Twitter Release Party!!!!!

Emma Michaels, author of The Thirteenth Chime (A Sense of Truth Novel), is hosting a Twitter Release Party!!!

AUGUST 13, 2010

4pm - 10pm central

Emma has a really helpful guide on her blog, emmamichaels.blogspot.com. It explains everything you need to know to participate in the release party. Check the widget!

See you there!

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey Review

BLOOD FEUD (The Drake Chronicles, #2)

Written by: Alyxandra Harvey

Publication Date: June 22, 2010

Released in Paperback and Hardcover

5 stars

Synopsis: The action and romance continue as the Drakes face a new vampire with a 200-year-old grudge. It’s been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she’s made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena’s royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha’s reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan’s and Isabeau’s perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.

My Review: I absolutely love this series. It's full of love, romance with a very healthy dose of head-rolling action! This time around, our narrators are Logan - one of the seven newly-crowned princes Drake brothers; and Isabeau St. Croix - a Hound hell-bent on revenge. There wasn't enough Lucy and Nicholas for me but this new power couple is one-of-a-kind. Isabeau was born in the 18th century. She wore petticoats and attended real balls daily. Logan wears frilly and lacey "pirate shirts" and just looks like he's from the 18th century! These two were made for each other. I loved that Isabeau is french because it's one of my favorite languages and even though I can't speak it, it was fun to do the accent in my head while I read!

Isabeau was created and abandoned by her maker, left buried in a coffin for 200 hundred years. She was recovered by the Hounds and made princess. Her diplomatic duty to create trust between the Hounds and the new royal Drake family is complicated by her attraction to Logan. She's new to his lifestyle: like his brother dating a human and his sister dating a Helios-Ra, vampire hunter. They're destined to be together but first, Logan must prove himself worthy but only if Isabeau can accept his love.

Who Should Read This: This is a great paranormal-romance series. Perfect for young teens and big kids alike!

Look for Out For Blood, Drake Chronicles #3 coming out November 1, 2010!

Interview and Review: Cyn Balog

Hey everyone! Please join me in welcoming Cyn Balog, author of Fairy Tale and Sleepless. You can find my review of Fairy Tale below. Currently living in Pennsylvania but a Jersey girl at heart, Cyn Balog spends her time either writing or running - she also writes for Runner's World, Running Times, and Bicycling magazines. She wrote her first young adult novel when she was 15.

1. I finally have an opportunity to ask a Young Adult author a question that has been burning in my brain! When writing Fairy Tale, why did you choose to have your characters so young? If they were to have such strong feelings for each other, why not make them older? Is it because of the age group you write your books for?

I've always written stories from the viewpoint of 15 and 16 year olds. I think it's the perfect time for first love, which is also the most intense time of a person's life. By the time kids go to college nowadays, a lot of them are jaded! But my book is for ages 12 and up, and kids typically read about people who are a few years older than they are.

2. You decided to have Morgan be the narrator rather than Cam, the actual fairy. Why not follow Cam so we could see all the cool fairy stuff he was learning?

I'd read a lot of books from the viewpoint of the fairy, and I didn't want to go there, really. The book wasn't about what Cam was learning, and it wasn't about him becoming a fairy. It was really about intense first love. About how even relationships that seem so perfect might not always end up lasting, and yet that's okay. Because even though we may not end up with a person we love so dearly, that relationship teaches us things that we need to know to make our next relationship work.

3. I read an interview of another author once. She explained that when it came to naming her characters, they kind of named themselves and changing the names, changed the character. What's your process? How does it work for you?

I sometimes pull names out of thin air, or sometimes I used babynames.com. If I have a character with a certain characteristic I will type that in for the "meaning" and then pick a name that goes along with it. I already know who my characters are before naming them, so I think for me, the name does not dictate the character... the character has always dictated what name I'll give them.

4. Who would you pick to play Pip in the hypothetical Fairy Tale movie?

I have no idea! I totally don't follow teen actors because I doubt my books will ever be made into movies. Seriously, the only teen actors I know are now in their 20's.

5. What is one book you recommend to everyone?

WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead. Her mind must have been spinning when she wrote it because it is brilliantly plotted, with such a compelling mystery, and all the loose ends are tied up so neatly.

6. Any last words?

Just wanted to thank you for the interview! And all my readers for taking the time to buy and read my books. It means so much to me!

Thanks for stopping by Cyn! I can't wait to read Sleepless!

Here's my review for her debuting novel:

FAIRY TALE

Written by: Cyn Balog

Publication dates: June 23, 2009

Released in Hardcover and Paperback

5 stars

How I Came to Read This: First I read about it online. It sounded interesting but still I sat on it a while. Then I read about the sequel, which sounds really good, and decided that this was a series I wanted to get into.

Synopsis: Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah - they're totally hot for each other.

But a week before their joint sweet sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Cam starts acting distant. Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriends seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the reason for Cam's distance. It isn't another girl - it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their "perfect" love can weather an uncertain future.

Witty, original, and unexpectedly touching, Fairy Tale is a remarkable debut by Cyn Balog that will captivate fans of Twilight and Wicked Lovely.

My Review: Within the first 5 pages, I said to myself, "Aw man, this is gonna be good!"

Morgan: I love the confidence she has. It's obvious in the way she peaks and carries herself; even if it isn't obvious to her. She's got this power within her and it makes her feel older to the reader. You'd think with Morgan being psychic and all, that she wouldn't be so skeptical when something clearly otherworldly happens to Cam. She should have been more open-minded and sensitive to his situation. But she's a good person and she loves Cam completely.

It was strange at first, that the main character wasn't the mystical creature. I kept wishing we could know what Cam was up to - while learning the "fairy ways"!

Cam was pretty accepting about the whole being a fairy thing. I kept waiting for the jock to come out of him and start freaking out about being a boy and and fairy! I can't imagine that sitting too well with any of the guys I know! But not Cam. He comes off as more a controlled soul. And maybe a part of him always felt different on the inside and when he found out that he actually was different, he embraced it.

Now Pip...There was something funny about Pip from the moment we met him. I just couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't just him showing up at school out of the clear blue sky with a fairy in his lunch bag, it was almost like he was too innocent. People like that are usually guilty about something. And then when Pip started to gain what Cam was losing, I just knew Pip wasn't telling us the whole story!

Who Should Read This: This book was very touching and I can't imagine the feelings Morgan must've had while trying to fight to save her soul mate. Everything that happened was just so unbelievable that there is no doubt you'll be craving more!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading in which one grabs her current read, opens to a random page, and gives two "teaser" sentences from that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! You don't want to ruin the book for others!

Share the title and author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Blood Feud (The Drake Chronicles, #2)

by Alyxandra Harvey

"The third stake went unerringly on its way, straight toward my mother's heart."

"She landed a little to the left and stuck out her arm, safely encased in a leather bracer, and knocked the stake right out of the air."

Review of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

LINGER (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #2)

Written by: Maggie Stiefvater

Publication date: July 13, 2010

Released in Hardcover and Paperback

4 stars

Synopsis: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves. . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

My Review: I wish I had more to say about this book. Shiver is one of my favorite books and I anticipated this sequel from the moment Sam came out of the woods a human (at the end of Shiver). There was so much story, so much build up in this book that when something finally happened, it was barely worth the wait. All along I knew what was going to happen, I just expected it to happen sooner. I think halfway through the book, we all guessed that Grace was going to shift into a wolf. The whole time I was just waiting for it to happen, so I was disappointed that it didn't until the very end. Now we have to wait for Forever to be released. Gee, can anyone guess how that one is going to turn out? Don't get me wrong - I love a happy ending and I love Sam and Grace but already the story is a little predictable. Doesn't mean I won't still read it!

There is one thing that I did really enjoy about this book: Maggie Stiefvater's writing. The whole time I was reading Linger, I kept trying to describe how I read her writing. To me, it's like she makes novels out of poetry. Her writing is soft and musical.

Who Should Read This: Of course, if you read Shiver, I don't suggest you stop there. I believe (for the most part) in completing a series once you've started (House of Night is one series I started but just couldn't get into - so I stopped). The Wolves of Mercy Falls is a beautiful series that I would recommend to everyone.

Infinite Fallen Souls

The Fallen 2: Aerie and Reckoning (The Fallen, #3-4) by Thomas E. Sniegoski. This is the sequel to, well, The Fallen 1, obviously, which I started a couple weeks ago. I didn't finish it because something else came up, but what little bit I did read was really good and funny and I fully intend to pick it back up.

In the first one: Aaron turns 18 and starts hearing voices. Strange things start happening to him and around him every day. He meets a man who knows what's happening to him and reveals to Aaron his true heritage - half-human, half-angel! Then he gets charged with the responsibility of redeeming the Fallen. That's all I know, so far. Like I said, I had to put it down.

7 Souls by Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando. You should get the full synopsis by clicking on the link but I'll tell you why it caught my attention.

It's about a girl who wakes up dead on the day of her 17th birthday. Murdered. So she has to relive the day she died over and over through the eyes of 7 people who hated her enough to want her dead. Ooooo, sounds spooky!

Infinity (Chronicles of Nick, #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The gist of this book reminded me of The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare (click here for its synopsis and right here for my review of it!) 

Nick Gautier, 14, thinks he knows everything. He gets the surprise of his life when he finds out that it's all just an illusion. His best friends try to kill him and the girl he's crushing on, is a vampire hunter by night! Now his classmates are turning into flesh-eating zombies and he has to fight them off all while trying not to draw any attention from his parents and the school!

Is that not a great looking cover? I've been seeing this book on the shelves for months without ever picking it up. But it's this cover that kept grabbing my attention and building my curiosity. 

So these three books were acquired on my latest trip to Borders. I buy everything I can in hardcover, if it's available. I don't like to wait for editions to be released but I don't enjoy the feel of a paperback as much. I'm always too aware of how I'm holding the book so I'm always worried about what shape it's gonna be in by the time I finish it. You ever lend a hardcover out to someone and when it comes back to you, it's all floppy because they cracked the spine so much? I HATE that! You just know that person was laying it down on its pages a lot. I'll stop there before I rant into all my quirky pet peeves!

On my most recent trip to Borders, I picked up some really great books: Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey, Sleepless by Cyn Balog and Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey.

I'm STILL reading Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. There's nothing wrong with the book. I've just been busy. So before I go into a rant about all the books I saw in the store that I want, I'm getting back to my reading now!

By the way, check out my new page - My Reviews! This way you can find all my reviews, quick and easy!

A Thank You

I had a great birthday yesterday! Thank you to all my loved ones who made it special!

A special thank you to Liz Dubelman for offering to send me a copy of What Was I Thinking? 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories for my bday. I was gifted a matching bookcase for it to go on!

Hopefuly after the craziness of this weekend I'll be able to get back to the wolves of Mercy Falls!

Tonight, my best friend (who shares my birthday - so awesome!) and I, will go out for a night of fun - and a morning of hangovers!

Here are some gorgeous covers for you guys to enjoy! Check out the eyes!

A BDay Wish

So, today is my birthday and let's just say I'm closer to 30 than I'd like to be. The wrong side of 20! So, to lift my spirits, I decided I wanted to talk about some of my favorite books and books I can't wait to read! Now, I'm not providing any links or pictures in this post for the simple fact that, well, it's my birthday and I don't wanna work that hard! Hmph.

The first book I need to mention (because I'm afraid people won't read the whole thing and I'd at least like people to hear about this book) is BLEEDING VIOLET by Dia Reeves! She created my most favorite character ever - Hannah! There are many names for people like Hannah: crazy, psycho, out of her flippin mind. Just to name a few. But to me? She's just funny as hell! She whacks her aunt on the head with a rolling pin and runs away to find her estranged mom. Well, mommy dearest lives in the craziest town - even Hannah's crazy mind couldn't imagine! I heart this book A LOT!

I just read HEARTS AT STAKE by Alyxandra Harvey and JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE by Beth Fantaskey - both were REALLY awesome. Two really romantic, funny, vampire books; they're a quick-read so they were perfect for reading back to back. Now I can't wait to read their sequels BLOOD FEUD and THE WEDDING OF ANTANASIA JESSICA PACKWOOD AND LUCIUS VALERIU VLADESCU (that's a mouthful)!

 I started reading THE FALLEN by Thomas E. Sniegoski and it was good, really good. But then I went to Borders and quite unexpectedly saw LINGER (by Maggie Stiefvater) on the shelf! I thought the release date was July 20th? Not that I'm upset about it finally being in my hands - just upset that I keep getting incorrect dates from Goodreads. Does anyone else have that problem? Anyway, I had to put the first book down to read LINGER - we've waited long enough.

I really can't wait for AFTERLIFE, the 4th book in the EVERNIGHT SERIES by Claudia Gray. These books are amazing! Young vampire-human love, fighting and beheading, surviving and sacrificing. The ultimate struggle to be with the one you love. Oh, and a spin-off series - BALTHAZAR - a great character from the all the other books. LAST SACRIFICE by Richelle Mead. Seriously, who isn't waiting for this book? CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS, the Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. I fell so hard in love with the first 3 books, I talked about them for weeks to anyone who would listen. Unfortunately, I wasn't blogging then.

I really want to read this book WHAT WAS I THINKING? 58 BAD BOYFRIEND STORIES by Barbara Davilman. It's not YA, I know, but it looks like it might give me a few laugh-out-loud moments! I've got my own bad boyfriend stories, might be nice to laugh at someone elses!

ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY and its sequel by Kim Harrison look good GLIMMERGLASS by Jenna Black. I'm really curious to read BLESSED by Cynthia Leitich Smith because I honestly don't care for TANTALIZE ( the 1st in the so-far trilogy) but I loved sequel ETERNAL! They were two totally different books so I wonder where BLESSED goes from there.

I'm gonna wrap this up with 99 COFFINS (David Wellington), WHISPER (Pheobe Kitanidis, BLOOD OATH by Christopher Farnsworth was awesome, THIRST 1&2 by Christopher Pike were beautifully written, great books and I'm anxiously waiting No. 3. I love the Sookie Stackhouse Series and the written TWILIGHT SAGA is flawless in my eyes! By the way, last time I counted, there are 60 books on my bookcase that I haven't read yet! I can't stop buying them! I'm addicted. And I'm pretty sure that after my birthday, I'll add a few more to that number!  Happy Birthday to ME!

RELEASED TODAY

Today, July 13, 2010,  Sleepless by Cyn Balog was finally released today! I, myself, recently finished Fairy Tale, the prequel to this book. It was awesome! I can't wait to get my hands on Sleepless! I have no doubt it will keep me up all night!

Also, stay tuned for my interview with Cyn Balog on her debuting novel Fairy Tale!

How Do You Blog?

I think I have a strange method of blogging. Maybe, maybe not. So it left me curious to know how my fellow bloggers, well, blog. Let me share with you what I mean by being the first to answer this question.

I have, by far, THE worst memory. If it wasn't for family, friends and pictures to remind of things that have happened, my memory would be non-existent altogether! So when I'm reading a book, I write my review as I go instead of when I've finished it. The reason being is, if I wait until the end, I won't be able to recall the key points of the book I enjoyed the most. I'll be thinking them as I read but I won't remember them. Especially if it takes me a little while to read the book.

So that is how I blog. I write reviews as I read the book (I even wrote out this post)! I admit, even to me, it sounds like a strange method, but it works for me!

So, How Do You Blog?

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side Review

JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE

Written by: Beth Fantaskey

Publication date: January 18, 2010 (1st published February 1, 2009

Released in Hardcover and Paperback

5 stars

Synopsis: Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit in to Jessica Packwood's senior-year "get a life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he's her long-lost-fiance. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But Jessica has never even been kissed - how can she possibly commit herself to a long-term relationship? Or an eternal relationship, for that matter?

How I Came to Read This: I have to be honest, the title really bugs me. It gives the impression that it will be corny - like a real guide for girls who think vampires really exist and how to date them! I put it off for a long time and then just decided to give it a chance.

My Review: I gotta say...the author's name, Beth Fantaskey, is the coolest pen name ever! And if that's her real name, even better. Fantaskey - it's like she wanted everyone to know that she's fantastic but didn't want to be flashy about it!

And yeah, this book was pretty fantastic from the beginning! Jessica struggles with wanting to be a normal 17 yr old and falling for a vampires once in a lifetime offer. It's a game of cat chases mouse then, watch out - PLOT TWIST - and now it's mouse chases cat! It's a great love story, too! I'm kicking myself now for not reading this sooner because I couldn't put it down.

This one had great characters: Lucius is a male character a reader could definitely fall for! Dark, mysterious, royal and self-sacrificing. Being born to fulfill a pact, yet struggling with emotions, he claims he does not and cannot feel - he is a vampire at war with himself.

Jessica is a rational thinker. Refuses to believe that vampires even exist let alone the fact that she is one and destined to rule over millions of them! She loves the life she has and was just getting into the swing of things when Lucius throws her for a loop with the whole marriage thing. Now Jessica has to decide whether to keep her old life or give it up for a life she never could have imagined.

There's still the high school drama in this book that I can't seem to escape, but I guess I never will because I love the young adult genre so much! It makes me feel old though, what with my own first high school reunion fast approaching!

This book gave definite closure and I liked that! Sometimes an author leaves the ending open for you to imagine what happens next, after the story ends. But I love that this one provided a pretty detailed ending.

Who Should Read This: Ignore the lame title and dive into this romantic-comedy! You won't regret it!

You can find more of Jess and Lucius in The Wedding of Antanasia Jessica Packwood and Lucius Valeriu Vladescu!

Hearts at Stake Review

HEARTS AT STAKE

Written by: Alyxandra Harvey

Publication date: May 23, 2010 (1st published December 22, 2010

Released in Paperback

5 stars

Synopsis: A ROMANCE YOU CAN REALLY SINK YOUR TEETH INTO!

Solange Drake always knew she was destined to become a vampire queen. And as the only female vampire ever born, not made, she is surrounded by danger on all sides - from vampire suitors who want to join with her lineage to bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family. When she is kidnapped, it's up to her older brother Nicholas and her human best friend, Lucy, to save her. But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who tempts her with his every look? And what will be Solange's own fate if she surrenders her heart to the vampire hunter helping her survive the deadly intrigue at the royal court?

How I Came to Read This: I was trying to decide between 3 books which one I wanted to read next. I picked this one up first to test the first coupla pages and I didn't put it down! I never even looked at the other books!

My Review: Can we talk about the cover for moment? I'm digging the font of the title - all pointy and dangerous. The model however, ruined it for me. Before I read the book, it didn't  bother me because I just assumed that she resembled the main character. And she probably does, just an older version of her. And where are the ice blue eyes? There's an overall lack of color on the cover and without that dark hair, she'd blend right into the background.

As the saying goes, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." This book is about strong friendships and building relationships. This book gets straight to the good stuff. No wasting time on fluff. Everything you need to know will be explained as the battle rages on!

I always enjoy a nice change of pace when I read a book where the narrators switch between characters. However, I DO NOT enjoy a book with a whole bunch of words I can't pronounce. Like Cwn Mamau. Why make things complicated? This guy can make these kinds of vampires and those vampire can make these vampires but only if they're half buried on the 3rd Tuesday of a month ending in Y! Phew! Hey, I appreciate variations in mythical creatures as much as the next reader, but simplify it!

Still, this book was amazing! It caught my attention right away and I couldn't put it down! It has a lot of great characters but Lucy and Nicholas very quickly became my favorite. Lucy and Solange are BFFs and Solange has 7 older brothers (one of them Nicholas), but it's Solange whom the prophecy predicted would be the vampire princess. Now that she's coming of age, the mature vamps are flocking to her like moths to a flame!

Lucy is tough. Take no crap and a comeback for everything. She's also fiercely loyal to the Drakes. Nicholas is equally protective of Lucy and his sister. He's the knight in shining armor with a warm creamy center! Solange is fixed on being a normal teen but gets swept up in the madness that her coming of age causes other vampires to feel. An unexpected hero saves the day but the change is inevitable.

There's action, romance, suspense and humor! Don't mistake this book for being predictable. It has great plot twists and an ending that assures you the sequel is a must-read!

Who Should Read This: Any YA fan! Great fun and easy read.

For those who have already read this: Did anyone else notice the punctuation?? The periods aren't circles, they're like tiny little crosses! How cool is that, huh? Nice touch!

Vampire Academy...the movie??

Late last night while cruising around the web, I found on out Richelle Mead's blog that Vampire Academy has been optioned for film by Preger Entertainment!

This is really exciting news but Mead warns us not to get too worked up about it. It could take years to become a movie, IF it ever does. It could also mean that things are already in the works!

So, let's keep our fingers crossed!  And by the way, once the rights to the books have been sold, the author has no control over where the story goes from there or who gets casted for what part. Congrats to Richelle Mead!