Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Blog Tour (Feature & Giveaway): Grace Doll by Jennifer Laurens

2 comments:



Happy Halloween readers and followers! Today on the blog I am featuring Jennifer Laurens and her lastest novel. Grace Doll is set in the 1940s, so I asked her to share a few favorites from that time period.

Jennifer's Favorite 1940s Actors



left to right - Clark Gable, Shirley Temple, Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly,
Heddy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Cary Grant

Jennifer's Favorite 1940s Movies

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines

2 comments:

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines
May Be Slightly Spoilery


10. Amy Cahill - The 39 Clues

Amy Cahill, along with her little brother Dan, had to go up against her entire family in a giant scavenger hunt to become the most powerful person in the world (or something like that). After the first series, she did intense training of martial arts and survival stuff to ready herself for a looming threat.



9. Anna Korlov - Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna is strong enough to tear a boy in half. However, she fights against the evil urges pushing her to violence. She's terrifying, but still seems vulnerable. Maybe that's not a good word, but let's just agree on awesome.




8. Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games

She risked death for her sister, fought in the Hunger Games twice, took part in a revolution, and made some really tough decisions. Plus, you don't want her pointing an arrow at you. That would be a very, very bad thing.




Sunday, October 28, 2012

Author Interview: Tim Mettey (Secrets: The Hero Chronicles #1)

2 comments:


Tim Mettey is the CEO and Disaster Relief Coordinator of Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization helping the poorest of the poor locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Matthew 25: Ministries provides life-saving and life-improving necessities, community development assistance and disaster relief worldwide.



What was the inspiration for The Hero Chronicles series?

My inspiration for the book is the men, women and children that have either stood up for someone or risked everything for someone, no matter what the consequences were.

Did you learn anything from writing the book, if so what?

I learned a lot while writing the book. The most important thing I learned is patience. I have been working on the story for years now. At first I wanted to rush to get it into some format that I could share with others, but thanks to the encouragement I received from my wife and friends, I took the necessary time to get the first book of the series ready for publishing. And I am so glad I did.

Do you have a favorite scene from the book that you can share with us?

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Review: The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

2 comments:


Title: The Dark Unwinding
Author: Sharon Cameron
Publisher:
Scholastic
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Acquired Via:
Publisher

The Dark Unwinding is the debut young adult novel by Sharon Cameron. It is a Victorian mystery, centering on Katharine Tulman, an orphan who lives under the "kindness" of her Aunt Alice. She is sent to stay with her uncle, Frederick Tulman, to testify that he has gone mad so she can secure the dwindling family fortune for her cousin, Robert. However, once she arrives at Stranwyne Keep, Katharine learns that things are not at all what they seem and that maybe what is happening at the estate is more than madness.

The Writing of The Dark Unwinding was enjoyable, though a little confusing for me. I had a bit of trouble following the plot (mysteries that are too layered tend to lose me), and I spent a great deal of the book wanting to shake Katharine. There was a lot that we (the audience) are kept guessing at throughout the course of the novel. Is Uncle Tully mad or a genius? Is Katharine herself mad? Is there something deeper and darker going on at Stranwyne Keep? The mystery in the story was a bit complex for my taste, but if you enjoy mysteries, this will be a good book for you.

The characters in novel all have little secrets of their own. Mrs. Jefferies, Davy, Mary, and Lane each have something to hide from Katharine, but it is not their open disdain for who she is and what she came to Stranwyne Keep to do. They are all extremely loyal to and protective of Frederick Tulman, and they will go to any length to protect him. Their behavior is admirable to an extent, but they all become rather scary. If I was Katharine, I would have left after the first week, duties be damned. The estate was creepy, and there is no way I would sleep in a house with that many people who had it out for me. Even her only ally, the student Ben Aldridge, had secrets and became a bit frightening.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Giveaway: To Kill a Mockingbird Prize Pack

4 comments:


You’ve read the book…now see it come to life on movie screens nationwide!

For one day only on Thursday, November 15th, select movie theaters nationwide will show the award-winning film version of Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, in an event in honor of its 50th anniversary. In partnership with Fathom Events, Harper Perennial is offering YOU a chance to win 2 tickets for this event, plus a copy of the book!

Want to know more about the event? CLICK HERE

PRIZE PACK: 2 tickets to the event at the movie theater nearest you and a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird

TO PARTICIPATE:

First: Click here for a list of participating theaters to confirm there is a screening of the event near you.

Second: Comment on this post and share it with your friends on your own blog/Facebook/Twitter!

**A winner will be selected at random by end of day Sunday, October 28th.
**To participate, first CONFIRM there is a movie theater in your area.


My apologies, but this giveaway is for US THEATERS ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Book Blast (Giveaway): The Waiting Booth by Brinda Berry

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The Waiting Booth
by Brinda Berry

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal... Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...


The Waiting Booth Book Trailer



Praise

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Debut Author Challenge 2013

3 comments:

In continuation of my post from yesterday about the Debut Author Challenge, I am going to share with you the books that I have chosen as my initial thirteen. (You know, since it's 2013 and we have to read at least twelve.) Anyways, when I was choosing my books for the 2013, I just went through my pre-orders for next year. These are already ordered, and all I have to do is wait for them. If you're interested in any of these, just click on the title. It'll take you to Goodreads, and you can add it to your "Want to Read" list - or whatever they're calling it this week. So, here we go:

EDIT: The ones I have completed will be below my thirteen. Carry on.

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum

Release Date: January 8, 2013
Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want — action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.


Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Release Date: January 15, 2013

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop (INT)

30 comments:

Welcome to my stop on the humongous Spooktacular Giveaway Hop hosted by the scarily fantastic blogs, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm! I love scary stories (as long as they aren't TOO scary *shudders*), so I know this hop is going to be a lot of fun for everyone taking part.

What You Can Win

Since my giveaway for the Happily Ever After hop was so wildly popular, I'm going to do the same thing again. I'm going to surprise the winner!


Based on the winner's answer in the Rafflecopter, I will send them a surprise book. (It'll be fine, I promise.) We all love surprises at some level, and hopefully the winner will love their spooktacular surprise!

Up For A Challenge? DAC 2013

No comments:

This year was my first year participating in the Debut Author Challenge, and I've enjoyed it so much that I've already signed up for next year! It was started originally by Kristi at The Story Siren, but Tara at Hobbitsies is taking charge for next year's challenge. What you do is choose twelve (12) debut novels to read and review over the course of the year. Here is how it works:

1) You must have a blog, a Goodreads account, a YouTube account, an Amazon account – any where you can post your reviews and share them with others.

2) There is no deadline to join the 2013 Debut Author Challenge, but make sure you give yourself enough time to achieve the goal!

3) ARCs of 2013 debuts read before January 01, 2013 do not count towards your challenge goal.

4) The 2013 debuts must be read between January 01, 2013 – January 31, 2014 to count for the 2013 Debut Author Challenge. The extra month is to allow participants more time to read the December releases.

5) 2013 debuts must be young adult or middle grade in order to count towards the challenge.

6) The title must be the author’s young adult or middle grade debut. If they have previously published an adult title, and this is their first young adult/middle grade title, that counts towards the challenge. If this is their second young adult/middle grade title, it does not count towards the challenge.

7) If you’re a blogger in the US, all debuts must be US debuts to count towards your challenge goal. Likewise, if you’re a UK blogger, all debuts must be UK debuts to count towards to your challenge goal, and same goes for other countries.

8) Each review equals one entry in the monthly prize pack. If you post six review of debut titles in January, you have six entries to win the January prize pack.

This is a lot of fun, so if you're interested in signing up, go HERE!

Come back tomorrow to see the debuts that I've chosen!

Review: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

4 comments:


Title: Black City
Author: Elizabeth Richards
Publisher:
G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR (Penguin)
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Acquired Via: Debut Author Challenge ARC Tours

Black City is the young adult, debut novel of author Elizabeth Richards. It is set in the United Sentry States after a terrible war that has ended with humans and Darklings divided into separate sections of Black City and the USS. Humans have won the war, and Darklings are shut up in ghettos, where they are supposedly only separated but treated well. The story focuses on Natalie Buchanan, the daughter of the Emissary (one of nine government officials, only under the country's ruler), and Ash Fisher, the last twin-blood (half Darkling, half human) left in Black City. The story is told in chapters alternating between Ash and Natalie's first-person points of view.

The Writing of Black City really did not work for me. The characters and plot points were underdeveloped and the plot focused more on the romance going on with everyone in the book than any sort of story line. The book opens with the protagonists breaking the rules in two different ways that intersect, ending with one threatening to kill the other (not kidding). Only hormones and "electricity" take it further than that. I understand that romance novels are extremely popular (and that it is not my favorite genre), but I have read romance-driven stories that are much better executed. Christine Feehan has a similar sort of insta-love between her characters (Life Mates) in her Dark Series, but it's way more sexual than Black City (and the execution did not work for me AT ALL until later in the series).

Monday, October 22, 2012

Cover Reveal: Unresisting by Shane Morgan

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Title: Unresisting
Author:
Shane Morgan
Publisher: Createspace
Release State: November 27, 2012

Seventeen year old Natasha Johnson is having a rough year. Her twin brother, Sean, died last summer after a car crash, and her parents decided to pack up and leave the only home she’d known all her life. It's a lot to take in, and Nat has decidedly given up on the world, until moving to Stetson Valley and meeting high school ‘outcast’, Chace Owens.

Chace's dark and mysterious aura is not exactly seen as 'normal', but Nat already knows that not a lot of things are of the norm when it comes to her life. She soon finds herself unable to resist Chace's strange pull on her heart, unleashing a sudden attraction to the unnatural forces that have always been burning within her. But with uncovering her true self brings forth great danger, as Nat learns that her brother's death had a lot more to do with the side she's unable to resist.

Can Natasha calm the blazing flames and withstand the threat of danger, or will this new found power destroy her?


Be sure to add Unresisting to your "Want to Read" list on Goodreads!

Review: The Egyptian by Layton Green

No comments:


Title: The Egyptian (Dominic Grey #2)
Author: Layton Green
Publisher:
First Ward
Release Date: August 21, 2011
Acquired Via:
Author

At a mausoleum in Cairo’s most notorious cemetery, a mercenary receives a package containing a silver test tube suspended in hydraulic stasis.

An investigative reporter tracking rogue biomedical companies is terrified by the appearance of a mummified man outside her Manhattan apartment.

A Bulgarian scientist who dabbles in the occult makes a startling discovery in his underground laboratory.

These seemingly separate events collide when Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, are hired by the CEO of an Egyptian biomedical firm to locate stolen research integral to the company’s new life extension product. However, after witnessing the slaughter of a team of scientists by the remnants of a dangerous cult thought long abandoned, Grey and Viktor turn from pursuers to pursued.

From the gleaming corridors of visionary laboratories to the cobblestone alleys of Eastern Europe to a lost oasis in the Sahara, Grey and Viktor must sift through science and myth to uncover the truth behind the Egyptian and his sinister biotech – before that truth kills them.


The Review

I write this review from an undisclosed location, with a tummy full of awesome carrot cake. It has chunks of pineapple in it! There were two loafs yesterday… now there’s only half of one. JUST ONE HALF!!! How can this be?!? It shall be remedied, soon I hope, with pineapple upside down cake! Woot! Small sweet-tooth rant over, I shall proceed to the review.

I decided to read this book based on the blurb, which you can see above thanks to the awesome Kayla and her amazing editorial skills, and because I needed a break from fantasy and sci-fi. Damn good idea, because this book is great! It has ancient beings, myths, shady corporations, a scrappy investigative journalist, a messed up in the head bad guy, and a ruggedly handsome revie… main character! I meant main character. *ejem*

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Review: Cruise of the Undead by Laura A. Hansen

3 comments:


Title: Cruise of the Undead (Zombies in Paradise #1)
Author:
Laura Hansen
Publisher: Createspace
Release Date: July 2012
Acquired Via:
Author

Zombies on a cruise ship. What would you do?

Fifteen-year-old Charlie is P.O.'ed that his parents have wasted a perfectly good Christmas break by forcing him on a cruise with a bunch of oldies. But the old people are a piece of cake compared to the dead people. Some late night sneaking around by Charlie and his brother Jack convince them that the unimaginable is really happening: the recently dead are walking the ship. After a gruesome attack at the Death by Chocolate Buffet, a seriously scary comedy of clashing personalities occurs when intense Charlie and his hip hop, extroverted younger brother Jack forge an alliance to defeat the zombie menace. The boys and their friends take on the zombie crew in a gripping struggle to save themselves, their families and the other passengers from an ugly undeath.

With horror, humor, and a dash of romance, this fast-paced adventure races through the zombie-infested South Pacific.


The Review

I must say I enjoyed this book. I stopped being a fan of YA when the fourth book of the Percy Jackson series grabbed the part of me that liked YA and broke its kneecaps, slapped it around, killed its puppy and gave it a wedgy. You may think I’m overreacting, and maybe I am, but that’s the way it felt. It made me want to punch Percy in the throat. Which is kinda funny considering Kayla was advocating in Team Percy over at good reads. Nice to have met you!

Oh, wait. Still alive? No sniper shot to the back of the head? Kayla must be busy. No Will, I'm here, and I'm watching you. So, on to the review of Cruise of the Undead!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Blog Tour (Guest Post & Giveaway): The Three Lost Kids by Kimberly Kinrade

2 comments:



The Three Lost Kids and the Death of the Sugar Fairy

Halloween is here and Lexie, Bella and Maddie couldn't be happier. But why does everything feel so different? Fewer houses are decorated and fewer kids are out trick-or-treating. Still, that's not going to stop the three girls from eating as much candy as they can before their parents can stop them, even if that means fighting each other for it.

When they finally discover a haunted house worthy of their favorite holiday, they forget their parents' warnings and go in alone, only to discover that the house really is haunted, and not only that, but they've been transported to a whole different world!

A dying Sugar Fairy in one of the abandoned rooms send them on a quest to find her Sugar Baby and the magic Sugar Flower in order to save her and Halloween. If they fail, Halloween will be gone forever, and they'll never return to their family.

But with Sugar Bug attacks, the Cavity Caves where they must face their deepest fears, and giant gummy bears armed with candy cane swords, the girls aren't sure they'll make it.

Their only chance is to work together, using each of their strengths to help each other. Can they stop fighting over candy long enough? Or will they be trapped in the dying Sugar Land forever?


Defining Literature For The Under 18 Crowd
by Kimberly Kinrade

As a parent, I’m always on the lookout for great books for my kids. As a reader, I love to find a fantastic new author with whom to fall in love. As an author, Sr. Project Manager for Novel Publicity, and Marketing Director for Evolved Publishing, I’ve taken an interest in how books are classified, especially for younger readers.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Blog Tour (Promo & Giveaway): Unveil by Amber Garza

1 comment:

To visit the official website of YA Christian thrillers, the Prowl Trilogy, click this link.




Mackenzie is looking forward to her eighteenth birthday and upcoming high school graduation. Until an unwelcome visitor from her past appears, threatening her future plans.

Will she ever be free?

Armed with a new weapon and the boy she loves by her side, Mackenzie prepares to fight. She doesn’t realize that she is about to step into the ultimate battle between good and evil, where the stakes are higher than ever before.




You can buy your copy of Unveil on Amazon.
Be sure to add it to your TBR list on Goodreads.

About the Author





Amber Garza lives in California with her amazing husband and two hilarious children who provide her with enough material to keep her writing for years.





Giveaway

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Blog Tour (Guest Post & Giveaway): The Coop by Rebecca Reid

3 comments:

A psychological thriller about the destruction of innocence.

Enter
The Coop, a dark and mysteriously misleading psychological thriller.

A girl, apparently imprisoned in a room, is the thread of mystery running parallel to the tale of Thatchbury village.

Meet Howard and Lilly. They take you on a journey through Thatchbury where Mathew, the child from the coop, shoots Jodie Tiding, and so unravels the history of his loveless raising, her innocence and the dramatic events leading them to disaster.

The Coop is a darkly compelling vision of the layers of consciousness. Although conceived as the first novel in a trilogy, The Coop stands alone as a brilliant individual work of fiction.

My Book, a Reflection of Moi? Never.
by Rebecca Reid

We have all heard the saying “write what you know”, right. The thing is, it’s what we don’t know that excites us. Isn’t that why we read? Isn’t that also why we write? To experience the unreachable. To create the unimagined. Why then, if you voice the slightest inquiry regarding your writing do you always get told, “just write what you know” – this is often accompanied by a subtle shoulder squeeze or a pitiful pat on the back. Entirely uninvited and in my case, unrequited, I am far from a touchy feely kind of person, more especially in a moment of angst. I say angst, because to voice any kind of query regarding my writing, I must be in a bad place. Anyway, who wants to hear “write what you know”. Could anything be less stimulating to a defunked brain?

Blog Tour (Excerpt & Giveaway): Determinant by A.M. Hargrove

4 comments:


Determinant (The Guardians of Vesturon #3)
by A.M. Hargrove


January St. Davis, on her own since the age of sixteen and struggling to stay in college, thinks she’s scored in a major way when she lands a paid summer internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. One evening, after working an especially long shift, a chance encounter with a group of mysterious men alters the course of her life.

Rykerian Yarrister, a Guardian of Vesturon with unearthly powers and impossibly gorgeous looks, finds himself at odds over the human female he recently saved from certain death. When it seems he is on the verge of winning her over, she is ripped from his hands by a strange and powerful being, threatening to destroy her if his demands are not met.

Do Rykerian and the Guardians have the ability to meet this fierce barbarian’s ultimatums, or will January suffer a horrid demise?


Excerpt:

The young female had been at our home for two weeks before Julian felt she would make a full recovery. She had hovered at death’s door for much of that time. Her fever raged and during those spells, she would scream at some unknown being that seemed to be torturing her. Julian assured me it was the fever causing these spells, but they worried me nonetheless.

Julian had sent a robomedic to see to all of her medical needs. She was given IV fluids and medication such as antibiotics, but the virus was incurable and would have to run its course. We were troubled over how she contracted this disease.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Book Blast (Giveaway): Leslie Susskind's Kids Can Blast

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It's Time for Good Manners!
by Leslie Susskind


Part story book, part practice book, all parts fun! Children will learn about good manners -- and how to tell time -- with this colorful, engaging book.

They'll spend the day with Torie, Tad, Tessa and Tyler and discover how it's time for good manners all day long. And then they'll get the chance to practice telling time -- all while enjoying the cute clock designs, and without realizing they're learning!



Praise:

"It's Time for Good Manners is a great package workbook for children ages 4-7, combining learning twin virtues of considerateness and courtesy and punctuality."

“If ever a book was needed for this time, then this is it.”

“A fun way to learn how to tell time.”

“…good book for introducing time to students in earlier grades.”

Teaser Tuesdays (8) - Black City by Elizabeth Richards

3 comments:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

To participate, do the following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the Title and Author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!




"We have all faced difficult challenges as we've struggled to rebuild our great nation after the war ended almost one year ago, and no one has suffered more than the people of this city. The Sentry government understands this better than anyone, and we've allowed many misdeeds to go unpunished in our efforts to make this transition easier for you. However, the time for leniency is over."


-- Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Page 50 (ARC)
Release Date: November 13, 2012
G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin)




Available to Preorder
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Fishpond

Monday, October 15, 2012

Fall Into Fantasy Giveaway Hop (INT)

16 comments:


Welcome to my stop on the Fall Into Fantasy Giveaway Hop hosted by the fantastical blogs, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Write Path!

I am super excited about this hop because fantasy was my favorite genre growing up, and there were actually times that I ran out of books to read. Let me tell you that it is a horrible feeling, and I hope you never experience it.My very favorite author until I finally got Tolkien in my teen years was Piers Anthony. My mom introduced his books to me while we were on vacation, and I had run out of books to read.

What You Can Win


I started out with Mr. Anthony's Xanth novels (though all of his books are fantastic), and that's what you can win today. You will get to choose any one Xanth novel, but I ask that we do the paperback version. These books are completely safe for readers of all ages, and they also stand alone.

Giveaway Requirements
  • Be thirteen (13) years old, have parental consent, or lie about it. (Please don't do that.)
  •  Live somewhere that can get shipments from Amazon, Fishpond, or the Book Depository for free.
  • Be Awesome (and fill out the Rafflecopter).
  • Following is NOT required, but it is always appreciated. Your options are on my sidebar, but I will tell you that I am yet to figure out Linky.
  • You can help me spread the word, but it isn't required either.

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

5 comments:

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater Publisher:
Scholastic
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Acquired Via: Southern Book Bloggers

The Raven Boys is the latest novel from popular young adult novelist, Maggie Stiefvater. It tells the story of Blue Sargent, who lives with her mother in a household of psychics, and four boys who attend Aglionby Academy - Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah. Blue has always been told that her true love would die if she ever kissed him, but she did not know that the first ghost she would ever see belonged to someone who hasn't died.

Even though I've never been a fan of Maggie Stiefvater, there is no denying the beautiful style of her Writing - especially in The Raven Boys. We're given a lovely blend of mysteries, ghosts, leylines, Welsh mythology, brotherhood, and just a touch of romance. The storytelling and writing is smooth, though luscious, and will appeal to both teen and crossover adult audiences. I can also see it appealing just as much to male teens with the novel centering more on mystery and mythology than the romantic aspect of things.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

October New Release Giveaway Hop (INT)

15 comments:

Welcome to my stop on the October New Release Giveaway Hop! It is being hosted by the magnificent O'Dell at Book Twirps and the glorious Dani at Refracted Light Reviews. It is very awesome of them to host the hop, because I cannot imagine how much work it requires. Shall we send them special e-hugs?

What You Can Win


Just so you know, I'm letting your choose which book you win, granted that it's less than $15US. The above collage is just some suggestions.

The Giveaway

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Promo & Giveaway: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

5 comments:
For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

You can check out my review of Mystic City HERE.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

6 comments:


Title: Mystic City
Author:
Theo Lawrence
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Acquired Via: Random Buzzers

Mystic City is the young adult debut novel by Theo Lawrence. It is set in an alternate Manhattan, or Mystic City, that has been built up by magic from the mystics, who are now drained and forced to live at the flooded ground level with the poor in their own semi-quarantined zone. The story centers on Aria Rose, the daughter of one of the ruling families of Manhattan, who is suffering from memory loss due to an overdose from Stic.

As many of you may have noticed by now, I have a pretty eclectic taste in books. I don't even know when I pick one up whether or not it will be for me. I was actually a little worried about this one when I received the ARC. I liked Romeo and Juliet (I've read books comparing the two, and the comparison is made in the book itself) just fine, but Shakespeare retellings are usually gag-inducing for me. I usually don't do well with love triangles, politics, forbidden romances, and so on. However, I really loved this book, and read it in less than 12 hours.

The Writing of Mystic City is a perfect example of what I have grown to love so much about young adult literature. I never felt like I was participating in a literary triathlon by trying to follow the story, but at the same time it never felt like it was dumbed down appeal to teenage readers. (I know not all YA books do that, but there are some. Oh yes, there are some.) Many of the same themes are present in Mystic City that were also part of Romeo and Juliet (warring families, forbidden love - basically the same things I mentioned before, except for the love triangle), but the novel was not just a fleshing out of the bones of the play. I would call it more of an homage than a retelling.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Blog Tour (Guest Post): The Reluctant Bachelorette

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Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go.

Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge.

But when their pranks go south, will they screw up any chance they have at a future together, or will they be able to forgive and forget and prove that love really does conquer all?


The Date That Never Ends
by Rachael Renee Anderson

You know that song, "This Is the Song That Never Ends?" Get that firmly, annoyingly stuck in your mind, and you'll know how I felt the day of my senior prom. It was like a blind date, because I didn't know the guy who asked me. I guess a friend suggested my name, and my date followed through with it. But seriously, who takes a blind date to senior prom? Wouldn't you want to make sure you had a connection with someone first? It's not exactly a cheap date. Well, apparently my date didn't care. I could have turned him down, I know, but I had been trained by my sweetheart of a mother to always say yes--at least for a first date. So I did. With trepidation.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Book Blast (Giveaway): Gallagher's Hope by MK McClintock

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Gallagher's Hope
by MK McClintock


She sought a new beginning.

He sought what he didn’t know was missing.

Together they would discover hope in unlikely places.

Isabelle Rousseu must escape New Orleans and the memory of her family’s tragic loss. With her younger brother in tow, she accepts a position as the new schoolteacher in Briarwood, Montana. Desperate to keep what’s left of her family together, Isabelle joins her life with a stranger only to discover that trust and hope go hand in hand.

Gabriel Gallagher lived each day as it came believing he had everything he could possibly want...until a determined woman and her brother arrive with a little luggage and a lot of secrets.

It will take a drastic choice to protect her and give them both, hope for the future.


Teasers

Excerpt One:

Nothing existed of the life she had known.