Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

Teaser Tuesdays - The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:30:00 PST

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

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

Summary from Goodreads:

A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years.

Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances—and of her mother’s suicide—she moves to America, leaving the company in the hands of her brother Robbie. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind.

Back in Paris to investigate her brother’s disappearance, Jac discovers a secret the House of L’Etoile has been hiding since 1799: a scent that unlocks the mysteries of reincarnation. The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac’s quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past

Teaser:

"Two hundred people were killed in the last two weeks. And we have all the blood on our hands.” - pg 56*

What's your teaser today?

*Quote taken from an ARC and subject to change

Excerpt & Giveaway: Destined to Fail by Samantha March

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

The Book:

Jasmine Jones is ready to begin her new life as a college student, and is ecstatic to have best friend Abby by her side. But weeks into their new college life, Abby drops the bomb- she is pregnant, and dropping out of college. Jasmine can’t handle the fact that Abby is wasting her opportunity to get an education, and going back to her cheating, abusive boyfriend. She struggles to move on from her friendship with Abby, but befriends two new girls at college. Everything seems back on track for Jasmine- great new friendships and roommates, a strong relationship with boyfriend Nate, and excelling at her college courses. But Jasmine’s newfound happiness is shattered when her pregnancy test comes out positive. Does she have to drop out of college now and become a young mother? Will Nate stay with her? How can she afford a child? Jasmine’s life has been filled with obstacles and challenges along the way- from a missing father, sexual and physical abuse, and addictions that tore her family apart. With this latest setback, Jasmine fears her life will always be a struggle. Destined to Fail is one woman’s story about overcoming adversity in life, about taking the negatives and finding a positive, and about never giving up hope.

An Excerpt:

Splat. Vomit hit the water in the toilet, landing with a sickening sound, splashing tiny droplets back up towards my face. I tried to lift my head farther from the stool, but my body felt so weak it didn’t want to respond. I threw up until I was retching, heaving noises coming from somewhere deep in my stomach. Tears rolled down my cheeks and landed in the tainted toilet water.

I had thrown up almost every day for the past three weeks. Maybe longer, I was starting to lose track. I got sick mostly in the mornings, sometimes throughout the day, and even at nights. Certain smells seemed to trigger the virus––eggs Cari cooked in the morning or the cheap frozen steak meal Kiley frequented. The worst part of being sick was the body exhaustion and dizziness. Those symptoms made it hard to go to class and I had been missing more days than usual.

I also started my new job just two weeks prior, working in the Activities Center. John’s friend Logan had put in a good word for me and I was overjoyed to be working on campus. But I had to ask Logan to cover for me twice because I was too sick to go in. That couldn’t keep happening.

I had gone to the doctor after I missed the first day of work. My unfamiliar Des Moines doctor checked my throat and questioned my eating patterns, and sent me off with a prescription to help ease the symptoms of a particularly nasty flu virus that was going around school campuses and daycares. Swallowing horse pills twice a day did nothing to help.

Now I was alone in my college apartment on a Thursday night. Cari left for a house party and Kiley had gone back to her hometown to introduce John to her parents. After I finished vomiting, I leaned back against the bathroom wall, the cold tiles sending goosebumps down my arms. Sweat dripped down my temples, running a river down my chin. I didn’t even sweat that much when I worked out. I grabbed a towel and dabbed at my forehead, willing myself to take deep breaths. I knew what I had to do.

The Author:

Samantha March fell in love with books at a young age. Thanks to her mother and grandmother, both avid readers, Samantha followed in their footsteps. Field trips to the library highlighted her week, and she went on to do volunteer work at her local library while in middle school. Her early works closely resembled characters from The Baby-Sitters Club and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies. In high school, Samantha excelled in writing courses and even the mundane tasks of writing history papers.

A slew of real work wake-up calls caused Samantha to shelve her dream of becoming an author. She took what she considered the practical route and enrolled in a business college in Des Moines, Iowa, where she graduated with honors in 2009. But her thoughts of writing never dissolved. In October of 2009, Samantha started the book blog ChickLitPlus.com. From her small blog, Samantha met fellow readers and writers who pushed her to continue her goal of becoming published.

Destined to Fail is the debut novel from Samantha March, and will be published by Marching Ink in November 2011. Samantha currently lives in West Des Moines, IA with her boyfriend and jumbled cast of friends who help inspire her writing. Besides reading, writing, and ChickLitPlus responsibilities, Samantha enjoys sports- especially the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs- and will never refuse ice cream.

Find Samantha: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Find Keeper of my Heart: Goodreads | Amazon | BN

The Giveaway:

A Destined to Fail E-book is up for grabs!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the rest of the Destined to Fail Blog Tour Here!

Cover Reveal: LUMINOSITY by Stephanie Thomas

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:01:00 PST

LUMINOSITY (Luminosity, #1) by Stephanie Thomas

Release date: September 11, 2012

Blurb:

"My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was
immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At
the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings.
And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t
been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the
Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from
everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us
all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling
in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I
think I’ve already helped them win."

Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon Here

Add to your Goodreads TBR Here

Check out Stephanie Thomas Here

In My Mailbox - 2/26/12

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:30:00 PST

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share whatever books and bookish goodies that you've bought, borrowed, won, or been gifted and have thus entered your home the previous week. You can show off books that you are excited about and it's also a great opportunity to showcase books that you may not actually have the time to read or review.

Added to my Bookshelf for Pleasure:

Hardcover of Supernaturally – Kiersten White (Oops-I’d best get myself a copy of Paranormalcy now!)Paperback of Minding Frankie – Maeve BinchyMovie Tie-in Paperback of The Woman in Black – Susan Hill

Paperback of Swamplandia! – Karen Russell

Paperback of The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady – Elizabeth Stuckey-French

Paperback of A Visit from the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan

Paperback of I Remember Nothing – Nora EphronPaperback of To The End of the Land – David GrossmanPaperback of Lord of Misrule – Jaimy Gordon

Added to my Bookshelf for Review:

Boardbook God Gave Us Love – Lisa Tawn Bergren

Book Review: The Sneezy Wheezy Day by Sharon Cramer

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:54:00 PST

Cougar Cub Tales:The Sneezy Wheezy Day

Title: The Sneezy Wheezy Day
Author & Illustrator: Sharon Cramer
Reading level: Children’s
Size: 41 Pages
Release Date: January 2012
Publisher: B&F Publishing
Stand Alone or Series: One of the Cougar Cub Tales
Source: NetGalley

First Line: "The cougar cub siblings were sister and brother, who lived in their den by the edge of the hills."

Summary:

Brother Cougar Cub is ill. With the help of sister, they seek the advice of their well intentioned forest friends. The Grizzly Old Bear tells him, The reason you’re warm is you have too much hair. Best if you trim it as short as you dare. But, could it be that SISTER finally discovers the best remedy? The Sneezy Wheezy Day is a wonderful tale that will delight and challenge your child, but it is the paintings that will capture you and your young readers! Make sure to have your child search for the small, hidden creature on each page!

My Thoughts:

This is an adorably cute book which captivates not only with it’s rhyming verse but mostly with it’s incredibly vivid watercolor pictures. The two sibling are on a quest to find a cure for the ill brother cub. They meet a host of wonderful animals and get all kinds of advice before returning home and finding that sister cub had the solution all along.

My only curiosity throughout was: where is Mama bear? However every time I’d flip the page and see another gorgeous illustration I’d be captivated all over again.

Was it worth my Time?

Guest Post & Giveaway: Darcy Flynn, Author of Keeper of My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:28:00 PST

Today I am happy to welcome Darcy Flynn, author of Keeper of My Heart to Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.

(If you are on the home page and can't see the Giveaway either click on the post title or "read more" at the bottom to go to the individual post's page!)

Quiet Spaces

When I started writing my novel, my son was in second year in college and my husband had recently begun working from home. I thought, how wonderful, we’ll be working here at the house together. Side by side, having afternoon tea and enjoying our farm. But what I didn’t anticipate were the frequent interruptions I’d opened myself up to.

This was my first novel. My baby. I’d read all the books, taken the workshops and now I was ready to begin. It seemed ideas bombarded me every few minutes, if not every second. Plot outlines, scenes, conversations came at me from all directions. I frantically scribbled them on any scrap of paper I could find. This was the state of mind I was in those early days. I needed absolute quiet. Minimal interruptions. I labored over every sentence, writing and rewriting until my thoughts and intent were clearly stated.

Invariably, it would be during one of those painstaking moments my husband would yell for me from downstairs. The great thought, right on the tip of my fingers would disappear. Frustrated, but being the loving and supportive wife that I am; I’d stop, go downstairs and see what he wanted. Usually, it was something on the computer he thought I might find interesting. I’d think, couldn’t this have waited? Did I have to see this at this very moment?

You see, my husband, can do three things at one time and do them well. He can write a business proposal while his favorite game is on the TV and have a coherent conversation with me all at the same time.

What he didn’t understand is that I couldn’t do that!

Instead of communicating my frustration with him, I’d make the appropriate comment and run back upstairs to write.

After some weeks of this, I finally expressed my frustration. You got it.

Kaboom!

I’ll save you the details, but let me say, I gave him a piece of my mind I couldn’t afford to lose! LOL

Being the organized type A person he is, he suggested that in the mornings we go on a quiet schedule, where I could write uninterrupted. Then we could have lunch together and talk about our respective mornings. We agreed the afternoons would be less restrictive. And we gave each other permission to interrupt the other without repercussions.:)

One of the things I learned during that time was to relax and enjoy the process. Not to fret over a lost thought or idea. But, I do keep my smart phone handy and use the ‘voice memo’ app frequently.

If you’re an artist or a writer, how do you protect the few hours you have each day to work? I know an author who wears a tiara while she writes to let her children know that ‘mom is working’. What are some of the challenges you’ve had to deal with? From which family members? Where do you work? A quiet nook? A coffee shop?

Please share your experiences. What has worked or not worked for you?

Blessings,

Darcy

The Book:

Katie McCullough doesn’t know it, but Max Sawyer, the over confident, irritatingly handsome hotel developer who outbid her for the lighthouse property, is none other, than her mystery lighthouse sailor. The one man who captured her heart five years earlier, the one man who has since been the plum line for every other unsuspecting male who has crossed her path. Unfortunately for Max, he doesn’t measure up either.

Still reeling from losing the property she’d planned to call home, sparks fly when Katie assumes Max is turning her beloved lighthouse compound into one of his ‘Serenity Spa Resorts.” Outraged, Katie sets out on a mission to dismantle the property…and his plans.

Except Max’s plans have absolutely nothing to do with hotels and everything to do with winning Katie’s heart.

About the Author:

Darcy was born into the rich culture of New Orleans, La. As a city filled with colorful historical intrigue and broad creative energy, her natural bent to the arts coupled with her love for one of the most romantic cities in the world has been the inspiration and anchor of her artistic multi-dimension endeavors. Darcy was always compelled by the need to express herself and like her mother’s famous gumbo, her previous expressions included a little bit of everything - art, music, acting and dance.

Although, published in music, art and the Christian non-fiction market under another identity, it was the empty nest that turned Darcy to writing romantic fiction. A lover of lighthouses, Darcy’s first novel, Keeper Of My Heart, unfolds in a small Maryland fishing village on the Chesapeake Bay.

Darcy, a former Mrs. Tennessee, continues to be surrounded by all things creative in Music City and when not in writing in her London flat, lives on a beautiful horse farm in historic- Franklin, Tennessee with her husband, son, two English Setters and a calico cat. Darcy enjoys stargazing, raising rare breed chickens and gardening.

Find Darcy: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Find Keeper of my Heart: Goodreads | Amazon | BN

The Giveaway:

Darcy is giving away 5 ecopies of Keeper of My Heart to 5 lucky readers

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Follow Friday - 2/24/12 (Where I read...)

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:07:00 PST

(Thanks to Parajunkies View & Alison Can Read for hosting)

Q: Activity!!! Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most...

I usually read either on my couch with a nice cup of tea on hand:

or curled up in bed with my kitty while I fight off Morpheus:

Book Review: Cycles by Lois Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:43:00 PST

Cycles

Title: Cycles
Author: Lois Brown
Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Size: E-Book, 198 pages
Release Date: December 2011
Publisher: Levanter Publishing
Stand Alone or Series: Cycles #1
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review

First Line: "A drop of liquid oozed from Renee's fingertip."

Summary (from GoodReads):

She remembers things that never happened.
She's a stranger in her own home.
She always knew she was different.
She just didn't know why.
Until now.
Renee Beaumont is about to die . . . again.

My Thoughts:

I flew through this novel at record pace. The writing flowed easily, the characters were all quite likable and believable and I found the premise to be interesting and unique. I have to admit that I was quite pleasantly surprised by this one. I wondered how I would relate to such young characters but I needn't have feared. Sam is wise beyond his years and Renee, well she also has much more experience than one would assume. (I don't want to give anything away!)

Lois Brown does a wonderful job of introducing two very young characters and throwing them into the midst of a fascinating and mysterious intrigue. I loved trying to puzzle it all out right alongside Renee and Sam. I don't think that I'd have been able to guess at any of it before it was revealed.

My only complaints would be that it did seem a smidgen unbelievable to me that two 13 year old were running around on their own. And there is one scene involving a conversation between Renee and a schoolteacher that seemed 100% improbable and age inappropriate. But then again...times may have changed greatly since I was 13!

On the whole, I was impressed with Lois Brown's creativity and her character development and am curious to see where the story goes from here...

Was it worth my Time?

Cat Thursday - Baby Piper

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s) and then link up at the host's site: The True Book Addict. It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!
My fiance dug up some old pictures of Piper as a kitten so I thought I would share! The quality isn't the best but I think his cuteness makes up for it!

Piper with his siblings!

All tucked in for the night.

Aren't I just the cutest?

Tuckered out!

As a reminder: This is Piper now :)

Book Review: Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt & Denise Hunter

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:56:00 PST

Smitten

Title: Smitten
Author: Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt & Denise Hunter
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Christian Fiction/Romance
Size: Paperback, 403 pages
Release Date: December 2011
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone (Though I heard rumor of a follow up: Secretly Smitten)
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

First Line: "Natalie Mansfield’s heart swelled as she stood anon the perimeter of the town square and watched her niece and the other children decorate the town for Easter."

Summary (from Amazon):

Welcome to Smitten, Vermont.

With the help of four friends, it's about to become the most romantic town in America.

The proposed closing of the lumber mill comes as unwelcome news for the citizens of Smitten. How will the town survive without its main employer? A close-knit group of women think they've got just the plan to save Smitten. They'll capitalize on its name and turn it into a tourist destination for lovers-complete with sweet shops, a high-end spa, romantic music on the square, and cabins outfitted with fireplaces and hot tubs.
But is this manly town ready for an influx of romantically-minded guests?

Country music sensation Sawyer Smitten, the town's hometown hero, wants to help by holding his own wedding there on Valentine's Day. And little Mia's lavender wreaths hang all over town as a reminder that faith can work miracles. Along the way, four women spearheading the town's transformation-energetic Natalie, sophisticated Julia, graceful Shelby, and athletic Reese-get in the spirit by reviving their own love lives.

Join best-selling inspirational romance authors (and real-life BFFs) Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for an inspiring stay at the (soon-to-be) most romantic town on the eastern seaboard.

One visit . . . and you'll be smitten too.

My Thoughts:

What I Loved:

That cover--it is to die for! The colors, the artistry with the little images like the ring hidden in the pattern and the sleeping New England own with the windows lit from within! Love, love, love it! It was honestly the first thing that attracted my attention to this book and from there I was determined to read and review it!

The setting and characters--A small town in New England where every one knows and cares about their neighbors! It's the type of place that I would want to live! Natalie, Julia, Shelby & Reese are all immensely likable characters each with their own unique quirks which adds dimension to the book.

The premise--Four friends determined to work together with each other and the town to save it from going under when it's main economy (the saw mill) closes. The idea of making this small town into a quaint romantic destination is perfect!

What Disappointed Me:

The romances--I felt like all four of the stories were almost the same but for a few tweaks. Girl and guy are friends but then realize that their feelings for each other have grown and are afraid to lose their friendships by admitting their feeling.

The dialogue--For most of the book the dialogue felt stilted and unreal. I honestly could not see these conversations happening in real life.

The revitalization--I would have loved to hear more than just a passing mention about the actual changes that were happening in the town. More description of the new businesses and the sprucing up of the town square etc. would have added some much needed depth to the story.

The Christian aspect--I knew picking this book up that it was Christian fiction and I've read and enjoyed numerous Christian books in the past. This one however just felt a little too forced for my taste. Almost every third paragraph had some reference to God, prayer, faith etc. I understand that the idea that the faith of the town was key to the success of the revitalization, however I felt it a bit implausible that every single character we met was a devout Christian who not only practiced his/her faith fervently but also verbalized it multiple times in every conversation held.

Overall Impressions:

In general, I feel that the premise of this book was great and the writing and characters wonderful. I did enjoy the read, however at the end I was left feeling disappointed. I felt that, though entertaining, the book lacked the depth and life for which I was hoping.

Was it worth my Time?

Book Review: Home Front by Kristin Hannah

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:09:00 PST

Home Front

Title: Home Front
Author: Kristin Hannah
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Size: Hard Cover, 388 pages
Release Date: January 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

First Lines: "The way she saw it, some families were like well-tended parks, with pretty daffodil borders and big, sprawling trees that offered respite from the summer sun. Others—and this she knew firsthand—were battlefields, bloody and dark, littered with shrapnel and body parts."

Summary (from GoodReads):

All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .

Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life---children, careers, bills, chores---even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a soldier she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own---for everything that matters to his family.

Favorite Quote from the Book:

“He prided himself on his intelligence, but he’d been wrong, blinded by selfishness or politics or intellectualism. For years he’d watched news reported about the local war on terrorism and followed images of soldiers in the desert and he’d thought about the politics of it all, about weapons of mass destruction and George W.’s declaration of war and the wisdom of arming and sending out troops. He’d argued with colleagues about it — while he sat safe and warm and protected in his country. He’d argued about the true cost of the war. He hadn’t known shit.”

My Thoughts:

This was probably the most emotionally taxing novel that I have read in the last six months. And it was 100% worth it! We are introduced to Jolene, her husband and their children as a family in crisis. Jolene and Michael are on the brink of divorce, their older daughter acting out as her tween years come upon her and their youngest “escaping” it all by being “invisible.” Michael tells Jolene “I don’t love you anymore” and the next day she receives the call…she and her unit are being deployed to Iraq.

There is just something about the way that Kristin Hannah writes that manages to evoke a myriad of emotions from me. Throughout the first 1/4- 1/3 of the novel I absolutely hated Michael. And I do not use the word hate very often. The rage literally burned inside me every time his thoughts or actions were voiced. And then the tears would well up on behalf of Jolene. By the middle of the book we see the potential and the growth in Michael and somehow by the end, find ourselves rooting for him as well as Jolene…rooting for “Them.” I would say that is the epitome of character development…to be able to take the reader on a journey from vitriolic hate to compassion and caring for a character in the course of 300 pages.

The parts of the book depicting Jolene’s experiences in Iraq, her injury and subsequent adjustments upon returning home are nothing short of horrifying and heartbreaking. I think that we all “know” what war entails but most of us probably do a pretty good job of ignoring those realities…this book will force one to face them head on. It forces one to look at not only the active soldiers, but the veterans who come home and are then facing their own private war every day whether it be due to physical injury or psychological trauma. And I think that no matter how we may stand politically regarding America’s Foreign Policy, none of us can disregard on a personal level the sacrifices that our military and their families make on a daily basis.

In her latest novel, Kristin Hannah brings home the realities of military life and the incredible sacrifices that our service men and women make on a daily basis. She explores interpersonal relationships as well if not better than any other author I can think of. Relationships between friends, between husband and wife, between siblings, and perhaps most importantly she examines what it means to be true to oneself…whatever the cost.

I recommend this book to…Everyone.

The one caveat? Make sure that you have plenty of tissues at the ready…I cried like a baby throughout.

Was it worth my Time?

Teaser Tuesdays - Cycles by Lois Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:30:00 PST

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cycles

Summary from Goodreads:

She remembers things that never happened.
She's a stranger in her own home.
She always knew she was different.
She just didn't know why.
Until now.
Renee Beaumont is about to die . . . again.

Teaser:

"Two gunshots, one right after the other, rang in the trees, and Sam hit the ground. He felt sharp pokes in his calf and was sure he’d taken a bullet there. He tenderly pulled up his pant leg and saw a handful of sticky burrs stuck to his sock. He swore to himself. He could never let anyone know about this-especially not Renee.”

What's your teaser today?

Author Interview: Jennifer White

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

I am so happy to have the beautiful, witty, and most importantly talented Jennifer White here with me today!!
Check out my review of her wonderful book Otherwise Here!!

1) Welcome Jennifer:) Thanks for joining us!

Thanks Melissa! Great to be a guest on your beautiful blog!

2) Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I enjoy the smell of all sorts of things—fresh herbs, laundry from the dryer, my seven year-old’s hair, especially when he’s sleeping. I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh. Let’s just say there’s a lot of volume that comes out of me, and I don’t particularly care who stares at me when I chuckle, snicker, cackle, chortle or guffaw. I don’t embarrass easily. I think I have the mutated unashamed gene. I eat cereal from the box. I like talking to senior citizens—I find them fascinating. I swear like a road-house bouncer. I’m a huge foodie—I love to cook and I love to eat. I eat more than any man I know. It’s obscene.

I don’t have a Boston accent—unless I’m shouting at a Patriots game. “Wicked awesome!” When I’m not in Boston, I’m in L.A. working on movies. (I’m a Hollywood tagline writer and professional screenwriting.)
I love writing, but mostly, I love storytelling.

3) Can you tell me a little bit about Otherwise and what inspired it?

I like to write what I like to read. I’ve always been drawn to tales of the supernatural. But, it’s not just the fright factor; it’s the juxtaposition of otherworldly things with living people. The fun of writing a book like this is exploring the unknown.

Otherwise launches its main character, Delilah, right into the middle of paranormal occurrences that she can’t, at first, understand. When she finds herself back in the town where she grew up, she tries to understand the motivations of the people that drop into her world, and what connection they have with her and her dead grandmother. She quickly realizes nothing is what it seems. Swirling around her are the unsolved deaths of several people in town—mysteries that have never been explained.

4) What do you hope that readers take way with them after reading Otherwise?

I don’t think I could ever write a story that didn’t have a satisfying ending. My personal belief is that when you close a book, or leave a movie theater, you should feel that you were entertained, satisfied, relieved, and yet—still long for more.

5) I find it interesting to know what environment authors find most productive… Do you use a pen and paper or laptop? Quiet room at home or bustling café? Basically, what gets your creative juices flowing?

My favorite place to work is my home office. I have my laptop with a large monitor on a cherry desk. It’s a lovely space with an upright piano, two cellos and a working fireplace. I always have a little bowl of candy because my kids will come in, grab a handful, then sit in one of the comfy chairs opposite my desk and talk to me.

Although I like my creature comforts, I’m completely portable. I have two laptops—one Toshiba, one Mac. I don’t like writing on airplanes, but I hustle to L.A. a lot, and it’s a 6 hour flight, so I Skype, write and even tweet on a plane.

I always find it fascinating when I see how writers are portrayed in movies (or books). Often times they’re pounding away on an old typewriter, or using a large yellow pad of paper and a pen that’s out of ink. They always look like they’re struggling. I’ve been doing this for decades, and I can’t imagine doing anything else! It’s not a struggle because I love it—even when it’s hard work. And, like an athlete, musician, or anyone who does something every day for hours at a time, I believe you need to have the right tools to work with when you’re mastering your art. (Now… where did I leave my quill?)

6) What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

If you do this long enough, you grow a thick skin. My toughest criticism has never been from book critics, bloggers, or even Hollywood clients. It was from an editor I had years ago. She had a great command over the English language, but every sentence had to be grammatically correct. She’d analyze sentences, dissect them, and put them back together again. I don’t mind that, because you can grow from that kind of work.
Although, at the end of the day, you need to keep your voice, even if that means writing dialogue that’s not exactly grammatically correct. Sometimes “Gimme that!” is a whole lot better than “Give that to me!”

What I hear writers complain about most is criticism from literary agents or people in the industry who have never read their work. That’s not “critical,” it’s just disparaging and rude.

My best compliments have always come unexpectedly. I recently had a book reviewer say he’d read my book if he had time. (I respect that.) Suddenly, he got my book, read it in one day, and then did the same with my next book. He gave incredibly flattering reviews on both books. That’s a nice compliment!

7) What book is currently on your nightstand? And who are some of your favorite authors?

I’ve been reading Audrey Niffenegger’s Her Fearful Symmetry. I adore her voice. But, I’m forever interrupted. In order to write movie taglines, you have to read movie scripts. So, I often have to put down something I’m reading for pleasure, in order to read for work.

8) What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Wait, you’re telling me there’s something other than writing? Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that before?

I enjoy my kids—it’s always a battle of wit and the element of surprise! When I’m in L.A., I love going to Malibu, Venice and hitting the farmer’s markets. I love the restaurants and night life. In New England, I enjoy the seasons and my pond. I have a broad, eclectic interest in the arts. I like to express my creativity through cooking, gardening, playing piano, interior design, photography, and painting. I believe that a home is more than a dwelling—it’s a place of comfort where there’s laughter, communication, affection, and always the intoxicating aromas of something delicious cooking.

9) Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I work with a lot of aspiring writers and screenwriters. I had a writer recently send me a script he’d painstakingly wrote based on a graphic novel. I think I broke his heart when I asked if he received permission from the author before he wrote the screenplay. Aside from writing every day—remember, train like an athlete—I think the best thing a writer can do is understand not just the craft of writing, but the nuances of the industry you want to work in.

10) What can we expect from you next?

I’m working on several things simultaneously. So, we’ll see which one gets their first! I’m writing a new young adult novel; a literary novel based on true events; and editing a novel that’s also a movie script with the film company, Participant. (They made the movie The Help.) Maybe I’ll read Her Fearful Symmetry when my lifeless body is dragged from my computer up to my bed!

Melissa: And now for a little bit of fun:)

This or That?

Coffee or Tea?

(Looks up from 5^th cup of Starbucks coffee.) What was the question again?

Beach or Lake?

I live on a pond, but I love Malibu. [Expletive!] These questions are hard! What’s the next one?

Winter or Summer?

Summer, wait—autumn. Oh, that’s not one of the questions.

Cats or Dogs?

Cats that think they’re dogs.

Zombies or Vampires?

Zombie witches. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Country or City?

L.A., then back to the country, then L.A.

Shower or Bath?

If it has claw feet, then a bath!

Morning or Evening?

I used to be morning, but ever since I got that strange bite on my neck, I really like the night.

M&Ms or Skittles?

Mmmm chocolate!

Trains or Planes?

Planes. With movies. And Chardonnay.

Comedy or Drama?

Dramedy. I’m really difficult, aren’t I?

You always make me laugh Jennifer!! Thanks so much for being here today and sharing a bit of yourself with my readers!

Jennifer B. White has written a boatload of books, a mass of movie scripts, and, from time to time, epic poems that all begin with the words; This is a very long sonnet, so grab a drink. Go on, get on it!

Growing up, her family understood that a certain amount of supernatural phenomena was to be
expected. Her father foretold his mother’s death and witnessed her ghost. Many years later, Jennifer received a “sign” that her father was dying when her house was filled with the scent of
incense. She got to her dad in time to hold his hand as he passed away. It’s okay, she’s made peace with his death. She’d just prefer if he’d stop playing with the dining room lights.

These experiences, and others like them, left Jennifer with seeds for several good stories like DEAD ASLEEP, OTHERWISE and THE WITCH AND THE DEVIL’S SON—novels that explore intriguing topics like ghosts, witchcraft, dreams, time travel, reincarnation, and the lines between life and death.

As well as penning novels, Jennifer is a screenwriter and Hollywood tagline writer. She lives and writes in Boston, Massachusetts, when she’s not in Los Angeles, California working on movies. She holds a BA in communication and an M.Ed in psychology. She has three boys—all were born in late October, the youngest on Halloween.

Connect with Jennifer: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Check out her books: Goodreads | BN | Amazon

In My Mailbox 2/19/12

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:30:00 PST

Added to my Bookshelf for Pleasure:

Paperback of Happily Ever After – Harriet Evans
Hardcover of Reign of Madness – Lynn Cullen
Hardcover of Across the Universe – Beth Revis
(Loved this book! Can’t wait to get my hands on A Million Suns!)

Paperbacks of Vampire Academy, Frostbite, & Shadow Kiss – Richelle Mead(Thank you to Emily from Red House Books for these! I’ve always been curious about this series!)

Paperback of Firelight – Sophie JordanPaperback of The Lover’s Dictionary – David Levithan

Paperback of Planet Wedding: A Nuptialpedia – Sandra Choron, Harry ChoronThe Wedding Planner Organizer – Mindy Weiss

Added to my Nook for Pleasure:

Hearts at Stake – Alyxandra Harvey

Your Dream Wedding on a Budget – Mindy Weiss

Added to my Nook for Review:

The Replacement Wife – Eileen Goudge
(This one sounds really good...can't wait to start it)

Book Review: Otherwise by Jennifer White

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:34:00 PST

Otherwise

Title: Otherwise
Author: Jennifer White
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Size: 340 pages
Release Date: December 2011
Publisher: OakIvy Publishing
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Received from publisher for review

First Line: "Delivered like a witch from a Victorian fairy tale, Delilah arrived on Hermit Meddler’s Way on gusty winds."

Summary:

Reluctantly, Delilah Gray has returned to her childhood home—a ramshackle cottage where her compulsive, hoarding grandmother, Meema, raised her. Meema’s ghostly manifestations refuse to let Delilah clean the filthy house, or to stay there peacefully. And that’s just the beginning of Delilah’s problems.

Lonely, angry, and hiding a painful secret, she tries to find a place for herself in a town that she once discovered was “in-between”—a portal to the worlds of the supernatural. Upon her arrival, Delilah unwittingly gets caught in the middle of important business between The Keeper, whose job it is to keep souls on the physical plane, and The Sender who helps speed the dead on their afterlife journey.

When Delilah discovers that she is connected to Lily Defoe, a woman who leapt to her death many years ago, and to a man who refers to himself as The Gravedigger for Lost Souls, she realizes there is more to her homecoming than she anticipated. Who she is, and who she’s been, crosses the boundaries of life and death. Nothing—not the people she meets, not this very moment in time, not even the tragic death of her daughter—is what it appears to be. Not only does Delilah have her own “soul searching” to do, but she must work with some of Green Lake’s oddest characters to uncover the mysteries of several unsolved deaths that have never been forgotten.

While strange and supernatural occurrences threaten Delilah’s already fragile emotional state, she still has a crucial choice to make that will change everything. She comes to understand that there are some things that are worse than death. There is Otherwise—to be confined to a twilight state between the spiritual and the physical worlds.

OTHERWISE is a chilling tale about lonely spirits, protective forces, and departed loved ones who are never really gone—and a woman who, after wanting to die, finds a reason to live and to love again. Only to discover what it is to be Otherwise.

My Thoughts:

This book captured my interest from the very first line and never released it. It is well written and flows beautifully introducing new characters and delivering new plot developments at exactly the right moments. Once I jumped in, I couldn’t put it down and I must admit that I was sad when it ended.

The character of Delilah is so multi-dimensional (in fact more multi-dimensional than one even realizes), that one can not help feeling for her from the very beginning. We are sucked into her world which at first appears to be a classic tale of a small town girl returning home to face her demons and then slowly one comes to realize that all in Green Lake is not what it seems. All of the secondary characters are equally charming in their own mysterious and puzzling ways…especially Winnie who one can not help but love.

The human and the supernatural meld seamlessly in this novel with elements of romance, mystery, and a healthy dose of Jennifer’s wonderful wit. She explores issues of family, trust, loss, and the real meaning of “undying” love and ultimately what it means to be alive, dead, or Otherwise.

I recommend this book to anyone who seeks a paranormal lens through which to examine some very human issues.

Was it worth my Time?

Check back on Monday for my interview with Jennifer White!!

2012 Review Copy Cleanup (March Reading Challenge)

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:16:00 PST

Vicky from Books, Biscuits, & Tea and Celine from Nyx Book Reviews are hosting a month long challenge in March with the aim to get caught up on Review Reading. This sounds like just what I need!!! Click on the image above or HERE to join!

Challenge Guidelines:

The challenge runs from 1 to 31 March
To sign up, just fill in the Mister Linky below. Link to your sign up post directly please! The Linky is the same for both our blogs, so you only have to sign up once
The sign up is open until 15 March 2012. Participation in the challenges and giveaways won't be possible for anyone who hasn't previously signed up
When you post your sign up post on your blog, either include the challenge button with your post or link it back to this article so that people know where to sign up. Thank you!
Every book you received for review counts towards the challenge, both ebooks and hard copies, including all genres and lengths
You don't need to follow the two hosts in order to be able to sign up for the event (although it's appreciated), but you do have to follow us in order to be able to enter our giveaways. In order to be entered in the giveaway, simply complete the given challenge and add the link to your post in the linky list
Challenges will be posted every week on Fridays and will last throughout the week until Thursday the next week. Every challenge ends with a giveaway. To enter in the challenges and giveaways, simply add the link to your challenge post in the Linky list in the main challenge post. It will be posted on both blogs.
At the end of the event we will host our Massive Giveaway. This contains tons of prizes donated by awesome authors. All you'll need to do in order to enter this giveaway is to fill in a Rafflecopter form - as simple as that.
Most of our giveaways will be open INTERNATIONALLY but you'll find all the relevant info about each giveaway when we post the challenges
Feel free to use the #RCCleanup hashtag on Twitter for your RCC related tweets or join in the Twitter party at http://tweetchat.com/room/RCCleanup and meet lots of awesome bloggers (:

Challenge Schedule:March 2 - Show Off Your Pile
March 9 - Cuddle Up With a Book
March 16 - Don't Be Such a Tease!
March 23 - Mysterious Meet-up
March 30 - Love Will Find a Way

My TBR Review Book List for March-April 2012

(I hope to read and review at least 6 of these in March):

Cycles - Lois D Brown

The Book of Lost Fragrances - MJ Rose

Switched - Amanda Hocking

Wanderlove - Kirsten Hubbard

The Replacement Wife - Eileen Goudge

8 The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf - Mike Mullin

What Happened to Hannah - Mary Kay McComas

The Underside of Joy - Sere Prince Halverson

By Fire, By Water - Mitchell James Kaplan

The Familial Witch - Bri Clark

From Beltane Magic - Jacqueline Paige

The Eternal Child - David Wasserman

Author Guest Post: Kira Saito - Death By Chocolate

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:15:00 PST

Embrace Imperfect Characters in YA

by Kira Saito

I think that more adults read YA than actual teenagers. Given this observation, I believe that many of these readers expect the teens in their books to act adult, be mature and rational. My question is: why read YA if you expect perfect characters that make perfect the choices?

When you’re a teen, you’re allowed to kiss the wrong boy or do things that you could never get away with as an adult. Hell, you should make a few wrong choices as long as you learn from your mistakes.

Think about it, when you were a teenager, didn’t you freak out at the littlest things like getting a huge zit, not being allowed to stay out late or were horribly devastated when you found out your crush liked someone else?

I did and I still act this way sometimes even though I’m no longer a teen. So anyways, when I write, I allow my characters to make mistakes, be insecure and in the end ultimately grow.

If you’re looking for a great read that has imperfect characters that are fun, memorable and easy to relate to check out DBC!

The Book:

Death by Chocolate- The paranormal young adult anthology with a cocoa twist.

Authors Suz Korb, Cheryl Carvajal, Nikki Jefford, Kira Saito, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, and Lucy Swing

Buy it here: Amazon | Smashwords

Back in Time by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Nothing in Aurelia Lemon's life is turning out how she'd planned. She's unemployed, unattached, and her family bakery is on the verge of closing. To make matters worse, the guy she dumped in high school is doing well and getting rich off of one of her departed mother's recipes. It would take a miracle to right everything she's done wrong. Or maybe just a phone call and the chance to go Back in Time.

Sweet Witchery by Cheryl J. Carvajal

Catalena is only one of many dreamers in a small medieval town in Romania. When the witch Ramnusia opens her chocolate shoppe, suddenly dreams turn into reality. The chocolates are divine, but their power is greater than their sweetness. Miracles abound, dreams come true, and Ramnusia's magic confections become the talk of the town. But if these chocolates can make dreams come true, will they win for Catalena the deepest dream of her heart?

Spellbound by Nikki Jefford

Two months after dying, Graylee Perez wakes up in her identical twin sister, Charlene’s body.

As the daughter of a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her back to life? Only now Gray’s stuck sharing her sister’s body 50/50 in 24 hour shifts.

The race is on for Gray to find a way back into her body before Charlene purges her from existence.

Warlock Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell and worse – her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.

Bloody Valentine by Lucy Swing

One by one the girls of Hollow High disappear and when Bailey receives a heart-shaped box filled with chocolates she might be next.

Sweet Torture by Kira Saito

Sixteen year old Claudia Bernstein is obsessed with two things: chocolate and Dante Torres. However, being an invisible minion to Upper East Side princess Beatrice Wildenbert isn't helping her get anywhere with her dream guy.

Everything changes over Christmas break when Dante actually starts noticing her.

But are Dante's intentions as pure as they seem? When Claudia finds herself in the middle of a cruel prank, she decides to take revenge. But is revenge enough? Or will she finally realize that her own worst enemy is herself?

The Girl with Three Heads by Suz Korb

Kate wakes up on the morning of the Death by Chocolate fundraiser event to discover she has two extra heads resting upon each of her shoulders. She is not pleased about this. She's even more displeased when she discovers the head on her right shoulder (which looks like Santa Claus, complete with fluffy white beard) is actually Zeus, lord of lightning, or something like that. The head on her left shoulder? Yeah, it's the head of Hera; goddess-of-looking-like-a-blonde-bombshell and getting on Kate's nerves by shouting in her ear all the time.

Will Kate ever rid herself of these two extra heads? Will she ever get to experience an actual kiss from a boy without extra-head-situation interruptions? Join Kate as she struggles to survive being flung into the Underworld, as well as eventually landing upon Mount Olympus.

Just because she's got two extra craniums doesn't mean either head is an extra set of useful brains.

The Authors:

Stacey Wallace Benefiel is the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, the Day of Sacrifice series and The Toilet Business, a collection of essays. She lives in an orange house in Beaverton, OR with her husband and their two young children. For more information about Stacey and her other works, please visit her website: http://staceywallacebenefiel.com

Cheryl Carvajal goes by the name Shakespeare at her two blogs: http://creativeartsanonymous.blogspot.com/ and http://notwritinganythinganymore.blogspot.com/ You can also contact her by email at shakespeare824@hotmail.com Over the last decade she has ventured into YA writing. She has three degrees in English, teaches Zumba and works on her writing with help from her husband who is president of Bainbridge College, Georgia.

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan now residing in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands with her husband, Sébastien, and their Westie, Cosmo. She is the author of Entangled. Visit Nikki at www.nikkijefford.blogspot.com

Lucy Swing is a mother of two and a wife to a Firefighter/Paramedic. She is the author of the upcoming paranormal YA romance novel "Feathermore". She is a Goodreads author and you can find out more about her writing endeavours on her website http://www.LucySwing.com

Kira is a magic junkie and loves writing YA paranormal romances. Some of her heroes include: Jack the Pumpkin King, Willy Wonka, Larry David, Princess Jasmine, the vampire Lestat, Andy and her Maltese Costanza. You can email her at kirakatwritingservices@gmail.com and you can find out more about Kira on her website http://kirasaito.blogspot.com/

Suz Korb loves comedy. She also loves magic. She loves, loves to inject these key elements into her paranormal stories. She also loves, loves, loves cereal and eats way too much of it whilst novel writing. She’s an expat of the USA now living in England, a mother of two and the author of The Bedeviled Trilogy. To find out more about Suz Korb’s books visit her website at www.suzkorb.com

Book Review: Going Back for Romeo by LL Muir

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

Going Back for Romeo

Title: Going Back for Romeo
Author: LL Muir
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance/Fantasy
Size: 273 pages
Release Date: December 2011
Stand Alone or Series: Muir Witch Project #1
Source: Author for Blog Tour

First Line: "Odd. The stone closest to Laird Montgomery Ross’s foot looked to be the same shape as the hole remaining in the side of his sister’s tomb, but he refused to reach for it."

Summary:

Alone, with a Highlander, in his castle, on a cold dark night...

(Okay, so it wasn’t that cold.)

Jillian MacKay is being conned by a pair of eighty-year-old witches. They’re convinced she’s the perfect sucker to test a prophecy and they’re willing to bury her alive to prove it. Once she escapes and finds herself in 15th Century Scotland, she believes her return home depends on a heroic deed—she must rescue a plaid-clad Romeo and Juliet before tragedy can strike. The monster standing in her way, however, is a handsome Highlander who might just be her own Romeo...a Romeo she must leave behind.

Rather than surrender his secrets, Montgomery Ross would prefer to go down in history as the heartless creature who betrayed one sister and buried the other alive. When he falls in love with the prophesied faery who has come to expose him, he'll have to learn a wee lesson from the star-crossed lovers or suffer the fate to which he once condemned them.

My Thoughts:

I am going to be completely honest about this…as I fully believe that you my readers deserve nothing less and I know that I expect nothing less from you. I went into this book fully expecting that it would be entertaining but not really “good” if you know what I mean. I mean…look at that cover…add Highlanders…time travel…witches…Romeo & Juliet… Isn’t it all really just a bit much?

NO, it is all exactly just right!

We are thrown right into the action with Laird Ross entombing his still living sister who has been condemned a witch and the book just runs from there. All of the characters are likeable and relatable. Jillian with her interesting background story makes a wonderful heroine. Monty with his tortured past is all you’d want in a Highlander. and the secondary characters all come alive through LL Muir’s story telling. And the author writes with such heart and wit that you’ll race through to the end before you even know what has happened.

I will admit that there were two small scenes were some of the story was told through flashbacks and I feel it would have kept the continuity had it all been told in chronological order and there was one scene that still has me scratching my head. However , it honestly didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story one bit.

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this book! Honestly I can't really put my finger on any one thing...but I really did. The author must indeed be a witch as her same named characters are to have made such an impression on me:) And I want the next installment…now please!

If you are looking for a quick fun read with loveable and kooky characters and a lot of humor…this book is for you!

Was it worth my Time?

About the Author:
L.L. Muir lives with Superman in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains. They are raising numerous super-heroes for society, but none will wear tights. Currently, she writes Scottish & Regency historicals and paranormal fiction for both adult and young adult readers. She is represented by Cori Deyoe of Three Seas Literary Agency.

Her hobbies are:
*stalking kilt-wearers at the local Scottish Festival and Highland Games.
*making up stories about those kilt-wearers.
*trying to get the men in her life to wear kilts.

Before writing full-time, she owned a flower shop called The Scottish Rose. She'd often answer the phone sounding like Mrs. Doubtfire...until a gentleman customer asked to speak with the Scottish woman who owned the place.

Website: www.llmuir.weebly.com
Blog: www.writersblockbuster.blogspot.com
Twitter @LLMuir

I'm being Featured on the Unread Reader's "When I'm Not Reading" !

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:54:00 PST

I am so excited!! Missie over at the Unread Reader asked me to be a part of her When I'm Not Reading Feature. I've always loved learning about other bloggers and seeing some snapshots of their lives through her feature and I'm thrilled that she's asked me to participate today!! Please click on over and check out the post!!

Author Interview: A Chat with Sere Prince Halverson author of The Underside of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:30:00 PST

I am thrilled to have sere Prince Halverson here with us today! I'll be reviewing her book, The Underside of Joy, soon.

A Chat with Sere Prince Halverson

Melissa: Welcome to Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf! Please start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

Sere: I live in Northern California with my husband. We have four just about grown children that have recently left the nest. I’m a mom and a stepmom. I worked as a freelance copywriter and creative director for twenty years while I wrote fiction and helped raise kids, and now have finally—finally!—published a novel.

Melissa: When did you know that you wanted to write professionally and how did you take the leap to get into the business?

Sere: I’ve loved writing stories since I was a kid. I earned a degree in Journalism, but soon after graduation, I realized that what I really wanted to do was make stuff up. By then I was newly married and helping put my first husband through school, so I signed up for a creative writing course at the local college and wrote short stories during lunch breaks and after work. Later, I wrote stories while my kids napped, wrote around the edges of napkins at Chuck E. Cheese and on rolls of butcher paper the kids used for finger painting. And I wrote in between freelance copywriting assignments. I had no idea it would take me so long to have a novel published. Good thing I didn’t know.

Melissa: Can you tell me a little bit about The Underside of Joy and what inspired it?

Sere: I could see a woman curled up in a bed, under a blanket, feeling that she had once had everything she’d ever wa nted and had now lost it all. But I didn’t know anything else about her, so I started writing to see what she had to say.

Melissa: What do you hope that readers take way with them after reading The Underside of Joy?

Sere: My best reading experiences have been with books that both take me outside of myself to experience another life, yet also resonate with something deep within me and make me feel less alone. I hope The Underside of Joy can give at least some of that kind of experience to its readers.

Melissa: I find it interesting to know what environment authors find most productive… Do you use a pen and paper or laptop? Quiet room at home or bustling café? Basically, what gets your creative juices flowing?

Sere: I usually start with a pen and paper. I’m kind of a diva when it comes to my pens, which, since 1984, have been Uniball micro rollers in black. After a while of scratching in my notebook I move to my laptop. When I get stuck, I go back to the notebook. I’m part of that in-between generation. I used to write anywhere I could. In bed, with earplugs and the door closed, at the kitchen table or at a coffee house, in a borrowed cabin, and years ago, when I was really desperate, even at the park or Chuck E. Cheese while my kids played. But now I write from my little red writing hut. My husband and I recently moved into a small place, and there was no good spot for me to write. While I was traveling with my son for several weeks last summer, he and my in-laws surprised my by building a separate studio for me. I know. Lucky me.

Melissa: What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

Sere: An agent told me The Underside of Joy was the type of novel publishers were no longer buying, that I was ten or even twenty years too late. He hadn’t read beyond the first chapter. He wasn’t trying to be unkind; he was telling me what he honestly thought. That was a bit crushing, considering I’d spent over five years working on it. My agent, of course, felt differently. When I sold the book, that other agent was one of the first to send an email, graciously congratulating me. Talk about a subjective business…

There hasn’t been one best compliment. I’m so thrilled that people take the time to read it and then write or tell me how much it meant to them. They all tie for the best compliment. Blue ribbons all around!

Melissa: What book is currently on your nightstand? And who are some of your favorite authors?

Sere: There’s a stack of debut authors’ books that have just come out: Night Swim by Jessica Keener, The Lost Saints of Tennessee by Amy Franklin-Willis, The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau, At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill, The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith.

Some of my favorite contemporary authors include, but definitely aren’t limited to: Ann Patchett, Annie Dillard, Barbara Kingsolver, Wally Lamb, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, Jeffrey Eugenides, Anne Tyler, Alice Hoffman, Lorrie Moore, I could go on and on.

Melissa: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Sere: I love to read, of course, and watch movies, play word games, walk or hike, and either go out for dinner or help my husband cook. Or not…I also like to “let” him make the whole meal.

Melissa: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Sere: I mean this in the most sincere way: Do not give up. Easy to say, right? But I can say it with authority, because I am somewhat of an expert on this. It took me over two decades and three-and-a-half novels before this one was published. As thrilled as I am about The Underside of Joy finding its audience, I’ll tell you something else: Even if it hadn’t been published, I would not think of those years as wasted. If you love to write, if you need to write, it’s a good way to spend your time no matter the outcome. Yes, the odds for getting published (at least in the traditional sense) aren’t great. But they’re a lot worse if you quit. So keep writing. And when it’s time to find an agent, research like crazy. All the information you need is out there now.

Melissa: What can we expect from you next?

Sere: A novel about a young American artist who visits her father, a doctor working in Saudi Arabia. I’m going from the redwood forest to the desert.

Melissa: And now for a little bit of fun:)

This or That?

Coffee or Tea? Coffee in the morning. Tea in the afternoon.

Sweet or Salty? Salty

Beach or Lake? Beach

Winter or Summer? Winter. But Spring and Fall are my favorites.

Cats or Dogs? Dogs. (My dog Stuart is thumping his tail in victory. But I also adore my cat, Bob.)

Zombies or Vampires? Neither. But I did have a crush on Quentin from Dark Shadows when I was a girl, so if I have to choose, Vampires.

Country or City? Country

Shower or Bath? Shower

Morning or Evening? Morning

M&Ms or Skittles? Peanut M&Ms. Every time.

Trains or Planes? Trains. The European kind.

Comedy or Drama? Drama in fiction. But I prefer comedy over drama in real-life, any day.

Sere: Thank you so much for having me, Melissa. Loved your thoughtful questions, and the This or That was fun. I am craving Peanut M&Ms now, however…

Melissa: Thank you so much for joining us today!

The Author:

where i am I am from a lot of places, but I now live in Northern California and it feels like home. I worked for 20 years as a freelance copywriter while I wrote fiction and raised kids. My husband and I have four grown children. I’m a mom and a stepmom, and I have a mom and a stepmom. The Underside of Joy is my debut novel.

The Book:

For three years, Ella has been the only mother the kids have known and has believed that their biological mother, Paige, abandoned them. But when Paige shows up at the funeral, intent on reclaiming the children, Ella soon realizes there may be more to Paige and Joe's story. "Ella's the best thing that's happened to this family," say her Italian-American in-laws, for generations the proprietors of a local market. But their devotion quickly falters when the custody fight between mother and stepmother urgently and powerfully collides with Ella's quest for truth.
The Underside of Joy is not a fairy-tale version of stepmotherhood pitting good Ella against evil Paige, but an exploration of the complex relationship of two mothers. Their conflict uncovers a map of scars--both physical and emotional--to the families' deeply buried tragedies, including Italian internment camps during World War II and postpartum psychosis.

Find Sere: Website | Blog | Facebook

Find The Underside of Joy: Goodreads | Amazon | BN

Book Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:24:00 PST

Title: Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley

Reading level: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary
Size: 272 pages

Release Date: February 2012

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone

Source: NetGalley

First Line: "I pedal fast. Down Rose Drive, where houses swim in pools of orange streetlight."*

Summary (from GoodReads):

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.

His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.

Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.

But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

Excerpt:

I took a can and my brain clicked off and my hands clicked on and I escaped onto the wall, a painted ghost trapped in a jar. I stood back to look at it and I knew the sad thing wasn't that the ghost was running out of air. The sad thing was that he had enough air in that small space to last him a lifetime. What were you thinking, little ghost? Letting yourself get trapped like that?*

My Thoughts:

This was one of the most lyrical books that I've read in a long time. This book slowly crept upon me and then grew on me quickly and before I new it I was pleasantly addicted to the beauty that is Cath Crowley's writing.

Graffiti Moon is told in alternating chapters from three different points of view. Those of the two main characters (Lucy & Ed) speak the loudest and the third (Leo's) is the simple addition of poetry. I'll admit that this narration style did give me pause at the beginning of the book and I honestly didn't feel a huge connection to the characters at the beginning. I forced myself to read the first 50 pages and boy am I glad that I did.

The characters though young are also in a way ageless and timeless in their appreciation for art and more importantly in their way their art allows them to express themselves and relate to the world around them. The picture Cath Crowley paints is one of universal problems like dyslexia, divorce, self esteem, peer pressure, poverty...and one of honest growth and individualism. As Lucy and Ed search for the elusive Shadow...they find not only themselves...but also each other.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a little different...something undeniably beautiful.

Was it Worth My Time

*Please note: All quotes are taken from an Advance Reading Copy and are subject to change.

A Valentine’s Teaser Tuesdays - Smitten

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smitten

Summary from Goodreads:

Teaser:

"She turned to him, and she was close enough that he could see the gold flecks in her brown eyes. “Catch the vision, Carson. Close your eyes and see it."

What's your teaser today?

Guest Post & Giveaway with Elizabeth Marx, author of All's Fair in Vanities War

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

Today I am happy to welcome Elizabeth Marx, author of All's Fair In Vanities War to Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf! Make sure that you read all the way to the bottom because not only is there a giveaway at the end of this post...but also instructions for entering the Tour's Grand Prize giveaway!!!

(If you are on the home page and can't see the Rafflecopter either click on the post title or "read more" at the bottom to go to the individual post's page so you can see the widget!)

A CELTIC LOVE SPELL

In recognition of Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I thought I’d share something about a Celtic love spell that is given to Keleigh in All’s Fair in Vanities War. The picture above is the lover’s knot she received, a symbol of the universe drawn in a continuous line. This knot has two mirrored halves that connect to form a heart, this particular knot is drawn in blood, and only pacts and oaths are drawn in blood. Words were etched around the edge of this lover’s knot making it a powerful cantrip: a potent love spell that is meant to harness the emotional state of the person it was cast for. The Celts were known for their spiral triskele’s; a motif consisting of three interlocking spirals or bent human legs. If you look closely you can find three interwoven hearts representing three people whose love is bound together for all eternity. But what three lovers these hearts represent we aren’t quite sure of yet.

Before ends the month of mist,

of maiden fair and strawberry hair,

her love will billow around me everywhere.

Implore her to come to tryst,

of Pagan prayer or wicker wear,

her loves’ willow burning down the gentry’s heir.”

To learn more about the Celts and the narrator of All’s Fair in Vanities War please visit The Seer at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheSeers7DeadlyFairyTales or check out the website at http://www.elizabethmarxbooks.com

Thank you so much Elizabeth for sharing a bit of Keleigh's world and the Celts with us today. I actually am very familiar with Celtic symbology...I've been wearing a Celtic triskele bracelet and necklace almost every day for about 7 years!! (Yes I am boring...the only jewelry that I regularly change are my earrings! lol)

All's Fair In Vanities War
by Elizabeth Marx

Salem’s always held sinister secrets. No one understands this better than a sixteen-year-old girl who dies on Halloween night and is reborn a Seer.

The Seer can’t imagine anything worse than being an invisible teenager with enormous black wings. Until she finds out she’s been sacrificed to watch over Locke’s new flame.

Locke Cavanaugh is a Druid, and part of the Order, a clandestine organization entrusted with keeping its members cloaked in the Ordinary world. Physically scarred from the accident that took his girlfriends life, Locke is searching for the OtherWorldly magic that damaged him, because only those without blemish can rule the Order. And once at the helm of the Order he has every intention of finding those responsible for her death.

On the West Coast, Keleigh Flaherty witnesses her parents’ murder by beasts that should only exist in nightmares. She is whisked off to the safety of Salem, where she learns how potent and dangerous her concealed Vate talents are. Keleigh wants to be Ordinary, but when her mother reaches out from the OtherWorld, and implores her to find a forgotten relic she’ll have to use all her ExtraOrdinary powers to locate it.

As Locke and Keleigh join forces, they unravel the Order’s involvement in the witch hysteria and murmurs of a Celtic prophecy. While Locke’s affection for Keleigh blooms, The Seer is torn between her duty to protect Keleigh, and her desire to stop Locke from making the ultimate sacrifice in order to earn Keleigh’s love . . .

But if they don’t find the witches bottle before the

ShiningOnes do, someone stalking Keleigh from the shadows will take her instead and plunge all worlds into chaos.

Windy city writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi town.

Check the book out out here:GoodReads
Buy it here: Amazon | BN
Connect with Elizabeth: Website | Facebook

The Grand Prize Giveaway:

To enter the giveaway for the $50 Grand prize- You must "LIKE" The Seer's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TheSeers7DeadlyFairyTales), then post one of her best lines from All's Fair in Vanities War on the wall. Yes, this means you have to read the book in order to participate.

My Giveaway:

Up for grabs are two e-copies of All's Fair in Vanities War and 3 bookmarks! Use the rafflecopter form below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox 2/12/12

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:10:00 PST

Added to my Bookshelf for Pleasure:

Paperback of Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
Hardcover of Linger - Maggie Stiefvater
Hardcover of Forever - Maggie Stiefvater

ARC of Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
Paperback of Rescue Me – Christy Reece

Added to my Bookshelf for Review:

Hardcover of The Underside of Joy – Sere Prince Halverson

Added to my nook for Pleasure:

Ghost a la Mode - Sue Ann Jaffarian
Lord Fool to the Rescue – LL Muir

Guest Post and Valentine's Giveaway with E Van Lowe

noreply@blogger.com (Melissas Eclectic Bookshelf) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:00:00 PST

I am so pleased to welcome E Van Lowe to Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf!

PS I just found out the he used to write for Knight Rider!! I hate to admit it was one of my favorite shows as a child! (Yes I am dating myself! lol)

Anyway...here he is:

A Storyteller’s Dream

by E. Van Lowe

Early in the spring of 2006 I hit a wall with my career. I had reached what felt very much like a crossroads in my life. After several months of talks with a studio, I had failed to land a job writing and producing a popular TV drama. I had the feeling I wasn’t hired because of my age. I had had a stellar career writing and producing many great TV shows and some not so great shows. But in show biz, people over fifty have been known to hit a wall. I was over fifty.

I wasn’t certain I’d hit the wall, but I didn’t want to knock on doors for several more years only to discover I was unhireable--not because of my lack of talent, but because I had allowed myself to grow old. I decided I wasn’t going to wait to find out if I had been, what we in the biz call, “aged-out.” It was time to begin my next career.

I grew up loving to read. I had started my writing career as a novelist and playwright. In grad school, I wrote two very popular horror novels of the 80s under the pseudonym Sal Conte. I decided it was time to return to my great love—books. Only this time I would write under my own name.

I also decided to write Young Adult. I chose Young Adult because when I was at Disney I developed a show for the Disney Channel called Even Stevens. I had a great time developing that show and felt writing for a younger audience was my thing. I went into writing YA for girls as a neophyte. I had done no research. I didn’t know anything about the genre—other than I’d read quite a few books, including those of Meg Cabot, and the Fearless series by Francine Pascal.

I then told my Hollywood agent and manager not to send me out on any job meetings for a while. I was writing a book. Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. While neither of them liked that I was not earning them a commission, they both embraced my new career. Midway through writing the book I asked my manager host a reading for me at Sony Studios. I wanted to get some feedback, but mostly I wanted to hear the book for myself, and decide if I was wasting my time. I figured if it was at a studio a lot of people would show up—they did.

As soon as the reading ended my agent, Jim Kellem, came up to me and said “I can sell that.”

“You don’t know anything about selling books,” I told him. “I’m talking to a New York agent to sell the book for me.” The reading went very well. The book was fairly well received, so I continued writing. A few weeks after the reading, my agent called and told me he’d scheduled a few meetings for me.

“What did you schedule meetings for? I told you I was writing a book.”

“These are movie meetings,” he said. “People want to hear about the book.”

“I haven’t even finished it.”

“People still want to hear about it,” he said. Both he and my manager, Sheree Guitar, started setting meetings at studios and production companies to talk about the book. Suddenly Hollywood seemed interested in me again. That’s when that old saw came to mind: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Or as far as I was concerned: There’s more than one way to skin a cat and have a career in Hollywood.

I love writing novels. It’s much more fun and rewarding than writing for TV. But I also enjoy working in Hollywood. I realized as an artist that our art can take many forms. Sometimes it can begin in one form—a book—like Harry Potter, and wind up in another, reaching an even wider audience. That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to write books and help my books exist in broader mediums that can increase my audience. My art is not just writing. As a storytelling artist I include film and TV and theater and video games—even the internet as my medium. As a storytelling artist I want to be somewhat experimental.

As of this writing that first novel, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, is slowly winding its way to the big screen. The screenplay for my Sal Conte horror short story, The Toothache Man is currently being written by a screenwriter. I have two more novels, Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel. They are the first two books in the Falling Angels Saga. Earth Angel just came out and is on blog tour as of this writing. I’ve also been in discussions about doing something fresh and different for the internet. I am busier than ever.

It’s exciting to be able to use everything I’ve learned in my twenty plus years in Hollywood in my new career as storytelling artist. My dream is to have my stories exist in more than one medium, reaching people wherever they may be.

Looking back, I am actually happy I didn’t land the job on that TV drama. I may not be making as much money (sometimes I don’t make any money) but I am much happier. I am no longer wondering about the end of my career. I am at the threshold of something new and exciting. You’re never too old to chase a new dream. Trust me; I know—I’m having the time of my life.

By the way, even though I signed with a New York agent, it was my Hollywood agent, Jim Kellem, who sold Never Slow Dance With A Zombie to Tor (McMillan/St. Martin’s Press) in the spring of 2007. Go figure.

The Author:

E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer, screenwriter, Playwright and Producer who has written and produced such shows as The Cosby Show, Even Stevens, and Homeboys In Outer Space. He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award. Van Lowe recently stepped into the young adult fiction genre with his comedic novel, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie. It was a selection of the Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an ALA Award. Boyfriend From Hell is Van Lowe’s second YA novel.

The Books:

Earth Angel
By E Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
Book 2

Heaven Can Wait!

Just because Megan Barnett recently defeated Satan, has a fantastic new best friend, and has won the love of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson, doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize it, but in her possession is a powerful weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels and demons and everything in between. They will do ANYTHING to get it.

In E. Van Lowe’s humorous, romantic and thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan winds up in a gripping life or death battle to save herself, the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.

Megan Barnett has recently defeated Satan, found a fantastic new best friend, and has won the heart of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson. But that doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize that she is in possession of a powerful paranormal weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels, demons and everything in between.

In E. Van Lowe’s romantic yet thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan finds herself in a gripping life or death battle to save the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.

Boyfriend from Hell

By E Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
Book 1

Aww, Hell No!

Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”

The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.

Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the handsome guys is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.

Boyfriend From Hell is the first book in the Falling Angels Saga from the author of the gruesomely hilarious, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie.

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later they haven’t accomplished a thing!
Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize this could be the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. Now all they have to do is stay alive…

Check Them out here: GoodReads | Trailer

Buy them here: Amazon | BN

Connect with E Van Lowe: Website | Blog | Twitter| Facebook

The Giveaway:

Fall in Love with the Falling Angels Series

Valentine’s Giveaway

E Van Lowe is giving away a signed set of his books (Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel) Along with a fun Valentine theme YA Gift Basket containing a plush puppy, a heart mug, an ARC of Wintertow by Stephen Emond, devil socks, devil and angel duckies, RockStar Sweethearts, Red Hots Lip Balm, Bath and Body Works pocket bac, and travel size Pink Chiffon lotion, pencils and a Bewitching Book Tours bookmark.

The giveaway is open to US Only

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