Jowanna's YA Book Blog

My Current Read

2017-05-25T17:52:00.002-04:00

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court-but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms-and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world torn apart.

#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sarah J. Maas expands Feyre's world beyond even her wildest imagination in this seductive and stunning sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Next on my To Be Read (TBR) Pile

2017-05-25T17:49:00.001-04:00

Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.

Court of Thorns and Roses

2017-05-25T17:39:00.001-04:00

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin--one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.

My favorite NEW series. A MUST read by Sarah J. Maas. However, I do not recommend for ages less than 16.

2017-05-25T17:18:00.001-04:00

I've been told history is written by survivors. But I know that isn't always true. My name is Tenley Lockwood, and very soon, I'll be dead. This is my story—but the end is only the beginning.

Tenley "Ten" Lockwood has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. She's earned her rep as the craziest of crazies, but that doesn't stop the torture. Ten can leave, but only if she allows her parents to choose where she'll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the boy she's falling for and the realm she wants to support. Who will she choose? Can she stay alive long enough to

"My Firstlife is over, but my Everlife is only now beginning."

With her last living breath, Tenley "Ten" Lockwood made her choice and picked her realm in the Everlife. Now, as the war between Troika and Myriad rages, she must face the consequences.

Because Ten possesses a rare supernatural ability to absorb and share light, the Powers That Be have the highest expectations for her future—and the enemy wants her neutralized. Fighting to save her Secondlife, she must learn about her realm from the ground up while launching her first mission: convincing a select group of humans to join her side before they die. No pressure, right?

But Ten's competition is Killian, the boy she can't forget—the one who gave up everything for her happiness. He has only one shot at redemption: beating Ten at a game she's never even played. As their throw-downs heat up, so do their undeniable feelings, and soon, Ten will have to make another choice. Love…or victory.make a decision?

Darynda Jones Spotlight

2013-03-05T04:00:00.000-05:00

The normal part of Lorelei MacAlister’s life didn’t just slip away quietly the day Jared Kovach came to town. Nope. The normal part of her life shattered. It exploded. It burst into a gazillion shards of fleeting light.

It went out with a bang.

Goodbye normal.

Hello dark and eerie.

While her best friend, Brooklyn, is focusing all of her energy on helping Lorelei hone her abilities, Lorelei is dealing with the reality that Satan’s second in command has taken up residence inside her body. Oh, and the fact that she has a crush on the Angel of Death. But what a beautiful death it is. If those weren’t bad enough, something sinister has come to town and it wants nothing more than to hear Lorelei’s dying breath as it strangles it out of her. Thank goodness the gang has a supernatural champion. But what happens when the only being who can save them switches sides midstream? How can a group of misfits capture one of the most powerful beings ever created? And will they find out how to bring Jared back to them before it’s too late?

Excerpt:

DEATH, DOOM AND DETENTION

Chapter One

FUZZY EDGES

“Is this class ever going to end?”

My best friend, Brooklyn, draped her upper body across her

desk in a dramatic reenactment of Desdemona’s death in Othello.

She buried her face in a tangle of arms and long black hair for

effect. It was quite moving. And while I appreciated her freedom

to express her misgivings about the most boring class since

multi-celled organisms first crawled onto dry land, I wondered

about her timing.

“Miss Prather,” our Government teacher, Mr. Gonzales, said,

his voice like a sharp crack in the silence of study time.

Brooklyn jerked upright in surprise. She glanced around as

our classmates snickered, either politely into their hands or more

rudely outright.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

She turned toward Mr. Gonzales and asked, “Did I say that

out loud?”

The class erupted in laughter as Mr. G’s mouth formed a long

narrow line across his face. As though a miracle from heaven,

the bell rang and Brooklyn couldn’t scramble out of her seat fast

enough. She practically sprinted from the room. I followed at a

slower pace, smiling meekly as I walked past Mr. G’s desk.

Brooklyn stood waiting for me in the hall, her face still frozen

in surprise.

“That was funny,” I said, tugging her alongside me. She fell

in line as we wound through the crush of students, fighting our

way to PE. I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t particularly enjoy having

my many faults and numerous shortcomings put on display for

all to see, so why I would fight to get there was beyond me.

“No, really.” She tucked an arm through mine. “I didn’t mean

to say that out loud.”

I couldn’t help but smile despite the weight on my chest, a

weight that seemed to be endless. “Which is why that was funny.”

I did that a lot lately. Smiled. It was easier than explaining

why I wasn’t.

“You don’t get it,” she said. “This is exactly what I’ve been

talking about. Everything is weird ever since . . . you know.”

I did know. Ever since Jared Kovach came to town. Ever

since he’d saved my life after a huge green delivery truck

slammed into me. Ever since we’d found out he was the Angel

of Death and he had been sent not to save my life but to take it.

To tweak the timing. To take me sooner than nature— or a huge

green delivery truck— had intended.

And ever since I found out I’d been possessed by a demon

when I was six years old.

Still, that wasn’t the worst part of that day all those years ago.

The worst part was the fact that my parents were gone. Vanished

in a whirlwind when some guy— we still had no idea who—

opened the gates of hell. And I’d led them straight to it. The fact

that a demon—Malak-Tuke, to be exact, Lucifer’s second in command—

escaped from his fiery pit and decided to crash at my

place was just the icing on the cake. But I didn’t know any of

this until two months ago.

I’d been living with my grandparents since the disappearance,

but my semi- normal existence changed forever when I was

knocked into the street by a skateboarder and hit by that truck.

That near- death experience taught me a valuable lesson:

Never get hit by a huge green delivery truck if I can help it. But

if I hadn’t, if my life hadn’t almost ended that day, then Jared

Kovach would not have been sent. And oddly enough, Jared Kovach

was definitely worth the risk.

The events that followed were both terrifying and life changing.

I learned that there really was a heaven and a hell. That

there really were angels and demons. That I was a prophet, the

last prophet in a long line of incredible women, descended from

a powerful woman named Arabeth. And I’d learned that I had a

demon inside me, that I’d had him inside me for years.

Even Jared had never seen anything like it. Most people possessed

by evil spirits were lucky to survive. People possessed by

demons— a rarity, from what I’d been told— never survived more

than a month. Ever. And yet here I stood. As possessed as a girl

with a demon inside her could be.

And, yes, things had been weird.

Author Bio:

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Hold Medallions, a RITA ®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

Links To Author:

· Darynda Jones Website

· Facebook

· Darynda’s World

· Twitter

Links To Purchase Books:

· Amazon

· Barnes & Nobles

· Audible

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Indigo Spell Review

2013-02-13T04:25:00.000-05:00

Devoured Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood
My review: 4 stars!!!!
What was I thinking? I finished this book in 1 day. Now I have to wait forever for the next one. But this one was the best so far. *Much more Adrian. And quite frankly I have been in love with him for years. I still don't like Sydney. Not that he belonged with Rose, but at least we got to read lots of Adrian this go around. He's changed a lot and has grown up. I miss the more wittier version of him. This book is more fast past then the others and as usual there's a few twist and turns. I still love the Vampire Academy world and Richelle Mead is still one of my favorite authors. If you love Adrian you WILL LOVE this book!!!
When I was done reading it all I could do was sing this song.

Enjoy the book!

HEART

ADRIAN!!!!

Everyone thinks Chase Crawford should play Adrian

I'm proposing

Austin Butler

He's 22 in real life. The perfect age

And if this isn't an Adrian LOOK I don't know what is.

He's tall, slim and SUPER handsome. Everything a Moroi should be. I mean I know he's blonde but that can be adjusted. Besides since the beginning I have always pictured Adrian as a blonde. If you follow this post you know why.

Because I am over 40 I have always pictured him like

STEFF

from Pretty in Pink

Coming Soon!

2013-02-06T19:41:00.002-05:00

Death and the Girl Next Door

2012-09-25T10:16:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how excited I am. My favorite adult author has a NEW RELEASE in Young Adult.
In case you haven't heard of Dayrnda Jones. Get ready for your world to turn upside down.
She is the writer of the magnificent Charley Davidson series. Sound familiar? Well here's a hint.

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT!

SECOND GRAVE ON THE LEFT!

THIRD GRAVE DEAD AHEAD!

and coming October 30th FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET!

Her BRAND NEW TITLE is

DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

(Darklight Series #1)

Darynda Jones, author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right, brings us Death and the Girl Next Door, a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

"Unique, witty, and touching—I LOVED THIS BOOK!" —P.C. Cast, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Night Series

EXCERPT!!!

I scanned the distance back to see if Mr. Davis was still standing

watch. Instead, I found Cameron Lusk. He hadn’t gone to

class. I could see him through the plate-glass windows that lined

the front of Riley High. He stood leaning against the building,

looking directly at me, a strange expression I couldn’t decipher

shadowing his face.

I offered my own glare, completely perplexed. The guy had

never shown the slightest bit of interest in me. Then, out of nowhere,

I couldn’t turn around without finding him waiting for

me, watching, like he was mentally calculating how long it would

take to strangle the life out of my body. A cold chill shimmied

down my spine with the thought.

And worse, I didn’t know what to do about it. I didn’t want

to alarm my grandparents. They had enough to worry about. The

anniversary of my parents’ disappearance always put them in a

strange state, as it did me. I didn’t want to call the police. Naturally,

they would have to tell my grandparents. And I was nowhere

near moronic enough to pretend I could take him. Boys, no

matter how lanky, were generally strong.

“I’m stronger.”

I jumped at the sound of a male voice behind me and whirled

around to slam face- first into a brick wall. My notebook flew out

of my arms, launching a ticker tape parade of science notes into

the air. They floated down to land in whispery chaos on the

ground.

For a second I just stood there in shock until humiliation

took hold and surged through me with a fiery vengeance. I could

feel my cheeks heating as I looked up. And up. Into the eyes of

the off ending wall.

I stilled.

It was the new guy. And his eyes were amazing. Dark, steady,

penetrating.

Penetrating?

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Where’d penetrating come from? I felt my cheeks grow even

hotter. “Of course,” I said, glancing down to hide my face and

my bruised pride. I tucked a curl behind an ear and bent to

gather my notes.

Supernova knelt to help me.

“You don’t need to do that,” I said, even more embarrassed as

he scooped up my messy notes before I could get to them. Honestly,

why couldn’t I at least try to write neatly?

“I don’t mind,” he said, lifting the drawing I’d done that

morning.

I snatched it out of his hand before he could get a good

look.

He glanced at me but not in surprise at what I’d done. More

like curiosity. His dark gaze was startlingly intense. The contrast

of molasses- colored eyes and hair made his flawless skin appear

almost translucent. The effect was haunting.

I forced my thoughts back to the present. “I’m Lorelei,” I

managed at last.

He hesitated as he had with Mr. Davis. After a quick glance

over his shoulder, he stood and offered his hand. “I’m Jared.”

I almost looked at the poster again. Instead, I shut my eyes as

a slow dawning crept over me. I recognized his face. I’d drawn it

that very morning. I’d been dwelling on it for three days. It was

him. The boy. Only the puzzle was complete, and what a puzzle it was.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a RITA®, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

YOU CAN FIND DARYNDA

HERE

SIGNED COPY!

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DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR!

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The Stereotypical Freaks Graphic Novel

2012-09-10T09:48:00.003-04:00

Do you love Graphic Novels? Well, I seem to be getting more and more interested in them. Check out the latest.

THE STEREOTYPICAL FREAKS

Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school's battle of the bands. Sharing a love for playing rock and roll, the members name the band "The Stereotypical Freaks" because they feel stereotyped by their classmates - smart kid, geek, star athlete and quiet weirdo… when in fact they know they are much more than those labels that have been placed on them.

When one member reveals life altering news, winning the competition takes on more of a meaning to each member. Scared and angry, upset and yet still with a lot of resolve they set out to win one for the good guys… will they?
EMAIL

If you pre-order now you will receive one of their LTD Edition Posters and Guitar shaped bookmarks.

The Golden Lily Review

2012-09-07T16:49:00.003-04:00

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?
*****SPOILERS********

****ALERT*********

I LOVE Richelle Mead. I love her so much in fact that I have read everything she has every written. I have her comics w/variations and her graphic novel. That said my favorite series is The Dark Swan. I have met her twice and she is a lovely person, and I have named one of my own characters after her.

HOWEVER,,,,,
Why is it that she screws with the men I love in the series? I won't spoil the other series but the ending of Dark Swan killed me. And now POOR ADRIAN. I mean I know he will get his happy ending EVENTUALLY, but good lord. How many books have we been through with him now???? He deserves a little something.

I give this book a 4 because I still really do like it and adore Richelle Mead even though I am getting frustrated.

As for Sydney Sage. I'm not a fan of her. I'm just not feeling it. And how about next book Adrian gets a little love and screws over the girl. HUH???? And don't change him. I mean, yeah, maybe one shouldn't drink or smoke but I LOVE HIM the way he is. A HOT MESS. That is part of his charm. His smart ass demeanor is what makes him a hit. I don't want him to change. I like that he has a drink in his hand or a cig. Makes him more real and less YA "perfect"

For the love of god.. Let him be happy.

And I knew right off the bat that when Trey's "cousin" was introduced he was the new bad guy.

Also, I think it would have been better if Adrian was going to suffer to keep Brayden in the picture and create a love triangle. But I guess that will be for Eddie, Jill and Angeline now. How much torture will Eddie have to endure????????

For the love of Jesus and all things HOLY if she writes a book about CARTER could she please NOT fudge with him. *carter from the Georgina Kinkaid series

Still if you love this series you still must read in order to finally see his HEA.

And for all you middle age YA readers. You may get this. I never liked James Spader in 80's movie, nor do I think Richelle Mead's description of Adrian is close to him, but I still think of him when I read Adrian. What do you think?

New Pics from City of Bones

2012-09-05T11:29:00.000-04:00

The Shadow Hunters

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr Releases

2012-09-05T11:28:00.001-04:00

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny

Pantheons: The Game of the Gods is now available on Amazon

2012-07-02T23:36:00.000-04:00

A year has passed since Isaiah Marshall’s father, Zeus, severed his left arm with white lightning in the tournament. During this time, the Indestructible Diamond has been training hard under the mysterious old man who saved his life. Despite his focus and determination, Isaiah has been unsuccessful in his development of his usage of blue-white lightning, nor has he tapped into the other more potent colored bolts, which his father has mastered.

The Powers-That-Be have forced the teen gods to finally take part in the Fourth Great War. But fearing death, as they have been cursed with mortal bodies, they’ve decided to compete for the Dominion in a new, professional sport called Tasselball: The Game of the Gods.

Looking for the first book?

Other works from EJ.

The Mystic Wolves

2012-06-27T06:17:00.001-04:00

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?

Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason's commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she'll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength - once given, oaths are unbreakable ... even if it means risking it all.

**This is the full length novel version of Without Mercy, Cherished, and Blood Oath

It's FREE on Kindle atm.

Welcome Deborah Cooke

2012-06-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Pimping Reads Guest Post

BLAZING THE TRAIL blog tour

Destiny and Dreams

By Deborah Cooke (http://www.deborahcooke.com)

In the Dragonfire world of my dragon shape shifters, all of the dragon shape shifters are male. They’re called the Pyr. The Pyr mate with human women and always have sons who develop their dragon shape shifter powers at puberty. Because Dragonfire is a paranormal romance series, each book features one dragon shape shifter and his meeting with the woman who can bear his son. Their meeting is marked by the firestorm - sparks fly between them until their match is consummated and they conceive that son.

In addition, there is always one female dragon shifter in the Dragonfire world. She’s called the Wyvern and is supposed to have additional powers - like the gift of prophecy and the ability to take additional forms other than dragon and human. At the beginning of my Dragonfire series, the Wyvern was named Sophie. She was elusive and mysterious, and the male dragon shifters were pretty awed when they saw her. In book #3 (KISS OF FATE), though, Sophie died. (You’ll have to read the book to find out how and why.) The child conceived in that book was a girl, who was named Zoë. Her dad has believed from the beginning that she must be the next Wyvern and has been anxious for her to come into her powers to help the Pyr in their battle against the Slayers.

The Dragon Diaries trilogy is set in the future (which is a whole lot like the present, but with better gadgets). The series begins with Zoë finally getting her period at fifteen and the resulting explosion of changes in her body and her life. She’s got more on her plate than most teenagers, but is supposed to keep her developing powers secret from her best friend. Never mind that the hottest guy on the planet turns up to mess with her mind, and apparently knows more about dragons and Wyverns than Zoë does. I had a lot of fun writing this series and I really liked Zoë as a character. She keeps lists (including an Incinerate Now list) and is determined to do the right thing, even when she’s not sure what it is. She has a pack of good friends in the other teenage dragon shiftes she’s grown up with, and she’s pretty active herself. Dragongirls don’t sit on the sidelines and watch the action - they get right in there and fight fire with fire!

So, now you know about the series. In a recent interview, I was asked if I would accept the job of Wyvern if it was offered to me, and that got me to thinking about dreams and destiny. What’s different about this series for me is that Zoë has an explicit destiny. She’s supposed to become the Wyvern and lead the dragon shifters. She also has a dream of being an artist. Her dream is one that she’ll have to work to achieve, and she could decide to not pursue it as her job. (She might get a “real” job instead and draw on the side.) But I don’t think she has a lot of choice about becoming the Wyvern. Because it’s her destiny, she was effectively signed up for that job when she was born. She can take it on and do her best at it, or she can deny her destiny and muck it up, but it doesn’t seem to me that she can simply decline and do something else.

That has to be a lot of pressure. Even dreams can exert a lot of pressure on us to make them come true. But destinies? Wow. I have to think that a destiny would be a heavy burden. What would you do if you were told you had a destiny but you didn’t really want to fulfil it? What if you didn’t think you could make it come true? Or do you think that your ability to make it come true is why you would have a destiny in the first place? In stories, people who reluctantly take on the obligations of their destiny often discover an inner strength that was hidden before.

Do you think you have a destiny? If so, what secret part of your character makes it possible for you to make that destiny come true? Do you have a dream? What abilities (secret or otherwise) do you have that you think can make your dreams come true? Do you think most people have destinies, or only a few. (I hope everyone has dreams!) Tell me what you think!

Deborah Cooke's Bio

Deborah Cooke has always been fascinated with dragons, although she has never understood why they have to be the bad guys. She has an honours degree in history, with a focus on medieval studies. She is an avid reader of medieval vernacular literature, fairy tales and fantasy novels, and has written over forty romance novels and novellas. She has also been published under the names Claire Cross andClaire Delacroix.

Deborah makes her home in Canada with her husband. When she isn't writing, she can be found knitting, sewing or hunting for vintage patterns.

Connect with Deborah:

Website: http://deborahcooke.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeborahCookeFanPage

BTT Blog Tour Dates & Participating Blogs:

May 28 - Lori's Book Blog (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

May 29 - Day Drmzz Blog (Guest Post & Giveaway)

May 30 - United By Books (Guest Post & Giveaway)

June 1 - Pimpin' Reads YA (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

June 2 - Book Monster Reviews (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

June 3 - Delicate Simplicity (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

June 5 - Paranormal Haven (Q&A Interview & Giveaway)

June 6 - I Smell Sheep (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

June 7 - All Things Books (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

June 8 - Page Flipperz (Interview & Giveaway)

June 9 - Writerspace (Guest Post & Giveaway)

June 11 - Paranormal Cravings (Guest Post & Giveaway)

June 14 - Books N Kisses - (Series Spotlight & Giveaway)

June 15 - One A Day YA - (Interview & Giveaway)

DRAGON DIARIES Series

By Deborah Cooke

"Flying Blind" - Book 1

Zoë Sorensson is perfectly normal – well, as normal as a girl with an obsession with drawing dragons can be. The thing is that she’s always been told she’s special and destined for great things. It’s not just because of her good grades, either. Zoë’s the Wyvern, the one female dragon shapeshifter with special powers. But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL. Worse, there’s no reference book to consult and the last Wyvern is dead…
Everything changes when Zoë’s best friend is bullied and Zoë reacts. Before she can blink twice, her inner dragon is loose, she’s suspended from school and headed to a boot camp for thePyr guys she’s known all her life. But soon she’s doubting her powers—and even some of her friendships.
Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday - the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap. The Mages want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line—unless Zoë and her friends can solve the riddle, work together and save their own kind…
Buy Links:
Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
"Winging It" - Book 2
Zoë Sorensson yearns to come into her powers as the only female dragon shifter. But being part of two worlds is more complicated than she expected. It’s bad enough that she’s the target of the Mages’ plan to eliminate all shifters—she also has to hide her true nature from her best friend Megan, a human. For her sixteenth birthday, all Zoë wants is one normal day, including a tattoo and a chance to see hot rocker Jared.
Instead, the Pyr throw her a birthday party but ban Megan from attendance, putting Zoë in a tight spot. Things get even worse when Zoe is invited to the popular kids’ Halloween party and Megan’s left out. Zoë knows the party is a trap laid by the host, an apprentice Mage. When Megan gets a last-minute invite, Zoë must save the day—and her best friend—without revealing her fire-breathing secrets…
Buy Links:
/ Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
"Blazing The Trail" - Book 3

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and Zoë Sorensson’s love life is heating up. Cute, loyal, and understanding, wolf shifter Derek is pretty much the perfect guy. He likes Zoë, and he knows what it’s like to have to keep a secret. Yet, Zoë can’t help but wish it was rebel rocker Jared asking her to the Valentine’s dance instead. But Jared’s too busy playing hot and cold with her heart, calling Zoë his dragon girl one minute and then taking special interest in her best friend the next.
Zoë is just about ready to breathe fire, especially once she uncovers a new threat that targets her friends. Although Zoë thought the Mages were defeated, they’re back and have invoked an old spell to give them new power – they plan to eliminate all shape shifters on the night of the big dance. Now, Zoë must lead an alliance of young shifters to battle the Mages and figure out exactly what – and who – she wants, before it all goes up in smoke…
Buy Links:
/ Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Richelle Mead Interview

2012-05-17T23:51:00.001-04:00

Sea Lion books requested I post the interview Comicbooked did with Richelle Mead.
Check it out. Thanks
These comics are nice and for Mature Audiences.

http://podcasts.comicbooked.com/cbp-22-interview-with-richelle-mead/

City of Lost Souls Deleted Scene

2012-05-14T10:50:00.002-04:00

Deleted scene from City of Lost Souls: Magnus and Alec

Warlock law was very clear on this point: if you loved a mortal, all well and good, but it was not your place to interfere with their mortality. It took a long time to become used to such a law . . . usually until you realized that being immortal was less a gift than a burden.
Magnus dropped the snuffbox back onto the desk and picked up the phone, hitting the speed-dial button for Alec’s number. When Alec picked up he sounded both harried and hopeful: “Magnus? Have you found anything?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry.”
“Oh.” Crushing disappointment made Alec’s voice sound small.
“But I was thinking about parabatai,” said Magnus. “When parabatai are especially close, they can sense if the other is dead, or Changed, or —”
“I know,” said Alec. “I know that. I felt it — for that moment that Jace died, back in Idris. But this isn’t like that.” Magnus could picture him, eyes blue in his pale face, tugging at a snarled lock of his hair. Alec usually looked like he’d fallen out of bed and into a random pile of clothes, rather than as if he’d actually picked out an outfit, and since Jace had gone missing, he’d started to look like he’d stopped brushing his hair, too. “I just feel nothing.”
“Like really nothing? As in . . . nothingness?”
“Right . . .?” Alec sounded confused.
“That actually does give me some ideas,” said Magnus. “I’ll do everything I can to help, you know that, right, Alexander? Not because it’s the Clave, but because it’s you.”
“I know.” Alec was silent for a moment. “It’s good to hear your voice, even if you can’t help,” Alec added, and hung up abruptly.
Magnus placed the phone next to him and sat for a moment, still enough to hear himself breathing. I’m losing him, he thought. I don’t know how or why, but I know that I am

City of Lost Souls Releases

2012-05-08T06:45:00.001-04:00

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series

Introducing Stereotypical Freaks

2012-04-07T02:38:00.002-04:00

SHAPIRO / PEKAR

THE STEREOTYPICAL FREAKS

Kids who aren't perfect, don't get straight A's, drive a cool car and
couldn't possibly get a date with a cheerleader or the homecoming queen.

ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 06, 2012 - Jacoby Nukik is an exchange student from Canada, with a spirit and wisdom well beyond his age. Jacoby and three other, very disparate, high school seniors come together to compete in their school's Battle of the Bands. They are The Stereotypical Freaks, and their world is coming to life in a new graphic novel from Sea Lion Books.

The main character, Jacoby was inspired by a real life teen, John Challis, says writer Howard Shapiro. "John was a teenager dying of cancer who faced his death with courage, dignity, and a never-quit attitude that changed how I went about my daily life. So much so, that I was inspired to create Jacoby to help honor John's memory and his message of 'Courage + Believe = Life.'"

The Stereotypical Freaks is about the Battle of the Bands that the main characters enter, but at its heart it is a story about friendship, the power of music and how we deal with loss. The power of music brings them together... the power of friendship, creativity, and determination takes them on a journey that will inspire the rest of their lives.

The story line is vividly detailed in the artwork of Joe Pekar. Artwork with "an otherworldly ability to infuse characters with feeling and emotion simply by their body language, the look in their eyes or their facial expressions."

The graphic novel will be released in Fall of 2012. Two additional books are planned for the series. Readers will enjoy, root for, and identify with The Stereotypical Freaks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since I decided to start writing children’s stories my goal has been to create characters that adults and kids would care about and be interested in following their journey. And also to create stories that SAY SOMETHING. There are thousands of kids books out there and in my little corner of the book store, I want and wanted to do something that can stand the test of time, be relevant and vital. Plus, make it entertaining and enjoyable to read each and every time. I hope I am succeeding in that goal. You can visit Howard's website at http://howardshapiro.net

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Joe Pekar began his art career doing character design and animation in the field of video games. After deciding that a lifetime of video game design was not for him, Joe turned to his passion of drawing, girls, and computer coloring to create his Naughty Girls. Joe is the author of Naughty Girls Volume 1, Pigtails Volume 1, and Strawberry. A comic book entitled Brandi Bare, and based on one of his pinup drawings is due from Silent Devil Productions in the near future. You can find Joe's artwork at http://www.joepekar.com

ABOUT SEA LION BOOKS:

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Sea Lion Books LLC is a newly established publishing house which specializes in all formats—hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market and in urban fantasy and young adult genres. Sea Lion Books LLC recent roster of authors include: International Bestselling author, Anne Rice, Paulo Coelho, New York Times Bestselling authors, Richelle Mead, Patrick Rothfuss,Richard A. Knaak, F. Paul Wilson, Melissa de la Cruz and Becca Fitzpatrick. You can visit Sea Lion Books at: www.sealionbooks.com

First Exclusive Look

2012-03-30T05:19:00.000-04:00

IN STORES APRIL 18th

CONTAINS AN ALL-NEW ORIGINAL STORY WRITTEN BY

BECCA FITZPATRICK

HUSH, HUSH

Graphic Novel Preview

WWW.SEALIONBOOKS.COM

An Offering of Moonlight

2012-03-29T01:21:00.001-04:00

Jem's point of view from that moment with Tessa. How amazing.
Please visit Cassie site for all the goodies she dishes out to her fan. She is one amazing lady.
http://www.cassandraclare.com/my-writing/excerpts-extras/moonlight/

The link to Chapter Hunt is below on previous post.

An Offering of Moonlight

I wish to offer you moonlight in a handful — Zhang Jiu Ling

[This takes place in Chapter Nine of Clockwork Prince, entitled "Fierce Midnight. The scene in which Tessa and Jem first kiss from his perspective.]

The first thing Jem did the moment he entered his room was stride to the yin fen box on his nightstand.

He usually took the drug in a solution of water, letting it dissolve and drinking it, but he was too impatient now; he took a pinch between his thumb and forefinger, and sucked it from his fingers. It tasted of burned sugar and left the inside of his mouth feeling numb. He slammed the box shut with a feeling of dark satisfaction.

The second thing he did was to retrieve his violin.

The fog was thick against the windows, as if they had been painted over with lead. If it had not been for the witchlight torches burning low, there would not have been enough illumination for him to see what he was doing as he wrenched open the box that held his Guarneri and took the instrument from it. A snatch of one of Bridget’s songs played in his head: It was mirk, mirk night, there was no starlight, and they waded through blood to the knees.

Mirk, mirk night indeed. The sky had had been black as pitch down in Whitechapel. Jem thought of Will, standing on the pavement, dizzy-eyed and grinning. Until Jem had hit him. He had never hit Will before, no matter how maddening his parabatai had been. No matter how destructive to other people, no matter his casual cruelty, no matter his wit that was like the edge of a knife, Jem had never hit him. Until now.

The bow was already rosined; he flexed his fingers before he took hold of it, and drew in several deep breaths. He could feel the yin fen surging through his veins already, lighting his blood like fire lighting gunpowder. He thought of Will again, asleep on the bed in the opium den. He had been flushed, his face smooth and innocent in sleep, like a child with his cheek pillowed on his hand. Jem remembered when Will had been young like that, though never a time when he had been innocent.

He set the bow to the strings and played. He played softly at first. He played Will lost in dreams, finding solace in a drugged haze that muffled his pain. Jem could only envy him that. The yin fen was no balm: he did not find in it whatever opium addicts found in their pipes, or alcoholics in the dregs of a gin bottle. There was only exhaustion and lassitude without it, and with it, energy and fever. But there was no surcease from pain.

Jem’s knees gave out, and he sank to the trunk at the foot of his bed, still playing. He played Will breathing the name Cecily, and he played himself watching the glint of his own ring on Tessa’s hand on the train from York, knowing it was all a charade, knowing, too, that he wished that it wasn’t. He played the sorrow in Tessa’s eyes when she had come into the music room after Will had told her she would never have children. Unforgivable, that, what a thing to do, and yet Jem had forgiven him. Love was forgiveness, he had always believed that, and the things that Will did, he did out of some bottomless well of pain. Jem did not know the source of that pain, but he knew it existed and was real, knew it as he knew of the inevitability of his own death, knew it as he knew that he had fallen in love with Tessa Gray and that there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it.

He played that, now, played all their broken hearts, and the sound of the violin wrapped him and lifted him and he closed his eyes —

His door opened. He heard the sound through the music, but for a moment did not credit it, for it was Tessa’s voice he heard, saying his name. “Jem?”

Surely she was a dream, conjured up by the music and the drug and his own fevered mind. He played on, played his own rage and anger at Will, for however he had always forgiven Will for his cruelty to others, he could not forgive him for endangering himself.

“Jem!” came Tessa’s voice again, and suddenly there were hands on his, wrenching the bow out of his grasp. He let go in shock, staring up at her. “Jem, stop! Your violin — your lovely violin — you’ll ruin it.”

She stood over him, a dressing-gown thrown over her white nightgown. He remembered that nightgown: she had been wearing it the first time he had seen her, when she had come into his room and he had thought for one mad moment that she was an angel. She was breathing hard now, her face flushed, his violin gripped in one hand and the bow in another.

“What does it matter?” he demanded. “What does any of it matter? I’m dying — I won’t outlast the decade, what does it matter if the violin goes before I do?” She stared at him, her lips parting in astonishment. He stood up and turned away from her. He could no longer bear to look her in the face, to see her disappointment with him, his weakness. “You know it is true.”

“Nothing is decided.” Her voice trembled. “Nothing is inevitable. A cure —”

“There’s no cure. I will die and you know it, Tess. Probably within the next year.I am dying, and I have no family in the world, and the one person I trusted more than any other makes sport of what is killing me.”

“But Jem, I don’t think that’s what Will meant to do at all.” She had set down his violin and bow, and was moving toward him. ”He was just trying to escape — he is running from something, something dark and awful, you know he is, Jem. You saw how he was after — after Cecily.”

“He knows what it means to me,” he said. She was just behind him: he could smell the faint perfume of her skin: violet-water and soap. The urge to turn about and touch her was overwhelming, but he held himself still. “To see him even toy with what has destroyed my life — “

“But he wasn’t thinking of you —”

“I know that.” How could he say it? How could he explain? How could he tell her that Will was what he had devoted his life to: Will’s rehabilitation, Will’s innate goodness. Will was the cracked mirror of his own soul that he had spent years trying to repair. He could forgive Will harming anyone but his own self. “I tell myself he’s better than he makes himself out to be, but Tessa, what if he isn’t? I have always thought, if I had nothing else, I had Will — if I have done nothing else that made my life matter, I have always stood by him — but perhaps I shouldn’t.”

“Oh, Jem.” Her voice was so soft that he turned. Her dark hair was unbound: it tumbled around her face and he had the most absurd urge to bury his hands in it, to draw her close, his hands cupping the back of her neck. She reached out a soft hand for him and for a moment, wild hope rose up in him, unstoppable as the tide — but she only laid her hand against his forehead, careful as a nurse. “You’re burning up. You should be resting —”

He jerked away from her before he could stop himself. Her gray eyes widened. “Jem, what it is it? You don’t want me to touch you?”

“Not like that.” The words burst out before he could stop them. The night, Will, the music, the yin fen, all had unlocked something in him — he barely knew his own self, this stranger who spoke the truth and spoke it harshly.

“Like what?” Her confusion was plain on her face. Her pulse beat at the side of her throat; where her nightgown was open he could see the soft curve of her collarbone. He dug his fingers into the palms of his hands. He could not hold back the words any more. It was swim or drown.

“As if you were a nurse and I were your patient,” he told her. “Do you think I do not know that when you take my hand, it is only so that you can feel my pulse? Do you think I do not know that when you look into my eyes it is only to see how much of the drug I have taken? If I were another man, a normal man, I might have hopes, presumptions even; I might —” I might want you. He broke off before he said it. It could not be said. Words of love were one thing: words of desire were dangerous as a rocky shore where a ship could founder. It was hopeless, he knew it was hopeless, and yet —

She shook her head. “This is the fever speaking, not you.”

Hopeless. The despair cut at him like a dull knife, and he said the next words without thinking: “You can’t even believe I could want you. That I am alive enough, healthy enough —”

“No —” She caught at his arm, and it was like having five brands of fire laid across his skin. Desire lanced through him like pain. “James, that isn’t at all what I meant —”

He laid his hand over hers, where she held his arm. He heard her indrawn breath — sharp, surprised. But not horrified. She did not pull away. She did not remove his hand. She let him hold her, and turn her, so that they stood face to face, close enough to breathe each other in.

“Tessa,” he said. She looked up at him. The fever pounded in him like blood, and he no longer knew what was the desire and what was the drug, or if the one simply enhanced the other, and it did not matter, it did not matter because he wanted her, he had wanted her for so long. Her eyes were huge and gray, her pupils dilated, and her lips were parted on a breath as if she were about to speak, but before she could speak he kissed her.

The kiss exploded in his head like fireworks on Guy Fawkes’ Day. He closed his eyes on a whirl of colors and sensations almost to intense to bear: her lips were soft and hot under his and he found himself running his fingers over her face, the curves at her cheekbones, the hammering pulse in her throat, the tender skin at the back of her neck. It took every ounce of control he had to touch her gently, not to crush her against him, and when she raised her arms and twined them around his neck, sighing into his mouth, he had to stifle a gasp and for a moment hold himself very still or they would have been on the floor.

Her own hands on him were gentle, but there was no mistaking their encouragement. Her lips murmured against his, whispering his name, her body soft and strong in his arms. He followed the arch of her back with his hands, feeling the curve of it under her nightgown, and he could not stop himself then: he pulled her so tightly against him that they both stumbled, and collapsed backward onto the bed.

Tessa sank into the cushions and he propped himself over her. Her hair had come out of its plaits and tumbled dark and unbound over the pillows. A flush of blood spread over her face and down to the neckline of her gown, staining her pale skin. The hot press of body to body was dizzying, like nothing he had imagined, more fierce and delicious than the most delirious music. He kissed her again and again, each time harder, savoring the texture of her lips under his, the taste of her mouth, until the intensity of it threatened to tip over from pleasure into pain.

He should stop, he knew. This had gone beyond honor, beyond any bounds of propriety. He had imagined, sometimes, kissing her, carefully cupping her face between his hands, but had never imagined this: that they would be wrapped so tightly around each other that he could hardly tell where he left off and she began. That she would kiss him and stroke him and run her fingers through his hair. That when he hesitated with his fingers on the tie of her dresssing-gown, the reasonable part of his brain commanding his rebellious and unwilling body to stop, that she would neatly solve the dilemma but undoing the fastening herself and lying back as the material fell away around her and she looked up at him in only her thin nightgown.

Her chin was raised, determination and candor in her eyes, and her lifted arms welcomed him back to her, enfolding him, drawing him in. “Jem, my Jem,” she was whispering, and he whispered back, losing his words against her mouth, whispering what was true but what he hoped she wouldn’t understand. He whispered in Chinese, worried that if he spoke in English, he would say something profoundly stupid. Wo ai ni. Ni hen piao liang, Tessa. Zhe shi jie shang, wo shi zui ai ni de.

But he saw her eyes darken; he knew she recalled what he had said to her in the carriage. “What does it mean?” she whispered.

He stilled against her body. “It means that you are beautiful. I did not want to tell you before. I did not want you to think I was taking liberties.”

She reached up and touched his cheek. He could feel his heart beating against hers. It felt as if it might beat out of his chest entirely.

“Take them,” she whispered.

He heart soared, and he gathered her up against him, something he had never done before, but she did not seem to mind his clumsiness. Her hands were traveling gently over him, learning his body. Her fingers stroked the bone of his hip, the cup of his collar. They tangled in his shirt and it was up and over his head, and he was leaning into her, shaking silvery hair out of his face. He saw her eyes go wide and felt his insides tighten.

“I know,” he said, looking down at himself — skin like papier-mache, ribs like violin strings. “I am not — I mean, I look —”

“Beautiful,” she said, and the word was a pronouncement. “You are beautiful, James Carstairs.”

Breath eased back into his lungs and they were kissing again, her hands warm and smooth against his bare skin. She touched him with hesitant, curious strokes, mapping a body that seemed to flower under her ministrations into something perfect, healthy: no longer a fragile device of swiftly diminishing flesh lashed to a framework of breakable bones. It was only now, that this was happening, that he realized how sincerely he had believed it never would.

He could feel the soft, nervous puffs of her breath against the sensitive skin of his throat as he drew his hands up and over her body. He touched her as he would touch his violin: it was how he knew to touch something that was precious and loved. He had carried the violin in his arms from Shanghai to London and he had carried Tessa, too, in his heart, for longer than he thought he remembered. When had it happened? His hands touched her through the nightgown, the curve and dip of her waist and hips like the curve of the Guarneri, but the violin did not give gratifying gasps when he touched it, did not seek his mouth out for kisses or have fascinating eyelids that fluttered shut just so when he stroked the sensitive skin at the backs of her knees.

Maybe it had been the day he’d run up the stairs to her and kissed her hand. Mizpah. May the Lord watch between me and thee when we are parted. It was the first time he had thought that there was something more to his regard than the ordinary regard for a pretty girl he could not have; that it had the aspect to it of something holy.

The pearl buttons of her nightdress were smooth under his fingertips. Her body bowed backward, her throat arched, as the material slipped aside, leaving her shoulder bare. Her breath was quick in her throat, the curls of her brown hair stuck to her flushed cheeks and forehead, the material of her dress crushed between them. He was shaking himself as he bent to kiss her bare skin, skin that most likely no one but herself and perhaps Sophie had ever seen, and her hand came up to cup his head, threading through the hair at the back of his neck . . .

There was the sound of a crash. And a choking fog of yin fen filled the room.

It was as if Jem had swallowed fire; he jerked back and away from Tessa with such force that he nearly overbalanced them both. Tessa sat up as well, pulling the front of her night-dress together, her expression suddenly self-conscious. All Jem’s heat was gone; his skin was suddenly freezing — with shame, and with fear for Tessa — he had never dreamed of her being this close to the poisonous stuff that had destroyed his life. But the laquer box was broken: a thick layer of shining powder lay across the floor; and even as Jem drew in a breath to tell her she must go, that she must leave him if she were to be safe, he did not think of the loss of the precious drug, or of the danger to him if it could not be retrieved. He thought only:

No more.

The yin fen has taken so much from me: my family, the years of my life, the strength in my body, the breath in my lungs. It will not take from me this too: the most precious thing we are given by the Angel. The ability to love. I love Tessa Gray.

And I will make sure that she knows it.

City Of Lost Souls

2012-03-29T00:27:00.002-04:00

City of Lost Souls – Shadowhunter Chapter Reveal


	Starting Wednesday, March 28th visit the blogs below and piece together the first chapter of Cassandra Clare’s next installment of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments!

	Wednesday, March 28th		CassandraClare.tumblr.com
	Thursday, March 29th		NovelNovice.com
	Friday, March 30th		EvesFanGarden.com
	Monday, April 2nd		TheStorySiren.com
	Tuesday, April 3rd		MundieMoms.com
	Wednesday, April 4th		MortalInstruments.com


	This is the ONLY sneak peek you’ll get until City of Lost Souls goes on sale on May 8th! And you’ll have the chance to win a very limited edition Shadow Hunter Family Ring!

On my Radar....Albino by E.J. Dabel

2012-03-16T03:51:00.000-04:00

The white mouse Albino always believed that he would live with the old farmer William Springer forever, eating Cheddar cheese and enjoying life at the farm. But after he is kidnapped by the street urchin Darl and violently thrown into a raging river to drown, he wakes up in the middle of a strange and mysterious forest and his life is changed forever as he finds himself in a world unlike anything he could ever imagine.

Aided by an odd crow, he begins an adventure filled with action, danger, and ultimately a final confrontation against his worst nightmares.

The ancient and cruel rats called the Ma’aldee are on the move, the Spiritual Guardians of the Land whisper in fear and dread of the coming of Emperor Loucura, Lord of the Ma'aldee.

Only Albino has the power to save the Land
Here is some exclusive artwork Sea Lion Books has provided.

New News from Cassandra Clare

2012-03-14T01:58:00.000-04:00

Click HERE for more info

The Childe

2012-01-15T23:31:00.000-05:00

by C.A. Kunz (Goodreads Author), Robert Kunz (Illustrator), Stephanie Kunz (Illustrator)

Cat Colvin
Average Teenager?
Or Something Else Entirely?

Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager. Sure, she’s taller than most girls, has a mane of fiery red hair that’s impossible to tame, is left-handed, and her eyes are two different colors, but that’s where the differences end . . . unless you include the minor detail of her slow transformation into a Childe.

High school can definitely be challenging, and for Cat it’s no different. This is especially true when she’s faced with the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times. To make matters worse, her family is oddly dead set against Ryan, the boy she grows to like. But everyone has their secrets: is Ryan really what he seems to be, and what is Cat’s family not telling her?

The Childe is the first book in this coming-of-age fantasy series which follows Cat's life through the twists and turns toward finding out whom and what she really is. Come and take the plunge with Cat into a world filled with mystery, biting humor, and the paranormal.
Join them on FACEBOOK
Createspace
FREE ON KINDLE as of now.

The Childe by C.A. Kunz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the Authors, and I thank them.
No SPOILERS.
This is the first book in the series.
I will let you read the blurb for the story.
My thoughts. This book is YA and I would gear it more towards young teens. I enjoyed the read and I think other's even adults will like the mystery in the book.
The characters are interesting and the pace is good. I love PNR of any kind and I especially enjoy this "particular species" ;)

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