’t apply to her. Her list consists of outrageous goals such as sex, drugs, and even breaking the law but she also adds falling in love. Tessa takes the reader on a journey that will stay with you, long after the end of the book.

Tessa is portrayed brilliantly and I really liked the fact that she was dying in such an unconventional way. It definitely made me ponder/question the idea of “a good death” and what this means. I loved the list Tessa made and the fact that she didn’t narrow her chances of achieving her goals by making them too specific. Tessa describes the world in such a way that makes you think she is drinking in her surroundings and soaking up her experiences so she can take them with her.

Tessa’s best friend Zoey is an interesting secondary character. She’s the opposite of Tessa and basically approaches life with a kind of reckless abandon but she truly is full of life. She doesn’t care about Tessa’s illness and doesn’t treat her any differently. I really liked that about her.

For the romantic in you, there’s also a love interest in the form of Adam who likes Tessa for WHO she is and not WHAT she is. Some of the scenes involving just the two of them are very touching and may make you reach for the Kleenex. Speaking of which, the tears started for me on page 284 and were pretty much continuous until the book finished. Whilst you could consider the ending to be inevitable, I found myself thinking that it’s more about the journey than the destination, which of course applies to real life.

I can see how some readers might find parts of Before I Die an uncomfortable read but isn’t that the point? Talking about death can be uncomfortable but it doesn’t mean you should avoid the topic. I really enjoyed the story and I would describe Before I Die as Poignant, emotional and a thought provoking read. I liked it so much that I've just sourced a rare hardback copy to go on my shelves and sent my paperback copy to a friend in the US.

Jenny Downham does not have an official website but you can visit the website for the book here. Jenny’s next book “You Against Me” has just been released (2nd December, 2010).

The Twelve Deaths of Christmas Blog Tour

Courtesy of www.zombiecarols.com

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
A corpse hanging from a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three zombies snarling
Two Werewolves howling
And a corpse hanging from a pear tree.

Welcome to the third stop on The Twelve Deaths of Christmas Blog Tour, courtesy of The Chainsaw Gang which is made up of Alex Bell, Alexander Gordon Smith, Alex Milway, David Gatward, Sam Enthoven, Sarwat Chadda, Steve Feasey, Jon Mayhew, Stephen Deas, William Hussey and Sarah Silverwood. They are a group of UK horror authors who write about vampires, werewolves, zombies, dragons and a whole host of other things that make you want to hide beneath the bed covers!

As part of the blog tour, I had the opportunity to ask them all a question and this is the one that got the most answers:

Where's the spookiest place you've ever visited?

Jon Mayhew
(Author of "Mortlock")

Bodmin Jail last year, it’s a Victorian Jail that has largely been converted to a hotel but much of the old prison still moulders beneath it. It’s ace, the place has a real atmosphere and its bloomin freezing down there in the cells.


Sarwat Chadda
(Author of "The Devil's Kiss" and Dark Goddess")

The maharajah’s palace in Varanasi. It was rundown, dusty, all the decorations were covered in cobwebs and the catacombs were filled with bats. I don’t know how long it had been left abandoned but I remember walking through the main hall and backing on the mirrors had turned black so everyone’s reflection had a ghostly transparency. The only thing missing was Indiana Jones.


Steven Feasey
(Author of "Changeling" AKA "Wereling")

When I was in Portugal a few years ago I visited an ossuary made entirely of the bones of the dead. There were thousands of yellow skulls staring down at you from the walls, and it was all rather eerie.


David Gatward
(Author of "The Dead")

Hermitage Castle. An imposing, dark and monstrous place just begging to suck you in to its hidden history of unspeakable terrors…


Stephen Deas
(Author of "The Thief Taker's Apprentice")

The Stone Forest in China. We managed to get in at night under a full moon and had the place to ourselves; I've never had such a strong sense of being in a different world. Not spooky as in creepy or scary, more like having crossed the boundary between the real world and the realm of the fey folk.

I'll second Jon on Bodmin Jail, and the old jail in Lincoln Castle is worth a look too.


Sam Enthoven
(Author of "Crawlers" AKA the book with the most disgusting cover ever)

When I was small my parents used to take me to see a lot of castles. A dungeon in one left a particularly strong impression on me. It was a large, lightless underground room with a black iron cage in the centre, hanging suspended above the ground by chains. The cage wasn't big enough to stand up in. Even though I was very young I had no difficulty at all imagining what it might be like to be imprisoned in that cage for any length of time, and I didn't like the idea one bit. A formative horror experience!


Alex Bell
(Author of "Lex Trent Versus The Gods")

This old hacienda in Mexico. It was the creepiest building ever, and the fact that there was a model of a weird monk holding a puppet monk in a glass case in the living room didn’t help. I didn’t sleep a wink all night. Plus the bed had insect exoskeletons on it.


Sarah Silverwood
(Author of "The Double Edged Sword")

I was a Letting Agent for a while, and once I went to show this old victorian terrace house to a group of students. I let myself in first (the house was empty) and just had a look around to make sure it was presentable. The house was perfectly fine until I went into the spare bedroom upstairs, and then I was filled with an awful sense of fear and dread as if something really really bad had happened in there, and the badness was somehow still there. I ran out of the house and waited for the girls outside. When I showed them round, I had the same awful feeling, but they didn't seem to notice it! That was about 14 years ago now, but I still get shivers when I think about that room.


Alexander Gordon Smith
(Author of "The Furness" series)

Some of my book signings have been pretty ghostly places…

When I was researching Furnace my brother, Jamie, locked me inside an underground medieval dungeon in Norwich. It was pitch black in there and I was convinced that there were ghosts in the cell with me – to the point where I swore I could hear them whispering in my ear and pawing me with cold fingers. Luckily he unlocked the door after a few (well, fifteen!) minutes and I managed to escape. Once I’d calmed down I realised how useful the experience would be when it came to writing about the first night that Alex – my main character – gets locked away inside Furnace Penitentiary. Spooky!



Thank you to all the authors that answered my question and for Sarwat for being chief organiser of the blog tour. NEXT STOP is at Wondrous Reads. Be sure to check it out tomorrow!

For more information on the Chainsaw Gang and about The Twelve Deaths of Christmas Blog Tour click here.

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 XVI by Julia Karr. Here is the Goodreads description:

"Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world -- even the most predatory of men -- that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past -- one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer."

I'm really loving all the dystopian novels that are coming out and I think this one sounds really interesting. I'm curious/horrified about the idea of a government that would brand 16 year old girls to advertise to the world that they are ready for sex. I've definitely added this to my wish list and the good news is, there isn't much longer to wait as it's published on 6th January, 2011. AND do you realise you can actually read chapter one here. YAY. What are you waiting on?

WINNERS!!

OK, so I'm a little late with the announcements but things have been all kinds of crazy here lately with Nanowrimo,my laptop dying, delays in getting swag packs and being ill. Anyway, without further a do I have TWO winners to announce...

Firstly, I recently held a contest to win a full set of Harry Potter UK Signature Collection Bookmarks...


And thanks to Random.org I can now announce that the winner is...

MISHA1989

And secondly, I was part of The Crossroads Blog Tour back in October (boy that sounds like such a long time ago now) and I promised to pick a random commenter who would win a specially put together swag pack from the authors involved in the blog tour. That winner is:

BURIED BY BOOKS

Congratulations to both winners who have been contacted. Sadly, Misha has not yet replied and if she does not reply in the next 24 hours then I will be forced to pick another winner.

Thank you again to everyone who commented and/or entered the contests. I've got lots more coming up in the near future including a big one year blogoversary blowout so stay tuned!

Across The Universe Trailer

Not long now until one of my very favourite books, Across the Universe by debut author Beth Revis is released (January 11th , 2011 to be exact). I was very lucky to have snagged an ARC of this and I have to say I LOVE THIS BOOK VERY MUCH. I can't wait to share my review with you guys which I'll be posting closer to release date. In the mean time, check out the fabulous book trailer and hit the pre-order button now. You won't be sorry. You can even read the first chapter AKA the best first chapter I've ever read here.

Nanowrimo 2010 Winner

Hey guys, guess what...


I "WON" NANOWRIMO!!!!!!!! That's right, I foolishly attempted to write 50,000 words during the month of November and I've only gone and done it! I may have finished on deadline day but I only had 2,000 words to write so it's not like I was up all night drinking copious amounts of caffeine. I never thought I could do this, I just wanted to try and I'm so proud that on my first attempt, I did it! I remember the very lovely Cat Clarke telling me that I could have a first draft of my book my Christmas and I didn't believe her. I've since told her she was right! Apparently she likes being right, so she tells me ;)

Was it difficult? Hell yes it was. It's not easy holding down a full time job working crazy shifts as a nurse, keeping the house in order which means cooking, cleaning, laundry etc, running a book tour website and keeping the blog going. As a result, the book reviews have definitely slowed down but now Nanowrimo is over, I hope to speed things up a little.

So, is my book any good? The easy answer is - not in its current state but it has potential! I cried three times whilst writing sad scenes and at the moment it's full of plot holes and inconsistencies but I know what they are and where they are. The plan now is to work on the craft of writing, read a lot of books, continue book blogging and resume some sort of social life in time for Christmas. THEN, in the New Year, I plan to work my butt off in revisions. I've got a lot of work to do and I don't profess to know how long it will take me. I mean some people spend years getting it right don't they?! This frightens me somewhat so I'm hoping it won't take THAT long. I do know something though, it does not leave my clutches until it is the BEST IT CAN BE.

Congratulations to all the other members of the 50K club! I've ordered my winner's t shirt as an early christmas present for myself. Now Nanowrimo is over, the cold virus has hit me and I'm just glad it waited until I was done writing! Now back to the reviews...