A Waiting on Wednesday Double Header!

Waiting on Wednesday is the fantastic meme started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a great way to learn about new books coming out and what people are anxious to read. For the first time, I'm posting about two books. The first, The Pledge by Kimberly Derling is a dystopian-fantasy that I'm not waiting on, but YOU should be. It's absolutely awesome. Honestly. When I read the announcement about this book in Publisher's Weekly, back in February, it didn't particularly intrigue me. Boy did I underestimate it. This story captured my imagination from the first page. It's so well written. Derling can really write! I haven't read her first series, The Body Finder, but it's on my shelf and The Pledge has made me excited to get time to dig into it. Let's look at the description of The Pledge...

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom. 


The Pledge is a series not to be missed. It's that good. And now, on to the second selection...

UK cover. Book Two

The second book that I am waiting for is Until I Die by Amy Plum. It's the second book in the Die for Me trilogy. Remember that one? The one with Vincent, the revenant (or handsome zombiesque fellow) and Kate his love interest, the American girl living in Paris? Check out the Die for Me description to refresh your memory...

Book One

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.
When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.                             


The whole revenant mythology is pretty original and I can't wait to see how the story continues. Isn't the cover gorgeous? I'm totally taken with the colors. This is the UK version. We're still waiting to see what the US is going to come up with.

The Pledge releases November 15, 2011by Simon and Schuster

Until I Die releases May 8, 2012 by HarperCollins

Toodles, ya'll!

Author Interview: Amy Plum, Author of Die For Me

I thoroughly enjoyed Die For Me. It's a young adult, paranormal romance that has a fresh and new spin. It tells the tale of a new mythology: revenants, immortal entities that die over and over again. Amy Plum is an Alabama native, but she lives in France and that's where the story is set.Here's a brief description of the story...

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.                                                    

Amy has created such a lush and inviting story, I couldn't wait to speak to her and learn more about her lifestyle and her road to publication. Let's just get to that interview!

Release Day! Book Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Die for Me is the debut novel of Amy Plum, an Alabama native living the literary life in the French Countryside. It would not be unusual to find Ms. Plum cranking out the pages of her Work-In-Progress in an ancient French castle. She puts the City of Lights to excellent use in the first book of this young adult, paranormal romantic trilogy.

Kate Mercier, age 16, a New Yorker living in Brooklyn, finds her life turned upside down in more ways than one when her parents die in a car accident. Kate and her sister leave their old life behind and try to start life afresh when they move to Paris to live with their grandparents. Kate hopes to lose herself and forget her pain in a world of books and art.

During one of her forages, she encounters a mysterious and extremely handsome young man named Vincent. Though cautious, Kate finds herself charmed and intrigued by him. As she spends time with him, she questions how much she really knows about him. Vincent seems to be hiding something.
Before long, Kate discovers what it is. Vincent is not what he appears to be. And his secret is deadly. He is already at risk—every day. Now Kate’s association with him puts her very life in danger as well. She finds herself right in the middle of an ancient struggle between good and evil. Kate has already lost so much. Just as she was starting to heal, she must confront an important decision: How important is Vincent to her? His love and all he has to offer, is it worth losing him and suffering a broken heart once more. Can she subject herself to never feeling safe again?

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Waiting on Wednesday is a great meme started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a wonderful way to learn about new books coming out and find out what your fellow book-lovers can't wait to sink their teeth into. This week's selection is a book, whose progress, I've been following for at least a year. I'm glad it's finally worked its way through the publishing wild fires and will be available to land in my eager hands!

The author, Amy Plum is an American from the South, who's living the life of a Parisian these days. From what I understand, she couldn't get enough of Edward Cullen and decided to pen a little something to keep the flames of her passion going. Die For Me sounds like a perfect solution. Let's read the blurb from the jacket flap...

MY LIFE HAD ALWAYS BEEN BLISSFULLY, WONDERFULLY NORMAL. BUT IT ONLY TOOK ONE MOMENT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.  Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart--as well as my life and my family's--in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Plum has created a Google map of Paris that highlights all the pertinent spots that are important in the star-crossed couple's journey. When I went to London this summer, I planned to go to Paris, but the trip wiped me out! I was too exhausted by jet lag and trying to reorient myself to the five hour time difference to get over there, but the next time, I totally have to do it.

Die For Me has been described as Twilight with zombies, but not the yucky, decaying zombies, the hot, sexy ones called revenants. I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm a total Twilight fan. Love the book; love the movie! Will anyone else be joining me to check out if this novel has Twilight sensibilities?

Die For Me releases May 10, 2011

Toodles!