Monday, October 31, 2011

Winners- Ephemera, Breakaway, Halloween Spooktacular and Bridger

Time for more winners!

Winners of Ephemera are...
lingeorge (ebook)
and
Tess (Physical copy)

Breakaway winners are...
Jess
Ashley at Book Labyrinth
Michelle at Book Briefs

Winner of the Spooktacular Giveaway (book of choice) is...
Shelby

Winner of Bridger is...
Danny 

All winners were selected using random.org
They have all been contacted and have 48 hours to respond from the time I send the email to let them know.  

I don't have a bunch of other giveaways going on right now {I know, weird, right?} but I'm planning a bunch so more are coming!  And my blogoversary is coming up soon'ish as well!

Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake


Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Hardcover, 326 pgs *read an ARC*
Published August 30th, 2011 by TorTeen
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Gift

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

 There were a lot of things I liked about this book but when I think of it the thing I liked the very most was Cas.  He was a male character that I live to read about.  And male MC's in YA aren't terribly easy to find.  Cas reminded me a bit of Cassel in the Curse Workers series, personality wise.  He was pretty bold and snarky but was real in that he still made mistakes.  He still had feelings and emotions that he didn't always want to have.  He had a thick skin and was incredibly brave.  And sometimes his bravery almost passed into stupidity but in his line of work his thick skin and fast thinking are what kept him alive.  But suddenly he's come across something that he's never had to deal with.  He's never seen anything like the likes of Anna and she's totally thrown him off his game.  

I really don't want to get into much detail about this book because it's best to not have a clue what to expect.  I will tell you that I scare easily and while this one had some good creepy/gory/scary scenes it wasn't downright horrifying for me.  And while I can live without any scary {I generally don't read horror} at all I still absolutely adored this book and it's story line and it couldn't have been what it was without the scary creepy stuff.  Also keep in mind that this is YA and it's just not going to be as downright scary as adult horror.  This was definitely more my level of scary and so those who are big horror fans probably won't find it too horrifying.

I inhaled this book like it was air and the second I finished I was dying for more Cas.  I'll be desperately awaiting the sequel, Girl of Nightmares. 

Find the author:

Purchase:

Sunday, October 30, 2011

November of Contemporary! {My To-Read List and Vlog}

In November I plan to read and review mostly contemporary books.  And all are young adult {so far} as well.  I have such a massive pile that when Ashley from Basically Amazing Books and Shanyn from Chick Loves Lit decided to do contemporary in November {they are planning some awesome stuff, so check them out!}  I decided I'd just do it along with them.  I will have a few tours and maybe a few random reviews for books that aren't contemporary, but I really want to stick with focusing on contemporary and getting through my massive pile I have to read.  So I decided I'd do a video to show you my reading plans for November!
Also, the vlog is now out of date as I did read Vinyl Princess and am currently reading Going Too Far.


Books Mentioned:
The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz (Read)
Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
Amplified by Tara Kelly
Shattered Soul by Jennifer Snyder
Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols (Currently Reading)
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz
Freefall by Mindi Scott
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan
Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
But I Love Him by Amanda Grace
The Girl Next Door by Selene Castrovilla
Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Instructions For a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson
Beautiful by Amy Reed
The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
When It Happens by Susane Colasanti
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
Tangled by Carolyn Mackler
A & L Do Summer by Jan Blazanin


Saturday, October 29, 2011

In My Mailbox (83)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.  
No vlog this week, sorry!  I was going to do one but my kids were throwing such a fit about them wanting to make their own movie that I just said forget it and we all fought over the regular camera instead {much quicker fight}.  



Review: 
Who Do, VooDoo? by Rochelle Staab
An awesome package from Bonnie Lee which included:
Go Go Sadie 
Momo Come Home 
the not yet published Bonita the Fruit Bat 
and lots of goodies like stickers, coloring pages {they actually come with the books} and even a magnet.  

Paperbackswap:
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook {SO freaking excited about this one!  It's been on my wishlist FOREVER!}
Sovay by Celia Rees

Bought: 
Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
I bought others {including Tara Kelly's new book, Amplified} but they haven't been shipped or haven't been delivered yet.  So next week will have lots of books I bought {which I bought using a gift card I got, woo hoo!}. 

Thanks goes to Berkley {Penguin} and Bonnie Lee {and her publicist} for the books for review.

So that's what was in my mailbox.  What was in yours?

Friday, October 28, 2011

Saturday Situation- Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways! 10/29






 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 right side of my blog.  I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

Book Review: The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams

This is an adult book.  However, this is mild in terms of adult behavior and the main character is of college age.  There is no sex and very little bad language.  For those who are just venturing out into adult books this is a great place to start if you enjoy urban fantasies!
The Shadow Reader (McKenzie Lewis #1) by Sandy Williams
Mass Market Paperback, 307 pgs.
Published Oct 25th, 2011 by Ace
Reading Level: Adult (with crossover appeal to the more mature YA readers)
Source: Publisher *for review*

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.


Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.


 This was a happy dance book.  One that I kinda want to squeal randomly about and dance around the house.  Yep.  It was that good.  I've gotten lucky with the adult books I've been reviewing lately {well, aside from the couple I can't get into that I've put aside for now.  We won't talk about those for now though.} and gotten some winners

This book started out with action right from the start.  I was sucked right in without a bit of difficulty.  It was when I was a few chapters in that I started to get just a little nervous because McKenzie was getting on my nerves and not enough was happening.  I was irritated because she was so darn stubborn!  I just wanted things to sort of take another direction I guess. But then as the story progressed I discovered that McKenzie was exactly how she needed to be.  How she should be.  It was what made her her and made the story become what it became.  And OMG, it became CRAZY FREAKING GOOD!  

There was pretty much constant action through the whole book {just that one slow part towards the beginning that was kind of setting up the rest of the story}.  It was totally and completely unputdownable.  I honestly could have sat and read the book straight through if my kids had let me.  Usually adult books take me 2-3 days to read.  This took me one.  

Holy hotness, this book had some of the yummiest men to ever grace the pages of books.  Sandy did a brilliant job in describing them and their mannerisms {which seems to be what brings men to a higher hotness level for me}.  I'm afraid to say much about them because that's the awesomeness that is this book, we don't know who is good and who is bad.  We think one is good but don't have a chance to fall in love before we meet one that's suppose to be the bad guy but is so easy to fall for.  I mean, I certainly thought I knew exactly who was bad and who was good but I think it was all based on who I fell in love with.  Yep, the hottest one wins!  And really we don't know for sure and the twists and turns thrown in do such a great job of keeping us on our toes and trying to figure it all out.  

Now McKenzie, she is a firecracker!  A stubborn one who is determined to not let anyone screw her over.  And she'll do anything, anything to make sure she's not taken advantage of.  She doesn't trust easy and when she starts to soften up she just forces it back down and then often makes HORRIBLE decisions!  But sometimes good ones too.  Like when trying to save someones life.  She's quick in deciding she's willing to do whatever it takes.  She certainly took me on a rollercoaster ride and I didn't know if I wanted to hug her or slap her most of the time.  But when the book ended I knew I loved her.  Even in all her stubborn stupidity she was doing what she could to protect herself and those she loved. 

I could ramble on and on about this book.  I loved it so freaking much!  But I think I've gotten my point across but if I haven't, go read this book now!  It has phenomenal world building, characters with spark, and constant action that will keep your eyes glued to that page!  This is one book that I'll be sharing with people {or more like forcing into everyone's hands while screaming "READ THIS FREAKING BOOK!"} probably for years to come. 

Find the author:

Purchase:
Amazon

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

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Mini Book Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Darker Still (A Novel of Magic Most Foul #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber
Paperback, 320 pgs. *I read an ARC*
Published Nov. 8th, 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Gift

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...
Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

 This book was certainly an interesting concept and had a unique story line.  I liked the setting and the characters and even the story, but I never really felt wow'ed by it.  There's not really anything I can pinpoint of not liking, I just felt a bit blah while reading it.

 It's told by Natalie as she writes in her journal.  I thought it worked out okay, I can't say I really had an issue with it.  It just took a little getting use to at first.  I also liked Natalie and I liked that she was mute.  That she had something that others were leery or afraid of.  She had a rough time of it and had to deal with a lot of teasing in her past.  But she's very smart and very brave.

Now Lord Denbury,  I liked him at first quite a lot but then I started feeling just a bit like he was underwhelming to me.  Maybe it was all the talk of how handsome and perfect he was that kind of made me like him less.   And there was one point where I felt like he was not being much of a gentleman and that definitely turned me off of him more.  I think that was thrown in to make him more 'real' but it didn't work for me.  It just messed up my image of him.

The other characters played their roles well and I loved the whole 'Magic Most Foul' aspect of the book.  I'm not sure I'd rush to recommend this one but if sounds like something you'd like then give it a try, I certainly don't feel like I wasted my time on it or anything.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Book Trailer and Giveaway ENDED: Destined (House of Night) by P.C. & Kristin Cast



Destined (House of Night #9) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow…









Website:

Giveaway:ENDED
Zeitghost Media and Macmillan are generously offering one copy of Destined to one lucky winner.
Open to US/Canada
Must be 13 or older to enter.
Ends 11/4

To Enter:ENDED
Leave a comment with contact info.

Extra Entry:
Tweet the following phrase then in a separate comment link directly to your tweet.
Destined (House of Night #9) is for #giveaway at http://tinyurl.com/3mxoxl9
 US/Canada Ends 11/4 @candacemom2two

Book Review: Dancing With the Pen (A Collection of Today's Best Youth Writing) Edited by Dallas Woodburn

Dancing With the Pen Edited by Dallas Woodburn
Reading Level: Any
Source: Dallas Woodburn *for review*
Published January 2011


A lawyer for the Big Bad Wolf earnestly pleads his client's innocence in court. Mother Earth and Father Sky give birth to a rebellious child whose fiery temper threatens to destroy the world. A teenage boy discovers the complexities of fame after his band's first album skyrockets to the top of the charts. Tornado warnings turn a young girl's routine babysitting job into a fight for survival.

These are just a few of the imaginative, daring, and thought-provoking stories found in these pages. Also included are dozens of poems and personal essays exploring everything from travel to friendship, love to loss, fear to hope. What makes this book truly unique is it was written entirely by kids and teenagers.

Dancing with the Pen features the work of more than sixty young writers in elementary school, middle school and high school. These authors come from all across the United States, from California to New York, from Kentucky to Michigan, as well as from abroad: Singapore, Canada, New Zealand. However, the themes and situations they explore transcend hometowns, backgrounds and cultures - they are familiar to us all.

Dancing with the Pen is a book for young writers and young readers - and the young at heart. Even if you are not normally a voracious reader, this book is still for you. Every piece within these covers is written by someone who understands what it is like to be a young person today. Maybe you will recognize yourself in these pages.

Perhaps you will even be inspired to pick up a pen, step out on the dance floor, and go for a whirl yourself.
Dancing With the Pen has stories, poems and essays from children of all ages, from elementary school through high school.  The pieces range from a paragraph to a few pages with none being very long.  Some are amazing stories that I only wished could have continued because a short {very short} story doesn't quite give me enough time to feel a connection, but yet I saw the authors ability and vision.  The poetry was my favorite because that's the best way to get emotion in to so few words.  
I was a compulsive  writer as a child and wrote my first novel in 2nd grade.  I was published in 8th grade and never again.  If I'd stuck with it like I'd been encouraged to as a kid then I may be an accomplished author by now!  But instead my teen years led me to different places and my writing was set aside.  My point here is that Dallas putting together this book with all these different pieces of writing is a great way to encourage them and show them what they can do.  And I suspect that in the future we'll be seeing more of their work in longer forms, as they were clearly talented.
I read this book in little bits and pieces because it wasn't something that really pulled me in just because of it being a collection of various stories and poetry.  But when I was reading I was enjoying it and some were better then others, as can be expected.  It's rather difficult to really rate this one.  It hardly seems fair when some pieces I loved and others were just okay.  This is one that will likely appeal to younger readers who may be wishing to be published themselves.  

Find Dallas on her Blog

Purchase:
Amazon

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.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Book Review: The Doomsday Vault by Steven Harper

The Doomsday Vault (The Clockwork Empire #1) by Steven Harper
Mass Market Paperback, 400 pgs.
Published November 1st, 2011 by Roc
Reading Level: Adult (though I would say crossover appeal to mature young adult readers)
Source: Publisher *for review*

In a clockwork Brittania, Alice's prospects are slim. At 21, her age and her unladylike interest in automatons have sealed her fate as an undesirable marriage prospect. But a devastating plague sends Alice off in a direction beyond the pale-towards a clandestine organization, mad inventors, life-altering secrets, and into the arms of an intrepid fiddle-playing airship pilot.


 Wow!  This book got me all sorts of excited!  It was absolutely fantabulous! {Yes, I know that's not a word.}  It had amazing gadgets and a super strong steampunk aspect.  And while I love steampunk {seriously, I do, I seek it out} I'm always a bit worried about how detailed it will be because I have a short attention span.  This book though, this book had the very strong steampunk aspect without lengthy descriptions, at all!  And while that's a good thing for me others may see that as a negative.   Personally I don't need to know how everything works.  I want to know what it looks like and what it can do and maybe a brief description of how it works is okay, but I don't need to know how everything works.  These things may pass through my head fleetingly, but really, I was completely okay with not knowing.  But like I said, others might not like that.  

The characters were great!  In the beginning we're getting stories from Alice's perspective and from Gavins as well.  It alternates between them and we don't know how they connect.  It worked fine for me and I felt like I got a good opportunity to get to know both of their back-stories this way.  And got to know them more personally.  Once their paths cross then it becomes mostly Alice's story, with going back to Gavin just occasionally.  I thought it was all well done and was done in a way we got to get a real feel for them and their personalities.  And they are both absolutely fantastic characters, I fell in love with both of them.  The one issue I had, which was very minor, was that I had a hard time picturing Gavin as older.  When we are introduced to him he is a cabin boy and I think hearing 'boy' maybe messed with my head.  I'm not exactly sure, but he always felt a little young to me even though he never really did anything that made him seen immature or anything.  I still loved him though!  

This was a fast paced read with almost constant action that had me dying to know more.  I found myself wanting to sit and read it and not do anything else.  And I actually was so impressed with the automatons and the world that I totally went crazy describing it all to my six year old daughter.  {Yeah, I was seriously excited.} And it got her so excited that she said she wants to read it when she grows up!  {YAY!}  So any book that gets me excited like that is definitely awesome.  And as far as the gadgets and steampunk aspect goes this may be my favorite yet.  I mean this world building was phenomenal! Now, I could go into telling you more about how it all works and how there's paranormal to it {there's zombies on page one!} but I don't think it's necessary and will just get me all carried away.   I will say that the zombies have a scientific reason and so it was more light on the paranormal aspect {which I actually really liked!}.

This book was actually quite clean.  There is some cursing, but not much.  And there's violence, but you find it worse in many YA novels.  And there's no sex, just some mention of sexual activity {it was quite vague} and I think that many mature young adult readers may really enjoy this book.   Anyway, I loved it and I very highly recommend it!



Find the author:

Purchase:
Amazon


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

Monday, October 24, 2011

Winners! Remembrance, Afterlife, Unveiled, The Earth Painter and Blood Drunk: Faded Blue


More winners!

Winner of Remembrance by Michelle Madow is...
Holly

Winners of Afterlife by T.P. Boje are...
imyoursweet666
and
TayteH

Winner of Unveiled by Trisha Wolfe is...
Vivien

The winner of The Earth Painter by M.J. Lee is...
Julie

Winners of Blood Drunk: Faded Blue by Angela Lovell is...
Book Passion for Life (ebook)
and
Zo1310 (ebook)
and
Sofija Kapranova (physical copy)


The winners were selected using random.org and have been contacted.
Look to the top of my blog for all current giveaways.
Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaways!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop Giveaway! ENDED

Welcome to the Spooktacular Giveaway!  This is a Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer as well as The Diary of a Bookworm.   This giveaway runs from Oct. 24th through the 31st.  There are loads of other blogs participating as well and the linky is at the bottom of this post so you can check them out as well! 

The Giveaway:ENDED
To keep things simple I'm giving away a book of your choice ($12 or less) shipped from The Book Depository.  This is open internationally as long as the book depository ships to you.  If they do not you may still enter and will be able to choose from a list of books I have in my giveaway box.  If you are in the US I will likely order your book from Barnes & Noble since I have free shipping through them and you'll get it sooner.
Must be 13 or older to enter.
Ends at midnight (EST) on Oct. 31st, 2011

To Enter:ENDED
Leave a comment with contact info.  (And not required, but you could tell me one book you're DYING for that may be the one you'd pick if you won.)
Following is not required, though appreciated.  To keep it easy and simple there are no extra entries.


YA Spooktacular: The Pond in the Forest




YA Spooktacular is hosted by Frenzy of Noise and Wicked Awesome Books.  It starts today, Oct 24th and runs through Oct 31st.  There are THREE different Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories.  You can go HERE to find the full list of the stories, the authors and the blogs hosting.  

You can also follow along with the #YASpooktacular hashtag on twitter.

My piece of the story starts at Pure Imagination and is The Pond in the Forest.  Make sure you start there!  You will find the rest of the story from there and each blog will lead you to the next ones.  
The authors of this story are:

Beth Revis
Lia Habel
Kate Kaynak
Shannon Delany
Ty Drago
Jen Nadol
Kim Welchons
Caroline Richmond
Christina Ferko
Zoraida Cordova
Nova Ren Suma




On October 25, you can enter the Story One Prize Pack by going to Tangled Up in Words
Here's what you can win in the Story One pack:
  •  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children book/poster
  • Quirk Books Tote Bag
  • Signed copy Swoon/Swear by Nina Malkin
  • finished copy of Fury by Elizabeth Miles
  • signed copy of Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
  • After Obsession (ARC) by Carrie Jones
  • Liesel & Po (ARC) by Lauren Oliver
  • Envy (ARC) by Gregg Olsen
  • Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
  • The Mark/The Vision by Jen Nadol
  • Undertakers: Rise of Corpses by Ty Drago
  • SWAG


Plus, there are MANY chances to win through other Tricks and Treats through the story. 
Bloggers for Story One: 
(in random order, except beginning and end)


I'm super lucky cause I have Lia Habel on for a portion that she wrote! I ADORED Dearly, Departed so I'm over the moon to have her piece of the story!

If you haven't yet, go HERE to see the first portion of the story.



THE POND IN THE FOREST
Lia Habel

Long before regaining consciousness, Laura’s mind made a home in the darkness. It encompassed everything – waseverything. When sensations finally started to intrude, they were nearly impossible to comprehend or fully grasp.  They seemed somehow unimportant.

“I told you to bring me a beautiful one!” someone yelled. A stranger. The voice sounded distant, muffled – as if its owner were standing behind a pane of glass.

“I did! Your…whatever they are…they dragged her through the pond! She’s dirty! I mean, she didn’t look like that on land!”

The air was thick. It felt wet when she breathed it in.Something cold and ephemeral seemed intent on caressing her, sliding under her skin. It took a small eternity for her to realize that it was water.

Another eternity later, with a crackle of fear, she realized that the second voice had been Brian’s.

Laura’s eyes fluttered open. It was dark. Once her brain assembled the idea of darkness as something that could befought, stopped being so strangely blithe about it, everything seemed to come into immediate, panicky focus. The descent into the water, the cold determination in Brian’s eyes – something was wrong. Very wrong.

She pushed herself up, her fingertips slipping over the floor. Aside from the water, the ground itself was slimy – as if she were lying on a bed of moss, or sitting in the middle of a puddle of mud. Laura tried to gain her feet, but failed, falling again with a splash. Her heartbeat sounded sharp, hard, like a fist rapping on a wooden table.

“You’d better be telling the truth, boy.” The first voice had a slightly lispy quality to it, although the anger it held, the harshness, the masculinity – it wasn’t laughable in the slightest.

“I am!” Brian said. Laura lurched to her feet and found that she was situated near a sheer stone wall. Reaching out to lay her hand on it, she listened. “Now give me Amanda! You said you’d give her back!”

“Perhaps I’ve decided to keep her, after all. I think you’ve brought me a rather poor substitute. Your mate is beautiful.Stupid as a clam and far too eager to scream, but beautiful.”

My…what?! No, she’s my girlfriend!”

“Boy, do you think that I am at all concerned with your pathetic human vocabulary?”

Amanda? Like Amanda Myer? That girl from Rita Falls that’d disappeared a few weeks ago? Laura forced herself to breathe, to look around, confusion making her desperate to find something concrete to pin her thoughts on. She appeared to be in a stone room of some sort – a cave, she supposed she should call it, but it was more than a hole in a wall. The dim, flickering light that pooled in the doorway some yards off wasn’t enough to illuminate the entire space, but by it she could make out otherworldly, cathedral-like carvings along the walls, recessed stairs in the moist floor, and an enormous unlit fireplace. Arranged upon its heavy stone mantle were stacks of water-stained books.

Slowly, Laura tiptoed toward the light.

“I did my part!” Brian argued, fear intruding into his voice. “I paid my debt!”

A shadow shot across the doorway. An arm, a hand – the limb muscular, the hand…webbed. Clawed. She heard flesh connect with flesh, Brian crying out.

“The death of my sister is not a debt to be paid,” the first person hissed. Pain mingled with his anger, his voice becoming richer, more powerful. “You speak as if you broke one of my belongings and seek to replace it. She was my sister! I should kill you where you stand!”

“I…I didn’t mean…”

“Take her.” A grinding sound took over, so loud that Laura had to cup her hands over her ears. Her hair was slick with mud. “Go.”

“Brian! Oh my God, Brian!” A girl. More screamingfollowed, a rush of footsteps, bitter curses.

And then, someone stood in the doorway.
If Laura tries to fight, go to Heise Reads (http://heisereads.blogspot.com/)
If Laura tries to hide, go to Paperbackdolls(www.paperbackdolls.com)

Author Bio:

Lia Habel 
                                             

Lia Habel was born in Jamestown, NY, and has lived there the majority of her life. Her first book, Dearly, Departed, is a sweeping tale of zombie-living romance set in a cyber-Victorian/steampunk future. WhenDearly, Departed sold, Lia was swimming in debt incurred from her studies and years of un- and underemployment, with only a few dollars to her name.Miss Habel enjoys attending anachronistic andsteampunk events, watching zombie movies (she has watched over a hundred of them), commissioning ball gowns, and collecting Victorian and Edwardian books. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunities she has recently been given.
You can find Lia on Twitter, on her blog, on goodreads and you can order her books here.


Saturday, October 22, 2011

In My Mailbox (82)


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



Review:
Bronte & Frank Go to Moscow by Megan Worthy (Website)
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Tempest by Julie Cross
Hold Me by Lucianne Rivers

Thanks to Marissa at JKS Communications, HarperTeen, Entangled Publishing, LibraryThing & St. Martins Press for all the books for review!

RAK (Random Act of Kindness):
Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber 
Thank you Alexa from Pages of Forbidden Love!

Won:
A & L Do Summer by Jan Blazanin
Thank you Mary at The Book Swarm!  As well as Jan and Egmont since they provided the book. 

Paperbackswap:
Blood Memories by Barb Hendee

Library:
Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl
The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (read and loved!)

Bought:
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan
Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor and Illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo

What was in your mailbox?

Friday, October 21, 2011

Saturday Situation- Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways! 10/22






 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 right side of my blog.  I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

"Welcome to Morganville Bash" may be coming to a city near you!


To celebrate the release of LAST BREATH, the 11th book in the New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampires series, Rachel Caine is throwing a
“Welcome to Morganville Bash” in a city near you!

Readers who purchase books at the store will be eligible to win free raffle bags filled with notebooks, pencils, vampire swag, books and other cool Penguin gear goodies!

There will also be free goodies for everyone who attends.

Come to the bookstore, meet RACHEL CAINE, have your books signed, and participate in a raffle drawing to receive cool prizes!


Wednesday, November 2nd
MURDER BY THE BOOK
2342 Bissonett Street
Houston, TX  77005
6:30 PM

Thursday, November 3rd
BARNES & NOBLE #2662
Oakview Mall
3333 Oakview Drive
Omaha, NE  68144
7 PM
*w/ Chloe Neill

Saturday, November 5th
VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL
Historic Fifth Street School
401 S. 4th St
Las Vegas, NV  89101
ALL DAY

Sunday, November 6th
BARNES & NOBLE #2614
Roseville
2100 North Snelling Ave
Roseville, MN  55113
2 PM
*w/ Chloe Neill and Andrea Cremer

Monday, November 7th
BARNES & NOBLE #2808
5275 Harvery Street
Muskegon, MI  49444
7 PM

Tuesday, November 8th
BARNES & NOBLE #2086
301 Main Street
Exton, PA  19341
6 PM

Wednesday, November 9th
BARNES & NOBLE #2908
3454 Erie Boulevard East
Dewitt, NY  13214
7 PM


Saturday, November 12th
BARNES & NOBLE #2344
861 NE Mall Blvd
Hurst, TX  76053
3 PM


None are coming this way *sad face* but hopefully some of YOU will have the opportunity to attend some of these events.  Feel free  to pick up a goody bag for me!  *wink, wink*
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