He makes good girls…bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried

Add The Collector to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

About Victoria Scott:  Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. She has a master’s degree in marketing, and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.

Her first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2013. And her short story, FOUR HOUSES, is available now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She currently lives in Dallas with her husband, Ryan. Find her on the web at her Website,  Twitter, and  Facebook

Leigh Bardugo is the author of Shadow & Bone. She was born in Jerusalem, raised in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. She lives in Hollywood and indulges her fondness for glamour, ghouls, and costuming in her other life as makeup artist L.B. Benson. You can find her on the web at her website, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?

What a beastly thing to do to a girl. How about a few fragments? Epic fantasy set in a world inspired by Tsarist Russia. Kingdom on the brink of collapse. Girl with powers. Saints. Samovars. Dreamy boys.

Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?

My heart says direwolf. My head says dragon. I’m going with dragon. Fire and blood!

Do you have a favorite fantasy read?

Either A Clash of Kings or A Storm of Swords, both by George R.R. Martin. (You may be detecting a theme here.) My favorite fantasy comfort reads are Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and the early Harry Potter books.

Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the plot?

The characters. I see certain scenes first. The plot grows from there and the world grows from the plot. But that’s all at the start. When they really start working together and influencing one another, I start to feel like I have a story.

They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?

Ha! I love this question so much. I feel like the obvious go-to is Monopoly, but I loathe Monopoly, so it’s got to be Candyland. I’d love to see the Shadow Fold rendered in black licorice (the most vile of flavors).

Thanks Leigh for stopping by!

About Shadow and Bone: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. 

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart. 

Have you seen the awesome trailer for Shadow and Bone?

What’s even cooler is the first 200 people who pre-order Shadow and Bone from Books of Wonder will get the snazzy map for the book! Find all the details here.

Now, Leigh is touring as part of the Fierce Reads tour with Anna Banks, Emmy Laybourne, and Jennifer Bosworth. Find the full schedule here. (And if you are going to the Naperville stop, let me know! I shall see you there!)

Rating: 3.5 stars

Life As We Knew It meets Lord of the Flies in a mall that looks just like yours

A biological bomb has just been discovered in the air ducts of a busy suburban mall. At first nobody knows if it’s even life threatening, but then the entire complex is quarantined, people start getting sick, supplies start running low, and there’s no way out. Among the hundreds of trapped shoppers are four teens.

These four different narrators, each with their own stories, must cope in unique, surprising styles, changing in ways they wouldn’t have predicted, trying to find solace, safety, and escape at a time when the adults are behaving badly.

This is a gripping look at people and how they can–and must–change under the most dire of circumstances.

And not always for the better.

No Safety In Numbers by Dayna Lorentz was a chilling contemporary novel that was enticing til the last page. It was a promising start to the trilogy and I am anxious to see where the story goes from here on out.

 No Safety In Numbers is told from four different points of view, which was a lot of fun to read. You really got a lot of different views on the same situation and saw how all the characters paths crossed.

The plot was really intriguing and was a bit freaky, as there was that realistic factor – this COULD still happen. My one complaint would be that the novel took a very slow pace – some parts seemed to drag a bit.

I really liked the characters – they were definitely the strongest part of No Safety in Numbers. The four main characters all felt very much like real teenagers. Shay was definitely my favorite character of the book – she was the most down to earth character and was a book worm, which I can totally relate to :). A few characters decisions seemed a bit off at times for me, but then again, they’re in this crazy situation.

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz is a book you need to stick with. It was a great book with a bit of an eerie story, but it does go by at a slower pace. The book ends on a high note with all the characters, and I really am curious to see where Dayna Lorentz takes her characters next.

I’m very excited to have Hilary Weisman Graham by the blog today for a unique interview in haikus! Check out the rest of the blog tour here. 

Hilary Weisman Graham is the author of Reunited. She is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, and novelist.
She lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband and son, roughly thirty minutes away from the nearest grocery store. You can find her on the web at her website, Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Who was your favorite character to write in Reunited?

It’s hard to pick one
Because I love all three girls
But Tiernan was fun.

This summer, I’ll drive
three-thousand miles and visit
five national parks!

I’d drive to the moon
To see the Beatles play live
But I missed my chance.

The show was Wild Web –
great people, lots of travel,
and cool interviews.

I wish I could meet
My ancestors in Russia
In 1800.

Here’s a bit about Reunited: 1 Concert
2000 Miles
3 Ex-Best Friends

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends.

Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3.

But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.

Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show.

Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. Good thing Alice’s graduation gift (a pea-green 1976 VW camper van known as the Pea Pod) is just the vehicle to get them there.

But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

*Note* If you are NOT a member of the YA/MG Fantasy Challenge PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR REVIEWS BELOW. Especially if they are not even fantasy reviews. You will not be picked to win. Every month lately people are posting paranormal reviews, dystopian reviews, etc.

May’s winner is Heidi from Bunbury at the Stacks.

June’s Prize Pack includes:

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann ARC
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor ARC
Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston PB

Bookmarks:
Starstruck by Cyn Balog
Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley
The Book of Elsewhere by Jacqueline West
Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Link up your June fantasy reviews below! Happy reading everyone :)

Rating: 5 stars

Via Goodreads: A romantic and empowering book about bullying

Noelle’s life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn’t know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle’s kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she’s terrified. Surely it’s safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it’s time to stand up for herself–and for the love that keeps her holding on.

Every year I count down and wait until Susane Colasanti‘s next book comes out, because they are always just amazing. Keep Holding On has taken its place as my second favorite Susane Colasanti book, after When It Happens.

Keep Holding On addresses bullying and is the sort of story that just needs to be shared. There were so many heart breaking moments in Keep Holding On and it basically just broke my heart. These were balanced out with happier moments of friendship.I do wish there had been more with Julian at the end, as he was quite an awesome character.

Noelle was a character who was super easy to connect with – she gets bullied, and I know I’ve been there, and I’ve watched other people be in that position as well. But Noelle’s issues don’t end with being bullied, there is also the story of her home life. I really loved Sherae, she was the best sort of friend and a wonderful character.

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti is a must read sort of book. It was truly touching, and has a story that is absolutely worth reading.  It was an awesome book from one of my favorite authors.

Rating: 4.5 stars

The winter is upon us. The Survivors are in chaos. The war is coming.

One year ago, Sadie Matthau was living among humans, existing as one of them. But now she wakes each morning in a house in the Survivors’ City, listening to the invocations and insults of her family members as they cope with their new future. A war. Rogue abandoners turned monsters. Sadie and the icy Winters living in their midst, bringing the outside world in.

The Survivors: Point of Origin is Sadie’s quest to save her family. But can she find what she is looking for when she can barely stomach the Winters’ wintry demeanor and finds herself distracted by Cole Hardwick’s warm heart? Will she be able to uncover her family’s history even as the elders’ grip tightens around her throat? In an action packed ride full of magic and misery, terror and triumph, Sadie Matthau seeks the Survivors’ beginning just in time to face her end.

Amanda Havard has delivered a book so intricately woven and so richly diverse in the mythology she uses with Point of Origin.  The Survivors Series is paranormal as its finest, and I absolutely loved this one.

Amanda Havard is one heck of a story teller – she manages to draw readers right back into the world of the Survivors within a few pages of Point of Origin. And once she draws you in, she doesn’t let you go. The characters in Point of Origin have a trying journey and I felt like I was transported right alongside them in their world. I was on the edge of my seat cheering for the characters and worrying for them when things weren’t going exactly how they planned. Point of Origin was a book full of twists and turns I could never see coming. It was such a fun ride.

The concept of The Survivors series is so intriguing, unique, and utterly bewitching. Everything that was established in The Survivors has only been explored more indepthly in Point of Origin, all while new ideas are introduced alongside these. I love Amanda Havard‘s use of mythology and history – it is so interesting to see the how the mythology plays out. There are such unique creatures in Amanda Havard‘s world that I had never heard of. Point of Origin poses nearly as many questions as it answers, so I cannot wait to discover those answers in the next installment of the series!

I just love the characters of this series. Something about each of them is just so special. I like Sadie – she is not afraid to be herself, no matter what others think. I also really like Mark and Ginny – both of them are just so endearing and I love every scene they are in. Point of Origin really lets characters  get to know Everett a lot better as a character – to see all the facets of his personality. Though, I am still very much a part of Team Cole – I can’t help it, I just love Cole!

Point of Origin by Amanda Havard was everything I was looking for in the sequel to The Survivors – it was fast paced, enticing, and kept me on the edge of my seat.  Amanda Havard is one talented woman and I cannot wait to see where she takes her characters in the next installment of The Survivors series.

Reviews of prior books in the series:

The Survivors (Book 1)

Be sure to check out my interview with Amanda Havard, which went up today as well, along with a giveaway and follow the rest of the blog tour – the schedule can be found here!

Amanda Havard is the author of The Survivors and Point of Origin. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Vanderbilt University. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her baby grand piano and more story ideas than she could tell in one lifetime. You can find Amanda on the web at her website, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Who has been your favorite character to write in The Survivor series?

Mark is by far my favorite. There’s just something about him…

Your books have so many “extras” following them, such as the maps, the original music, the character fashion guides – what has been your favorite to put together?

Music is my greatest passion other than writing, so I’ve loved both making the original music and putting soundtracks together to put into the app. Music is such an influential piece of how I write, so it’s been great to be so involved with it. Plus, the first time we went into the studio for the awesome Chris Mann to sing a song I’d written? That was one of the best days of my life.

I also love making Polyvore looks, and I wish this could count as a totally useful way to spend my time. I’ll spend hours on them to get them just right, but it never gets any less fun!

If you had to pick one designer to make a line of Survivors style fashion, who would it be?

This answer changes a lot, and it’s NEARLY impossible to pick only one, but in the end I’d probably go with Rebecca Minkoff. She’s somehow simultaneously super stylish, polished, practical, and classic. Sadie is all of these things.

Where is one place you would love to travel to?

I’m currently obsessed with the idea of going to China for research. But honestly? I just love going anywhere. I can make an adventure out of a small town off the interstate, a getaway to Paris, or a place I’ve never been.

What has been one of your favorite author moments since The Survivors has been released?

I’ve had so many! All of my signings have been so super, so much fun, especially the ones at the conferences since I get to meet so many bloggers and internet-friends, not just the awesome fans. But I also have loved the story being on Wattpad with pushing 3 million reads on it! It’s the ultimate ego boost, but it’s also made me value my readers so highly. Everyone on there is so thoughtful, leaves messages, and I get this candid play-by-play on so many of their thoughts as they read. It’s invaluable!

What is next for you?

I’ve got three more books in The Survivors Series, and I’ve got plenty of ideas for where to head next. I’m also heavily pursuing the interactive book world by teaming with my publisher to build more apps. Next up is an Immersedition format of Romeo & Juliet. And, of course, there will always be more shopping.

Thank you so much Amanda for stopping by!

Here’s a bit about The Survivors, book 1: In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, twenty-six children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived.

The Survivors is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the fourteen ill-fated Survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for over three centuries. Isolated on a Montana mountainside, only Sadie, the rogue daughter, dares to abandon the family’s sacred hiding place. But no matter how far Sadie runs, something always pulls her back.

On a muggy summer night in Tennessee, she witnesses a shocking scene that will change her life forever. It is the first in a sequence of events that will drag her from the human world she’s sought to belong to for over a century and send her back to her Puritanical family and into an uncertain future filled with cunning witches, mysterious nosferatu shape-shifters, dangerous eretica and vieczy vampires, millennia-old mythology, and the search for her own mortality. After all…

HOW DO YOU KILL A SURVIVOR? 

The Survivors will steal your heart and invade your mind. Fall into the pages of Sadie’s life, a world so frighteningly similar to your own, you’ll find yourself wanting to go to the Montana mountains to find the Survivors for yourself.

And it is only the beginning.

Point of Origin, book 2:  The winter is upon us. The Survivors are in chaos. The war is coming.

One year ago, Sadie Matthau was living among humans, existing as one of them. But now she wakes each morning in a house in the Survivors’ City, listening to the invocations and insults of her family members as they cope with their new future. A war. Rogue abandoners turned monsters. Sadie and the icy Winters living in their midst, bringing the outside world in.

The Survivors: Point of Origin is Sadie’s quest to save her family. But can she find what she is looking for when she can barely stomach the Winters’ wintry demeanor and finds herself distracted by Cole Hardwick’s warm heart? Will she be able to uncover her family’s history even as the elders’ grip tightens around her throat? In an action packed ride full of magic and misery, terror and triumph, Sadie Matthau seeks the Survivors’ beginning just in time to face her end.

Now, I have a super cool giveaway of both The Survivors and Point Of Origin and also a signed still photo of Sadie and Cole dancing together (which I think is the coolest thing ever as I am still officially Team Cole all the way!) Feel free to check out my review of The Survivors, book 1, as well!

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter! US/Canada only and ends June 14.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang coming September 18, 2012 from HarperTeen

Eva and Addie live in a world where everyone is born with two souls, but where only the dominant one is allowed to survive childhood. Fifteen years old, and closer even than twins, the girls are keeping Eva, the ‘second soul’, a secret. They know that it’s forbidden to be hybrid, but how could they ever be apart?

When a dramatic event reveals what really happens to hybrids if they are discovered, Eva and Addie face a dangerous fight for survival, neither wanting to be the one left behind…

Oh my gosh, this sounds EPIC.  I LOVE sci-fi reads, and this one sounds like it is going to be just awesome. Plus the cover is so shiny and purdy.

What are you guys waiting on?

:)