Waterfall Wednesdays, a Read-Along (Week One)

If you aren't already aware of the fact, Tina's Book Reviews, Edgy Inspirational Romance, Irresistible Reads, Supernatural Snark and The Unread Reader are hosting Waterfall Wednesdays with a Read-Along of the book.  Today, August 31st is the first week.  I read the book back when it first came out and have since read the other two and it's one of my most favorite series of the year so I decided to take part.  I'm not rereading so my answers may be a bit vague since it has been so long and I've read the other two so may get them mixed up.
I hope you'll join in!  There are awesome giveaways as well!  Want to check it out?  Go HERE.  

First round of questions with my answers:

Discussion Questions for Chapters 1-6


1. Waterfall opens with the introduction of Gabi, she's depressed, a little angry and is dealing with feelings of loneliness.  Are you connecting with her this soon in the novel?  Do you see things you like or dislike?
This one is hard for me to answer since I've read all three now.  It's hard to remember.  But I know I loved the book from the get-go so I think I connected with her okay.  I know she grows a lot but straight away she's quite bold and brave.  Sorry I can't really answer it any better than that.

2. Gabi gets to time travel back to 14th Century Italy- The Dark Ages in its prime.  Is there anytime in history that fascinates you and would you travel back it you could?
The Dark Ages is actually the time period I've found myself to be the most fascinated with.  I've read other time travel books to that period and have loved them all (as well as other historical fiction in that time period).  I think I wouldn't be able to resist traveling back if I could, but it would be quite terrifying.

3. Most of the men, including Marcello have a very set opinion about a woman's place.  Gabi gets manhandled a bit in these first few chapters, and even gets asked if she's a witch.  The men are shocked when Gabi rides a horse like a man and shimmies down the castle walls.  What do you think of mens mentality back then?  Gentlemanly, chauvinistic, simple-minded?
Well, I think Gabi got incredibly lucky.  I think the chances of finding a man like Marcello would be slim.  It would be hard to be a woman in that time as I'm sure most men were chauvinistic and simple-minded.  Or close minded.  They just thought differently.  I like to think that there were a lot that were gentlemanly though.  I hope.  

4. When Gabi becomes a part of this era, the people are immediately intrigued but suspicious of her.  Many judge her by her difference.  Do you think this is fair?  Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like an outsider or that others were misjudging you?
Well, like I said before, they just thought differently back then.  And with how things were, I'd be suspicious too!  It wasn't really fair, but yet they would have been stupid to not be suspicious.
I've felt like an outsider lots of times.  Moving somewhere new, a new school.  Or even as an adult, starting a new job.  It's scary and you feel inadequate.  I think my best example of feeling judged was going to church with my family as a teenager.  People had started rumors about me and everyone whispered about me behind my back.  None of them were true.  That was a hard time for me as it completely pushed me away from church completely where I hated going at all.  

5. What do you think the coolest thing would be about living in the Dark Ages?  What would be the worst?
It's surprising me that this question is so hard!  If I were to travel back in time it would be amazing to know I was IN history.  I also think life would just be more easy going.  Yeah, it was hard work but the worries just change, you know?  Different life style.  
The worse would be hunger, diseases, and just knowing that if you were hurt in the slightest you could die from infection.

Book Review and Giveaway: Dark Souls by Paula Morris

Title: Dark Souls
Author: Paula Morris
Details: Hardcover, 292 pgs.
Published: Aug. 1st, 2011 by Point
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Big Honcho Media and Point


Description:

Welcome to York, England.
Mist lingers in the streets.
Narrow buildings cast long shadows.
This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .
Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . .
Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls?
Soon, Miranda realizes that something dangerous — and deadly — is being planned. And she may have to face the darkest part of herself in order to unravel the mystery — and find redemption.

Wow, what a setting!  I have to say that the setting was one of my favorite aspects of the book.  I've always dreamt of visiting England and going to York would certainly be a fantastic adventure.  So it was great to go and see it through Miranda's eyes.  

I really thought this was a brilliant idea for a story.  I love books with ghosts and find them fascinating.  And while I enjoyed this one I kind of wished there was more to the ghost aspect.  Like maybe she could have talked with them more or learned more about some of them.  And while in the end we got more to the ghost part it seemed a bit long in coming.  Actually through most of the book, while I was enjoying it, I just wanted a bit more.  It's hard to explain, but I guess I felt like I was missing something.  However, it was still a great story and I enjoyed the characters.  

I really liked Miranda.  I felt like she was someone I could really be friends with.  And Nick... oh boy.  He's the sullen mysterious type and while I would normally say that's been done too many times, I still ended up falling for him.  I don't know what it is about those mysterious boys... 

Miranda's family can't be left out.  They had a great realistic family dynamic from her father saying nerdy and outdated things to the banter between Miranda and her brother.  I found it all realistic and very enjoyable.

I felt like even though this was a quick read it was slow paced.  It felt like not a lot happened very quickly and then the climax hit and was over.  I do have to say that the climax was pretty intense and it wasn't anything I had figured out at all.   I just wish that we had known just a bit more of the mystery earlier because we didn't even know what to look for while in the end we see there were clues all over the place.  

Overall it was an enjoyable read with great characters and in a fantastic setting!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Find the author:

Website

Check out the This Is Teen Facebook where Paula will be featured

About the author:

Paula Morris is the author of Ruined, and has published several novels for adults in her native New Zealand. She has lived in a number of cities around the world, including York, England. She now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and teaches creative writing at the University of Stirling. Visit her online at www.paula-morris.com.

Giveaway: *ENDED*
Keep your space peaceful

A big thanks to Big Honcho Media and Point who are  giving away one copy of Dark Souls and a sage candle.

Open to US only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends 9/7/11

To Enter: *ENDED*

Leave a comment with contact info.

You do not have to be a follower, but of course it's appreciated.

Book Giveaway *CLOSED*: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Hades (Halo #2) by Alexandra Adornetto

Bethany and Xavier are even closer since battling Jake Thorn and his evil influence (in Halo) and Beth and her angel siblings must still protect Venus Cove from the Dark Forces. 
When a party game – a séance – inadvertently releases Jake from the Underworld, he disguises himself and tricks Beth into taking a ride on his motorcycle. When the highway opens up and swallows them, Beth learns too late that she’s now a prisoner in hell. What happens to angels there? As her archangel brother, Gabriel, her sister Ivy, Xavier, and her best friend, Molly search for her, Beth must weigh Jake’s bargaining for her freedom: one night with him, and she will be released back to Earth. Can Jake be trusted in this wager? And is he also using Beth to engineer the fall of the archangel Gabriel? Xavier has already lost one love – when Jake tricks him into thinking that Bethany is dead, his grief and anger result in a betrayal that will leave Bethany – and readers – wondering if he is so good after all. 
It will be up to Beth to use everything she’s learned about her powers as an angel – and about love – to free herself and those she loves from the clutches of Hades.

Check out the trailer:

Links:

See Alexandra Adornetto on tour this Fall: http://www.facebook.com/penfataletour

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraAdornetto 

Macmillan page for the book & author: http://us.macmillan.com/hades

The Giveaway: This giveaway has ended

The awesome folks at Zeitghost Media and Macmillan Publishing are giving away one copy of Hades to one lucky person!

Open to US/Canada only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends September 6th, 2011

To Enter: This giveaway has ended

Leave a comment with contact info.

Following my blog is not required, but always appreciated, of course.

Teaser Tuesday (27) The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

I thought the worse thing that could happen would be for my new husband to turn away from me in disgust.  I was wrong.  It is so much worse that he listens to me, sees me.  That, in addition to being beautiful, he is kind.

It will be too, too easy to love him.

pgs 20-21

Taken from an unfinished copy.  Final version may be different.

I've just started this and it's really good already!  I can't wait to really get into it!

Book Review: Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven

Title: Velva Jean Learns to Fly
Author: Jennifer Niven
Details: Paperback, 416 pgs.
Published: August 30th, 2011 by Plume
Reading Level: Adult (though works as a crossover YA since the MC is quite young and there's no inappropriate material.)
Source: Publisher

Description:

After Pearl Harbor, Velva Jean signs up for service and gets her wings, risking her life-and her heart.Velva Jean Hart, the fiercely independent heroine of Jennifer Niven's spectacular debut novel, Velva Jean Learns to Drive, returns in a captivating adventure that literally sends her soaring. Bristling at the limitations faced by a woman in rural Appalachia and fuelled by the memory of her late Mama telling her to "live out there," Velva Jean hits the road to pursue her dream of singing at the Grand Ole Opry. But after a string of auditions, she begins to lose hope- until her brother pays her a surprise visit and treats Velva Jean to a flying lesson that ignites a brand-new dream: to become a female pilot. Funny, poignant, and utterly unforgettable, Velva Jean Learns to Fly will have fans cheering all over again.

I know this isn't a book many of you would normally pick up, but please, please stay with me here.  I never would have picked this book up on my own.  I would have turned it down for review if it were offered.  But it wasn't.  It just came one day and I always at least try to read the books that come.  Because I knew if this one sat on my shelf for long I would start to dread even trying to read it, I picked it up immediately.  I figured I'd get bored and I would send it on to my mom to read and review instead.  So I was shocked when I was immediately sucked into the story and how much I came to love Velva Jean Hart and her determination in all the things she set her heart on doing.  This book touched me in so many ways and it had  me laughing, crying, and incredibly angry at some of the things and people she had to deal with.  My emotions were all over the place, but I was definitely feeling this book.  

I fell in love with Velva Jean.  I think she's a person that we would all love to be.  Even though she was afraid she still stuck with her determination in whatever she set her heart out to do.  She left her safe sanctuary of a home in the NC mountains and took off to sing in the Opry in Nashville.  She worked to get herself there and did everything she could possibly do, but when it didn't work out and the war came about she found her love of flying.  And yes, she was afraid to get in that airplane, but her brother pushed her and once she was in the air she realized she wanted to fly that thing.  And she did.  She took lessons and eventually went off to school and in the end she flew pretty much every sort of plane the US military flew.  And some that many men in the military wouldn't even fly.  She dealt with prejudice and sabotage and watched friends die in planes, and even had some bad situations herself, but she stuck with it.  And I couldn't admire her more.  She had every sort of obstacle there could possibly be, but Velva Jean Hart, with her big heart, her voice of an angel and her resolve of steel, did what she felt she had to do.  

Maybe now your thinking that yeah, Velva Jean might be a great character, but the whole flying thing... it just sounds boring.  Well, maybe it would be boring for you.  I grew up flying in a small airplane,  my grandfather had one and he flew from farm to farm selling livestock feed to farmers and I went with him a few times and I know the feeling of being in a small plane, but I never flew one and I never had the strong urge to.  In Velva Jean Learns to Fly we get some details of flying, but there were no long descriptions and everything just seemed to go so fast.  Seriously, with all that happened in this book I would think it would be some 2,000 page book and not 416.  So everything that happened wasn't real lengthy which kept the pace of the book up.  And it's not all about her flying.  It has so much more about her life, and even some romance which I actually loved (like loved, loved, loved).  And while everything wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, it was a book that really made me feel.  I felt the love, the hate, the pain, the anger... I felt so much that it hurt.  But it was perfect.  

I did not read Velva Jean Learns to Drive and this book stood just fine on it's own.  But at times I was really wishing I had because I think I would have understood things just a bit more.  Things happened in her past that haunt her a bit and while I got the gist of much of it, it would have been nice to know just a bit more.  I'll definitely pick it up in the future because Velva Jean has become a favorite character of mine.  I really hope the author continues Velva Jeans story, I don't think it's quite finished yet.  But she didn't leave it with a cliffhanger or anything.  It kind of felt like the perfect ending, but yet I still wish for more.  

I very highly recommend this book.  I'm glad that I stepped out of my normal comfort zone and tried something different.  It ended up being the perfect book and it made me realize that sometimes we really don't know what we'll like until we try it.    Also, I think this book is considered adult but it would definitely work as a YA.  Velva Jean is on her own and has gone through much more then most girls of 19, but it would still be a book appropriate and appreciated by girls of any age.

Find the author:

Website

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.  

In My Mailbox (74)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.  

I'm still on my book buying ban and didn't buy ANY books this week!  I did still get plenty for review though!  Also, watch for the cutie at the end of the video.  Sorry if it bores you, but he sure is adorable!  I have to say, I do make some cute kids!

For Review:

Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

Thanks Harper!

Eve by Anna Carey

Thanks Amazon Vine (and Harper ;)

Song of the Nile (Lily of the Nile #2) by Stephanie Dray

Thanks Stephanie Dray and Berkley!

Borrowed:

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (read and loved!)

Thanks Angela!

RAK (Random Act of Kindness):

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Thanks Lori! 

Other stuff:

Swag for Firelight and Vanish!  Thanks Sophie Jordan!

What was in your mailbox?  Leave a comment linking to your post!

Saturday Situation- Link up your reviews and giveaways! (8/27)

 Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself.  It's a linky for you to link your  Giveaways and Reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have).  You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice!

Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week.  

You can find this post again by clicking the button on the top right of my blog.  I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

Waterfall Wednesdays

I had to share this with you guys because I'm in love with Waterfall, Cascade and Torrent (River of Time by Lisa Bergren) and kinda want the entire world to experience the wonder that is within the pages of these books.  And Tina from Tina's Book Reviews,  Missie at The Unread Reader, Joy & Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance, Nic at Irresistible Reads and Jenny from Supernatural Snark will be hosting a read-along of Lisa T.Bergrens YA novel Waterfall. For the month of September they will be breaking down the chapters and having a weekly discussion over what has been read. 
It's been a bit since I read Waterfall (February, I believe), but I'm going to be doing my best to follow the read-along and answering the questions.  I hope you will consider signing up!  And if you do you could be entered to win a trilogy set.  Lisa Bergren will be giving them away each week!  That's 5 winners!
Want to learn more and maybe sign-up?  Head over to THIS post at Tina's Book Reviews.

Find my review of Waterfall HERE, my review of Cascade HERE and my review of Torrent HERE.  My Torrent review has a good overview of the entire trilogy though and is spoiler free for all three books (minus a small area which is marked).  

Guest Post and Giveaway of The Atheists Daughter by Renee Harrell

Today I have the author of The Atheist's Daughter on the blog. They (well, he) is talking about why they chose to be indie authors rather than getting published with a large publishing house, even when they could have been.  So check out this awesome post with a giveaway at the end! 

Dear Candace,

Thanks for giving me an opportunity to do a Guest Post at your book blog, especially during Indie Takeover Month.Our newest story is an indie production through-and-through and we can prove it.

As I mentioned, my wife, Renée, and I write together under the quasi-pseudonym of “Renée Harrell”. Renée does most of the plotting, I play with characterization and dialogue, and together we lick the platter clean. (No, I don’t know what thelast sentence means. Seems to fit, though.) One night,coming out of a dream, she shook me awake, wanting us to start a new novel. I mean, instantly. Since it was a pretty cool dream, I agreed. Soon, we had an outline, the outline became a novel, and, after multiple rewrites and title changes, the novel became The Atheist’s Daughter.

Despite the current obsession with Young Adult novels,agent after agent passed on our book. As one agent-in-training told me, our storyline failed to check off any of the boxes in the Best-Seller Hit List. To begin with, our heroine isn't beautiful or popular. She can't find a job and, still living with her mother, desperately wants to move out on her own.  She's cursed -- or blessed, your call -- with an ability to discern a certain kind of evil. She doesn't have a magical Kung Fu Grip with which to fight the evil; she only knows when it's present. She's no smarter, braver or stronger than anyone else. 
There are Bad Creatures in the story but they're not any of the standard beasties. We'd grown tired of the same old frights and decided to invent something new. Our monsters aren't sexy, they're monsters. Our biggest mistake of all? Romance sells and there's little romance in the novel. We’d hoped that a fresh story, strong characterization, and our version of a 21st century Buffy might find a readership but the literary doorkeepers disagreed. Even the agent who loved the story said she didn’t think she could sell it.

Going a different route, we pitched the tale directly to acouple of publishers. After a few months, we received a warm rejection, if any rejection can be considered “warm” – and, then, days later, the second publisher responded even more warmly. They sent us a contract, offering a small advance, and promising to release print and e-book editionsin late 2012.

Unfortunately, their contract held a couple of conditions we couldn’t negotiate away. If we signed on the bottom line, the book would remain under the publisher’s control for…well, forever, unless sales fell to just above zero during anycalendar year. Secondly, “You have to change the title,” Ye Olde Publisher said. “Our reader almost passed it up, thinking it was a religious book.”

I know, those aren’t the most awful terms in the world. For us, though, they were deal breakers. We’d self-published our first YA novel and Renée was ready to do it again. She said,“That way, we keep our copyright and our title. From now on, no more agents, no other publishers.”

(A publisher in the UK is putting out our forthcoming s-f novel but, per Renée, “Doesn’t count. We signed the contractmonths and months ago. I said, ‘From now on’….”)

“Self-published books struggle to find a market,” I reminded her.

“Candace won’t like it, she’s a Twilight girl, but give us some time and the right readers will love it. Besides, we’ll put romance in the sequel.”

So here we are, C., about to launch our baby into the world and delighted to have a forum to spread the word. We’re grateful.

We have one more favor to ask: When you use this Guest Post, please feel free to schedule it before our book launch of September 14. We only ask that you don’t run the post on August 26th. As we both know, it’s the one day of the year that book blogs receive their least amount of traffic.

I mean, truly, a YA horror novel without romance is going to be a tough sell, anyway. We need every advantage we can get.

-- Harrell Turner

The Atheist’s Daughter. Out in September.

Thank so much for coming by Harrell!  It was great to learn more about the book and why you decided to go indie.  

Giveaway:  *This Giveaway has ENDED*
They are offering up 2 ebooks of The Atheist's Daughter to 2 random commenters!
Open worldwide.
Must be 13 or older to enter.
Ends 9/5/11 

To Enter: This Giveaway has ended

Leave a comment telling us your thoughts about this post and include contact info!  

Alyxandra Harvey Videos

Hello everyone!  Like me, many of you are fans of the Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey and I wanted to share this new video with her where she shares just a bit about the newest book in the series, Bleeding Hearts.  Bleeding Hearts comes out this October.  To find out more about the book check out the Bloomsbury Bleeding Hearts page.  I'm also including the video where she talks about Haunting Violet.  I loved Haunting Violet and so found this video pretty freaking cool!
Enjoy the videos!

Book Review (that you won't want to miss!): River of Time (and more specifically, Torrent) by Lisa Bergren

Title: Torrent (River of Time #3)

Author: Lisa T. Bergren

Details: Paperback, 352 pgs.

Published: Sept. 1st, 2011 by David C. Cook

When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series.

Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.

This review is spoiler free for any of the River of Time books.

If you haven't yet started reading the River of Time series (first one is Waterfall) then you are most certainly missing out on what has quickly become a favorite of mine.  The series seems to be taking over the blogosphere and I only hope it's spreading outside of it because the entire world needs to read this series!  There's not one single thing I would change in it.

Lisa has pulled me into Gabby's world completely.  So much so I'm dreaming of Marcello (and even Luca) myself.  I can't believe how much I feel like a teenager when I read these books!  Seriously, remember that fluttery feeling when you had a crush on a boy?  Well, I'm feeling it... yep, definitely feeling the flutter.

It's not only the guys that have stolen my heart though.  It's all the characters.  Their bravery, compassion and sense of right.  It's the setting.  The gorgeous Italian country side, the villas, the castello's, the ancient cities... so gorgeous!  It's everything in these books that has stolen my heart and I will be recommending them for years to come.  

These books might be romantic and beautiful but they are packed with danger and action.  Gabby nearly dies several times (in each book!) and each time barely escapes with her life.  But yet instead of becoming more afraid she only gets braver!  She knows who she loves and cares about and she'll do anything to protect them.  Her entire family is that way!  You'd never guess that people from modern day could ever do the things they do, but they do it, they do everything they possibly can to help and to save others.  

This is a time travel series and most of it takes place in medieval Italy.  So I know a few haven't read the books because they aren't into 'historical fiction'.  Let me try to ease your fears.  First of all, these are modern day girls so you'll still hear slang and pop culture references.  They also think like modern day girls even though they slip into the medieval ways incredibly well, at least in appearances.  Some historical fiction books are weighed down with description or historical facts.  These books aren't.  We get a clear picture of everything, but yet the entire things flows very fast, and very smooth.  So somehow Lisa has slipped in enough descriptions for us to see it, but hasn't even made us aware.   I think even people who aren't fans of historical fiction will enjoy these books.  At least I hope I'm not wrong there....

More specific details on this book...

don't read this portion if you haven't yet read Waterfall and Cascade.

I was so anxious to see how things worked out for this one!  If you'll recall in Cascade they recovered her father in the future and brought him back in time. This book picks up immediately where the last one left off and is immediately packed with action.  This book may have had more action than the other two!  But it had some very unexpected twists and turns.  By now we know that things are not going to be easy, but sometimes it's hard on us, the readers, as well.  And I have to say, I did a bit of crying in this one.  So keep some kleenex near.  

The romance... I'm afraid to say to anything because I don't want to give anything away.  Lets just say that things get complicated.  Then they get amazing.  I was definitely satisfied.  And I can say there's one more hottie to add to my list of hotties.  And I really hope that Lisa writes more about that certain hottie.  He needs his own set of books, that's for sure!

I couldn't put this stinking book down!  I read it continuously until I couldn't keep my eyes open and then the second I woke up I started reading until I finished it.  It was freaking fantastic and I'm just sad it's over.

Final thoughts...

If you haven't read the books, read them!  Get everyone you know to read them!  We need Lisa to continue the series with Luca and Lia's story and then write a few more with Lord Greco's story cause I really think he needs his own as well.

Love, love, love this series!  Thank you Lisa for writing such an amazing series of books.  One I can share with my mother and sisters without blushing.  Pretty freaking awesome.

Find the author:

Website/ Blog

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book free of charge for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.