Review: Magic on the Hunt by Devon Monk

Magic on the Hunt
Author:Devon Monk
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Roc
Allie Beckstrom Book #6
ISBN:  0451463919
ISBN13: 9780451463913
Genre: Urban Fantasy

There aren’t many girls who can say they’ve gone into the realm of death and lived to tell the tale. But to restore her lover Zayvion’s soul, Allison Beckstrom had to pay a bitter price–and things are about to get worse….

It turns out the leader of the Authority, the council that decides what can–and can’t–be done with magic, is being held hostage. But when the trail leads Allie and Zayvion to the secret prison where the Authority locks away magical criminals who are too dangerous to be held anywhere else, they find more than they bargained for. An undead magic user has possessed one of the prisoners, and he wants his freedom–and then some. Now Allie and Zayvion are the first line of defense against the chaos he’s about to unleash on the city of Portland….

The series just keep getting better and better. We learn about Allie and her memory loss not being because of her using magic, Zay shows a side of him we have not seen before, he seems harder then he used to be and a bit more harsh. Allie and her relationship with her dad seems to have changed a little bit and there isn't as much bickering going on. The Hounds get involved a bit. The only thing I am upset about is Allie still not having her personal inner magic thing back, I so want her to get it back and it bugs the heck out of me seeing her not have it and talk about the empty spot. The whole book was filled with tension, action and revelations. Everything is really coming together in the series and moving at a great pace.  Im not sure how many books are planned for the series but if they all continue on as well as MAGIC ON THE HUNT I will not miss one.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Name & Logo Contest!

You may or may not be aware that every month (usually the third Sunday of the month) Tori, Jen, Tricia and I hold a book discussion on Talk Shoe. We try very hard to accommodate the authors so they can make an appearance and answer some of the fans questions, and so far it has worked out very well for us! We have had the wonderful Faith Hunter and Jennifer Estep so far and anticipate many more wonderful authors in future discussions.

 What does this have to do with you? Well our Book Club doesn’t have a name or logo!
 Since there are 4 of us, each with very different blogs and names we are having trouble coming up with something unique to call it, not to mention a logo to match!
This is where the contest comes to play :) We will be taking submissions for a name and matching logo for our Talk Shoe Book Club and the one chosen will receive a bundle of books, with some bookmarks to match!

Here is the information needed in order to come  up with a name and logo:

Tricia @ Wicked Enchantment

Stacy @ Urban Fantasy Investigations

Jen @ Red Hot Books

Tori @ Smexy Books

Real names should not be included in the name or logo, but a combination of blog names can be used. Unique names also accepted that incorporates the vision of all four websites :)

How to enter:

Reply to this thread or the thread on Wicked Enchantment with the name and logo image (AND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!). If you do not know how to post an image, or do not have hosting in order to post an image, you can also email Tricia at tricias.siddie (at) gmail (dot) com. Please put NAME & LOGO CONTEST in the header of the email so I can be sure the email doesn’t get marked as spam.


The other three ladies will also be advertising this same contest on their blogs, be assured it is the one in the same and we will all be working together to come up with a winner from the combined submissions!


Contest will be held for a duration of ONE MONTH (May 29th – Midnight CST), to ensure there is enough time for logo creation to go with the name :) Winner will be chosen within 1 week of contests end contacted via email.

Entries are NOT limited to one per person! You may submit as many name/logo ideas as you have time for to increase your chances of winning!

 

The Loot! (to ONE lucky winner)

 

The following are NEW books, never been read: 

• The Nymphos of Rocky Flats (PR)
• X-Rated Blood Suckers (PR)
• Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night – Kresley Cole (PR)
• No Rest for the Wicked – Kresley Cole (PR)
• A Hunger Like No Other – Kresley Cole (PR)
• Magic Burns – Ilona Andrews (UF)
• At the Edge – Cait London (PR)

The following are USED books, they have been read but are in good condition, minor wear and tear (with exception to the boxed LKH set which have more than usual spine creases.. but the books are all still together and 100% there):

• Boxed Set (1-4) Anita Blake Series by Laurell K. Hamilton

Guilty Pleasures
The Laughing Corpse
Circus of the Damned
The Lunatic Cafe

• Dark Desires After Dusk – Kresley Cole
• Dark Deeds at Night’s Edge – Kresley Cole
• Kiss of a Demon King – Kresley Cole

Added to these books Tricia will be throwing in about 3 handmade bookmarks. These will be similar to the ones made at her Bookmark Store.

If you have ANY questions please feel free to email Tricia and ask! she says "I don’t bite (hard..) /grins "

Early Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shift
Author:Jeri Smith-Ready
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Shade Book #1
ISBN:  1416994084
ISBN13: 9781416994084
Genre: Young Adult
Review Source Copy: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

SHADE left me wanting to read SHIFT and SHIFT left me wanting to read SHINE.  Poor Aura just has so much on her plate. She doesn't know exactly who she is or how she became who she is. The love of her life is dead and he wont pass on. She is falling for someone else that is actually living and doesn't know how to handle it. Her feelings take a big role in SHIFT, dissecting them and deciding what she wants. With the help of Zachary she finally starts to chip away at what her mom was hiding from everyone and who what she is and what happened at Newgrange. I really hope this is the end of Logan being in her life. I really like Aura and Zachary together and the more they find out and go through together the more they seem to belong to each other. I was shocked, delighted, heartbroken and attached to the story throughout the whole book. The final book is set up perfectly at the end and the conclusion I can already tell is going to be totally worth the wait.


I gave it 5/5 stars

Review: Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

Tangled Threads
Author:Jennifer Estep
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Pocket
Elemental Assassin Book #4
ISBN:  1439192634
ISBN13: 9781439192634
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author for Review

I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .

Oh to count the ways I love Gin Blanco. She seriously kicks butt. I didn't think I could love the Elemental Assassins series more then I read TANGLED THREADS. Gin definitely has an opponent in Elektra LaFleur. I was on the edge of my seat in the multiple fight scenes. Gin continues to have her family of friends to support her and watch her back and I think she is finally starting to realize that she can have it all, family, friends, love, etc and she is 100% worthy of it all. Owen brings such a great thing to her life and I love seeing them together and the way he really "gets" her and wants to be there for her. Bria finally finds out who Gin really is and although they have things to work through I just know Bria isn't going to be another Donovan. Mab is so going to go down and I cant wait to watch Gin and her friends bring it!! If you haven't started the Elemental Assassins series yet, you are missing some great fast paced reads.

I gave it 5/5 stars

Interview & Giveaway: Chloe Neill

UFI welcomes Chloe Neill Author of Hard Bitten. Thanks for Joining us!!

I grew up an hour north of Chicago and now live in the south, North Carolina. According to your Bio you moved South to North. For me, the move from north to south was a big change. The biggest thing I miss about living in the Chicago is the food. lol I know silly. I miss good thin crust Pizza, cheese fries (not the kind with shredded cheese but actual cheese sauce) and Gyros/Italian beef places (they were seriously all over the place up north and there are NONE here). What is the biggest thing you miss about living in the south?

The food and the weather. I'm not a big fan of snow, and living in the South was obviously great for that. And I miss a good plate of cornbread and collard greens, although I've now found a spot in my town that sells them.

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

Not really. I have a day job, so I write in the evenings, usually on my couch with my laptop while Jeremy plays video games or watches TV. I have to write a little at a time every night, so it's usually the last thing I do before bed.

What are some of you favorite books or authors in the Paranormal Genres?

I love Kim Harrison and JR Ward. I also really enjoyed Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series, which is finished now!

How would you pitch The Chicagoland Vampire series to someone who has never heard of it before?

Girl meets vampire. Vampire changes girl into vampires. Both vampires fight together to save Chicago!

There are a few Characters in the Chicagoland vampires series that seem to always frustrate the heck out of me (in a good way). Do any of the characters frustrate you while your writing them?

Lindsey can be frustrating at times. It can also be a challenge to write Merit in a way that honestly shows her concerns without being too angsty

Hard Bitten is the Fourth Book in the series. Have you found it any easier or harder to write the series as it gets farther along?

A little of both. I think the books are a bit easier to write because I have a better feel for the characters now, but they're harder to write because my day job is busier now than it was before, so I'm usually pretty tired when I get home!

Thanks for having me today!

__________________________________

Author Bio:
I was born and raised in the South, but now make my home in the Midwest, just close enough to Cadogan House and St. Sophia's to keep an eye on things.  When not transcribing Merit’s and Lily's adventures, I bake (a lot!), watch entirely too much television, root for my favorite college football team (Go Big Red!), spend time with friends and my beau, Jeremy, and play with my dogs, Baxter and Scout.

__________________________________

 
Hard Bitten
Chicagoland Vampires #4
May 3, 2011

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals--and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are ... tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society--a world full of vampires who seem too ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands..

__________________________________

Find Chloe and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Email

__________________________________
 Follow the entire tour

__________________________________

 

US/CAN ONLY

Winner will receive
- swag pack of Chicagoland Vampires goodies

 RULES
1)  Leave a comment or question for Chloe =)
2) This giveaway is open to US/Canadian followers only
3) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway Ends 5/5/2011 at 10pm EST
Please allow 2-4 weeks for prize delivery

Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another

Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org

Giveaway: Unnatural by Michael Griffo

Winner will receive
- One paperback copy of Unnatural by Michael Griffo

 RULES

1)  Comment below with why you want to read the book

2) This giveaway is open to US/Canada mailing addresses only

3) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway Ends 5/5/2011 at 10pm EST

Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another

Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org

______________________________________________

In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it’s a place filled with secrets. Just like its students…

For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he’s ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran’s enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he’s ever known.

But Michael’s only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire—part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy’s confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here—and a danger more powerful than he can imagine…

Winner: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

Thank you to everyone that entered!!

PRIZE: 2 winners get their choice of one of the books above

The winners chosen by Random.org is…

sue brandes

Dark Goddess by Serwat Chadda

Sherry Strode

ARC-Vampire Federation Uprising by Sean McCabe

Congrats!! I have emailed winners who have 48 hours to respond with mailing address' or I will pick another.

New Releases April 24-30

Mon April 25

Born of Shadows (The League #5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon 

Tue April 26

Abandon (The Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot

Ascension (Dark Breed #1) by Sable Grace

As You Wish (Time of Transition #2) by Gabi Stevens

Big Bad Beast (Pride #6) by Shelly Laurenston

Black Magic Woman (Others #11) by Christine Warren

Bound by Darkness (Paladins of Darkness #7) by Alexis Morgan

Burning Skies (World of Ascension #2) by Caris Roane

Dark Descendant (Descendants #1) by Jenna Black

Demon Hunting In Dixie by Lexi George

Gods & Monsters (Shadow Inquiries #3) by Lyn Benedict

The Hidden Goddess by M.K. Hobson

Hush (Lodestone Trilogy #1) by Cherry Adair

Mercy Burns (Myth and Magic #2) by Keri Arthur 

Savage Nature (Leopard People #5) by Christine Feehan

Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin #4) by Jennifer Estep

Uncertain Allies (Connor Grey #5) by Mark Del Franco

Untamed Highlander (Dark Sword #4) by Donna Grant

If you see a mistake or know of another release that is not listed let me know!! Happy Reading

Reviews: Shady Lady by Ann Aguirre

Shady Lady
Author:Ann Aguirre
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Roc
Corine Solomon Book #3
ISBN:    0575093994
ISBN13: 9780451463258
Genre: Urban Fantasy

I'd spent my whole life settling, trying not to attract attention, and generally doing whatever it took to keep other people happy. I didn't want to do that again. Not when I was finally comfortable in my own skin. Sure, there were certain challenges, like a drug lord who wanted me dead, and the fact that I owed a demon a debt that he could call due at any moment. But everybody's got problems, right?

Whenever Corine Solomon touches an object, she immediately knows its history. But her own future concerns her more and more. Now back in Mexico, she's running her pawnshop and trying to get a handle on her strange new powers, for she might need them. And soon.

Then former ally Kel Ferguson walks through her door. Heavily muscled and tattooed, Kel looks like a convict but calls himself a holy warrior. This time, he carries a warning for Corine: the Montoya cartel is coming for her--but they don't just pack automatic weapons. The Montoyas use warlocks, shamans, voodoo priests--anything to terminate trouble. And Corine has become enemy number one...

SHADY LADY is another great addition to the Corine Solomon series. I LOVED Kel in this book, I never would have thought that he would grow on me and I would find myself pulling for him. He really has been a surprise awesome character that I want to see more of and high hopes for to be in Corine's life. When I saw that Chance wasn't playing a big part in SHADY LADY I was kind of disappointed, But Kel kinda made me realize that I kinda hope Chance doesn't have a chance. Shannon is also a great character I didn't see being so awesome. After the events in HELL FIRE I thought she would make some appearances but now I cant see the series without her in it. Butch of course is still the coolest dog ever and we see he has some other talents under his paws. SHADY LADY was full of twist turns and action. I never knew what was coming and I never wanted to stop reading. I defiantly thought it was the best book of the series yet. The Ending?? OMFG Seriously? WTH? PLEASE be temporary, that has to be the most messed up situation ever. I really reallly reallllllly hope that the ending result is temporary. DEVILS PUNCH cant come out soon enough.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Week in Review 4/17-4/23

Books Ive Bought/received

*Nothing this week.


Books I read

Game Over by Taylor Keating
Mind Games by Taylor Keating
Mob Rules by Cameron Haley

Reviews posted

Con & Conjure by Lisa Shearin
Ascension by Sable Grace
Deadworld by J.N. Duncan
Divergent by Veronica Roth

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* New Releases for the week.

* Did you miss the Elemental Assassin chat with Jennifer Estep?? It was recorded



*Michael Griffo Author of Unnatural was here on Tuesday with a character Interview of Michael.

* UFI is participating in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop. Check it out and enter to have a chance to win 1 of 3 books. Ends 4/25

*  Winner of My Frankenstein by Michael J Lee has been posted.

Early Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent
Author:Veronica Roth
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins
Divergent Book #1
ISBN:  0062024027
ISBN13: 9780062024022
Genre: Divergent
Review Copy Source: Shelf Awareness

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I LOVED Divergent. The writing, pacing, world building and characters were all beyond enjoyable.  The story was filled with heartache, stress, betrayal, hard choices and situations that made my heartbeat jump up a few notches and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I felt like I knew all the characters from the moment they were mentioned. Beatrice/Tris was strong and didn't let anything or anyone stand in her way. Four was filled with mystery and had so many layers to peal back I still dont think we know all we need to know about him. All of the supporting characters were well developed. The setting was awesome, I'm from Chicago and enjoyed the descriptions of the ruins that it has become in this Dystopian world. I cant write anything more about it as I really think you have to experience it for yourself with no spoilers going into it But I can say there is nothing about DIVERGENT that I did not love. The last part of the book completely blew me away and I am on the edge of my seat looking forward to the next book in the series.

I gave it 5/5 stars
 

Review: Deadworld by J.N. Duncan

Deadworld
Author:J.N. Duncan
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
The Deadworld Series Book #1
ISBN:   0758255667
ISBN13: 9780758255662
Genre: Urban Fantasy

She's as tough as anything haunting Chicago's streets. But to deal with an inhuman power that won't stay buried, this FBI agent needs help that comes at an immortal price. . .Jackie Rutledge has seen her share of supernatural killers. But her latest murder case is what recurring nightmares are made of. Brutally exsanguinated human victims, vanishing-into-the-ether evidence, and a city on the edge of panic mean that she and her psychic partner, Laurel, are going to need more than just backup . . .

So Jackie is fine with any help rugged P.I. Nick Anderson can give--even if that includes the impish ghost and sexy vampire who make up his team. But Nick is hiding secrets of his own. And Jackie's investigation has plunged them both into a vengeful game reaching back centuries--and up against a malevolent force hungry for more than just victory. . .

Jackie is an extremely angry and jaded person. She had an abusive childhood and now has intimacy and alcohol issues. Nick was ok for a male love interest. He hides a lot and is a bit frustrating to read about but he wasn't boring. The other characters were not anything special. Most were hard to get to like. There was a bit of action. I found the writing to be a bit over worded and the pace was slower then I would have liked it to be. Honestly a week after I read the book I had to go back to the description to remember what the book was even about so I could write my review. I like the cover but DEADWORLD just wasn't anything special to me and I would borrow from the library before purchasing it.

I gave it 2/5 stars

Winner: My Frankenstein by Michael J Lee

Thank you to everyone that entered!!

PRIZE: One Kindle copy of My Frankenstein 

The winner chosen by Random.org is…

LadyVampire2u

Congrats!! I have emailed winner who has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or I will pick another.

Early Review: Ascension by Sable Grace

Ascension
Author:Sable Grace
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Publisher: Avon
Dark Breed Book #1
ISBN:  0061964409
ISBN13: 9780061964404
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Netgalley

The gates of hell have opened, and one woman will stand in the crossfire as the Dark Breed -- vampyre, demons, shape shifters -- and mankind fight their last battle for survival.

Kyana is half Vampyre, half Lychen... and the last of her kind. Determined, dangerous, and damned, she has no love for the mortals who have imprisoned and misused her. But when the Order of Ancients entrusts her with a mission -- to find the key that will send the Dark Breed back into Hell for eternity -- Kyana has no choice but to accept.

She is furious to learn her assignment comes with an escort... Ryker, a demigod and fierce warrior who long ago found a way under her skin and stayed there. In a shaky alliance, they discover an ancient cult with dangerous motive and a god who seeks to destroy all others. And as Kyana begins to feel the heat that threatens to bind her to Ryker, she knows she has to resist. For it could only mean the undoing of them both...

I really enjoyed Kyana as a character. She was strong, determined, and edgy. She really is a loner as she doesn't like to show her true self to anyone. She has to grow a lot and put some of her issues on the back burner to help save the world. The world building was great, I loved the descriptions and the different levels of the world that Sable Grace added to the story. The mythology was interesting, and complemented the plot really well. There is a TON of action, and I certainly never got bored. The romance was frustratingly good. Kyana and Ryker have a past and the terms that they went there separate ways on was confusing to both of them and misinterpreted on both sides as well which adds to there love/hate relationship. The ending was awesome, I so was not expecting that to happen even though it is great that it did. I'm excited to see where the series goes. ASCENSION was a great first release for a must read break out (team) author.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop

April 20th to 25th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

& Once Upon a Twilight

Time for another Giveaway Hop. This time I decided that you do not have to be a follower to enter but followers are always appreciated. My giveaway this time is only open to US/Canada residents as I'm giving away actual books in my possession. 

There will be 2 winners.

__________________________________

Winner's will receive
- There choice of one of these books

* ARC-Vampire Federation Uprising by Sean McCabe
*ARC-Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
*Dark Goddess by Serwat Chadda

 RULES
1) Must live in the US or Canada
2) You do not need to be a follower but followers are appreciated
3) Fill out the FORM below

Giveaway Ends 4/25/2011 at 11:59pm EST

Winners will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another

Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org

Interview: Michael Griffo

UFI welcomes Michael Griffo Author of Unnatural. Thanks for Joining us!!

Character Interview: Michael

*If someone asked your Best Friend “Who is Michael?” what would they say?

That’s a hard question because it’s been so long since I’ve had a best friend. I guess the first thing they might say is that he’s the new kid at school, the American. Then they might say that he’s pretty smart and is really happy to be someplace new for the first time in his life. They’d definitely say that he likes school and is the kid who’s always got his hand up in class, not sure if they’d think that was cool or not, but that’s what they’d say. Oh and that he really loves St. Joshua’s library!

They’d also say that he’s funny, not loud and obnoxious like Fritz is funny, but funny in his own way and knows how to make everybody around him laugh. He’s also really easygoing and likes to try new things, he’s up for a trip into town whenever someone wants to go or hanging out at someone’s dorm room, he’s not the life of the party, but he definitely is someone you want to have around if you’re throwing a party. And he’s a really good swimmer too!


* How would you describe your move from Weeping Water, Nebraska to Eden, England and your first impression of Archangel Academy?


The move here was pretty quick, one day I was in Weeping Water dreaming of getting out of there and the next day I was. It was also very sad because of the circumstances around why I left, but I’d rather not go into all of that. I was really sad on the plane and nervous, but by the time we landed I guess I had time to sort all of that out. I mean, don’t get me wrong, when we landed I was still nervous, I had no idea what to expect, but I had told myself that this was the way things were supposed to be. This is what I had always wanted, you know, to move away and live someplace else, this was going to be my new life. But it was still a huge change for me.

I was kind of bummed out at first because my father was supposed to meet me at the airport, but he had to go on a business trip and couldn’t make it. It kind of made me remember all the times when I was growing up that he said he was going to do something and then at the last minute he bailed. So at first I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, but then I figured, well, he’s a businessman

and, you know, business trips, come up, that’s life. Turns out it really was for the best because his driver drove me to the school and I got to just relax in the back seat of the car and not have to make small talk with my dad – oh, I don’t know if you know this, but I haven’t seen my dad in years and hardly talked to him so we don’t’ really know each other that well. Anyway, on the drive over I got to think about everything, but nothing prepared me for seeing Double A for the first time. Double A is what the kids call Archangel Academy.

It was like walking into a book or something, like actually stepping into the past. First of all it’s in the middle of nowhere in the countryside and all the buildings look like they were built hundreds of years ago. They’re all small, stone buildings, really beautiful, but not like anything I’d ever seen up close before. Even the smell in the air was different, everything was fresh and new, and I absolutely loved it. From the moment I set my eyes on this school I loved it and more than that, I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I felt like I belonged here. I felt like this was the place I was thinking about all my life. This place felt like home to me the moment I set eyes on it.


*Are you in a relationship?

 Well, um, yeah, kind of. With Ronan. It’s hard to talk about because it’s still so new for me. I’ve never been in a relationship before. I’ve spent so much time dreaming about it, thinking that someday I’ll find someone I want to go out with and now that it’s happened it’s wonderful, but it’s also really scary, if that makes sense. In a lot of ways it’s exactly the way I imagined it would be and then in other ways it isn’t. It’s just all really new, I guess. But he’s wonderful. There are some days when I can’t think of anything else except him and I have to force myself to concentrate so I can get my homework done. And then there are other days when I’m just doing stuff and all of a sudden I think of him and I smile and it’s like, I can’t believe I’m going out with this guy. It’s amazing and I hope it lasts forever.

*Who is your best friend and why is he your best friend?

Well, I have to say my best friend is Ronan. He and I just click, you know? We have a lot of the same interests – swimming, reading, we both love Double A – and we never have to struggle to find something to talk about. I mean we have our differences, he’s a little more of a slob and I’m kind of neat and he can be so quiet and serious sometimes and I, well, I like to have fun. I guess the coolest thing is that I know that I’m his favorite person and he’s mine

*Anything else you can reveal about yourself to let us know a little more about
you?

I’ve never been happier in my entire life. I had a rough childhood, I really hated Two W, that’s the high school I went to back in Nebraska. I never had any friends and was alone all the time. I tried to make friends, but I don’t know, it just never worked. Thank God I had my books to read so I could forget how miserable everything was for just a little while.

It’s amazing to me that I now have friends here – Ronan, Penry, Phaedra, Ciaran, even Fritz – they’re my friends. I know it sounds like a little thing, but I feel like part of a group now, I don’t feel like I’m going through life on my own and it’s really wonderful.

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Unnatural
Archangel Academy #1
February 22, 2011

In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it’s a place filled with secrets. Just like its students…

For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he’s ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran’s enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he’s ever known.

But Michael’s only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire—part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy’s confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here—and a danger more powerful than he can imagine…

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