31 October, 2011

Halloween Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Book: FURY
Author: ELIZABETH MILES
Genre: PARANORMAL YA
Published: August 2011, SIMON PULSE


Series: Fury Trilogy #1
Source: Publisher, no other compensation given for an honest review

From Good Reads:
It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.


My Review:
FURY was a different kind of YA novel, and it was so refreshing reading something that didn't seem cookie cutter. Em and Chase are not the typical main character that is found these days. No demon-fighting skills, no moral superiority, and definitely no clue what is coming for the two of them. They are the total opposite of hero(ine)s. They've done wrong, and their payback is coming.

Elizabeth Miles showcases a pretty good debut novel. While the tone of the book very much reflected the setting (winterized small town in New England), there was enough happening that the pace didn't seem too slow, nor did I find myself skimming. Every mistep that either main character made was integral to the plot, and Miles sure knows how to expose the fallibility of confused (and sometimes cruel) teenagers.

Em was not a very likable or sympathetic character. But, she wasn't meant to be. She had drawn down the attention of the Furies, and they can only be summoned when true vengeance is to be had. However, I did actually feel sorry for Chase as I read more and more about his situation. He wasn't any less guilty of his crime than Em, but somehow the different nature seemed less repugnant, even if it wasn't. Either way, the fact that I felt so strongly toward both characters says much for Miles' writing and characterization, which was top-notch.

Though this book is the first in a trilogy, the only complaint that I might lodge is that there isn't much face time for the namesakes of the novel, the Furies. Three mysterious girls are introduced, and the reader can easily deduct that they are behind the downfall of Em and Chase, but there's really not many pages devoted to them. Hopefully this will change as the trilogy progresses. Even though the targets of the Furies wrath will probably get center stage, as female characters, I did find myself wanting them to have some of the time spent on Em's story. In the end, I was left wanting and anticipating more.


4/5 for plot
3.5/5 for characters
4/5 for language

My Rating: 11.5/15 (3.5 stars)

Highly Recommend, if you liked:

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Wildefire by Karsten Knight
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney


Find the author at:
Blog | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Amazon | Audible

Available formats: Print (Hardcover), NookBook, Audiobook, Kindle

Challenge Participation:

Halloween Review: Dark Sins and Desert Sands by Stephanie Draven

Book: DARK SINS AND DESERT SANDS
Author: STEPHANIE DRAVEN
Genre: CONTEMPORARY PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Published: October 2011, HARLEQUIN


Series: Mythica
Source: Purchased from Barnes and Noble with no compensation received for honest review

From Good Reads:
Escaping a hellish Syrian prison, U.S. serviceman Ray Stavrakis emerged with uncanny mind-control powers and an eerie ability to morph into a mythical Minotaur. As a half man, half bull, Ray had legendary power, but only one woman could prove his innocence. The woman who'd driven him to the brink of insanity with her cool-eyed interrogation and her hot-blooded sensuality.

But Vegas psychologist Layla Bahset had no memory of Ray or her past. Only a feeling of being stalked by a nonhuman predator. Was it Ray…whose eyes condemned her soul even as his hands ignited her body? Or was another evil force at work? But nothing could stop Layla from remembering what she was…and what her evil creator had planned for her and her soldier lover….


My Review:
As with the other books in Stephanie Draven's MYTHICA series, DARK SINS ANS DESERT SANDS is a walk on the dark side of the human condition, with war-forged and war-born mythological characters come to life on the page. Ray Stavrakis is a minotaur in a human body, and he's out for vengeance against Layla Bahset, a woman he believes had a hand in torturing him while he was imprisoned.

There is just something about Draven's deeply emotional and psychologically embattled heroes and heroines. Each of her MYTHICA books have hit me hard and sucked me in. DARK SINS AND DESERT SANDS was no exception. This is a book that is as powerful in language as it is imagery. Draven creates characters that have assumed a mythological persona through war. Though I won't spoil Layla's story, let me just say that her memory loss and subsequent connection to Ray turn out to be explosive.

The best part of this novel is that both the hero and the heroine find their way to redemption, and love with each other, despite the rocky journey that is as exciting and seductive as it is dangerous. If you haven't read a MYTHICA book by Draven before (they are stand-alone and can be read in no particular order), and you love a good romance with suspense and action, what are you waiting for?!

4.5/5 for plot
4.5/5 for characters
5/5 for language

My Rating: 14/15 (4.5 stars) Must Read


Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | Harlequin | Book Depository | IndieBound | Constellation Books | Amazon

Available formats: Print (Paperback), NookBook, ePub, Kindle

Challenge Participation:

Men in Uniform Reading Challenge

RAK: For/From October and November Wishlist

RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) is a really great program that Vanessa and Isalys of Book Soulmates have started. Basically, it gives bloggers, book lovers and readers the chance to brighten someone's day by sending them a book that they've put on their wishlist.


Book Soulmates

I declared October International RAK Month for myself. Basically I decided to choose some international names from the RAK sign-up and see if I could spread the love to other countries. Here's what I gifted:




Sent:
To Bella (UK)
WHISPER by Phoebe Kitanidis
ENCHANTED IVY by Sarah Beth Durst

To Kate (UK)
TEMPEST RISING by Tracy Deebs
AFTER OBSESSION by Carrie Jones and Steve Wedel
GLOW by Amy Kathleen Ryan

To Cheree (Australia)
SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger
SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater
THE ELEVENTH PLAGUE by Jeff Hirsch



Received:
Nothing for October


I'm going to RAK for another month, so here's my wishlist for November. I'm happy to accept new or gently-read ARCs and finished copies of books. I also love e-books, but they have to be in epub or pdf format, thanks.

TOP FIVE:
1. Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
2. Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding
3. The Renfield Syndrome by J.A. Saare
4. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins



YA
Sweet Venom by Tara Lynn Childs
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly
Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke
Everblue by Brenda Pandos
Crusade by Nancy Holder
The Shattering by Karen Healey
Entangled by Cat Clarke
This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Luminous by Dawn Metcalf


Adult
Sexiest Vampire Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks
Black Night by Christina Henry
Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham
Stolen by Kelley Armstrong
The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith



Want to join the RAK-ers this month? Here's how you do it.

RULES RE-CAP:
*NEW INFO ADDED*
Sign up each month that you'd like to participate.

* Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button :)

* Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.

* If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

* *NEW* Please, once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] dedicated to RAK so that the Google Doc can be updated. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS.

* *NEW* E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon's Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble as well.

* At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K! Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)


OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Easy peezy!!

Happy Halloween!

30 October, 2011

Entangled Publishing Blog Tour: Touch by Jus Accardo



When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her.

It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life.

And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills.

The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.


Sounds good, right? It is, trust me. Today, I welcome to Read My Mind the author of TOUCH, Jus Accardo. Thanks to Entangled Publishing for having me on the blog tour!

TOUCH rockets the reader through a story full of danger and discoveries, with Dez and Kale on the run and out of time. In that spirit, Jus is giving us some insight into a few things she'd like to do in her lifetime.

Here's Jus' Top Five Bucket List:


1. See Italy. I have this little problem. I’m human. And humans do
not have wings—at least not last time I checked. If the universe intended
us to fly, we’d have wings. I’m sure about this. Those people with the
Star Trek teleporters need to get busy.

2. Go skiing. Doesn’t seem like too big a deal, right? But I’ve never
been. I’ve been forbidden by friends and family to come within fifty feet
of skis. Why? Because I trip over my own two feet at least twelve times a
day… For some reason, they think skiing would be a bad move.

3. Guest star on Futurama. I’m a cartoon junkie. (and a music
junkie…and a coffee junkie…) Futurama is one of my favorite shows, and
really, who wouldn’t want to see themselves in cartoon form? All hail the
Hypnotoad!

4. Go to the Prom. Okay, well obviously that ship has come and
gone—but I’d like to do something Prom-like. I missed mine and although I
don’t have an overwhelming urge to play dress up and waddle around in
shoes that would be better used as weapons, I’d still like to do it just
once.

5. Skydive. Yes. I’m terrified of planes—and not overly fond of
heights in general—but I still wanna do this. That awesome, freefalling
feeling and total freedom? I’d also accept (rather, actually) one of those
weightless anti-gravity room thingys. They must have those at NASA. I
wonder if they’d let me play around for an hour or two…


Thanks Jus, for stopping by to share! I'll be posting my review of TOUCH on Friday, November 4th, so readers, if you were intrigued, stop by to see my thoughts.

And, what would you put on your Bucket List?

28 October, 2011

Halloween Booktacular! Great Halloween Reads



My Great Halloween Reads from 2011:

5.
Frost by Marianna Baer
Seemingly perfect house, but with unexplainable and odd happenings. Leena's descent into isolation and her roommate's life in danger made this book suspenseful and intriguing.

4.
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Yovanoff knows how to write a book with spooky elements, suspense and monsters wit human faces.

3.
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
This was one of the creepiest books that I have read in a long time. Taylor has a way with descriptive passages, and her collection of stories is perfect to read by flashlight

2.
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Marr has a solid adult debut here. Though different from what I've come to expect from the author of the stunning WICKED LOVELY series, it's definitely a winner.

1.
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
Definitely a spooky read, and one that can be read in just a few sittings, if not less.

WINNER
The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle
This was an audiobook read for me, and it was fantastic and creepy and just perfect for a fall night.


And now... for a giveaway:


FURY by Elizabeth Miles

If you have a U.S. mailing address, you can enter to win a signed copy of FURY! I'm not leaving out my international followers, though. If you live outside of the U.S., you have the chance to win your choice of FURY by Elizabeth Miles or DEARLY, DEPARTED by Lia Habel from the Book Depository.

Please comment answering this question to enter: What is the spookiest book you've read this year? (doesn't have to have been published in 2011)


Rules:
-- One U.S. winner will receive signed FURY by Elizabeth Miles OR one International winner will have winner's choice between FURY or DEARLY, DEPARTED from the Book Depository

-- Must be 13+ to enter

-- Comment answering above question, and include U.S. or International, and a way to contact you







Check out my other Halloween Booktacular posts here:

Halloween Booktacular! Blog Celebration Post #1: Giveaway of DEARLY, DEPARTED ARC by Lia Habel (U.S. only)


Each blog will have their own giveaways during the Halloween Booktacular, October 24th-30th. Make sure you visit all of them to take advantage of the great giveaways and author guest posts! Remember, for your entry to count you must answer the question in bold color above and leave a way to contact you, or just be sure to check back on November 1st.


Participating Blogs:

Dark Readers
Good Choice Reading
An Avid Reader's Musings
Books With Bite
Once Upon A Twilight
Skyla11377


Happy Halloween!


Bestseller For A Day! Sponsored by Indie Book Collective

The great people behind the Indie Book Collective are back with another Bestseller For A Day. Don't know what that is?

Bestseller For A Day is a 24-hour promotion for one of the Indie Book Collective authors. It gives them the chance to have their book featured with participating blogs and sponsors. The whole point? To offer a full-length novel specially priced at $.99, promote a great author and book, and hopefully the sales on Amazon from the day will help drive the book up the bestseller list.



Featured Bestseller For A Day: 10.26 ONLY!




All Hallow's Eve: The One Night it is Bad to be Good
People are being martyred but not for their faith. Instead the deaths are part of a serial killer’s sick game as he chooses his victim by their name… then kills them in that Saint’s grisly manner.



Here's the details on Bestseller For A Day. Remember, it only lasts until 11:59pm today, October 28th.


By helping us drive All Hallow’s Eve by Cristyn West to the top of the Kindle Lists on October 28th, YOU can win, too!

Because Cristyn is giving away a brand new Kindle!

Simply purchase All Hallow’s Eve on October 28th, then head back here and fill out the entry form (located at the top of the right hand column).

You will only need to enter your email address and the first five numbers from your Amazon purchase confirmation code.

And tah-dah! You just gained 5 entries to win a Kindle!


More Great Book Deals Perfect for Halloween!

To celebrate All Hallow’s Eve’s big day, these authors are dropping the price of their amazing titles to just 99¢!!!!

Just head over to their Amazon.com pages and see what all the fuss is about!


(Click on the book title to be directed to the Amazon page)


Suspense/Thriller
Widowmaker by Cristyn West and Elena Gray

A horror movie that causes people to die?

Something so scary that people watching it are bleeding out of their eyes, having heart attacks and ripping their own faces apart? The docu-horror film called Terror in the Trees sounds harmless enough, doesn't it?

That's what FBI Agent Derek Bolder thought when he was given the mission to go to Hollywood to bring back the film. He hadn't yet understood the sheer evilness contained within it...but he soon would.

Derek's ex-fiancée Jill, the beautiful and sexy film executive, is dead set against giving him the film. It would ruin her career. What lengths would she and her nasty boss go to, to protect their reputations even as the bodies pile up?



Horror Anthology
The Evil Within, a Horror Anthology by Cristyn West, Amber Scott, et. al.

The hiss of hot breath coming from inside the coat closet.

The noxious odor of plastic smothering your face as you fight to breathe.

The nagging feeling that someone is watching your every move...waiting.

Vengeance. Misplaced trust. Pure evil.

After reading these nine chilling tales this Halloween, how many times will you soothe yourself in the dark thinking "there are no monsters"?



Paranormal Romance
Fierce Dawn: A ParaRealm Novel by Amber Scott

Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after her.

The man who haunts her dreams enters her reality, claiming she's transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human. Except nobody wants this change. Not humans, not immortals and least of all her.

Battle lines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for her life, but for mankind's as well.

25 October, 2011

Halloween Booktacular! Blog Celebration Post #1



Welcome to the Halloween Booktacular Blog Celebration! As you can see in the lovely banner that Casey from Dark Readers designed, there are several of us participating. My post is a day late, but look! I'm giving away a book, so who can't wait for that?!



I'm starting things off with a giveaway of my DEARLY, DEPARTED by Lia Habel ARC. Did you see my rave review of the book? Check it out here, then comment answering the question in bold color below to enter. This is a perfect Halloween read!

What's your favorite zombie book or movie?


Must be 13+ to enter
Must have U.S. mailing address







Each blog will have their own giveaways during the Halloween Booktacular, October 24th-30th. Make sure you visit all of them to take advantage of the great giveaways and author guest posts! Remember, for your entry to count you must answer the question in bold color above and leave a way to contact you, or just be sure to check back on November 1st.


Participating Blogs:

Dark Readers
Good Choice Reading
An Avid Reader's Musings
Books With Bite
Once Upon A Twilight
Skyla11377


Happy Halloween!

Book Review: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Book: DEARLY, DEPARTED
Author: LIA HABEL
Genre: PARANORMAL/STEAMPUNK YA
Published: October 2011, BALLANTINE BOOKS DEL REY (RANDOM HOUSE)


Series: Dearly series #1
Source: Publisher via Authors After Dark Reader Convention

From Good Reads:
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.


My Review:
DEARLY, DEPARTED was the perfect book for me. I say this now because, while I will rave about a book in a review, I do try to stay a little professional. That might go out the window as I write about DEARLY, DEPARTED. So, what had me so excited? Paranormal YA with steampunk elements? A future-world, post-apocalyptic, vaguely dystopian setting? A rebellious, but not silly female main character? An intelligent zombie army? Yes. All that and more.

This story grabbed me from the first chapter and never let go as I followed Nora through her New Victoria. The world-building and her characterization is amazing. Even though some of the chapters alternate from other characters points-of-view, Nora is the star, and she shines. I even appreciated the info dump that explains how New Victoria came to be. Why? Because it didn't take me out of the story, and it flowed organically.

If you like your zombies to be only of the shambling, brain-eating, empty-eyed variety, then DEARLY, DEPARTED is not your book. Sure, there are the zombies that have succumbed to the affects of the Laz. But there are also smart, brave, "normal" zombies that have formed an army to help save the remainder of humanity. I don't subscribe to the idea that zombies only belong to horror. I don't need zombies to be cast as the villain for me to call them "real".

I loved the adventure and thrills in this novel. I loved New Victoria and the steampunk elements in this novel. I really liked Nora and Pamela. In my opinion, Lia Habel has written one of the most innovative and enjoyable YA novels of 2011. The End.

4.5/5 for plot
5/5 for characters
4/5 for language

My Rating: 14/15 (5 stars)

Must Read, if you liked:

Die For Me by Amy Plum
Zombies Don't Cry by Rusty Fischer
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford


Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Amazon | Audible

Available formats: Print (Hardcover), NookBook, ePub, Audiobook, Kindle

Challenge Participation:

20 October, 2011

The Bookish Snob Promotions: WHIRL E-Book Giveaway



Welcome back to the WHIRL Blog Tour! Thanks to Bookish Snob Promotions and the author, Emma Raveling, I am able to give away 1 (one) e-book copy of her book. Just leave a comment and enter via rafflecopter to be eligible!


Whirl by Emma Raveling
Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war. The Aquidae are immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world. Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.

When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny. All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…













Tour Participation

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The Bookish Snob Promotions: WHIRL Tour Book Excerpt



As part of the WHIRL by Emma Raveling, I have a great excerpt from the book. Here's a little about the author and the book first.


Author Bio:
Emma Raveling is a fantasy author who leads a slightly eccentric life traveling throughout the world with her accommodating husband and charming, neurotic dog.
Hopelessly addicted to coffee and diet coke, she has a strange love of spreadsheets and organizational tools because they give her the illusion that she is somehow in control of the chaos that is her life. A dedicated practitioner of vipassana meditation, Emma loves to cook and often spends time scouring the Internet for new recipes. She adores beautiful art such as painting and sculpture, classical music, lyrical writing, and great graphic design.
Whirl is her debut book. She is currently busy at work writing Billow, the second installment of the Ondine Quartet series.


Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war. The Aquidae are immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world. Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.

When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny. All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…




Excerpt:
"We've been trying to find you for days. But now that you’re seventeen…” He chuckled. My insides clenched in revulsion at the sound. “Your magical energy was easy to spot, even from halfway across town.”
He gave me a considering look.
“Happy birthday, by the way,” he added, almost as an afterthought. “You shine very brightly, sondaleur. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. Your mother didn’t have half your glow.”
His two sidekicks laughed as though they shared a private joke.
I didn’t know why he was calling me sondaleur, and I didn’t care. What I did know was that he was the bastard who’d killed her. Snapped her neck as if she were nothing more than a chicken, leaving her body abandoned in an empty parking lot of a strip mall near the edge of town.
Rage fueled by grief exploded through my veins like molten fire.
I lunged with a slashing motion. He stepped aside, swatting at my arm like it was a pesky fly.
The contact sent me flying down the alley. I leapt back up, ignoring the pain in my arm and knees. Crouching, I balanced on the balls of my feet and sprang, spinning into the air with a kick aimed at the face of the nearest broad-shouldered target.
The guy, whose long black hair was tied back into a ponytail, dodged it with a bored expression. He casually flicked his forearm and it smashed into my cheekbone with a force that sent me reeling back to the ground.
They were so fast, so strong. Just like my mother had warned. My skills easily surpassed human ability. Slow and clumsy was not something I was used to feeling.
My cheek throbbed from the blow. I clenched my teeth, dug my fingers into the asphalt, and staggered back up.
Keeping my arms loose by my sides, I raced through my options. I had to strike them with my dagger. The silver of the blade would injure them, though it wouldn’t hold them for long.
But it might buy me enough time to get a head start.



Thanks to Emma Raveling and Bookish Snob Promotions for the excerpt! Make sure to check out the next stop on the tour on October 21 at ReaderGirls.

Don't forget to check out my WHIRL e-book giveaway post here going on October 20th-November 1st!

Tour Participation

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19 October, 2011

Book Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Book: FATEFUL
Author: CLAUDIA GRAY
Genre: PARANORMAL YA
Published: September 2011, HARPER COLLINS


Series: none
Source: Publisher via Around the World ARC Tours, no other compensation given for an honest review

From Good Reads:
Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too...


My Review:
Werewolves. On the Titanic. Yes, I had the same reaction that most readers and reviewers did when approaching this book. Well, maybe not the same reaction. I mean, I wasn't doubtful of the premise or reluctant to have high expectations. I just repeated several times: Werewolves. On the Titanic. But, here's the thing. I rather enjoyed FATEFUL.

Yes, it was basically Kate and Leo, except this Leo turned furry and had fangs every once in a while. I kinda like the love-struck, but doomed couple idea. Probably why I adore Romeo and Juliet (Hey, it's Leo again...), and Gray did a good job with Tess and Alec. I knew that Alec was a werewolf, and I knew that love between the upper class and a maid was strictly forbidden. I knew that this was the Titanic, so tragedy was a given. What I liked about Gray's writing was that, despite a certain amount of predictability plot-wise, there was still a bit of suspense. There was something there that kept me reading.

FATEFUL is ultimately a good, fairly quick and easy read. If anyone has seen the movie Titanic, you know the story. But, if you enjoyed the story, you will enjoy this book. It is not the typical historical novel redux that seems to have grown into it's own genre. It is Titanic with paranormal elements, but skillful enough that it doesn't just seem like Titanic insert werewolves.

3.5/5 for plot
3.5/5 for characters
3.5/5 for language

My Rating: 10.5/15 (3 stars) Recommend


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06 October, 2011

Book News with a Nook Color Prize!

Sizzling Reads...Awesome Giveaways

Coming in October...

Three bestselling authors, Shiloh Walker, Jaci Burton, and Lisa Renee Jones are getting together to promote their upcoming releases. Here's a little about their books:



NO ONE SAID COMING HOME WOULD BE EASY

But for Dante Renaldi, it's murder.

Before the Special Forces hero has even unpacked his bags from twelve years of active duty, he's embroiled in murder—corpses bearing the brutal trademark he's seen only once before—on the worst night of his life.

The last time Detective Anna Pallino saw Dante Renaldi, they were in love. Now, he's part of the connection to a string of fresh homicides and a horrible assault Anna only survived thanks to him.

More than anything, Anna wants to trust Dante. But as the bodies and the coincidences stack up, Anna will have to decide, and fast: Is the man she owes her life to the very same one who wants her dead?


A CRY IN THE WOODS

The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.

Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close?

When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.



Adam, the leader of the evil Zodius soldiers has developed a street drug from his newborn’s DNA that is so addictive that he could easily created a worldwide dependency on him as the only source, as withdrawal kills the user. This drug will give Adam the power to rule the entire population if his plan for mass distribution is achieved. Sterling, and a brilliant, cancer stricken scientist, must stop Adam before it’s too late. But can Sterling trust this woman when he discovers this drug might be her only way of surviving cancer?. Is he in bed, and in love, with the enemy?

The Hero: Sterling

He was created, molded, formed from life, love, and misery…

Lethally daring. Ruthlessly passionate. He invites death to his door. Welcomes it with each breath he draws, each step he takes. And thus he is danger. A volatile storm that will sweep across the calm realms of humanity and shake it to the depths of its core. And that storm is…Sterling.



Check back to this page for updates and details!

Press Release: The Hunters Declan & Tori by Shiloh Walker

Reissued at a new, lower price...
NookBook | All Romance E-Books (multiple formats) | Kindle


Hunters Declan and Tori
Book 1

Tori McAdams was a sensible woman. She didn't believe in hocus-pocus, she didn’t believe in ghosts, and she definitely didn’t believe in vampires…not until the night she was attacked by one. Alone, starving and afraid, she doesn’t know what’s happening but at least she had somebody to turn to…

Declan Reilly was normally the last person she’d go to for help, but now he was the first on her list. He can help; she knows he can. She never could have planned on what happens next, though…the sexy detective is so much more than he appears.


Warning: This book contains violence, sex, more violence, a maniacal murderer, sex, more violence, and a menage or two thrown in for good measure. There are also sighs, happy endings, a romance, a hero, a heroine, and a little bit of falling in love.

**Please note this work has been previously published. While it's been edited, no new material has been added.



Ever since I read THE MISSING a few years back, Shiloh Walker has been on my to-buy list whenever she has a new release. This is a re-issue that Walker is self-publishing and at such a great price, this is the perfect opportunity to try her out if you've never read Walker before. And if you love Walker's books, why not add to your electronic library for that next vacation?

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