Young Adult Book Reviews

Loving Summer Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Mon, 28 May 2012 03:45:00 +0000

Title: Loving Summer
Author: Kailin Gow
Publisher: The Edge
Publish Date: 28 May 2012
Pages: 210
ISBN: 978-1-59748-044-4
Source: ARC from author
Genre: Young Adult, contemporary, romance
Series: Loving Summer
Other books in series: Perfect Summer (February 2013)

Summer has always looked forward to spending her summers at her Aunt's beach house with the Donovans. To her, summers at Aunt Sookie's beach house was magical, especially getting to spend time with the Donovans - her best friend Rachel and Rachel's brothers Nathaniel, and Drew. Here at Aunt Sookie's beach house, they can be anyone and anything they dreamed. For Summer, she had always wished to become as pretty as Rachel and for her brothers to think of her as more than Rachel's friend. For Nat and Drew, summers at Aunt Sookie's beach house meant fun and escape, a place where they go to with their mom and sister for the summer, away from city life. They never thought this summer would be different. They never thought things would change as much as they did...and it all began with them falling for and loving Summer.

What would it be like if you could return to your favorite time of year? Summer has always loved spending time with her Aunt Sookie at her beach house in Malibu during the summer months. It helped that she also got to spend time with the Donovans - Rachel, Nathaniel and Drew. Summer had a lot of firsts with the Donnovans - "first kisses, first love and first heartbreak."

Rachel Donnovan is her best-friend and she is excited to be spending the summer with them after not having done so in a while. Summer has always had a crush on Nathaniel aka Nat, but he has never thought of her more than his little sister's friend. They have always got along well and made summers the best time of the year.

Now that Summer, Rachel, Nat and Drew are older, will they still have the same relationships as they did when they were younger and carefree? What is going on in Aunt Sookie's life that she invited them all to her house for the summer?

Loving Summer was the first book that I have read by Kailin Gow. I must say, I haven't read a lot of contemporary books, but I really liked this novel. Not only did it keep me in suspense of what was happening, but the character's responses were believable. I like the way that the characters related how they were feeling (or not) in this book. With all the focus on supernatural books, it is refreshing to read a story that could actually happen. I think that we sometimes forget that contemporary novels can be as entertaining as other genres. Gow really impressed me with this book and I am looking forward to reading her other books.

On the cover there are a girl and a guy holding hands on the beach. This is appropriate because this book is all about falling for someone. The galley copy that I received was really shiny. I hope that they make changes to that in the final edition. I hated picking the book up for that reason because it squeaked.

This is where I normally write what I liked and didn't like about the book and since I couldn't figure out what I didn't like, besides what was said in the cover section, I decided to go over the characters.

Summer Jones: She is drastically different than the last time the Donnovans have seen her. It has been three years and she is no longer the little girl with braces and glasses. She is the main character of the book.

Rachel Donnovan: Summer's best friend and the twin sister of Drew. She is going through her Goth stage currently. Rachel has felt the need to differentiate herself from her twin. Even though Drew and she are fraternal twins, they look alike. Rachel says she feels more like herself with her Goth look.

Nathaniel Donnovan: He is the oldest of the bunch. He is leaving his girlfriend, Chrissy, to go to Aunt Sookie's house for the summer. He isn’t happy about leaving at that time, but when he gets to Aunt Sookie’s house in Malibu, his attitude changes.

Drew Donnovan: He is the jock of the family and is missing football camp to go to Aunt Sookie's house. He is Rachel's twin brother and older by five minutes. She has told him that she doesn't want him to pursue a relationship with Summer because she doesn't want her to get hurt. Drew is used to getting a lot of ladies who only want to have sex.

"I don't have girlfriends. Just girls who like to have their way with me."

Astor Fairway: He is an actor who is currently starring in a teen sitcom and sometimes takes private lessons from Aunt Sookie's Acting Academy. He says that he doesn’t really have any friends other than friends in the acting business.

Aunt Sookie: She owns and runs the Acting Academy. She loves having Summer and the Donnovans up to her beach house during the summer.

Two Promotions that coincide with the release of Loving Summer release:

Included in Loving Summer's Kindle Version, is a full-length Loving Summer Healthy Summer Recipes Cookbook written by Kailin Gow, which will also a book that will release and be sold separately, and valued at $9.99.

Also, for anyone who purchase a copy of Loving Summer from Amazon.com, they get a chance to win one of Kailin's own Gently Used Coach Bag that is SIGNED by her, as well, valued at $500.

This blog tour runs through the month of June and there are multiple contests in it. Check out the full schedule on SupaSector Books. The next few stops are:

May 28 - Escaping One Book at a Time *GIVEAWAY #1*
- Young Adult Book Reviews *Review

May 29 - Kindling the Fire

May 30 - Waiting on Sunday to Drown

May 31 - FireStarBooks

Dark Frost: Blog tour, excerpt and giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Title: Dark Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publish Date: 29 May 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6696-5
Genre: Young Adult, Mythology
Source: ARC from author
Series: Mythos Academy
Other Books in Series: First Frost, Touch of Frost, Kiss of Frost

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.

Can anything more happen at Mythos Academy? Gwendolyn Frost is back at Mythos Academy as the tale continues in Dark Frost. The story starts out in Crius Coliseum, a museum near the academy. Every second-year student was supposed to go through the exhibit on artifacts. Most left this until the very last day of winter break. Gwen went with her best friend Daphne and Daphne’s boyfriend, Carson. She ran into Logan there, who is the object of her affection. She is sure if they have a relationship or not.

When they are talking and going over the artifacts, they hear screaming. They soon know that the Reapers of Chaos have entered the coliseum and are looking for a certain artifact, the Helheim Dagger. This is the last artifact that they need to free Loki and have him return to Earth. They are sure that it will be there in the exhibit. This turns into “chaos” as the students who are attending the exhibit are trained to fight reapers.

This also makes up Gwen’s mind that she needs to find the dagger before the Reapers of Chaos do. Since it was her mother who originally hid the dagger, this should be easy, right? Wrong. Will Gwen find the dagger? Will the Reapers of Chaos free Loki? What is happening between Gwen and Logan?

On the cover, you see Gwen Frost wearing the necklace that Logan gave her before Christmas break. You also see Mythos Academy. Again, I like how the “T” in “dark frost” is a dagger or sword.

•Gwen. She always has the best intentions. Even though some people think otherwise and think the she really doesn’t belong to Mythos Academy because she is a gypsy.

•Logan. He is always there to help Gwen and this book is no different. Gwen isn’t sure what their relationship is at the beginning of this book.

•Loki’s champion. I won’t say any more about her because I don’t want to spoil the book for you. Gwen sees glimpses of her in a dream, but doesn’t know who she is. She does things for Loki that you would, well expect a Champion of an evil God to do.

•The other Reapers of Chaos. Killing people to get what you want is a surefire way to end up on my “did not like” list.

•Loki. The evil God. You don’t hear a lot about him in this book, but what you do, I don’t like. He is the one who gets his “reapers” to do horrible things. Okay, that sounded really bad, but I don’t know how else to put it.

The Crius Coliseum was shaped like a giant wheel, with one main space in the middle and the hallways and rooms branching off like spokes. The doorway we stood in opened up into the center section of the museum. When Daphne, Carson, and I had walked through it a few minutes ago, folks had been milling around the exhibits, looking at the artifacts and browsing through the expensive replica jewelry, armor, and weapons in the gift shop. Besides the staff, most of the other people here had been second-year Mythos students, trying to get their homework assignment done, just like the three of us.

Not anymore.

Now, figures wearing long, black, hooded robes stormed through the coliseum—and they all carried sharp, curved swords. The figures swarmed over everyone in their path, their blades slashing into the students who’d been staring at the artifacts just a few seconds before. More screams and shouts tore through the air, echoing as loud as gunshots, as people realized what was happening.

But it was already too late.

“Reapers,” Daphne whispered, voicing my own horrific thought.

The Reapers of Chaos ran their swords through everyone they could get their hands on, then shoved the dead and dying to the floor. The museum staff, adults, kids. It didn’t matter to the Reapers who they killed. Wax figures, statues, and display cases crashed to the floor, splintering into thousands of pieces. Blood spattered everywhere, a cascade of scarlet teardrops sliding down the white marble walls.

A sick, sick feeling filled my stomach at the bloody chaos in front of me. I’d heard about Reapers, about how vicious they were, about how they lived to kill warriors—about how they lived to kill us. I’d faced down two Reapers myself, but I’d never seen anything like this. I was so shocked by the scene in front of me that I felt stuck in place, just like my friends. I knew we should be doing something, anything, to try to help the other students, but I didn’t know what it could be.

Some of the Mythos students tried to fight back, using their fists or whatever they could get their hands on. But it didn’t work, and one by one, the Reapers swarmed over the kids. Samson Sorensen fell to the floor, screaming and clutching his stomach, blood spurting out from between his fingers. A few Mythos students tried to run, but the Reapers just grabbed them from behind, rammed their swords into the kids’ backs, and then tossed them aside like trash.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Morgan McDougall duck down and squeeze in between a tall, wide pedestal and the wall, putting her parallel to the doorway that my friends and I were next to. Green sparks of magic shot out of Morgan’s fingertips like lightning, a clear sign of her surprise and panic, and she curled her hands into tight fists and tucked them under her armpits to try to smother the colorful flashes. Morgan knew as well as I did that if the Reapers saw the sparks, they’d find her and finish her off. The pretty Valkyrie spotted me watching her and stared back at me, her hazel eyes full of fear.

“Stay there! Hide! Don’t try to run!” I shouted, although I didn’t think Morgan could hear me above the screams and the alarms that had started blaring.

In less than a minute, it was over. The Reapers regrouped in the middle of the coliseum, talking to each other, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying over the moans, groans, and whimpers of the dying kids on the bloody floor.

“Reapers,” Daphne whispered again, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing any more than I could.

It was almost like they’d heard the Valkyrie’s low murmur because several of the black-robed figures turned and headed in our direction.

This contest is for one finished copy of Dark Frost.

Rules

You will have 48 hours to respond or you will forfeit your prize.
I reserve the right to cancel the contest at any time without reason.
I am not responsible for parcels lost or damaged in the postal system. I will make every attempt to avoid this.
You must be 13 years or older to participate.
Contest is U.S. only.
Names will be drawn by Random.org that is within rafflecopter.
Winner will be announced in this blog post at the conclusion of the contest and notified by the e-mail provided to enter the contest. Make sure this is the e-mail that you want me to contact you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Brigid Kemmerer

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Brigid Kemmerer was born in Omaha, Nebraska, though her parents quickly moved her all over the United States, from the desert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the lakeside in Cleveland, Ohio, and several stops in between, eventually settling near Annapolis, Maryland. Brigid started writing in high school, and her first real “novel” was about four vampire brothers causing a ruckus in the suburbs. Those four brothers are the same boys living in the pages of The Elemental Series, so Brigid likes to say she’s had four teenage boys taking up space in her head for the last seventeen years. (Though sometimes that just makes her sound nuts.)

Brigid writes anywhere she can find a place to sit down (and she’s embarrassed to say a great many pages of The Elemental Series were written while sitting on the floor in the basement of a hotel while she was attending a writers’ conference). Most writers enjoy peace and quiet while writing, but Brigid prefers pandemonium. A good thing, considering she has three boys in the house, ranging in age from an infant to a teenager.

While writing STORM, it’s ironic to note that Brigid’s personal life was plagued by water problems: her basement flooded three times, her roof leaked, her kitchen faucet broke, causing the cabinet underneath to be destroyed by water, the wall in her son’s room had to be torn down because water had crept into the wall, and her bedroom wall recently developed a minor leak. Considering SPARK, book 2 in the series, is about the brother who controls fire, Brigid is currently making sure all the smoke detectors in her house have batteries.

Brigid loves hearing from people, and she probably won't refer to herself in the third person like this if you actually correspond with her. She has a smartphone ~~surgically attached to her person~~ nearby at all times, and email is the best way to reach her. Her email address is brigidmary@gmail.com

Brigid Kemmerer, the author of Elemental and Storm, sat down and answered some questions that YABR had for her.

YABR: What inspires you when you write?

BK: Okay, so I know this is going to sound really weird, but when I'm stuck with a scene or something, I go on YouTube and look for choreographed dances that match my favorite songs. There are a lot of great amateur choreographers out there! I read once that when you have writer's block, you should appreciate an art form that's not your own. Choreography does it for me. Here's an example of what I mean:

YABR: Do you base your characters off of real people? Do you have a process for coming up with characters? Who is your favorite character?

BK: All my characters come straight out of my head. The closest to a real person would be Becca's mom, who is a night nurse, just because my mom has been a night nurse almost all my life. When I'm trying to create a new character, I just throw a person into some kind of conflict and see how they respond. They all grow organically from there. I can't pick a favorite!

YABR: In the Elemental Series, the Merricks and other have powers unlike anything that I have read before. I like how the different powers deal with the different elements. How did you come up with this concept?

BK: Just lucky, I guess. :-) No, seriously, I'd struck out with two novels: a vampire one, and a Greek mythology one. While the writing wasn't as strong in both those books, I also coincidentally went out with them while Twilight and Percy Jackson were right on the verge of going huge. I sat down and decided to write something that no one was doing, and I knew I had four brothers I wanted to play with. I had a lot of ideas in the running: four horsemen of the apocalypse, four leaf clovers (leprechaun brothers, anyone?), but the elements seemed to stick.

YABR: What do you wish was different about the book(s), if anything?

BK: Nothing! I'm really proud of how Storm came out.

YABR: What is your favorite item on your work space?

BK: Work space? I have two small children. My work space is anywhere I can hide with my laptop.

YABR: What type/genre of books do you like to read?

BK: Everything! I read from Paranormal YA to women's fiction to high fantasy to contemporary romance (YA and adult) to thrillers.

YABR: Favorite color

BK: Green. (Whew. An easy question.)

YABR: Favorite holiday/season

BK: Halloween. I used to love imagining that strange creatures would come out and frolic among the mortals. I still love wondering about it.

YABR: Word that best describes you and why?

BK: Driven.

YABR: Optimist or pessimist?

BK: Optimist.

YABR: Favorite author/book/series

BK: Impossible to answer. Two recent reads that knocked my socks off were Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi and I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.

YABR: Favorite food/drink

BK: Popcorn and mojitos.

YABR: Favorite place to read/write

BK: For writing, anywhere I can sit down. I wrote an entire chapter of Storm while sitting on the floor of the basement of the RWA hotel in 2010. For reading, anywhere.

There are many books coming out in The Elemental Series. Elemental and Storm are already out.

Elemental Series:

0.5: Elemental

1: Storm

1.5: Fearless – August 2012

2: Spark – 28 August 2012

3: Spirit – May 2013

Cover Reveal: Protecting Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:54:00 +0000

I was lucky enough to participate in a cover reveal for the second book in The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy, Protecting Truth. There isn't any other information available yet about the book, so stay tuned to the Wander Dust Trilogy website for that post. Warren is officially releasing the cover on May 18th.

And here it is:

Isn't it a beautiful cover? As soon as I find out more information, I will let you know.

Also, because of the release of the cover of book two, Wander Dust is going to be on sale. Everyone loves a sale, right? If you have ever wanted to read this book, now is your opportunity! I highly recommend this book. Here is my review. In case you don't remember what Wander Dust is about, here is the synopsis from Goodreads.

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

Clockwork Prince

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Title: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: 06 December 2011
Pages: 502
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7588-5
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, angels, demons
Series: The Infernal Devices
Other books in series: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Princess (March 2013)

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

There are so many questions that this book posed. What will happen if Charlotte loses her position at the institute? In this book, the Clave is set between a rock and hard place. They don’t want to replace Charlotte, but with her previous actions, they may not have a choice. The Lightwoods are the ones who want Charlotte out of the institute, but why? This is how the story starts out. Charlotte is given a certain amount of time to find the magister and if she does, she’ll remain as the head of the institute, for we all know that Henry doesn’t run it.

There is also the question of the Magister. Did the Shadowhunters really find out who he is? What does he really want? Why does he want Tessa? As the search for the Magister contintues, you learn about who is faithful to the Shadowhunters and who is to the Magister in this book.

Then there is Jem and Will. Will acts like he doesn’t want to be emotionally close to anyone and pushes everyone away. Jem knows he doesn’t have much time to live and is really nice toward Tessa. Why is Tessa drawn towards Will? Who will she chose?

After reading Clockwork Angel, I immediately began reading this book. I was so enraptured by the Shadowhunter world, that after this, I started on the Immortal Devices series. I loved this book and cannot wait until Clockwork Princess comes out in 2013 to see what happens next. Clare’s writing is one that will draw you and make you feel like you are part of the story and not just reading it. That is what any reader/author wants.

This book was different for me to review because there were so many different questions happening in the context of the book. I didn’t want to ignore any of the major ones, but I also didn’t want to have a 20 page review. I love the story of Will, Jem and Tessa. I must say that it is difficult to distinguish which person I would choose – Will or Jem. That will be a discussion for another day.

It looks to me as this is Jem on the cover. I say that because of the walking stick that he carries. Correct me if I’m wrong. You cannot tell it from the picture, but the book cover has raised lettering. I think this adds to the cover.

•Tessa. She is not a Shadowhunter, not a warlock because she doesn’t bear the warlock’s mark. The Silent Brothers do not know what she is. Even still, she is set on helping the Shadowhunters as they have helped her in the past. She is strong willed and obviously cares about people.

•Jem. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Jem is dying. He knows this. He is always nice to Tessa.

•Will. Will’s attitude changes a lot. Sometimes you think he really likes Tessa and other times you think that he doesn’t. One thing is for sure is that he is true to his word and faithful to the Shadowhunters.

•Charlotte and Henry. She is the head of the institute where Will, Jem, Tessa and others live. She cares for all of them. Henry is Charlotte’s husband. He is content to work in his lab creating “toys” for the Shadowhunters.

•Jessamine Lovelace aka Jessie. She is one of the people who live at the institute. She doesn’t like people to know that she is a shadowhunter and tries to marry her way into normal society.

•Nate Gray. Tessa’s brother. He is why Tessa is here in London in the first place. We learned in Clockwork Angel that Tessa came here on her brother’s bidding after her aunt had died.

•The Magister. He does some evil things. You don’t really know who he is until the end of the book, but you see his touch throughout.

•Benedict Lightwood. He is the one who is trying to get Charlotte removed as head of the Institute. It is a position that he has coveted for years and wants really badly.

Winter's Passage

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Title: Winter’s Passage
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: 01 June 2010
Pages: 59
ISBN: 9781426858321
Source: bought
Genre: Young Adult, Farie
Series: The Iron Fey
Other books in series: The Iron King, Iron Daughter, Iron Queen, Summer’s Crossing, Iron Knight, Iron Legends (28 August 2012)

Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat....

Will Prince Ash really keep his oath and turn over the girl he loves to his queen? That is what happens in this story. At the end of The Iron King, Ash shows up at Meghan’s house to “collect” her as she fulfills her part of the bargain. At times, it is like Ash doesn’t want to do this. However, he is bound by oath and cannot go back on it.

He takes Meghan and intends to take her back to the Unseelie Court right away. Meghan has other ideas, however. She wants to go and check up on Puck, her best friend, who was wounded in their quest to rescue her brother Ethan. Ash agrees to this little detour. Only to find out that someone is following them; someone else who is hunting Meghan. Will they make it to the Unseelie Court or will Meghan have another adventure in store for her? Can Ash really hand her over when he doesn’t know what the outcome will be?

As soon as I finished The Iron King, I had to start this book. I knew that it was a novella and wouldn’t take me long. The end of The Iron King left me with so many questions. Even though I haven’t read The Iron Daughter yet, I felt that this book was good in between the two. It gives you a glimpse into Ash’s personality.

The cover design goes along with the other in the Iron Fey series and has a wolf on the front, instead of a character. This is appropriate for the book. I like how they show the fog and the woods on the cover of this novella. It talks about both in the book.

•Meghan Chase. She is duty bound to go to the Unseelie Court because of a “deal” that she made with Ash in The Iron King. She won’t go back on that oath even when the opportunity presents itself to do so.

•Ash. Sometimes in these books, he is really swoon worthy, and then there are those times when you just want to hit him in the head with a rock. He shows both of those personalities in this novella.

•Grimalkin. He is in this book too. He always shows up. He gives tidbits of information and wisdom here and there.

•The Hunter. It scared Meghan. Just someone else who is after Meghan.

•Queen Mab. Even though you don’t hear of her in this book, she is the reason that Ash is bringing Meghan to court and that is enough for me not to like her.

Clockwork Angel

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Tue, 01 May 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: 31 August 2010
Pages: 496
ISBN: 9781416975861
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, angels, demons
Series: The Infernal Devices
Other books in series: Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess (March 2013)

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

What do you do when your relative that you live with dies and your brother is in London? You go to him, of course. Well, that is what Tessa thought she was doing when she left New York by boat to go to London. She thought she was going to meet her brother, Nate. Instead, she meets the Dark Sisters and is taken to their house so they can “train” her.

At first, she doesn’t understand what they want from her, she only knows that when she doesn’t deliver it, she gets punished. After a while, she learns what they want and how to get released easily, thus her only reprieve. Then night when there is a gentleman, William Herondale aka Will, rescues her from the clutches of the Dark Sisters and takes her to the Institute. The institute is the place where the Shadowhunters live that have no other place to go. It is there that she talks the Shadowhunters into helping her find her brother, because she is sure he is in trouble.

She learns a lot of things at the Institute. First off, who she is. She doesn’t know EXACTLY who she is and how she got these powers, but she has a better idea. She knows that there are people who would use her talents for evil purposes and that is what she figures the Magister wants with her. Just exactly how he plans to do that is a question she doesn’t want to find out the answer to.

On this cover, you see a male, whom I’m presuming to be Will, who is taking off his hat. You also see different landmarks of London in the background. The Clockwork Angel is glowing above the title. The book that I have had the bonus story, Magnus’s Vow, in it.

•Theresa Gray aka Tessa. She unknowingly goes to London because she misses and trusts her brother when he sends her a ticket there. She could never imagine the trouble that happened when she got there. Throughout it all, she kept thinking that her brother must be in terrible trouble for him to let that happen to her.

•James Carstairs aka Jem. From the very beginning, I have liked Jem. He reminds me of a gentleman, which I’m sure he is.

•William Herondale aka Will. Will is the first one to meet Tessa and rescues her from the clutches of the Dark Sisters before they get to execute their plan. Will’s affection comes and goes. One minute, he likes you and the next, he doesn’t.

•The Dark Sisters. They kept Tessa prisoner and “made” her do things that she didn’t even think were possible before.

•The Magister. You don’t know who he is in this book. You just hear of him. He is who the Dark Sisters are prepping Tessa for.

•de Quincey. He is the head vampire in London.

•The Pandemonium Club. It is a club for downworlders.

The Iron King

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: 21 February 2010
Pages: 363
ISBN: 9780373210084
Source: library
Genre: Young Adult, Faeries
Series: The Iron Fey
Other books in series: Winter’s Passage, Iron Daughter, Iron Queen, Summer’s Crossing, Iron Knight, Iron Legends (28 August 2012)

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

What would you do if your life was not as you expected? That is what happened to Meghan Chase. After her father disappeared, her mom and she moved. Her mom later married Luke and then had Ethan. Meghan is in high school now and all she wants is her driver’s permit. That way, she wouldn’t have to walk to the bus. Her best friend, Robbie Goodfell, and she could drive. In what, she doesn’t know that yet, but she’ll work on that later.

After being humiliated in school by the most popular jock, she goes home and finds that her brother has changed. At first, she is not sure of what she is seeing, because she has been seeing a lot of weird things lately. It is when her brother attacks her, that Robbie tells her that it is not her brother. She then learns of changelings and goes on a quest with Robbie, whom she later finds out is Puck, to find her brother.

She also learns a lot of things when she crosses over into the Nevernever. The most important of those, is who she is, a princess of the Seelie Court. Her father is the King and never wanted her to know of the fey and their land. Getting Ethan back is the most important thing to her and she doesn’t let anyone deter her from that objective. Will Meghan get Ethan back with the help of Ash and Puck? Why does Puck and Ash hate each other so much?

After reading Kagawa’s book, The Immortal Rules, I thought it was time that I checked out her other works. I had heard great things about the Fey Series and I’m glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed. I really liked this book and thought it was a good way to start the series. I was drawn into the story of Puck and Ash. I’m not sure which one I’m behind just yet. I’ll have to read more of the series before I make that determination.

The cover shows a female, whom I’m presuming to be Meghan Chase. I like the font that they used for the title. And the color green. Also the quote on the cover:

Iron. Ice. A love doomed from the start.

•Meghan Chase. She is the main character in the Iron Fey series. Well, one of THE main characters. She is a “half-breed” and doesn’t always have the same reactions that other fey have. She cares about people and not always about the outcome. She is strong is this book and doesn’t waver from her objective.

•Ash. He is the prince of the Unseelie Court – or the Winter Prince. He officially meets Meghan at Elysium, when the Summer and Winter Court meet together, where a son and daughter of opposite territories must dance. Meghan’s first impression of him isn’t that great. When she leaves the Seelie Court, she runs into Ash again. This time, he has made a vow to Queen Mab, to bring Meghan to her. Only Meghan has other ideas and he winds up helping her rescue Meghan’s brother, Ethan. You learn a lot about Ash in those travels.

•Puck, Robbie Goodfell, Robin Goodfellow. Those are the names that he goes by. In the mortal realm, he was given the task to look after Meghan, unbeknownst to her. He was her best friend and the first person to tell her about Nevernever. He went against King Oberon’s wishes and brought Meghan there to find her brother. He is always there for Meghan and she is grateful for that.

•Grimalkin. He is the cat who helps Meghan. He always appears when she needs something. His help doesn’t come free or cheap. There is always something that he wants. Bargains in Nevernever aren’t made cheap.

•King Oberon. He is Meghan’s father. When she first arrives at the Seelie or Summer Court, he is angry because she was never supposed to know about Nevernever and the faerie world.

•Queen Mab. The Queen of the Unseelie or Winter Court, which is the enemy of the Summer Court. She wants to use Meghan for her own purposes and commissions her kingdom into finding her.

•King Machina. He is the Iron King. During Meghan’s quest, you learn of him and that he also wants Meghan, but for different reasons.

•Grimalkin. Sometimes he can be a little snooty, but he is a cat after all.

I got these off of Julie Kagawa's website and I thought that they were cute, so I'm sharing them with you. It didn't say on there who drew them, and the signatures are too small to read. They are cute, nonetheless.

Ash & Meghan

Bad Kitty

Ash & Puck

Fated: Contest and free gift

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Title: Fated
Author: Alyson Noël
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: 22 May 2012
Pages: 306
ISBN: 978-0-312-66485-5
Source: ARC from publisher
Genre: YA,
Series: Soul Seekers
Other books in series: tbd

The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

I've got some wonderful news to share with the book blogging community. St. Martin's Press has e-mailed me about a free gift that they are promoting for when you pre-order Fated. (I will have the links later in the post that will show you where you can pre-order them from.)

The first 3,000 people who pre-order Fated in any format, will receive a pair of Soul Seeker inspired feather earrings, shown on the right. All you have to do is either forward the e-mail that you get when you pre-order, scan or mail you receipt to the address on the webpage for this promotion. Just click on the title graphic above and it will take you to the site with all the details.

I have read Fated and it is a wonderful book. I recommend it and will post my review closer to the release date. To read an excerpt and a special bonus scene, head over to the Soul Seekers Facebook page.

I was fortunate enough to meet Alyson Noël at the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago, Illinois earlier this month. She was really nice and gave me some swag to give away to my wonderful readers. So, to sweeten the deal, I'm going to host my own giveaway along with the St. Martin's Press promotion.

I have four autographed poster cards that I am going to be giving away. These cards are approximately 8 ½ by 11 inches and are made from heavy card stock.

Rules

You will have 48 hours to respond or you will forfeit your prize.
I reserve the right to cancel the contest at any time without reason.
I am not responsible for parcels lost or damaged in the postal system. I will make every attempt to avoid this.
You must be 13 years or older to participate.
Contest is international.
Names will be drawn by Random.org that is within rafflecopter.
Winner will be announced in this blog post at the conclusion of the contest and notified by the e-mail provided to enter the contest. Make sure this is the e-mail that you want me to contact you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Daemon Invasion 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks, you’ve heard us talking about the upcoming #daemoninvasion and we’re so excited to finally share with you what is going on.

The beautiful and über cool models, Pepe Toth and Sztella Tziotziosz, who grace the Lux covers, will be joining us in the United States! You heard right. They are flying here, from Hungary to spend a few days as Daemon and Katy! While they are here, they will be working with Vania, from VLC Productions (the team behind Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Melissa de La Cruz, Kimberly Derting, Moira Young, Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl, Hillary Duff, Lauren Destefano, and many, many more authors’ book trailers), to film book trailers for the Lux Series.

During the filming in Atlanta, they will be accompanying us on tour! What does that mean? You get to meet them. In the flesh. They will be participating in the signings and events. At those signings, we’ll be giving away signed posters, photos, and other swag. There will also be meet and greet events you can join in on.
At each signing, there will be advanced copies of Onyx given away!

And to top things off (as if this isn’t enough, but we don’t do anything small), there’s something very, very exciting in the works! It involves advanced copies of Opal, water, and a little destination known as the Bahamas.

Are you excited? I am! This tour is going to be so, so much fun, and I’m so thrilled that Pepe and Sztella are a part of it. We owe them a huge thank you and a giant welcome making the 16 hour flight to meet the readers of the Lux Series. You!

Daemon Invasion Signing and Event Schedule

June 8^th
FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, GA
3:00pm

June 10^th
Barnes and Noble
St Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL
3:00pm

June 13^th
Barnes and Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
Orlando, FL
3:00pm

June 14^th
Barnes and Noble
The Palladium at City Place
West Palm Beach, FL
4:00pm
There are several #daemoninvasion street teamers out there and if you want to join a team to win exclusive prizes, search down the #daemoninvasion hashtag to join one of the teams! (Or you can comment on this post and I'll add you to my team.)

Don’t forget to visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s blog to win a signed set of Half-Blood and Pure in celebration of her adult romance release, Tempting the Best Man, under pen name J. Lynn. It can be purchased here.

Elemental

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Title: Elemental
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp
Publish Date: 27 March 2012
Pages: 50
ASIN: B006MLKZAG
Source: bought
Genre: YA, paranormal
Series: Elemental
Other books in series: Storm, Spark (28 August 2012), Fearless (September 2012), Spirit(2013)

As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.

Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy. Dangerous. And completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.

But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.

They want him dead.

What happens when your one safe haven isn’t safe anymore? That is what happens to Michael Merrick. He is an elemental, a strong one known as a pure. His element is the earth. He can use the power that he finds in it to make things happen – cracks in the pavement, earthquakes, et cetera.

Pures are feared because of the power that they hold and because of this, most of them are put to death by the Guides. It is the law that if you know of a pure, you are to tell the Guides so they can be taken care of. An agreement was made that would keep Michael safe if he only doesn’t use his power. This would be easy, if not for people like Seth Drake and Tyler Morgan, who constantly bullied him trying to get him to retaliate.

He goes to the batting cages every Wednesday and Friday to let off some steam and just be in a place where he doesn’t have to worry about people trying to get him to use his element. This is where he first sees Emily Morgan, Tyler’s sister. He immediately feels angry because the one place that he could go to for solace was taken over by the people who wanted to turn him over to the Guides. His parents tell him that he cannot go to those batting cages anymore.

Emily Morgan is scared at the sight of Michael Merrick coming into the place where she works. She thinks that he did it on purpose to get at her. When she tells her parents, they think the same thing and worry for her safety. Emily refuses to quit her job because it took her so long to get a job in the first place and this job is her ticket out of this town after graduation from high school.

What happens when neither Emily nor Michael refuse to do what is asked of them? Will Tyler and Seth interfere? Is Emily safe?

I was anxious to read this book because of the hype around Storm. You get the first glimpse into the Merricks and the problems that being pure elementals cause them. I really liked this book because it gave you a backstory, and I always like backstories. It showed you some of Michael that you don’t really see in Storm. I will be sure to keep this series on my radar and cannot wait until August when Spark is released.

On the cover is a picture of whom I’m presuming to be Michael. He is surrounded by branches, which is appropriate, since his element is earth. I like the green on the cover. I think this conveys the mystery in Michael Merrick well.

•Emily Morgan. She works at a “sports complex,” even though she doesn’t think it is much of one. She doesn’t get a lot of customers, so when Michael Merrick appears, she is not only surprised to see him, but scared as well. She doesn’t let other people push her around, including the Merricks.

•Michael Merrick. How can you not like the guy who constantly gets picked on for things that are not his fault? He didn’t ask to be a pure elemental. He is persistent and doesn’t want his life to change for things beyond his control.

•Tyler Morgan and Seth Drake. They are the bullies in this story who try to get Michael to use his power. If he uses his power, he will be killed by the Guides.

•The Morgans and the Merricks – Emily’s and Michael’s parents. I put them both in the same group because they both say the same thing, only for different reasons. The Merricks tell Michael not to go to the batting cages anymore because they want to protect him. The Morgans freak out when they learn that Michael went to the sports complex where Emily works and told the Merricks about it and that they didn’t want any trouble, meaning they didn’t want him to go there anymore.

World Book Night

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:49:00 +0000

I participatd in World Book Night this year. This was the first year that they had this and I was a book giver. The book that I was chosen for was Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. We got to choose three books out of the 30 books that were chosen by WBN. The books had a special cover and all the books (I think there were a half million total) were donated by the publishers for this event.

“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the National Book Award finalist Speak, best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia.

I had a lot of fun giving the books out. I went to the Orthodontist, the Dentist, Medical Supply company, McDonalds, a hospital and gave books out. I was surprised at how many of the 20 books that I actually gave out on that day. I live in a small rural community and finding people to give books to isn't always easy. I know that sounds crazy, but that is how it is. I didn't get a chance to take any pictures, but the reactions of the people that I gave books to made my day. I found this picture on the internet, and since I have a Sheltie too, I loved it. Although, I don't recommend letting your dog bite your books.

A Touch Mortal

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Title: A Touch Mortal
Author: Leah Clifford
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publish Date: 22 February 2011
Pages: 422
ISBN: 978-0-06-200499-4
Source: bought
Genre: Young Adult, angels, demons, romance
Series: A Touch Trilogy
Other books in series: A Touch Morbid

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

Eden was sitting on the beach thinking about how she was going to get out of New Jersey after graduation when she met Az and Gabriel. After that, things were never the same. Her and Az hit it off and she fell for him. What Eden didn’t know was that she is what is termed a “sider.” Meaning she will commit suicide. And that Az and Gabriel are both angels.

Gabriel is bound and Az is not. Gabriel is trying to prevent Az from becoming one of the fallen. Luke wants to push Az over the edge, so that he will join him in the ranks of the fallen. He has tortured everyone that Az has cared about in order to persuade him to his side without fail. But that was before Eden.

Eden dies and Gabriel and Az arrange for her to stay with Kristen in the city. Kristen is also a Sider and is supposed to show her the ropes of giving touch and what exactly everything means. When Eden wakes up in Kristen’s house after supposedly dying in the ocean, she isn't sure what to expect. Kristen teaches her and Eden finds out by mistake that she has a gift that not all Siders have. Kristen locks her away to become one of the “Screamers,” those who are locked in room and scream.

Eden sees Az again and is angry with him when she realizes that he knows what she is, he is alive and he knew what would happen. Az is on the verge of falling completely and so must be removed by Gabriel. Kristen promises Az that she won’t hurt Eden, but that doesn’t mean she won’t lock her up again. When Kristen is gone, Adam, a fellow Sider helps her escape. They leave Kristen’s house and start off on their own. What will happen when other siders realize that Eden can help them? Will Luke ever stop trying to hurt Az? Will Az fall?

I first heard of this book while at another book signing. I immediately put it on my TBR list and just never got around to reading it. I really liked that this book gives you a different angle on the angel story. I really like the way that Clifford writes. She draws you in with the emotions that are felt from Eden and Az.

On the cover is a girl with dark hair with burgundy highlights. I’m presuming this to be Eve. I like the contrast in colors on the cover. I like the quote on the front of the book: “She’s been betrayed by life by love and by death.”

•Eden. She is a Sider, which meant she would’ve committed suicide and has to spend eternity spreading touch to survive. Eden doesn’t like spreading touch because that makes the people she touches have bad thoughts or do bad things.

•Az. He loves Eden. Plain and simple. You can easily see how much he cares for her when he talks to Gabriel and what Luke has done to girls he liked in the past.

•Gabriel. He is Az’s friend and is also Bound. He is trying to prevent Az from falling completely, which isn’t always an easy task. He is there for Kristen and Eden, just as he is for Az.

•Luke. Why must there always be someone who has to mettle in things and make it hard for people. I guess it wouldn’t be a good story if there wasn’t though. He is trying to “help” Az fall, so he can join his ranks.

•The swearing in the book. I knew to expect it though. I had first heard about this book from Leah Clifford’s mom, who sat next to me during a Maggie Stiefvater book signing. She told me that it was a good book, but there was a lot of swearing and f-bombs. “I don’t know where she gets that from,” she told me.

•Libby. She is the Sider that Eden, Adam, Jarrod and James took in. There is just something about her that rubs me the wrong way. She seemed too eager in the beginning. Kind of like your much younger sibling wanting to hang out with you and thinking everything is cool.

Feast of Fools and contest

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Title: Feast of Fools
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: New American Library
Publish Date: 03 June 2008
Pages: 242
ISBN: 978-0451224637
Source: Bought
Genre: YA, Vampires, romance
Series: Morganville Vampires
Other books in series: The Glass House, The Dead Girl’s Dance, Midnight Alley, Lords of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, Fade Out, Kiss of Death, Ghost Town, Bite Club, Last Breath, Black Dawn (01 May 2012), Bitter Blood (November 2012)

In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though, especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he's set for Morganville.

This was written at the beginning of the book:

Claire Danvers was going to Caltech. Or maybe MIT. She had her pick of great schools…but her parents were a little worried about sending a wide-eyed sixteen-year old into such a high-pressure world. So they compromised and sent her to a safe place for a year – Texas Prairie University, a small school located in Morganville, Texas, just a hour or so from their home.

On problem: Morganville isn’t what it seems. It’s the last safe place for vampires, and that makes it not very safe at all for the humans who venture in for work or school. The vampires rule the town…and everyone who lives in it.

Claire’s second problem is that she’s gathered enemies, major ones, human and vampire. Now she lives with housemates Michael Glass (newly made a vampire), Eve Rosser (always been Goth), and Shane Collins (whose absentee dad is a vampire killer). Claire’s the normal one…or she would be, except that she’s deep into the secrets of Morganville. She’s become an employee of the Founder, Amelie, and befriended one of the most dangerous, yet most vulnerable, vampires of them all – Myrnin.

And just when she thinks things can’t get worse…they have.

Amelie’s vampire father has come to town, and he’s not happy.

When Daddy’s not happy…nobody’s happy.

This story starts out when Claire and her housemates are “taken hostage” by Mr. Bishop and his two associates. They want them to cook them breakfast. What Mr. Bishop really wants is to talk to his daughter, Amelie. Claire tries to get ahold of her, but eventually called on a “friend” Oliver to get ahold of Amelie for them before disastrous things happen.

Finally, Amelie comes over to talk with Mr. Bishop, who is also her father and Claire and her housemates are free to leave. They wonder why Mr. Bishop is in town and what he wants. There are people who speculate that he wants to destroy Amelie. Talk is going around town about a ball that Amelie is holding in her father’s honor. In order to attend, you have to be invited and accompanied by a vampire. Why is this so important and why is Claire so interested in attending this ball?

This book was an easy read. It kept me captivated from beginning to end. Even though I haven't read any of the Morganville Vampire series before, I didn't feel as though I didn't know what was going on. I liked the fact that it had a "the story so far" section at the beginning of the book. I didn't notice one in the beginning of the other story in the omnibus, Midnight Alley.

This a unique situation because the cover of the book that I read is actually the omnibus volume two. It has a woman on the front, who I presume to be Claire, since she is the main character. I like the swirling on the cover.

•Claire. She really cares about people and is interested in their well-being. Even though she is only sixteen, she is responsible.

•Claire’s housemates: Michael, Eve and Shane. They really look out for each other. There are a few budding romances in this book.

•Oliver. He helps Claire and then out on a few occasions.

•Amelie. She acts as though she doesn’t have time for Claire and her questions and things that happen to her. Claire is employed by her.

•Mr. Bishop. He just waltzes into town and acts as though he is owed everything and wants it all.

•Ysandre. She is one of the vampires that accompany Bishop.

DATE

April 20^th: GLASS HOUSES (Book 1)

http://www.pageturnersblog.com/

April 21: THE DEAD GIRLS DANCE (Book 2)

http://melaniemccullough.blogspot.com

April 22: MIDNIGHT ALLEY (Book 3)

http://book-splot.blogspot.com/

April 23: FEAST OF FOOLS (Book 4)

http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/

April 24: LORD OF MISRULE (Book 5)

http://bookmonsterreviews.blogspot.com/

April 25: CARPE CORPUS (Book 6)

http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com

April 26: FADE OUT (Book 7)

http://MissVainsParanormalFantasy.com

April 27: KISS OF DEATH (Book 8)

http://www.thestorysiren.com/

April 28: GHOST TOWN (Book 9)

http://www.awesomesaucebookclub.com/

April 29: BITE CLUB (Book 10)

http://www.totalbookaholic.com/

April 30: LAST BREATH (Book 11)

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

MAY 1: BLACK DAWN (Book 12, NEW!)

http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/

I wrote this review in order to celebrate the release of Black Dawn, the 12^th book in the Morganville Vampire series on May 1^st. The publisher, New American Library, which is an imprint of The Penguin Group, has graciously donated a copy of Glass Houses along with a Black Dawn bookmark for the giveaway today. I am adding to that a copy of the first Omnibus and a autographed Black Dawn bookmark that I got at the RT Booklovers convention.

Rules

You will have 48 hours to respond or you will forfeit your prize.
I reserve the right to cancel the contest at any time without reason.
I am not responsible for parcels lost or damaged in the postal system. I will make every attempt to avoid this.
You must be 13 years or older to participate.
Contest is U.S. only.
Names will be drawn by Random.org that is within rafflecopter.
Winner will be announced in this blog post at the conclusion of the contest and notified by the e-mail provided to enter the contest. Make sure this is the e-mail that you want me to contact you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RT Booklovers Convention

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:50:00 +0000

I had a lot of fun at the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago and got a lot of my books autographed. The lines were insane and I was grateful that we decided to go up on Friday and stay in the hotel that was holding the convention. Here are some photos that I took. Some of the author photos are kinda blurry.

This was all of us on the balcony of our hotel room


My nephew and nieces waiting in line

They were so cool in the glasses they got from Beth Revis

Playing with the lipstick pens we got

The crazy lines. This was 2 hours before Teen Day opened

Josephine Angelini and Jennifer Armentrout

Ann Aguirre

Brodi Ashton and Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Sarah Rees Brennan and Ally Carter

Shannon Delany

A blurry Kimberly Derting

Alyson Noel

Blurry Stephanie Perkins. She was adorable!

Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Richelle Mead, Melissa Marr, Veronica Roth

Josephine Angelini and Jennifer Armentrout

Are they sleeping? This was after a VERY long day!

In My Mailbox: RT Booklovers edition

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:13:00 +0000

I recently went to Teen Day at the RT Booklover's convention in Chicago, Illinois and had a blast. I'm looking forward to attending the full conference next year. This in my mailbox is mostly from that conference, but I had some surprises awaiting me when I returned home. I will do another post on the convention and how much fun we had. Unfortunately, some of my pictures were fuzzy. :(

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
Fairy Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr
The Selection by Kierra Cass
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The first three books were given to my nephew and he graciously let me read them. All teens were given a bag full of books from epic reads. Hearts At Stake was given away free at the Teen Party. Everyone grabbed one (there were five of us total) and then they realized that there was one in their free bag, so I got the duplicates. I won Onyx at the Entangled party and I bought Obsidian. I only spent $10. I thought that was pretty good!

SWAG!!

I liked these bookmarks that I got. They had neat quotes on them.

Some autographed swag that I got for future contests. The authors were really nice and gave me lots of stuff. :)

Innocents by Francesca Sebal
Vampire Crush by A. M. Robinson
A Chance in the World by Steve Pemberton

When I came home, I had Innocents and A Chance in the World waiting for me. I bought Vampire Crush.

Yay! I got my World Book Night books. I got Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. They have a special cover and back cover for the World Book Night promotion. In the literature, it said that more than a million books were donated and will be given away. How cool is that?

Pure

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Title: Pure
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publish Date: 3 April 2012
Pages: 329
ISBN: 978-0-983-15722-9
Source: bought
Genre: Young Adult, romance, mythology
Series: Covenant
Other books in series: Daimon, Half-Blood, Deity (November 2012)

There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

What happens with Seth, Alex and Aiden in this second installment of the Covenant series? Alex is still training at the Covenant with Aiden and Seth. The Covenant is supposed to be a place where you feel safe from the Daimons. When they attack the Covenant, everything changes. That feeling of safety is gone. After the attacks, Alex goes along with Aiden and Seth to the Council to tell them what had happened with her mother.

Things aren’t going well for the three. Aiden is torn because pures and half-bloods aren't supposed to have relationships and she has growing feelings for Aiden that if she or he acted upon them, she could end up a slave or die. Alex and Seth aren't really getting along. Alex feels like she has lost everyone.

When Alex gets to the council, there are strange things that happen. Alex, is well, Alex and doesn't let things slide when they upset her. Someone is out to sabotage her there and is intent on making her into a slave instead of a sentinel and the 2nd Apollyon. Everything that Alex does there is under speculation. Even the room that she is placed in is meant for a half-blood slave. Aiden and Seth see that someone is trying to ruin Alex and doesn’t want to leave her alone. Who is it that doesn’t want her to become the second Apollyon and why? Which boy will Alex choose – the one who holds her heart, or the one she can have?

I really liked Half-Blood and Daimon in this series and was anxious about reading Pure. It didn’t disappoint me. I loved it. It was full of suspense, romance and action. You never knew what was going to happen. Sure, I had my suspicions about certain people, but it was never given away in the plot of the book. Normally, the love triangle angle bothers or bores me because it has been written so much. This one is sorta different and I like that about it.

Seth and I weren't getting along at the moment. In our last training session, he'd "accidentally" hit me with a blast of energy and I'd "accidentally" thrown a rock at his head.

The cover of this book is blue, which happens to be my favorite color, so I am a little biased here. It has a rose on it. It goes along with the cover of Half-Blood and Daimon. Again, I’m not sure what this has to do with the story, but it is pretty to look at.

"I've already explained it," I said. "It's pretty easy to understand. Even for you. Or did you wake up on the wrong side of stupid this morning?"

•Alex. I like her spirit. In this book, she shows that she cares about the people as a whole and although she chooses the wrong ways, she shows this.

•Aiden. It is evident that he cares for Alex. He just cannot. It is against the law for a pure and a half-blood to be together. The Gods have prohibited it. Aiden is caring and over-protective.

•Seth. What can you say about Seth? He isn’t as much of a whiner in this book. I think I like him a little more and you really get to see who he is and what he cares about. He cares about Alex. I’m not sure if it is more than self-preservation or if it just started that way.

•The Council. People and their silly laws really get to me. The council has so many rules…

•Daimons. Naturally, they are the enemy.

The big question is whether I’m on Team Seth or Team Aiden. That question is a little difficult to answer. I like and dislike them both for various reasons.

• Pro: He seems to really care about Alex, although he has a funny way of showing it sometimes.

• Pro: Alex is able to be with him without breaking the law.

• Pro: He teaches Alex a lot about being the Apollyon.

• Con: He is sometimes manipulative and throws things up in Alex’s face.

• Con: He sometimes acts selfish and wants things because he wants them and doesn’t always think of how his choices affect other people.

• Con: He likes to be in control of everything.

• Con: He doesn’t like Aiden.

"Cut me?" Seth laughed. "What are you - a street thug Apollyon about to shank me?"

• Pro: He has been there for Alex when she needed him.

• Pro: He is very responsible and thinks about how his actions will affect other people.

• Pro: He cares for Alex and doesn’t want to take her future away by being with her.

• Pro: He takes responsibility of teaching Alex so she can catch up at the Covenant and not have to become a slave.

• Con: He is a Pure and because of this, he and Alex could not be together without breaking the law.

• Con: He is always serious.

• Con: He doesn’t like Seth.

Blog Tour: Here

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Title: Here
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publish Date: 11 November 2011
Pages: 350
ISBN: 978-1466394575
Source: from author for book tour
Genre: Young Adult, alien, romance
Series: On the Otherside
Other books in series: There (November 2012)

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.

Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

How would it make you feel knowing that you were driving the car that killed your best friend? That is what happened to Julia Phillips. Her best friend, Monica, was in the car when they got into an accident and she died. Julia doesn’t remember what happened in the accident. She has doubts as to who caused it. This has haunted Julia, not allowing her to do things. Her reaction to Monica dying has caused her to shut everything out. This causes a major rift in her family and makes things difficult for them.

As if things aren’t bad enough for Julia, her counselor at school threatens to send her to an alternative school if she doesn’t bring her grades up and turn herself around. She has to have a tutor to make up all the work that she has missed since Monica’s death. She never expected who the tutor would be - Evan Whittaker. He is acting strange towards her. Normally, he wouldn’t give her the time of day, but now he is all concerned about her and not caring about things that were previously important to him. Then there is Reece, the new kid who just came back from the alternative school.

Strange things are happening in Julia’s life that she doesn’t understand. Like where did the bracelet come from? After the accident, she mysteriously was found wearing a bracelet that said “Love endures forever.” Why has she been doodling Evan’s name ever since the accident? What is this strange connection to Reece and why is Evan being nice to her?

When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t too sure that I would like it. I was wrong. I liked how this book kept you in suspense. I never really knew what was going to happen next. It surprised me to the end.

On the Cover is a girl in a white dress standing in a pond in the woods. You can see two figures off in the distance. The color scheme of the cover is black and white. I liked the cover. It was initially what drew me to review this book.

•Julia Phillips. Her reaction to the death of her friend is like that of anyone in her circumstance would be. She doesn’t understand what happened and why she was the one to survive and not Monica. She tries to be better in the book and starts interacting with her family more.

•Evan Whittaker. The new Evan. The one that is nice to Julia and tutors her. Yes, it is strange that he changed, but I like the changes.

• Reece. You get to know a little about Reece in the story and find out that he is a funny guy. He came back from the alternative school before Julia finds out that she is being sent there. He gives Julia some pointers.

•Julia’s family. Okay, this isn’t really a “not like,” but I didn’t know where else to put this. I can realize what the driving force is behind some of the decisions that her mom and father make, I just don’t understand them.

• Some of the other people in the town. I don’t want to say too much and give the story away, but I did not like them.

• Sarah Chapman. She is the popular girl in school.

The Immortal Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:28:00 +0000

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: 24 April 2012
Pages: 485
ISBN: 978-0-373-21051-0
Source: netgalley
Genre: Young Adult, romance, vampire
Series: Blood of Eden
Other books in series: unknown

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

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

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

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

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

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

What would you do if you were given a choice between death and becoming something that you hate? Allison Sekemoto lives in The Fringe of New Covington in Sector 4. New Covington is one of the vampire cities that has formed sixty years after a deadly virus, the Red Lung, has killed off most of the population. Allison aka Allie is an unregistered. This means that she doesn't have to go and donate blood to the vampires. This also means that she isn't taken care of and doesn't get food on a regular basis. She lives with Stick, Lucas and Rat. They are in her gang. They help each other survive.

After watching the hanging of unregistereds in the city, Allie decides that she needs to go elsewhere to scavenge for food. She goes to the ruins. This is outside the city walls of New Covington. She has been there before and found some good food. When she goes there, she knows that she has to return before nightfall because that is when the rabids come out. They were created when they did experiments on vampire blood and the red lung virus. What she finds in the ruins is a basement full of food. She is excited because this will last her and her gang a few months. She returns to her home by way of the tunnels that she took out of the city and come across some mole men and a vampire. Luckily, she arrives home the next morning.

After telling her gang about the basement of food, they decide to go after it because the thought of having food is too good to pass up. The leader, Lucas, tells everyone to get ready and they cross the wall of New Covington into the ruins. Things don't go as planned and Allie finds herself fighting against rabids in the middle of a storm. That is when she meets Kanin and he gives her a choice - live or die. Allie chooses to live, so Kanin transforms her into one of the things that she loathes - a vampire.

Kanin teaches her how to be a vampire. Throughout this whole ordeal, Allie learns that there are some things that Kanin is hiding from her and that culmonates in her almost dying and Kanin being captured. Now Allie is on her own and has left New Covington. When she is wandering around, she meets Ezekial Crosse aka Zeke and his group who are trying to get to Eden, where there are no rabids or vampires. They have been trying to find this place for years under the leadership of Jebbadiah Crosse. Allie blends in the group easily and everyone thinks that she is human. What will happen when they find out that what Allie is? What secrets is Jeb hiding from the group and why are the raiders after him? What happened to Kanin?

I have always heard what a great author that Julie Kagawa was and have never before read anything that she has written. Not for any reason other than having SO many books to read and forgetting about hers. When this book appeared on Netgalley, I put my mind to reading it and finding out what type of author Kagawa really is. I wasn't disappointed. Kagawa's writing is so easy to follow and she never misses an opportunity to let you in on what the character is feeling. Immortal Rules has a lot of information to absorb, but it doesn't make your head hurt with it all. She writes it so you can not only understand it, but remember it as well. I am very excited to read the forthcoming books in this series and am anxious to read other works by this great author.

On the cover, you see a woman, whom I presume to be Allie. She has red eyes and is crying blood. This goes along with the description of what they say Allie looks like. In one altercation with a gang member, she is described as a "sweet little Asian doll." The crying blood also goes along with the story as Allie has said before that when she cries, it is in blood. I like the serious look that she has on her face and the contrast between the black and red.

•Allie. She is the main character and the one who takes care of other people. She would do anything for her gang members and when she is turned into a vampire, loses that sense of family that she had as a member of the Fringe. She is stubborn and doesn't accept things for what people tell her they are, but have to figure things out on her own.

•Zeke. He is nice boy. He finds the good in everyone. Even though other people in his group were telling him that Allie was bad, he always thought the best of her. Allie is concerned that he is too naive. His spirit and faith are inspiring.

•Caleb, Ruth, Jake, Teresa, Silas, Dorothy, Darren. They are the other members of Zeke's group. Some of them have accepted Allie and other didn't. They still helped her and let her join them for a while.

•Kanin. He is Allie's "father" so to speak. He turned Allie into a vampire and taught her the ways of vampirism.

•Jeb. Hypocrisy at its finest. Some of the things that happened concerning Jeb made me have the same reaction that Allie had.

•Jackal. From the get-go, he doesn't seem like a friendly person. He is the self-proclaimed "vampire raider king."

Half-Blood

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:54:00 +0000

Title: Half-blood
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publish Date: 18 October 2011
Pages: 281
ISBN: 978-0-983-15720-5
Source: bought
Genre: Young Adult, romance, mythology
Series: Covenant
Other books in series: Daimon, Pure, Deity (November 2012)

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

What happens to Alex after living in the human world with her mother for three years? Will she be allowed to return to the Covenant? The story starts out where Daimon left off. That is in Atlanta, Georgia in a warehouse where Alex was running from Florida, where her mother was killed in a Daimon attack. Alex is fighting for her life against the Daimons and is tagged when suddenly Sentinals appear to help her in the fight. After the threat of Daimons are gone, Alex's fight or flight relfexes kick in and she makes a run for it. Aiden St. Delphi, one of the Sentinals and a pure Hematoi, catches her and uses compulsion to get her to calm down. What happens is that she is escorted back to the Covenant where her uncle Marcus is the dean - Dean Andros and her step-father, Lucian, is the Minister of Council.

She makes a deal with Dean Andros that she will be caught up enough by the end of the summer to train with her classmates. Aiden is the one who volunteered to train her. There are strict rules that she has to abide by or it will make Aiden look bad. He takes these to heart. The training begins and Alex remembers all that she has forgotten during her time away from the Covenant. While she is at the Covenant, she not only rediscovers old friends, but old enemies as well.

Alex doesn't know the reason that her mother took her from the safety of the Covenant and lived in the human world up until her death. Everyone asks her that. Some people on the island speculate and say that Grandma Piperi, the oracle, told her mom something and that made her want to leave. This is bothering her and she wants to find out the reason. She is busy training and getting into mischief when Seth, the Apollyon, enters the picture. Immediately, she is attracted to and repulsed by him. There is this attraction there that she doesn't understand and does not happen with anyone else at the Covenant. She can feel his presence before she can see him. She is repulsed because of how everyone else treats him like he is a God. Will Alex find out why her mom left the Covenant? What will happen between her and Aiden? Why is she attracted to Seth?

I was first hooked in this series when I read the prequel Daimon. I loved the differences between Seth and Aiden in this book. Aiden has been the Pure that Alex has had a crush on forever and is her trainer, while Seth is the person that annoys her, but she has an attraction to that she doesn’t understand. After reading Half-Blood, I was anxious to read Pure to find out what happens with this trio.

The cover has a flower in it which looks like flames. While the cover is pretty, I'm not sure what it has to do with the story. I like the colors on the cover.

•Alexandria Andros. She is a fighter. Always working hard for what she gets. If there are questions, she wants the answers.

•Aiden St. Delphi. He is a pure. Pures and Half-bloods don't mix. It is against the law. Why is he so attractive to Alex then?

•Caleb Nicolo. He is Alex's best friend. He stands up for her.

•Lea Samos. She is Alex's enemy. They have been fighting each other since they were seven.

•Dean Andros, Lucian. They know more than they are letting on and are not very supportive of Alex. When she firsts returns to the Covenant, they suggest her becoming a slave in her step-father's house.

•Seth. He is the Apollyon, but he has an ego the size of Texas. While reading the book, I have to agree with Alex's reaction to him. Everyone treats him like he is a god because of who he is. Everyone except Alex. At times, I think he acts like a spoiled brat because he is the Apollyon.

There are three book trailers, so I thought that I would put all of them in here.

Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:54:00 +0000

Title: Shadows
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Publisher: Entagled Publishing
Publish Date: 21 February 2012
Pages: 179
ISBN: 978-1-62061-115-9
Source: bought
Genre: Young Adult, romance, alien
Series: The Lux Series
Other books in series: Obsidian, Onyx (14 August 2012)

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

What happened to Dawson Black, Dee and Daemon’s brother in the Lux series? All of the Luxen always comes in triplets. In Obsidian, you learn that Dee and Daemon had a brother who fell for a human girl, but that is all the detail that you get. Dee and Daemon miss their brother terribly so you don’t get the full story. This novella is Dawson’s account of what happened to him.

Dawson Black never expected Bethany Williams to come into his life. Sure he has been attracted to humans before, but never on the level that he was with Bethany. It is forbidden for Luxen to have relationships with humans. All of them know this. All throughout this novella, Daemon and the other Luxen that go to the high school in West Virginia, are against the relationship budding between Dawson and Bethany. He tries to hide it from the DOD because if they found out, there would be trouble not only for him, but for Bethany too. What happens when Dawson decides that he doesn’t want to hide anymore and that Bethany is worth the risk of getting caught?

I am really starting to love books by Jennifer Armentrout and this novella made me love them even more. I read her Lux series, the Covenant series and am excited about other books that she has being released in the coming year. I LOVED Obsidian. More than I originally thought I would. This story about Dawson gives you the reason why Daemon acts the way that he does in Obsidian. I cannot wait for Onyx to come out in August, to continue the series. Armentrout’s writing is hilarious. I laughed so many times while reading this book. I’ll share some quotes so you can get a better understanding of what I mean.

The cover of this novella shows Dawson standing on a hill near a tree. The cover is blue and you can clearly see his green eyes. I love the Lux Series covers because I think the models give the air of mystery that you would associate with aliens. The fact that the model for Dawson and Daemon (they are triplets after all) is VERY handsome just adds to it. I had to keep this cover on my Kindle for a while just so I could look at it.

“I bet you’re the type of guy not afraid of anything, huh?”
“Oh, no, there are things that terrify me.”
“Like what?”
“Muppets,” came his solemn reply.
“What?” she laughed. “Muppets?”
“Yes. Those things are terrifying. And you’re laughing at me.”
She smiled. “Sorry. You’re right. Muppets can be scary.”

• Dawson Black. Even though he and Daemon look alike, their personalities are very different. Daemon being the eldest of the set of triplets, feels more responsibility for his siblings and that is apparent in his attitude. Dawson is able to relax and be nice to humans. Not totally though, because the threat of Arum finding them is always there and he would do anything to protect Dee and Daemon. I love how he says things.

This weak excuse for an enemy was decked out like one of the Village People.

He shook out his shoulders, positive he’d just been visually molested – and so not in a good way.

Holy crap on a cracker.

• Dee Black. She is the caring one of the triplets.

• Daemon Black. Even though he is against Dawson and Bethany, he still supports and protects him in the end.

• Bethany Williams. She is the new student at the high school and Dawson is instantly attracted to her. He worries because he has a carbon copy of himself in Daemon, but Bethany can tell them apart, which he finds amazing. Bethany is a strong character who is also funny.

He could be a llama in disguise and she’d still be…fascinated by him.

Great. West Virginia was where printers went to die.

• Some of the other Luxen in this book. I realize that they are just concerned about Dawson and the Luxen as a whole, but still.

The Goddess Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Title: The Goddess Hunt
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publish Date: 01 March 2012
Pages: 71
ISBN: 978-1-42683-415-8
Source: Bought
Genre: Young Adult, romance, mythology
Series: The Goddess Test
Other books in series: The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted, The Goddess Legacy (July 2012)

A vacation in Greece sounds like the perfect way for Kate Winters to spend her first sabbatical away from the Underworld...until she gets caught up in an immortal feud going back millennia. Castor and Pollux have been on the run from Zeus and Hades' wrath for centuries, hiding from the gods who hunt them. The last person they trust is Kate, the new Queen of the Underworld. Nevertheless, she is determined to help their cause. But when it comes to dealing with immortals, Kate still has a lot to learn....

What did Kate Winters do during her first six months away from Henry? This story starts out telling us some history of Castor and Pollux who are on the run from Zeus. Castor and Pollux are twin sons of Zeus who were tricked by him. One is mortal, the other is immortal. The twins couldn’t picture spending eternity without each other and when Castor dies and goes to The Underworld, Pollux rescues him, which angered not only Zeus, but Hades, the God of the Underworld.

Fast forward to today. Kate Winters has won immortality in The Goddess Test. According to her agreement with Henry, she spends six months in The Underworld with him and gets to spend the other six months away from doing whatever she pleases. During her first six months away, she spends the summer with James in Greece. Things happen there that she doesn’t expect. First off, James getting “lost” and finding Castor and Pollux, who have been on the run for centuries. The last person that they want to trust is Kate, the Queen of the Underworld. What happens when Henry (Hades) finds out that James and Kate has found Castor and Pollux?

I really like The Goddess Test series , but I wasn’t as excited about reading this novella and I’m not sure why. Maybe because I had Goddess Interrupted to keep me busy at the same time. Like Henry, I think that I really didn’t care what Kate did on her six months off and found it hard to believe that this would be an interesting story. I was wrong. This story drew me in like the other books in the series. Carter never ceases to amaze me with her writing. Not only is it grammatically correct, but the way she creates these characters that are ancient is astounding and I wasn't disappointed in this novella. You would expect them not to use the same vernacular and grammar as those characters of today and she writes this flawlessly.

The cover shows a female, who is the same one on the other covers in the series, Kate Winters. She is looking through a forest of some sort. The font of the title is the same that is used for the other books in the series as well. The consistency throughout the books is good to see. I think that having her in the forest is appropriate for this novella because a lot of the story happens there.

• Kate Winters. She is the main character. Even though this is her time away from Henry and he has told her that she can do whatever she pleases and he cannot stop her, she is faithful to the vows that she made as Henry’s wife. She shows some of her true character when dealing with Castor and Pollux.

• Henry. Ah, Henry. Every story that I read about him, I like him more and more. Yes, he is angry and Castor and Pollux. Nobody has ever escaped The Underworld before and this has upset him because that is his realm and he doesn’t want others to follow. Having chased them for centuries, his patience is wearing thin.

• Castor and Pollux. The twins of Zeus. Zeus, being the master tricker that he is, made one of his sons mortal and the other immortal. When Castor dies, Zeus makes a deal with Pollux where one day Castor can be immortal and the next he will spend in The Underworld and Pollux would get the same deal. Pollux takes the deal because he thinks that means that he would get to spend eternity with his brother. What he didn’t know was that he would never see him because their days would alternate. Pollux really cares for Castor. He couldn’t see living without him and rescues him from The Underworld. They are running and in hiding so Zeus and Hades do not find them and punish them for what they have done, which is outsmart Zeus. At first, Pollux seems very abrasive. I wouldn’t expect any less from someone who was betrayed by his father. Castor is very polite and charming.

• Cerebus. He is guardian and a dog of The Underworld. Pollux punches him in the nose when he rescues Castor. He comes again to the forest and encounters Pollux and Castor again. You just have to love dogs.

• James. James has been slowing going from the “like” to “did not like” side. At first, he seems to really care about Kate and what happens to her. After reading his history and the things that he has done, I’m beginning to like him less and less. He was always there to fight with his brothers against the threats in Goddess Interrupted without question, but his heart wasn’t in it. He tries to get Kate to go against her vows to Henry. He finds Castor and Pollux when he knows that this will cause problems for them.

• The other Gods and Goddesses in this novella. Yeah, they have rules that they have to uphold, but they seem heartless when they do it. Some of them surprise me, but for the most part they are prideful and cold.

Blog Tour: Until Next Time

noreply@blogger.com (Tammi H) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:30:00 +0000

Title: Until Next Time
Author: Amy Lignor
Publisher: Tribute Books
Publish Date: 01 February 2012
Pages: 295
ISBN: 978-0-9837418-5-5
Source: Book for review from author
Genre: Young Adult, angels, paranormal, romance
Series: Angel Chronicles
Other books in series: unknown

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

This series starts out with Emily and Matt getting ready to go down to Earth another time. Emily is an angel and Matt is a warrior. They are being sent to Earth in order to gain knowledge for their side of the war. They have been training for this for a long time. In order to do that, they need to review the previous times that they have been down in order to rid themselves of anger. Emily doesn’t want to go because of her previous experiences. Matt and Emily sit down in the library and review the first time they were sent.

In 1810, they were sent to inhabit “shells” or bodies without souls, in Ireland. Emily was Elizabeth and Matt was Daniel. It tells of the back story there. During this story, you figure out that Elizabeth aka Liz is the sole survivor in her family. Her mother died during childbirth of a younger sibling, and her father, overcome with grief, committed suicide shortly thereafter. This left Liz the owner of a pub. The townsfolk helped Liz until she was old enough to run it herself. Faith, a woman who came into her life after running away from home, helps her with the pub. Daniel would come around and help them when he could. His home life wasn’t that great and he was looking for an escape and found that when he would be around Liz. He felt safe there.

One rainy evening, two men come to the pub after it was closed and asked to gain entrance due to the storm. They are Charles and Jason. Liz and Faith are concerned at first letting these two men into their homes, but soon find out that they are not the vagabonds that they first thought they were. The story continues with their travels with Charles and Jason. How does Daniel feel when he is left behind and the woman he loves goes away with another man?

I liked the plot in this story. It was refreshing to read something with a twist that I haven’t read before. I thought that the characters were well developed. It was difficult for me, at times, to keep what was happening straight. It wasn't because there were holes in the plot or anything. I guess I'm just not used to being forced to think for myself when it comes to books. This book did just that. Some of the ideas in this book, I'm still not sure about.

When I first read about them reviewing the previous excursions to Earth, it took me awhile before I realized that they were reviewing the first time they were sent. I don’t know if I just didn’t get it or that there wasn’t enough there to give it away. There are times when Emily and Matt return “home” and talk with their instructors. This was a little confusing at first because it just happened out of the blue. Once I figured out that was what was happening, it was nice to see the trips. Overall, I really liked the book.

The question remains: Am I team Matt or team Jason? I don't know. They both have their redeeming qualities. I will have to make that decision in later books.

The cover shows an angel with red hair and you see her heart. It looks as though the angel is made of stone and is cracking. I thought this cover was appropriate for the storyline. I won’t say much more because I don’t want to give anything away. I like the font of the title on the cover.

• Emily/Liz: She is one of the main characters. She learns that being on Earth isn’t as easy as she thought. She has these feelings that she doesn’t know what to do with. She doesn’t know who Matt is when she goes down. She doesn’t remember who/what she is. She is protective of the people that she cares about.

• Matt/Daniel: He is the other main character. Most of the story is told from Liz’s point of view, but you still get a little of Daniel. He is in love with Liz and has been for a while. It hurts him when she leaves but he doesn’t give up on her. He senses that he and Liz are connected, although he doesn’t understand it.

•Faith: She is the girl who helps Liz at the pub. She is also protective of those whom she loves. She keeps Liz’s secrets.

• Charles and Jason: They happen upon Liz and Faith during a storm and are changed forever. They were wandering about the countryside after leaving home due to the circumstances that were happening. Liz and Faith leave with them. Charles and Jason are good to the girls and protect them.

• The Instructors: Gabriel, Michael, Francis. They are funny to read about. The card games...

• Martha and Anthony: They are the only ones who seemed relieved to see Jason and Charles when they return home.

• The storyline or plot.

•Mr. and Mrs. Faire: Charles’ parents. They are the type of people who try to appear as though they are nice when they really are not.

• How confused at times I got from going in between “home” and Ireland.

Author Interview: Aimée Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Young Adult Book Reviews) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:56:00 +0000

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing fan fiction at eleven, began her first original story four years later, and hasn’t stopped writing since.

I'm really not very interesting at all. I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and received a degree in Screen Arts and Cultures (a fancy way of saying I was forced to watch a lot of old movies) with a subconcentration in Screenwriting. I write. I watch a lot of new movies. Read a lot of books. Tweet too much. Love dogs and have two spoiled Papillons.

Aimée Carter, the author of The Goddess Test, The Goddess Hunt, Goddess Interrupted and The Goddess Legacies (released August 2012) answered a few questions that I had for her.

YABR: What inspires you when you write?

AC: I write the stories I want to read. And really, I want to write the best stories I possibly can. The thought of someone enjoying them is enough to spur me on.

YABR:   Do you base your characters off of real people? Do you have a process for coming up with characters?

AC: I never base them off of real people, though I do steal names quite a bit. The plot comes to me first, so I always build the characters around that. But that's only in the outline stage. Once I'm writing the story, the characters dictate how the plot unfolds.

YABR:   In The Goddess Test series, it relies heavily on mythology, is this something that you have always been interested in? How did you come up with this concept?

AC: I've loved mythology from an early age, and the reason I chose to focus on the myth of Hades and Persephone was the character of Hades in the myths. He's such a neutral character, except for this one terrible incident where he kidnaps her. I wanted to explore what made him do that - I wanted to know more, and much of the plot of The Goddess Test stemmed from that.

YABR:   What do you wish was different about the book(s), if anything?

AC: I think I would change a few of the names, most notably Diana's. Originally it started off as a joke to show two characters' relationship, but it didn't work well, and I feel like it's more confusing than anything. Other than that, thinking about things I would change is really only asking for trouble and discontentment, if that makes sense. Especially since I can't!

YABR: What is your favorite item on your work space?

AC: My Nivea "A Kiss of Milk and Honey" lip balm. And/or my Rubik's Cube.

YABR: What type/genre of books do you like to read?

AC: Everything and anything that catches my attention. I'll read anything with a plot that appeals to me.

YABR: Favorite color

AC: I don't have one, but I prefer deep jewel tones.

YABR: Favorite holiday/season

AC: I don't have a favorite season either - I think there are great aspects to each of them, and I enjoy them all. But as for holiday, I love Christmas Eve. That sense of togetherness and warmth and family is one of my favorite things ever.

YABR: Word that best describes you and why?

AC: Just one word? Gah! Discerning? Tenacious? Selective? Spunky? How about layered? Yes, let's go with that - layered. (And the four others before it. :) )

YABR: Optimist or pessimist?

AC: Optimist, except when it comes to my own success. Then I am incredibly pessimistic.

YABR: Favorite author/book/series

AC: Harry Potter, hands down.

YABR: Favorite food/drink

AC: Hot chocolate, when it's done right.

YABR: Favorite place to read/write

AC: I can read or write anywhere as long as it's quiet. It isn't so much where I am as it is where the story takes me.

Goddess Interrupted comes out today! Happy book birthday!

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

The Hunger Games Contest part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Young Adult Book Reviews) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:27:00 +0000

Now that the movie is out, I want to hear your opinions of it. When the movie first started, I wasn't too impressed with the cinematography and thought that the camera was all over the place. After that first scene, it got MUCH better. I won't spoil the movie for anyone, but there were a couple of instances where I wasn't sure if that was in the book or not. This is always a fear when they adapt a film from a book, but I thought the additions were wonderful in the movie. These being the point of views from characters other than Katniss. I have only seen this movie once and must see it again. I have had to re-read the books as a result of watching the movie.

To celebrate the movie, I am having another contest. In this one, I want to hear what your thoughts on the movie were and how they compared to the books. I didn't make that a requirement of this contest because I know some people don't like to comment on blogs.

I am giving away: 1 collector's edition of The Hunger Games, 2 paperback copies of The Hunger Games with bookmarks, mockinjay tattoos and mockingjay pins and 1 paperback copy of The Hunger Games. The collector's edition, bookmarks, tattoos and pins were all donated by Scholastic Books.

Rules

You will have 48 hours to respond or you will forfeit your prize.
I reserve the right to cancel the contest at any time without reason.
I am not responsible for parcels lost or damaged in the postal system. I will make every attempt to avoid this.
You must be 13 years or older to participate.
Contest is international.
Names will be drawn by Random.org that is within rafflecopter.
Winner will be announced in this blog post at the conclusion of the contest and notified by the e-mail provided to enter the contest. Make sure this is the e-mail that you want me to contact you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway