Monday, April 30, 2012

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Blood of Eden Book #1
ISBN:   0373210515
ISBN13 9780373210510
Genre: Young Adult/ Dystopian
Review Copy Source: Publisher


In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

In Julie Kagawa's new world Vampires are the ones at the top of the chain leaving humans as cattle. Allie is part of the humans who refuse to let the vampires take blood from them so they live outside of the other humans and have to scavenge for food and anything else they might want and try not to get caught. On one of those scavenging trips she is attacked and almost dead when a mysterious vampire offers to turn her. She doesn't want to die so she agrees to become one of the things she hates most.


Allie was very likable. When she was human she stood up for her beliefs and the people she cared about and when she was turned she stepped up to the plate and learned all she would need to survive without loosing her loyalty and values. THE IMMORTAL RULES was nicely paced with a few slow moments. The history of the world that her characters live in was nicely revealed and explained. The action was packed in and engaging. This was a pretty long book coming in at almost 500 pages but I never got bored or felt like it was dragging on.

The ending of THE IMMORTAL RULES reminded me a lot of the ending of EVE by ANNA CAREY. Allie and Zeke have lots of potential as a romantic couple and lots of feelings only to have to sacrifice them because one person isn't "allowed" the safety a place is offering. There is a lot of build up telling us what might happen next in the series and it promises a lot of action and suspense to come.


I gave it 4/5 stars

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Week in Review: 4/22-4/28



Books Ive Bought/received

* Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black- Purchased at Barnes and Noble



Books I read

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova
Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black
Hunting the Shadows by Alexia Reed
Arise by Tara Hudson
Coveted by Shawntelle Madison
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Reviews posted


The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett
The Selection by Kiera Cass

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Wednesday- Debut Author Amanda Carlson was here for an interview. The tour stop is for Novella Blooded which starts the Jessica McClain series.

* Thursday- Author Lynda Hilburn stopped in with a guest post on her tour for The Vampire Shrink.

* Friday- A Promotional post and giveaway for Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter went up.


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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
The Selection Book #1
ISBN:   0062059939
ISBN13 9780062059932
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Review Copy Source: Publisher


For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
America has absolutely zero desire to enter the selection. She has been in love with a boy in a lower class then her's for some time and Aspen is the only one she wants to be with for the rest of her life. To please not only Aspen who loves her and only wants the best for her but also her family she enters anyways thinking there is no way that she would ever make it in anyways. America not only makes it into the selection but she decides to give it a chance and her life is forever changed.

America is not like most girls vying for the attention of the Prince Maxon. She is there for the money for her family and that is it. Once she is in the house and finds out Maxon is nothing like she imagined she cant help but feel drawn to him and want to spend time with him. Everything she felt coming into the situation is turned on its heels and she is just a bundle of confusion not knowing what she really wants. I have mixed feelings about Aspen. You could tell that he loves America but him pushing her into the selection then wanting her back kinda ticked me off. Maxon, I really like him. I am totally rooting for him and hope that Aspen doesn't mess up Maxon and America's chances. (but of course where would the drama be if that was how it went)

The whole Selection reminded me a lot of "The Bachelor" There are a bunch of girls from different situations vying for one guy that will change their lives. Some are in it to find love and others are in it to find status. There was a lot of predictability in THE SELECTION. I was able to see what was coming next on most occasions. I really enjoyed most of the characters. There are so many personalities thrown in it made for some great situations. The romance is chaotic like you would expect. Lots of cattiness and awkwardness. The world that the book is set in is well explained and easy to imagine. I'm sad that we didn't get farther along in the story before the book ended. Of course a lot happened, I'm just impatient lol. After getting through the book I'm way to invested in the story not to read book 2 when it comes out.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars.


Friday, April 27, 2012

Promotional post & Giveaway: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Goddess Interrupted
Author: Aimee Carter
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Goddess Test Book #2
ISBN:   0373210450
ISBN13: 9780373210459
Genre: Young Adult
Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Q&A With Aimée Carter, Author of the Goddess Test Series

How familiar were you with Greek myths and folklore before writing the Goddess Test series? Was a lot of research required?

+ I first fell in love with Greek mythology when I was a kid learning how to read, and my infatuation only grew from there. I’ve studied various kinds of mythology for years, sometimes for class and always for fun, but even then I put a great deal of research into the Goddess Test series. Mostly as a refresher to make sure I was getting my facts right, but I also researched the various myths looking for ways to tie the plots and characters together in unexpected ways.

Was Goddess Interrupted any easier or harder to write than the first book in the series, The Goddess Test?

+ It was both easier and harder, in a strange way. I rewrote The Goddess Test multiple times, and I’ve never edited a book more heavily in my life. Goddess Interrupted did require some editing, of course, but it was much easier.

However, the pressure to deliver a sequel worthy of the series made the writing process for Goddess Interrupted more difficult than I’d anticipated. There’s something called the “sophomore slump”, where sequels or second books generally don’t quite match up to the second, and I wanted to avoid that at all cost. So that added a lot of stress, but in the end, I was very happy with the results.

You give the gods and goddesses in the series “ordinary names” – Zeus is named Walter, Aphrodite goes by Ava, Hermes is named James. Why did you do that and do the more contemporary names have any significance?

+ This was something I went back and forth on multiple times. Initially the characters Kate encounters weren’t council members at all – I changed that very, very quickly though. By the second draft, I had a place for each of the Olympians, and I did some heavy rewriting to replace my first draft characters with the gods. I wanted to find a way to keep their names the same, but since they’re supposed to live among us in secret in the modern world, it didn’t really make sense. How many men named Zeus do you know, or women called Aphrodite? On top of that, keeping the council’s identities secret was incredibly important to the plot. So eventually I decided they would have changed their names when Western civilization stopped worshipping them as gods, allowing them to live freely among us.

I did choose each name for what it means, some more than others – Walter, for instance, means “army leader”, while James means “supplanter”. The exception is Calliope, which in the story was chosen by her counterpart for its Greek roots. The reason the gods changed their names – and why Artemis didn’t wind up with the name Diana – is explained throughout the series, but you get to actually see this happen in The Goddess Legacy (July 31).

Goddess Interrupted begins with the main character Kate Winters adjusting to her new life as an immortal. Given Kate’s innate strength and stubbornness, was it difficult to switch gears to portray her as a bit more vulnerable and unsure of herself in her new role as goddess AND wife?

+ Not so much, to be honest – her progression felt natural to me. While Kate is very tough in certain ways, she’s extremely vulnerable as well. She’s emotionally dependent on the people around her (her mother in the first book, Henry in the second), and that in and of itself carves the path she takes in the sequel. She’s spent six months with Henry, falling in love with him and forming a relationship she thinks is going to last for eternity. But Henry is battling his own demons and isn’t ready to be the person she needs him to be, and because Kate is so stubborn, she has a hard time coming to terms with that. In the sequel, Kate really is her own worst enemy emotionally – her entire world has changed, after all, and that’s a lot for anyone to take – but it’s all part of her development into a goddess and queen.

Kate finds herself trying to work through her rather complicated relationship with James, as well as her relationship with her new husband, Henry (Hades). Neither seems to be black and white, but rather varying shades of gray. Were any of Kate’s feelings or situations based on any relationship struggles you’ve been through?

+ Not personally, no, but I did try to make Kate’s relationships with the people in her life as realistic as possible. She isn’t perfect, and neither are they, and that’s something they all have to work through at varying points in the series. None of the relationships in the books are based off of specific experiences I’ve been through though.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

+ Outlining is by far my favorite part of the process. I love the idea stage, where anything’s possible, and it’s such a shiny place. All of that comes crashing down when I write the first draft though, which is the hardest part for me. I tend to get mentally exhausted about two thirds to three quarters of the way into the manuscript, and it’s always a struggle for me to push through it, especially if I’m on a deadline. And inevitably there are a ton of problems I didn’t notice in the outline stage that have to be fixed for the story to work. I’m a perfectionist, so in order for me to continue writing the story, everything I’ve already written has to make sense.

Do you have a favorite quote or line from a poem or book?

+ I love so many quotes that I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite.

How did you get your first publishing deal and how did that feel?

+ My agent, Rosemary Stimola, sent the manuscript out to various publishers, and after a long submission process, Harlequin TEEN offered to publish it! I was stunned at first, but that quickly gave way to giddiness. It was an incredible feeling to know I’d be published, and to this day, I still can’t quite believe it.

When is the next book in the series due out? Any hints on what will happen in book 3?

+ Goddess Interrupted, the sequel to The Goddess Test, came out in late March. The next book in the series, The Goddess Legacy, will be out July 31. It’s a collection of five novellas told in the perspectives of Calliope, Ava, Persephone, James, and Henry, and together they form one story.

The third book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is currently scheduled to be released in March 2013. Unfortunately I can’t say too much about it, but the challenges that Kate will face are pretty clear by the end of the sequel!

After the huge success of The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted is on many, many TBR lists for this summer. What’s on your TBR list?

+ I’m so excited for a slew of books coming out – The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, Grave Mercy, The Selection, The Serpent’s Shadow, Philippa Gregory’s YA novel, and a ton of others. I never have as much time to read as I want, but I’m definitely making time for all of those and more!

Yearbook Superlatives! If you went to high school with the Greek gods and goddesses, who would you vote for?
• Most likely to succeed? - Hera
• Class clown? - Hermes
• Nicest? – Demeter or Hephaestus
• Best dressed? - Aphrodite
• Best dancer? - Apollo
• Most school spirit? - Iris
• Most likely to attend summer school? - Ares
• Teachers pet? - Athena


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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Guest Post: Lynda Hilburn

UFI welcomes Lynda Hilburn Author of  The Vampire Shrink. Thanks for Joining us!!

My Six Favorite Witchy Movies by Lynda Hilburn

Thanks so much for having me here today!

My series, Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist, is mostly about vampires, but it also features wizards, ghosts, psychics and witches. So, when I was trying to come up with a topic for this blog post, I decided it might be fun to share a few of my favorite witchy movies. There are good witchy TV shows, too, but that’s another post.

I’m a Harry Potter fan and appreciate the witches and wizards in his world, but I’m not going to include those movies in my list today, for the sake of brevity.

#1 Favorite: Bell, Book & Candle (1958)


This movie changed my life. I know. That sounds melodramatic, but it’s true. My family was very poor when I was a child, and we rarely went to the movies. How I managed to see this film is still a mystery to me. But after I saw it, my personal weirdnesses – er, idiosyncrasies, rather – made a lot more sense to me. My imagination exploded. Kim Novak and her familiar, Pyewacket, opened the door to an amazing occult wonderland. I’ve never forgotten the tune Kim hummed to the cat while spellcasting. Okay. If I were making the movie today, I’d change the part where she loses her abilities because she falls in love – classic 1950s morality – but besides that, it’s wonderful. All the witches
are playfully powerful. This movie is directly responsible for my obsession about moving to New York City as soon as I could (I visited, but didn’t stay. Another long story.)

#2 Favorite: The Witches of Eastwick (1987)


The scene where Cher, Michele Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon drink wine, eat junk food, and fantasize about meeting a mysterious, extraordinary man has to resonate with most unattached women. I’ve definitely been there and done that. The three of them aren’t conscious of their individual abilities until their combined powers become obvious. I’ve met lots of unaware witches in my life. It reminded me of all the sleepovers I did as a little girl, where we played with the Ouija board and raised each other up off the ground using only our fingertips. Magic was an everyday occurrence then. This movie still holds up for me and I can even smile at the big hair. Nobody does an unrepentant demon better than Jack Nicholson.

#3 Favorite: Chocolat (2000)


Juliette Binoche does a great job of portraying a witch who stirs her magic into various forms of chocolate. I especially like the fact that she’s a counseling witch – she spends more time listening to the problems of the people in the small, repressed town than doing anything else. Of course, I can relate to that! Add in Johnny Depp, and this is truly an excellent film.

#4 Favorite: Practical Magic (1998)


I like this movie mostly because of the Aunt characters played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. The idea of generations of witches living in an excellent old house in a New England, oceanfront town is appealing. It’s fun watching the women and girls practice their art in the kitchen, especially when the townswomen join them. Bringing the bad guy back to life was a nice touch. All in all a sweet, magical romance.

#5 Favorite: The Mists of Avalon (2001)


Marion Zimmer Bradley’s feminist reimagining of the Arthurian legend is filled with powerful women, many of whom hold to the “old ways” of Goddess worship and ritual magic. The book was so wonderful it was almost impossible for the movie to live up to the lofty standard, but I enjoy watching it. It makes me wonder what it would be like to live in a world where the feminine is revered and celebrated.

#6 Favorite: I Married A Witch (1942)


I had a copy of this old film on video, but the tape broke, so I need to get a DVD. Funny old tale of a naughty witch, her trouble-making father, and a hapless human male.

You’re probably thinking, “doesn’t this woman like any films made in the last century – er, decade?” Yes, I like parts of them. I like portions of “The Craft,” “The Crucible,” and many others. You should see my collection of vampire movies . . .

Which movies are your favorites?
__________________________________

I sometimes feel as if I’ve already lived several lifetimes in the years I’ve inhabited this body. I’ve been able to create outlets for all my varied interests and abilities. So far, I’ve been a rock-and-roll singer/musician, a typesetter/copy editor for various newspapers and magazines, a professional psychic/tarot reader, a licensed psychotherapist, a certified clinical hypnotherapist, a newspaper columnist, a university instructor, a workshop presenter and a fiction writer.

During many of those years, I was also a single mom.

After a childhood filled with invisible friends, sightings of dead relatives and a fascination with the occult, turning to the paranormal was a no-brainer.

Since switching from writing nonfiction to fiction in 2004, I’ve had a wonderful time creating stories about my favorite paranormal characters. I’ve been a rabid fan of all things paranormal – especially vampires – since I first got my hands on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. To me, there’s just something fascinating about those extraordinary nightwalkers.

My son and I live in Boulder, Colorado, in the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains. (Affectionately known as “The Republic of Boulder.”)

The Vampire Shrink was my first completed full-length fiction manuscript. And, like all my stories, it crosses genres. It’s an urban fantasy romance w/mystery elements, sex, dark humor, and a contemporary vibe.
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Find Lynda and her books
__________________________________
The Vampire Shrink
Kismet Knight #1
April 3, 2012
A sizzlingly sexy urban fantasy sure to feed the hunger of ravenous, vampire-loving fans.

Kismet Knight, a brainy Denver-based psychologist with a stalled career and a nonexistent love life, is about to have her world rocked. Not only does her newest patient, Midnight, long to become a vampire, but the teenager insists that a coven of the undead hangs out at a local goth club. The always-rational Kismet dismisses Midnight's claims as the delusions of an attention-starved girl--until bodies start turning up drained of blood and the hottest self-proclaimed vampire ever to walk the face of the earth enters her office.

What's real? What's not? As inexplicable events and romantic opportunities pile up, along with the corpses, Kismet finds herself in a whirlwind of passion, mystery, and danger. But this tough and funny heroine--who doesn't do damsel in distress--is about to turn the vampire-meets-girl convention on its head.
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Winner: ReVamped by Ada Adams

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Winner: The Impossible Cube by Steven Harper

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Prize: Finished copy of The Impossible Cube
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Interview: Amanda Carlson

UFI welcomes Amanda Carlson Author of The Jessica McClain Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

I went to high school with my husband, but didn’t meet him until 6 years after graduation, by total chance. Now my kids go to the same school! (Little known fact: He was the top result match of a “dating sheet” we filled out as a school for a Valentine’s fundraiser. I could’ve saved myself some time if I believed the results, LOL.)

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I love going for walks around the lakes in the city. Minneapolis is known for its city lakes. I also love going to the movies and playing Scrabble. I’m a Scrabble addict. It’s a great distraction during the day when I need a quick mind break. I play a few turns and I’m ready to get back into writing.

What is your Favorite part of writing?


Free writing a scene and not knowing what comes next, and then having it surprise and delight me. The pure creating gets me every time.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

Lately I’ve been trying to get back into an exercise routine. Most of the winter was spent editing 3 projects and I carried a lot of stress. So now, each morning I try and ride my recumbent bike and catch up on an episode of Dr. Who. Then I write in the morning and try to edit or complete interviews in the afternoon. Working well so far!

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Genres?

I’m reading Amanda Bonilla’s SHAEDES OF GRAY right now and I’m loving it! I’ve read all the big names and have enjoyed them all. Kim Harrison is a rock star in UF and for PNR, Kresley Cole, has an amazing voice. Her characters jump off the page. It’s all about voice to me and if the writer has done it well. Those authors are on my “automatic” buy.

How would you pitch the Jessica McClain series to someone who has not heard of it before?

Jessica was born the only female in an all male race—except she’s no wolf. After years of living with the treats to her existence, she’s ready to fight. In BLOODED, the novella, we see Jess in the one pivotal moment, the one where she fights for her freedom and is willing to die for it. In FULL BLOODED, her life takes an altering turn in the first pages. From then on, the entire novel moves quickly as the supe community finds out her secret and she, once again, has to fight for her life.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the Jessica McClain series is set in?

My world is a modern day city, Minneapolis specifically, and the supe community is under wraps. There are witches, shifters, vamps & demons in my world, all with varying degrees of power and talent. It was such a blast to write this and figure out all the different rules and parameters that shape a world. That’s the very best part of writing urban fantasy!

Do you have a favorite scene in Blooded?

The opening scene is one of my very favorites. Next is the interaction with her brother at breakfast. You get a real sense of their relationship and her humor.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

I love writing Jessica. She’s really strong and sarcastic and she doesn’t take anything for granted. The hardest for me was taking those secondary characters and making them pop—each with their own voices. Writing in first person is tricky, because the emotion and tone has to be set by the dialog most of the time. I hope I achieved it and you all love something about each of them.

Blooded is an opening novella to the Jessica McClain series. Do you feel it’s important for your readers to read it before they jump into Full Blooded when it is released Sept 11, 2012?

I think it’s a great start to the series. It’s set 7 years prior to the novel, so it’s not necessary for continuity, but if you want greater character depth for Jessica, I would recommend it! It became a really fun, fast-paced prequel to the novel. The reader gets a better understanding of who she is and where she came from. I’m assuming people will read it after the novel as well. The novella gives the reader another piece of the puzzle and that’s fun anytime.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

I’m hoping to contract for more books in this series, but I’m also working on two other “sekrit” projects—both in urban fantasy. Gotta stick with what you love! Neither of them are about wolves, but both are fast-paced and action packed. Just the way I like it.
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Find Amanda and her books
__________________________________
Blooded
Jessica McClain #0.5 
April 11, 2012
 Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can-in the ring.

When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer . . .

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Review: Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett

Summoning the Night
Author: Jenn Bennett
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Arcadia Bell Book #2
ISBN:   1451620535
ISBN13: 9781451620535
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author


Magick. Murder. Mayhem.
It’s all in a night’s work. . . .

After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell's life is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She’s gearing up for the busiest day of the year—Halloween—when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she’s dating red-hot Lon Butler, the club’s wayward son, she can hardly say no.

Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members’ children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady’s loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers—and she’d better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy.

Arcadia Bell is back just a short time after the events of KINDLING THE MOON. The snatcher is back after a 30 year break and is now after the kids of the of the Hellsfire club which includes Jupe. Cady and Lon have to follow the trail and catch him before he snatches more kids.

I have loved Cady from the beginning. She has a great personality and she is so fun to get to know and follow. I think Cady and Lon fit together perfectly and I absolutely LOVE Jupe. Jupe plays a big role in SUMMONING THE NIGHT and he was fantastic to get to know and I could not imagine him not being involved. I was really mad about how things turned out with Dare I really hope Cady kicks his ass very soon. I'm not totally sure if Lon knows about all that went down, I kept waiting for his reaction and never got it so I'm assuming no??!!??!! I hope Lon kicks his ass as well. Just someone do it.  BINDING THE SHADOWS book 3 will definitely be interesting.


I thought that SUMMONING THE NIGHT was a bit slower then book 1 but Jenn has brought us a fantastic world, great characters and engaging storyline that make the Arcadia Bell series a must read in my book.


I gave it 4/5 stars

New Releases: 4/22-4/28


Tues April 24

Blood Born by Jamie Manning
Coveted by Shawntelle Madison
Eve of Destruction by Patrick Carman
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
On the Prowl by Christine Warren
Storm (Elemental, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
The Temptation by Alisa Valdes
Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Warrior (The Fallen, #3) by Kristina Douglas
Whisper (Riley Bloom #4) by Alyson Noel
 
Happy Reading!!

Winner: IBBT Giveaway

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Winner: Camilla Chafer Giveaway

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Prize: 3 ebook set of Illicit Magic, Unruly Magic and Devious Magic
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Monday, April 23, 2012

Review: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

The Last Echo
Author: Kimberly Derting
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
The Body Finder Book #3
ISBN:  0062082191
ISBN13: 9780062082190
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Publisher

In the end, all that’s left is an echo.

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet’s talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it’s Violet’s job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice.

When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by “the girlfriend collector” she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye...
Violet is now working with Sarah Priest and others with special abilities. Unfortunately her being a part of the group and helping solves murders puts Violet on multiple people's radars that she should have never been on and shes in more danger then she has ever been in before.

I have always loved Violets talent and the way that Kimberly has brought it out and used it. Violet has always done great things with it but as part of Sara Priests team she can do more. Violet is growing up and I liked the overall feel of the book now that she is getting older and doing things for herself and making her own decisions with how she wants to use her gifts. Violet and Jay are still very much in love but their relationship isn't front and center like the previous 2 books and we are thrown a bit of a curve ball with Rafe in the picture and very much pining over Violet. Hopefully Jay will be more in the picture for book 4.

Just like all the other books in the Body Finder series THE LAST ECHO is full of mystery and suspense. I never know what is coming next and getting there always leaves my heart racing. The twist at the end? Wow wasn't really expecting that to go down that way but it definitely lets us know that there is much more story to come. THE LAST ECHO was a great addition to the series.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Winner: Sins of the Son by Linda Poitevin

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize: Finished copy of Sins of the Son
The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Congrats!! I have emailed winner who has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or I will pick another.

Week in Review 4/15-4/21



Books Ive Bought/received

* The Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski- Ecopy-Author

* Blood Before Sunrise by Amanda Bonilla- eARC- Publisher

* Sin's Dark Caress by Tracey O'Hara- eARC- Edelweiss

* Velveteen by Daniel Marks- eARC- Netgalley



Books I read

Elemental by Emily White
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
Fated by Alyson Noel
Taken at Dusk by CC Hunter
Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Reviews posted


ReVamped by Ada Adams
Blooded by Amanda Carlson
Illicit Magic by Camilla Chafer

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Voting is now taking place for the Goodreads Independent Book Blogger Awards. I would love your vote.  

* Monday- Camilla Chafer was here promoting her book 1 in her Stella Mayweather series with a character interview and Giveaway.

* Tuesday- Im giving away a copy of The Impossible Cube by Steven Harper

* Wednesday- Ada Adams author of ReVamped provided us with a Guest Blog and giveaway.

* Voting is still taking place for the Goodreads Independent Book Blogger Awards. I would love your vote. 

* I finished the Reviews by Author list. If you go to the review page just scroll down to see that list. Let me know if you see any mistakes as my eyes are broken and I don't have the brain power at the moment to proof read it lol. THANKS =)


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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Review: Illicit Magic by Camilla Chafer

Illicit Magic
Author: Camilla Chafer
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Publisher: Audacious
Stella Mayweather Book #1
ISBN13: 9780956908605
Genre:Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Bewitching Book Tours

More than three hundred years after the most terrifying witch hunts the world has ever known, it's happening again.

Young witch, Stella, has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive but she might not be any safer in their midst than from the danger she is running from.

There is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful witch but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human? There is only one secret that someone will do anything to keep quiet, but whose secret is it and will Stella have to pay the price for silence?

Stella grew up in the foster system. She remembers nothing about her parents or where she came from but she knows that she is being hunted by the people that have murdered other woman around the world and when a mysterious woman shows up at her door claiming she is a witch she has no choice but to go with her and save herself from the hunters that are about to break down her door. 


Stella knows she is different but she never imagined that there were other witches that could teach her how to use her powers. While learning to control her powers she makes new friends and is still in hiding from whoever is trying to kill her. I liked her character, her emotions and reactions were easy to picture in the situations she found herself in. The mystery was well played out and I honestly didn't guess what was really going on until it was about revealed. The other characters in the story were interesting to get to know and fit in their spots nicely. Surprisingly there is quite a bit of romance in the story and a bit of a triangle that doesn't last long thankfully. Both the boys were yummy sounding but I really only pictured her with one of them and thankfully that is who she ended up with. The writing was easy to get into but there were a few slow spots where I got a bit bored.


There is a lot left open at the end and I wouldn't mind seeing what happens next. Not a must read series for me but it was enjoyable.


I gave it 3/5 stars
 

Friday, April 20, 2012

Review: Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Blooded
Author: Amanda Carlson
Release Date: April 11, 2012
Publisher: Orbit
Jessica McClain Book #0.5
ISBN:  0316225096
ISBN13: 9780316225090
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can-in the ring.

When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer . . .  

BLOODED is the opening novella for the Jessica McClain series by debut author Amanda Carlson. The novella opens up right away showing how kick ass Jessica McClain is going to be and goes on to show us the dynamics in the pack she was born into and her family. There is a lot of violence towards Jessica because she is female and not a wolf.  I was engaged in every and all aspects of the 66 pages in BLOODED and read it in a very short time without setting it down once.

After reading BLOODED and the first chapter teaser at the end for FULL BLOODED I'm absolutely dying to get my hands on FULL BLOODED and its release can not come soon enough. 

I gave it 5/5 stars