Saturday, June 30, 2012

International Book Giveaway and Author Interview: Savage by Willow Rose. Two winners for this one!

Book One
Hi guys. It's always my pleasure to introduce you to writers you may not be aware of. I'd like you to meet Willow Rose. She's originally from Denmark and now makes her home in Florida. She's also quite a prolific writer of paranormal romance and has written several books. Her latest is Savage, the first book in a new series called Daughters of the Jaguar. One winner will receive a signed paperback copy and the second winner will receive an e-book version. Check out what's it's about...

The year is 1983. Christian is 22 years old when he leaves his home in Denmark to spend a year in Florida with a very wealthy family and go to med-school. A joyful night out with friends is shattered by an encounter with a savage predator that changes his life forever. Soon he faces challenges he had never expected. A supernatural gift he has no idea how to embrace. A haunting family in the house next door. A spirit-filled girl who seems to carry all the answers. An ancient secret hidden in the swamps of Florida. One life never the same. One love that becomes an obsession. Two destinies that will be forever entangled.

Now, learn more about Willow Rose in her own words and stay tuned for how to enter the giveaway at the end of the interview...

1) Tell us about your background. You're from Denmark. Did you begin your writing career there? How long have you been writing?


 I have always told stories. I remember telling stories to my friends as a child in school and making them forget that they had to go out and play for recess. Even my teacher would listen in and he told me to keep it up and to write them down. I wrote several notebooks filled with stories that he read. He encouraged me a lot. I went on to become a journalist and wrote my first novel when I was 28. It was published by one of the big Danish publishing houses. Since then I have written three books in Danish that are published under my maiden name in Denmark, Germany and Norway and six books in English.

2) What's your educational background? Have you taken any writing courses? Do you think it's necessary?

 I was a journalist for many years and I think that gave me some kind of idea how to build up a story and how to write, but it never prepared me for writing a complete novel. Most journalists dream about writing a book but they never make it past page seven because then they have told the entire story. That's the way they teach you to write in journalism-school - it was actually very difficult for me to learn how to unfold the story and not just tell everything in a few pages.
                                                               
3) Do you have an agent? If not, do you plan to seek one? Why or why not?

Where I come from we don't use agents. I get by on my own. It has worked fine so far.

 4) Tell us about your writing process. How often do you write and what are your word-count goals? How do you manage your time for writing?

I write when my kids are at school. I always try to write at least five pages or 4.000 words a day. On good days I write the double. Then I take the next day off.

 5) Self-published authors have gotten a lot of attention with the success of Amanda Hocking. What do you think about that?

I think Amanda Hocking's story is amazing. I love what she has done for herself. I completely understand why she would choose to take a great deal like that. In that way she reaches readers all over the world - including those who do not have e-readers. She can still do her own stuff on the side. I think she has been very smart.

6) Tell us about the type of young adult stories you write about. How do you come up with your ideas? What tidbits can you share about your latest book?

The story and the characters come to me. I like to say that they "pop up" in my head. That is the best way I can describe it. The characters are just there all of a sudden and then they start to do stuff and talk to other people and soon there is a whole story that I just have to tell or else I will burst. I simply adore the characters from Savage and I know everybody else will too. They are so lovable. I have a hard time letting go of them. I will write three books about the main character Christian. It is sort of a family-saga really. In the first book he is in his twenties and so is the woman he falls in love with. In the second book they have kids of their own and are in their thirties. In the last book they will have young teenagers. I am also planning on doing a book about Aiyana, the spirit-filled Native American girl that he falls hopelessly in love with. About her and when she first discovers who she really is. I might also do a book about her sister who does telekinesis and their grand-mother who predicts natural disasters. I love those characters so much that they each deserve their own book.





If you'd like a chance to be one of the two winners, just leave a comment with your email. Willow would love more followers on her blog: http://www.willow-rose.blogspot.com, Twitter: @madamwillowrose or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willowredrose
Following her is not a requirement for the giveaway, but if you decide to do it, please let her know in your comment. She'll be tickled to see that.

This giveaway is international, so everyone is welcome. Willow is originally from Denmark, after all...lol...It ends July 20, 2012.

Toodles!

 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Cover Reveal: Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller. Have you heard about this one?

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong? 

In the Bermuda Triangle--a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who's practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser's suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she's full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that one of these "alternate realities" could become permanent.


She just has to ask herself one question--how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?


Triangles, Kimberly Ann Miller's amazing story of a girl who wakes up in alternate realities each day she spends in the Bermuda Triangle. It's sort of like a teen romance version of Groundhog Day, and it will make you both cry and laugh out loud. 
 
It's available in paperback and e-book form. Triangles released June 18, 2012 by Spencer Hill Press.
 
Toodles!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

And the winner of Jackie After O is...

I wish I had a book to give each of you that entered the giveaway. The publicist only sent one, so without delay, let me announce the winner. It is...

Laurel-Rain!

Please email me with your address so I can get the book out to you. The winner was selected randomly using Random.org.

Toodles!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Book review and giveaway: Jackie After O: One Remarkable Year when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis defied Expectations and Rediscovered Her Dreams by Tina Cassidy

I've always been a Jackie Kennedy Onassis fan. Her quiet demeanor and Mona Lisa smile always intrigued me. When I was offered the chance to read Jackie After O, I grabbed it. Here's the description of the story...


Defined in the public eye by her two high-profile marriages, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis faced a personal crossroads on the eve of 1975. Her relationship with Aristotle Onassis was crumbling while his health was rapidly declining. Her children were nearing adulthood, soon to leave her with an empty nest. Both death and scandal were about to strike yet again. But 1975 would also be a time of incredible growth and personal renaissance for Jackie, the year in which she reinvented herself and rediscovered talents and passions she had set aside for her roles as wife and mother.

In Jackie After O, acclaimed author and journalist Tina Cassidy explores this prolific yet incredibly daunting year in the life of Jacqueline Onassis, including her part in the campaign to preserve Grand Central Terminal in New York City; her pursuit of a real career, in the editorial department of Viking Press; the death of her second husband and her fraught relationship with his surviving daughter; and the London bombing that almost took her own daughter's life. Cassidy has unearthed new information from archives and original interviews, and reveals intimate stories about the projects and interests of Jackie's earlier years that would lay the foundation for her life beginning in 1975, from an internship at Vogue to her meticulous restoration of the White House when she was First Lady.

Jackie After O is an exciting and original portrayal of the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis through the lens of one remarkable year, a time of reinvention both personal and public, as she shook the world's expectations and pursued her dreams in middle age.


I've read many accounts of Jackie. This book rehashed old ground that I was familiar with, but that didn't make the story any less enjoyable. What was different was this book's particular focus: the year 1975; the year that Jackie became a widow for the second time, and made the decision to seek a job. Her journey to find meaning in her life through work and accomplishments of significance showed a different side of the woman beyond the myth and what many people may be familiar with. Even though she had great wealth (200 million, thereabouts) she didn't devote herself to a life of leisure. She fought for the causes she believed in, like the battle to save Grand Central Terminal in NYC. I recall as a kid, her fight to save St. Bartholomew's church, a little architectural wonder in NY as well. As an aspiring writer, I enjoyed reading about Onassis' career as an editor with Viking Publishers. Imagine having her as your editor!


Though the book has a big focus on that pivotal year, it also examines important events in her life prior to that as First Lady and then later as a single mother, problematic step mother and points in between. It makes it clear, that Jackie Kennedy Onassis was not a dilettante or flighty socialite. She was iron butterfly with real substance. It's a great example of the old adage: money isn't everything. This woman had plenty of it, but Jackie After O, gives the reader an intimate little journey along side a famous woman trying to make her life count for something.


Jackie After O, is a nifty little read at 288 pages. If you'd like a chance to read it for yourself, leave a comment that answers this question: have you read any books on Jackie Kennedy Onassis? Don't forget to include your email. 

This giveaway is open to resident's of the US only. It ends, Sunday, June 17, 2012

Jackie After O released May 1, 2012 by It books (HarperCollins)

Toodles!









Wednesday, May 30, 2012

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Book Two
Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a fun way to learn about new books coming out and what folks are looking forward to. This week I'm anxiously awaiting a sequel...Squeee!!!....It's Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor. Here's the description...

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

This doesn't tell us much, especially if you haven't read the first book, so let's look at the description of that...

Book One
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
 
Oooh...I see the new title is taken from the first book's description! I can't wait for the follow up! This story is creepy, beautiful, romantic, lyrical...need I go on? Lol...I gave the first one away to some friends as gifts and they loved it too. Has anyone else started this series?
 
Days of Blood and Starlight releases November 6, 2012 by Little, Brown and Company.
 
Toodles!



Monday, May 28, 2012

Battleship: great Memorial Day movie!

When I saw the previews for Battleship, it looked pretty good, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Then I read the review in my local newspaper. It got zero stars. Zero! I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe one star, but zero?!  I was almost influenced by this review and considered skipping the movie, but I couldn't shake my impression of it. It looked pretty entertaining in the previews. I decided to give it a chance and check it out.

I'll admit, the first 25 minutes or so was kind of boring and a little crazy, but I think this is because I was all stoked to see the aliens and I was waiting for them to show up. The movie is about 2 hours long. After that first 20-25 minutes, it was non-stop action and suspense. I couldn't  have asked for better! It left me breathless trying to figure out what was going to happen next and how it would end. I even understood the beginning better and why it played out the way it did. It showed the transformation of that main character and how he changed by the end.

One of the characters is a real war veteran in real life that is severely impaired. I was wondering if he was an actor or not. Then I saw him in an interview on CNN and it confirmed my suspicions. He was shocked to be selected to star in the movie and he had a nice juicy role. I was really happy for him. He's the guy with the artificial legs. You won't be able to miss him. And he was so good. I've heard that they used a lot of real military people in the film and there were even WW2 vets in it. Awesome.

Battleship won't win any Oscars, but it's a good action movie that is thoroughly entertaining for a day out. I don't want to give out too many details, because you should see the story unfold for yourself.

And if there's a lesson to be learned? Don't go sending out satellite messages to planets that look like they can sustain life. Those life forms don't know we exist and if you let them know we do and they come for a visit, we may get more than we bargained for!

Toodles!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: Mirage by Kristi Cook

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's where you learn what other prolific readers are eagerly anticipating. This week I've chosen Mirage by Kristi Cook. It's the sequel to Haven and the second book in the Winterhaven series. Check out what it's about...

Book Two
Danger looms large in the sequel to Haven, which Booklist called 'a blend of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, the Twilight saga, and Lois Duncan's thrillers.'

Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But while their love for each other is as strong as ever, their troubles are far from over.

News of a rogue vampire on a killing spree sets everyone on edge. While Aidan is determined to stop the killer, Violet is chilled by a horrifying vision she simply must prevent...for if she can't, two people she loves will meet a violent end.

In the midst of Violet's fear, a mysterious newcomer enters her life - and he has some vital information not just about her past, but about her future as well. Now everything Violet held as truth is upended, and she is left not knowing whom to trust, if she is in danger, and - worst of all - whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together.


While it may not be clear here, Aiden is a vampire, Violet is a vampire slayer and her destiny is to destroy him. Now, you may be thinking that vampires are past their prime in the world of storytelling, but I'm telling you, this novel is so good! There are some very original elements in this story. I was quite surprised. The author took the whole vampire thing and made it fresh and original. The cover of either of these books don't do the series justice, in my opinion. You have no clue what the story is about by looking at them.

The only problem with these trilogies is that they usually come out a year apart. I read the first book, Haven, in February 2011 and I've forgotten a lot of the really cool particulars...*sigh*....I just know I loved it and need to get up to speed with the story.

Has anyone else read this series?

Mirage releases June 05, 2012 by Simon Pulse.

Toodles!

Book One

Monday, May 21, 2012

And the two winners of a signed copy of Fated are...

Hi girls,

Thanks for dropping in and letting me know which books you've read of Alyson Noel. The winners of the giveaway of a signed copy of her latest, Fated, are...

Leona!!! and...

Courtney of Stiletto Storytime!!!

Please email me with your addresses so I can pass it on to the publicist. The winners were chosen randomly using Random.org. If I don't hear from the winners in 72 hours, others will be chosen in their place.

Toodles!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Book Giveaway: Two winners will get a signed copy of Fated by New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noel, the first book in her new series!

Book One of the Soul Seekers series
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED AS OF 5/21/12


Alyson Noel is at it again. Fated is the first book in the new Soul Seekers series. Let's see what it's about:

So here's the deal ...
Strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, glowing people appear from nowhere. Worried that Daire's having a breakdown, her mother sends her to stay with the grandmother she's never met, who lives on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico. There Daire crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes.

Her grandmother recognizes Daire's episodes for what they are - a call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, a person who can navigate between the living and the dead. Guided by her grandmother, Daire must be quick to learn how to harness her powers because Dace's brother is an evil shape-shifter, out to steal them.

Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and discover if Dace is the guy she's meant to be with . . . or if he's allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.


If you'd like a chance to win a signed copy of Fated, leave a comment and tell me if you've read any other book by Alyson Noel and the name of it. It's okay if you haven't read any. Just say so. Don't forget to include your email, so you can be contacted if you're one of the two winners. That is all.

The giveaway ends Monday, May 21, 2012. At publicist's request, the giveaway is open to residents of the US, only. My thanks to Deb and the publisher for making this giveaway possible.

Fated will be released May 22, 2012 by St. Martin's Griffin.

Toodles!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

My Selection for Waiting on Wednesday: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Book One
Waiting on Wednesday is the great meme that gives you an opportunity to learn what new books are coming out and what folks are looking forward to. It was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This week, I've chosen The Diviners by Libba Bray. Check out the description...

It's 1920s New York City. It's flappers and Follies, jazz and gin. It's after the war but before the depression. And for certain group of bright young things it's the opportunity to party like never before. For Evie O'Neill, it's escape. She's never fit in in small town Ohio and when she causes yet another scandal, she's shipped off to stay with an uncle in the big city. But far from being exile, this is exactly what she's always wanted: the chance to show how thoroughly modern and incredibly daring she can be. But New York City isn't about just jazz babies and follies girls. It has a darker side. Young women are being murdered across the city. And these aren't crimes of passion. They're gruesome. They're planned. They bear a strange resemblance to an obscure group of tarot cards. And the New York City police can't solve them alone. Evie wasn't just escaping the stifling life of Ohio, she was running from the knowledge of what she could do. She has a secret. A mysterious power that could help catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first.


I've been looking forward to this book since I read about Bray getting the book deal a couple of years ago. If I remember correctly, she was paid about a million dollars for it. I want to see what kind of story generated this big pay day! I recall the write-up at the time saying there were serial killers and demons in the story. Bray's literary agent is her husband, Barry Goldblatt. Looks like his got his wife's best interest at heart...lol...


If I weren't familiar with the author or the story premise, I would not be drawn to this book if I had to go by this cover. I don't care for it at all. Maybe they'll change it by publication day. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but a great one certainly adds to the reading experience!


The Diviners is supposed to be released September 2012 by Little, Brown and Company.


Toodles!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Dark Shadows: A very cool blast from the past...

I went to see Dark Shadows over the weekend. I went out of a sense of nostalgia. I was a little kid in elementary school when the original TV series was on. I'd race home to see it and it scared the daylights out of me! I could barely sleep at night: vampires, witches, werewolves....whew! Nevertheless, I went back for another round the next day. It was a Gothic soap opera, after all...lol...

At first, I wasn't going to see this movie because I figured it would be some silly, foolishness and I'm not drawn to many comedies. I changed my mind when I learned the original vampire, Barnabas, from the TV show was making a cameo and I wanted to see him for old times sake.

Let me say, I LOVED this movie! It was funny, a little scary and so beautifully atmospheric. Tim Burton, the director and Johnny Depp, know their stuff. I'm such a fan of Chloe Grace Moretz.  She plays the 15 year-old Carolyn Stoddard. I've liked her ever since watching her play a preteen vampire in Let Me In. That was such an underrated film. It didn't get nearly the attention it should have in my opinion. You can check out my review of it on this blog. It came out in 2010.                     

The crazy part of this is, I went to see Jonathan Frid, the original Barnabas, then forgot to look for him in the party scene! I read in the credits that David Selby, the original werewolf from the TV show was in the same scene. Agh!! I'll have to see it again and pay close attention this time. I was so focused on all the goings-on in the film, I totally forgot.

The way it ended, it looks like there's going to be a sequel. I can't wait! Anyway, I highly recommend Dark Shadows for a very cool, very fun afternoon or evening of movie-going.

Enjoy!


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Happy Release Day! Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein


Pretty Amy is the debut novel of Lisa Burstein. It follows the saga of Amy Fleishman, age seventeen, and opens on what is one of the most significant days of her life: the senior prom. It becomes significant for more ways than one. Amy is a insecure girl who depends on her more popular friends, Lila and Cassie to validate her, make her feel she’s worth something, that she’s even alive. When the girls get stood up for the prom, they make a woeful decision that leads to them getting arrested and facing real jail time. It’s a life-defining moment that ultimately forces Amy to explore and confront who she is and who she wants to be.
Lisa Burstein dares to write a young adult story with a female protagonist that minimizes the romance and gives major focus to the character’s focus on finding herself and understanding who that self is. It’s a true coming-of-age story. Amy is a real character, real in all her flaws and often maddening decisions. Adults will want to scream at her for the choices she makes and young people may see themselves doing the same things and realizing how foolish it is—now that it’s someone else.
The author successfully creates a character that displays the desires and the even greater fears and confusion of a teenager, those crazy moments when they’re a mass of confusion and hormones and whatever else happens to meander by.
Amy often has a keen sense of the adults around her. There’s a lot of wonderful snark that will make you laugh out loud. This is the first time I'm including quotes, but these  gave me a good chuckle. Check it out:
"You could at least be grateful this whole prayer circle is for you," Conner said between bites of his sandwich.
"I'm Jewish, Conner," I reminded him again, in case he'd forgotten.
"Well, he said, wiping his mouth, "look where that has gotten you." 
My mother, who was an image Jew, which is a Jew who only cares as much about her Judaism as the person she is trying to prove it to, was sending me to the feet of Jesus for help. She must truly have run out of options.
Ya gotta love it :-)
Pretty Amy makes a great selection for the school market. It’s a story that allows young people to debate the actions and motivations of the characters. It opens up questions on a number of levels that they can delve into and learn about themselves in the process.

Happy Release Day! Until I Die (Book Two in Revenants trilogy) by Amy Plum


Book Two
Until I Die is the second book in the Revenants trilogy by Amy Plum.  Revenants are zombie-like creatures, but not the flesh-falling-off-bone type. They’re hot, sexy and just what Kate, our seventeen-year-old protagonist needs to come alive again after the untimely death of her parents. When Kate meets Vincent and discovers what he is, they forge an unlikely romance. In book two, they are committed to being a couple and Vincent makes a pledge to do whatever it takes to spare Kate pain, the pain of having to experience him dying, over and over again.
What Kate didn’t count on, is a new enemy making an appearance. It’s hard enough coming to terms with her beau having to die again and again to save the life of the innocent, but Vincent’s loss of immortality and his total destruction, is beyond what Kate could imagine.
The sequel starts off rather slowly. I did wonder if book two could live up to excitement of the debut. Not to worry. Amy Plum soon draws you into an exciting story. There are questions that begged to be answered—like who is infiltrating the revenant camp and sabotaging them. The reader’s mind will race with the possibilities.
Though, this is a paranormal romance, Until I Die, often reads as a mystery. The romance is the foundation of the story, but it doesn’t overwhelm the book. Plum carefully weaves an action plot interspersed with the mystery element that drives the narrative forward; the romance is ever present and simmering in the background.
Amy Plum does a good job of characterization. Each of the characters has a distinctive voice and personality, some of which will leave you heaving with laughter, particularly Kate’s sister, Georgia.
This sequel does not disappoint. Until I Die is exciting and even more action-packed than the first book. It ends on a cliffhanger that compels you to pick up book three to learn how it’s all resolved.
Until I Die released today, May 8, 2012 by Harper Teen
Toodles!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Order a good book and get cool earrings too! NY Times bestselling author Alyson Noel is at it again!

On May 22, 2012, Alyson Noel, author of The Immortals is launching a new series, The Soul Seekers. Book one starts with Fated. It's filled with her trademark blend of mystery, romance and this time, a blend of magic.

So here's the deal . . .

Strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, glowing people appear from nowhere. Worried that Daire's having a breakdown, her mother sends her to stay with the grandmother she's never met, who lives on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico. There Daire crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes.

Her grandmother recognizes Daire's episodes for what they are - a call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, a person who can navigate between the living and the dead. Guided by her grandmother, Daire must be quick to learn how to harness her powers because Dace's brother is an evil shape-shifter, out to steal them.

Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and discover if Dace is the guy she's meant to be with . . . or if he's allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.


When fans pre-order Fated in any format (print, e-book or audiobook) and submit their receipt, they will receive a pair of soul seeker inspired earrings–while supplies last.

Go here to read about the rules and details:  http://stmartins.com/fatedpreorder

If you want to read more about Fated, you can read an excerpt & a special bonus scene on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/soulseekersseries.

Earrings will be mailed out approx. 4-6 weeks after Fated goes on-sale (5/22).
This is a pretty cool opportunity, isn't it?
Go for it!





Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Happy Release Day! The Immortal Rules, A Blood of Eden Novel by Julie Kagawa


The Immortal Rules, by Julie Kagawa is the first book I've read from this author. Those of you more in the know, are familiar with her from her bestselling novels, The Iron Fey series. I've clearly been missing out because I absolutely LOVED The Immortal Rules. Check out some of the description...
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...
If you thought vampires were so yesterday, think again. The Immortal Rules is an original take on the genre. It totally sucks you in...lol... Let me tell you, Kagawa is the queen of worldbuilding! The reader is drawn into the dark, stark, vivid imagery that the author weaves. It's like you're in Allison Sekemoto, the main character's skin, seeing what she sees, feeling what she feels--and that is scary and pulse-pumping, believe me. While this is a vampiric, dystopian story, the author manages to seed in a burgeoning romance, brewing under the surface of all the dark madness. Awesome. 
I can't wait for the next installment. I'm now inspired to go back and read her Iron Fey series. If The Immortal Rules is any indication, I'd better get ready to settle in for another good read.
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa releases April 24, 2012 from Harlequin Teen.
Toodles!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

In My Mailbox...

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi, The Story Siren. It's another way I learn about new books coming out. This past week, I got even more books to add to my overflowing TBR pile.

I bought The Maze Runner. I already had the second book in the series, The Scorch Trial, which I bought in a a fire-sale when Borders was closing. Now that I have book one, I can finally start reading this story.

I love the cover of The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall. Thanks to the publisher, Mira for sending it to me. It follows a 9 year-old girl to the age of 16, as she spends summers between her mom who lives overseas and her dad in America. A life-shattering secret emerges and a betrayal ensues. Sounds good. It releases May 29.

Thanks to St. Martins's Griffin for sending the third installment of The Chronicles of Nick series, Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The first book in the series, Infinity, was zombie heavy, and I'm not a zombie-loving sort of girl, but I was surprised to really enjoyed the story and I find myself reading book 3. I'm kind of committed to Nick's journey now. I think there's like 12 books or something in the series, so I'll see how far I make it...lol...I've never read anything by Jackson Pearce, but Purity sounds like a heart-felt book: a dying mom and a promise; looking for a loophole to lose one's virginity...sounds complex--and it's not a very long book--only 224 pages. My thanks to Little, Brown for their generosity. Purity releases April 24.


Entangled Publishing sent Pretty Amy. It releases May 8. I've started reading it and I'm liking it! The author captures the teen voice and angst, being pissed at parents, perfectly!

And lastly, I received a discount coupon from Barnes and Noble. I headed over there and was met at the door with a table loaded with the Shades of Gray trilogy. I couldn't resist and had to buy it. I have to see what all the fuss is about. I'll save this for one of my summer reads.

What are you reading?