Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday - December 28th

My WOW pick this week is
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Available - May 2012 from HarperTeen
Synopsis via Goodreads

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Anna, a tender-hearted southern girl, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it's time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace her halo or her horns?

***********

Why I'm waiting on Sweet Evil? The synopsis sounds fun & different from other novels that star fallen angels. "He’s the boy your daddy warned you about." made me giggle. Also curious about the cross-country trip. Road trip I hope :)


What are you waiting on this week?

Meme details: Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. Don’t forget to stop by her blog and share your WOW pick for this week.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

ARC Review: Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey - Blog Tour


Title: Dragonswood
Series: Wilde Island Chronicles #2
Author: Janet Lee Carey | Website
Available: 1/5/2012
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: YA












Synopsis via Goodreads:

Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends. 

Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood. 

In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.

My thoughts:


Dragonswood satisfied a craving I wasn't even aware I had. Obviously my book diet has been seriously lacking fantasy lately. I just didn't realize how bad until I started reading this enchanting novel.  Tess takes readers on an incredible journey. I found myself staying up late at night because I just couldn't bring myself to put her captivating tale down. The magical combination of a historical setting, dragons, fairies and romance had me falling in love at first page.


I absolutely loved Tess. She craved an independence that women during her time didn't typically have. Instead she was forced to live in fear with her mother and abusive father. Who would of thought being accused of witchcraft and forced to flee could be so liberating? Tess is a strong and admirable character. She stayed true to herself throughout the book and as a reader I appreciated this. The secondary characters were also a pleasure. I wish the dragons would have had a little more time in the spotlight. The few scenes where they spoke or interacted with the characters were without a doubt my favorites. I just have so much love for those scaled beasts ♥ 


I found the pacing of Dragonswood to be wonderful until the end. The ending just seemed a little rushed and the writing didn't flow as nicely as it did throughout the majority of the novel. I also had difficulty with the epilogue. Tess seemed to have a different "voice". I'm not sure if this was to help reflect the time that had passed and how she had changed. It just didn't feel like I was reading from the POV of the same girl I'd just spent almost 400 pages with. 


While the ending could have been smoother it didn't in any way squash the massive amount of love I have for this wonderful book. I still found Dragonswood an absolute delight to read! I highly recommend it and hope to read more by Janet Lee Carey very soon.


While visiting Janet Lee Carey's website I discovered Dragonswood is technically the second book in the Wilde Island Chronicles. I wasn't aware of this little bit of info when I first started reading. I haven't had the pleasure of reading the first novel, Dragon's Keep. I don't feel reading out of order made Dragonswood any less enjoyable and never really felt like I was missing anything. 


My Rating:



Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Review: The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines - Blog Tour


Title: The Girl Is Murder
Series: Debut!
Author: Kathryn Miller Haines | Website
Available: Now
Genre: Mystery/Historical
Reading Level: YA












Description from Goodreads:


Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception in this YA novel for fans of Veronica Mars. It's the Fall of 1942 and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her school. Now, instead of sitting at home watching Deanna Durbin movies, Iris is sneaking out of the house, double crossing her friends, and dancing at the Savoy till all hours of the night. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private eye business. 


My thoughts:



As a fan of both historical fiction and Nancy Drew, I knew The Girl Is Murder was a must read. Iris Anderson is a wonderful main character that does an amazing job of giving us a glimpse into life of a 15-year-old girl living in 1942. She is dealing with the aftermath of her mother’s suicide and her long absent father’s return from Pearl Harbor (minus one leg). With money tight, Iris finds herself leaving her fancy private school and life on the Upper East Side behind for a life as a public school student and a new home in the less desirable Lower East Side. When she discovers her father is late with the rent and having difficulty fulfilling his job as a private investigator, Iris decides to help him. He asks her to stop, but Iris quickly learns how much she likes the role of investigator and it leads her into all kinds of sticky situations over the course of the story.


I enjoyed the mystery aspects of The Girl Is Murder very much. The author did a fantastic job of walking us through the steps of solving the whodunit without making the pending outcome predictable. Iris was also a narrator I adored. I loved watching her transformation from beginning to end. By the end of her story she has a certain sense of the world she wasn’t privy to at the start. I also enjoyed watching the way the relationship between Iris and her father developed. At the beginning he was almost a stranger to her. After living most of his military career away he suddenly becomes her soul parent. Iris had so many changes and adjustments in such a short period of time. I felt these molded and shaped her character in quite a positive way.

The Girl Is Murder is a highly enjoyable read that I most definitely recommend. I’m so excited this is a series debut and look forward to more adventures with Iris Anderson.


My Rating:





Monday, December 12, 2011

The Secret of Spruce Knoll Blog Tour







A special edition of Heather McCorkle’s The Secret Of Spruce Knoll is releasing from Compass Press this month and she’s doing a special tour to go along with it. The special part, a percentage of the proceeds from every special edition sold (in every format) between its release date and 12-12-2012, will go toward Heather’s favorite charity that protects endangered species. Her goal is to make at least $10,000 for the charity.For the tour Heather has asked each blog host to pick their favorite endangered species and she will tell us a fun or interesting fact about that animal.

I chose the cougar:

Heather's interesting fact: 

Cougars are one of the near-threatened species that really fascinate me as we have them where I live. Rather than eat their meals in one gorge-fest, cougars will cover up their kills with leaves and debris and come back for them later.



I have seen a lot of cougar tracks around where I live but I've never spotted one as they are extremely good at hiding. Last year though one was unfortunately hit and killed by a truck and I got to see him when my neighbor was waiting for Fish and Game to respond. They look massive that close up!
*****
Very cool, Heather! Thanks for sharing.
Of course there are prizes during the tour which goes from December 1st through the 17th. Prizes include a symbolic endangered species adoption of the winner’s choice (a $50 donation by Heather to the charity for the endangered species of the winner’s choice, and cute stuffed animal for the winner!), signed copies of her novels and great swag. For full details, and to enter, go here. http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com

Order the special edition of The Secret of Spruce Knoll:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011

This or That with Iris from The Girl Is Murder & A Giveaway - Blog Tour


Today we have the chance to get to know Iris from The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines better. Keep in mind this book takes place in the 1940's so the questions are geared toward the time when Iris lived. 

Let's play This or That!

Root beer float or Egg cream?

Egg cream. It’s a New York staple and Iris is all New York.

Summer or Winter?

Summer. No school, no snow, no responsibilities.

Sherlock Holmes or Dick Tracy?

Dick Tracy. He’s a cooler cat. Sherlock Holmes is old.

Superman or Batman?

Superman. Even though he’s 4-F because of his vision and had to sit out the war, he can still fight the bad guys with the best of them.

Cats or Dogs?

Dogs are more dependable and more intimidating if you need to face down a bad guy.

Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz?

The Wizard of Oz. It’s a story Iris relates to more and speaks to her own journey to find courage, a heart, a brain, and a home.

Bing Crosby or Fred Astaire?

Bing Crosby. He’s a young hip crooner who’s making all the girls swoon.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate. Life’s too short for vanilla.

The Hobbit or Brave New World?

Brave New World. It’s about the future of this world, not the present of an imaginary one, and Iris is very concerned about what’s happening in her world right now.

Early morning or Late nights?

Late nights. People are much more interesting once the sun goes down. And they’re easier to follow.

Film or Radio?

Film. Radio is nice, but when the lights go down and the orchestra music swells, it’s easier to lose yourself in a movie.

Pluto or Goofy?

Goofy. He’s just much more entertaining. Plus, they’re both dogs, but Goofy gets to be a dog who acts like a human while Pluto is just a dog.

Monopoly or Sorry?

Monopoly. There’s more strategy involved.

Pink or Red?

Red. It’s the shade of lip crème that goes with everything.


Thanks for playing!

*****

The Girl Is Murder is available now!
Add it on Goodreads

Order from Amazon:




Giveaway Details:

One copy of The Girl Is Murder is up for grabs
Open to the U.S
Ships directly from the publisher
Please fill out This Form to enter
Ends 12/15

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

This or That with Jeremy from Remembrance & a Giveaway


Please welcome Jeremy from Remembrance by Michelle Madow to the blog today. He agreed to play a little “This or That” so we can all get to know him better.

Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate

Coke or Pepsi?
Doesn’t make too much of a difference, but I guess Coke.

iPhone or Droid?
iPhone all the way! They’re cooler looking than Droid, and easier to use.

Read the book or watch the movie?
Watch the movie! I barely do my reading for school—why bother reading a book when you can just watch it?

Captain Crunch or Fruity Pebbles?
If I had to choose it would be Captain Crunch, but my favorite cereal is Frosted Flakes.


Redbox or Netflix?
Netflix, but I usually just use my DVR On Demand.

Night owl or morning person?
Night owl. I hate waking up early.

Horror movie or action flick?
Tough choice, but I’m gonna go with action. The plots are usually cool, and they have good fight and chase scenes.

Vampires or werewolves?
Werewolf, because I would rather turn into a wolf than a bat. But I don’t get this whole vampire/werewolf thing going on recently. Amber made me watch an episode of The Vampire Diaries the other day, and I could barely sit through it.

Blondes or brunettes?
Blondes ;)

History or Math?
Neither? But I guess if I had to pick one, it would be history.

Xbox or PS3?
I’ve got a Wii. If I was going to get another system too, it would be Xbox. 

Thanks for playing, Jeremy!

*****
Remembrance is available now!
Learn more & add it to your shelf on Goodreads!

Giveaway Details:
Up for grabs is one super cool prize pack.


Open to residents of the U.S
Ends 12/27
Use the Rafflecopter form to enter

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Review & Giveaway: Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis - Blog Tour


Title: Head Over Heels
Series: Lucky Harbor #3
Author: Jill Shalvis | Website
Available: Now
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reading Level: Adult












Description via Goodreads:


Breaking rules and breaking hearts 

Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways. 

Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?



Quotable Quotes:

"One hundred thousand sperm and he'd been in the fastest."



My thoughts:


Jill Shalvis has wowed me in Lucky Harbor again. In this installment we finally explore the combustible chemistry radiating between youngest sister, Chloe, and local sheriff, Sawyer. Chloe’s sisters and Lucky Harbor locals refer to her as the “Wild Child”. She is a free spirit who longs for others to take her more seriously (especially her sisters) without having to sacrifice the fundamentals of who she is. Sawyer is just about as opposite of Chloe as you can get. Only thing is Sawyer wasn't always such a straight arrow and has spent most of his adult life trying to forget the troubled teen he used to be. These two have more in common than either realizes.



I absolutely adored the first two books in this series, but Chloe and Sawyer's story is my favorite. Chloe is a total sweetheart and the sister I feel has changed the most since the inn she inherited from her mother brought her to Lucky Harbor a year earlier. She has such an intoxicating personality and her love of adventure is highly contagious. She also has the ability to love others with such intensity, even if actually speaking those three little words out loud scares the hell out of her. 


Sawyer is all alpha and serious. He has such a strong need to protect those around him. It is no wonder he became a police officer. The care he shows Chloe over and over when it comes to her debilitating asthma had my heart melting into a puddle of goo. You just don't expect the sweet side of him. He is undeniably sexy for a man of so little words. I usually like my male leads sarcastic and funny, but Sawyer is an exception (possibly the only one) to the rule. I was crushing hard the entire time I read. The romance between Chloe and Sawyer shouldn't work, but it does beautifully. Jill Shalvis has outdone herself with Lucky Harbor's newest love match.


Contemporary romance isn't one of my "go to" genres. I do enjoy reading it, but find I usually uncover more misses than hits. Jill Shalvis is an author who I know won't disappoint. She proves romance novels don't have to be cheesy or host to page after page of sappy cliches. She combines witty dialogue, swoon worthy romance, and dramatic elements with expertise. There is also a little action in this one thanks to Sawyer’s new side job. The Lucky Harbor series is without a doubt one of my favorites. I can see myself reading these again and again.  

I'm also thrilled my time in Lucky Harbor won't end with Head Over Heels. Other residents of this adorable little town will have the chance at their HEA too! This is a series that doesn't have to be read in order, but I highly recommend it to get the full backstory on not only Chloe and Sawyer, but the other one of a kind characters you will meet in Lucky Harbor. 


P.S I'll never be able to paint again without thinking of Chloe and Sawyer. Believe me when I say it is a scene not to be missed :)


My Rating:



Earlier books in this series:



I also have 3 copies of Head Over Heels up for grabs (thanks Hachette Book Group!)
Open to residents of the US & Canada
No P.O Boxes please
Winners are subject to Hachette's 1 copy per household rule
Please fill out the RaffleCopter form to enter
Thursday, December 1, 2011

Author Guest Post: Mary Lindsey - Shattered Souls Blog Tour


Please welcome Mary Lindsey to the blog!



Purposeful, Deliberate Waffling


When I sold my book to Penguin, my editor, Jill Santopolo made it clear there would be significant revisions. I got my first revision letter, which had several requested changes and dug right in. No biggy, I thought.


Then the second letter came. It was a request for a complete revision and partial rewrite. It took me a few weeks to get my head around the scope and scale of it. Over those weeks, I didn’t work on the manuscript, but I read the letter several times a day, committing it to memory.


Within the 5,000 words of doom, there was a jewel. At the time, I didn't know my editor had a great sense of humor, so on first read, I took it seriously. Now, it is serious in its message, and she was absolutely right, but the delivery is priceless. Hilarious, actually, if you look at in in the context of the terrifying, life and manuscript-altering atom bomb in which it was nestled.


On page 4 of the letter, under Act 3, Plot point 10, wonder editor writes:


Plot Point 10 – The New Reality
· Is there a way to have a scene where she gets peace about her dad? (NEW?)
· Beach scene (EXISTING, but tweak ending)
Basically, the 60% of your story is working pretty well—there are a few new scenes and a few things that need to be retooled, but the momentum is moving in the right direction and things are building on one another. The beginning, though, seems to be a bit muddled. You need a clear direction, and after a few chapters of it, Lenzi’s waffling has to stop. She needs to make a decision and then go with it (around plot point five). And even when she is waffling at the beginning, it needs to be purposeful, deliberate waffling that has its own little waffling arc. Once you have Lenzi making decisions, I think your plot is going to move itself forward in a much clearer way.


Look at that! A quirky little gem right in the middle of the scariest revision letter ever. My favorite part:


And even when she is waffling at the beginning, it needs to be purposeful, deliberate waffling that has its own little waffling arc.


Tee hee! Here’s to purposeful, deliberate waffling. Pass the syrup, please!




Thanks, Christie, for having me on your blog today.

*****
My pleasure, Mary!


Mary Lindsey on the web:
Website | Twitter

Mary's super fabulous debut novel, Shattered Souls, 
releases December 8th!


Isn't it pretty?


Read my review of Shattered Souls here.

Add Shattered Souls on Goodreads
Pre-order Shattered Souls from Amazon