Review: Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne

Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne
Hardcover, 308 pgs.
Published April 12th, 2012 by Dutton Adult
Source: Publisher

A tough, tender, debut novel, in the tradition of Dorothy Allison and Janet Fitch, Hand Me Down is the unforgettable story of a girl who travels between California and Utah in search of her true family, having never been loved best of all.

Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Reid has spent her life protecting her sister, Jaime, from their parents' cruel mistakes. Their father, who'd rather work the system than a job, pours every dollar into his many vices, denying his daughters the shoes and clothing they need. Their mother, once a loving parent, is going through a post-post-adolescent rebellious streak and finds love with a dangerous ex-con. When she chooses starting a new family over raising her first-born girls, Elizabeth and Jaime are separated and forced to rely on the begrudging kindness of increasingly distant relatives.

A string of broken promises that begins with Liz's mother swearing, "I would never hurt you, Liz. You're family," propels her between guest beds in two states searching for a safe home. All the while, Liz is burdened by her stake in a bleak pact with a deceitful adult: to tell the truth about the darkest of her circumstances will cost her the ability to shelter Jaime. As Liz spirals into the abyss of fear and shame that haunts her sleepless nights, can she break free from her bonds in time to fight for her life?

Thorne writes with a command of language that is at once affecting and enticing. Her debut is the kind of voice-driven reading experience fiction lovers crave.

I didn't put a label on this review as young adult or adult because this is one of those books that I kind of feel shouldn't be labeled.  It's not an easy read (though not hard either...) and wouldn't be appropriate for many young adults.  But the characters are young adults and it's a story that I feel lots of YA would benefit from reading.  Just beware, there is adult content in language used (cursing, talk of sex and crude comments).  I think any child raised in foster care (for example) would maybe find a real connection with the book and understand Liz quite well.  While Liz never goes in foster care she is shipped around and never really feels wanted or loved.  

Okay, this book was pretty fantastic.  I thought it would be one I'd only read just a little at a time because it's somewhat heavy reading but the second day I picked it up I ended up reading the whole thing.  It sucked me in and I totally and completely ached for Liz and her horrible horrible situation.  I wanted to reach in  and strangle the idiot adults who kept hurting her!  I really just wanted to see a happy ending.  And I was satisfied with the turns the book took and really liked that Liz found her strength and ability to move forward.  I also felt the author threw in enough positive that it kept the book from feeling too depressing.  I even giggled a time or two. 

There's a bit of jumping around in the book as Liz has memories of things and this is how we learn her full story from before.  The stuff her mom went through with her drunken father and other experiences that led to the now.  And while I like this technique I did find myself a little lost once or twice because I wasn't for sure it was a memory or happening right then.  But most of the time it was obvious and so it's not really a big deal, but I guess it was a minor issue I had.

Overall this was a fabulous book that felt absolutely true and real.  The thing is, there are so many kids that go through things like this.  Not the same situation exactly, but I just think of all those foster kids.  They live totally unstable lives and I can imagine that they feel very unloved and unwanted.  I just want to scoop them all up and hold them close.  I can't do that, but I can try to be the best mom I can be to my own kids and I think this book made me realize that I am a good mom, but I want to be an even better mom.   


I very highly recommend this book to adults (especially mothers) as well as teens that can handle a heavy read with adult content.  Beware, it's not all easy to read but it certainly stirs up those strong emotions.


4/5 stars


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

 

Review: The Adventurers Troll Creek by Mackenzie Reide

The Adventurers Troll Creek by Mackenzie Reide
Paperback, 212 pgs.
Published July 14th, 2011
Source: For Review

The last thing Dana Redding wants to do is waste her summer vacation in the middle of nowhere. It's bad enough that her mom has found a new guy she plans to marry, but now Dana is forced to spend two week's visiting this guy's kids. While exploring the local countryside, Dana, Jack, and Amy stumble upon the entrance to an old abandoned mine, where they uncover dangerous town secrets. Racing against time, weather, and armed theives, the three kids must struggle together to get out of the mine alive. For more information visit, www.theadventurers.com

This ended up being an absolutely fantastic adventure mystery.  This is the kind of book I read when I was young but is hard to find these days.  Everything now is about paranormal and mythology and magic and all that.  This is just a good ol' adventure with an awesome mystery in it.  

The characters are great!  They felt realistic to me while still being very strong.  They managed to cope with things that would have been very scary to deal with and the author didn't hold back in putting them in tough situations.  

The story was fantastic and had me engaged from the beginning.  Sometimes middle grade books don't hold me as well just because they are aimed at younger readers but this one did.  It was a fast read that I cruised through in no time.  And the writing was fantastic!  I never saw a single flaw in the way the story was carried out or in the editing.  It was absolutely terrific!  

This is a book I very highly recommend for middle graders and up who are looking for a realistic adventure with an awesome mystery.   

5/5 stars!

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

Review: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

The Calling (Darkness Rising #2) by Kelley Armstrong
Young Adult/ Paranormal (shifters)
Hardcover, 336 pgs.
Published April 10th, 2012 by Harper
Source: Publisher

Please note this is second in a series, the description, as well as my review may have slight spoilers for the first book.

Maya and her friends--all of whom have supernatural powers--have been kidnapped after fleeing from a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set, and after a terrifying helicopter crash they find themselves pursued by evildoers in the Vancouver Island wilderness.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Gathering, and while I often feel a bit burnt out on the paranormal in young adult books, this is one series I truly do love.  I feel the characters aren't cliches, they are all unique and very strong, the setting is fabulous as it's in British Columbia, and the paranormal theme feels unique to me.  Kelley Armstrong is a fabulous writer with a fantastic imagination but I think this series is my favorite of all hers so far.

One big reason for my love is Maya.  She's a character I can really stand behind.  She's brave and tough and is able to completely stand on her own.  Yes, she appreciates help and people by her side, but she's able to survive on her own and do things that many girls wouldn't ever conceive of being able to do.  I also love the other characters, especially Daniel.  He's a true friend who's there for everything Maya needs him for.  And while Rafe was absent for a good portion of the book he's also a fabulous character who brings that bad boy attitude to the table.

This book was constant action.  The kids are running through a good part of it and while I loved the action I would maybe say that I wish the story would have moved on just a bit sooner.  But somehow the author kept me riveted while over half of the book is them running from the bad guys.  But what I really am dying to know is, who is bad and who is good?  Are all these other people bad or is someone out there good?  I guess we'll have to wait to get more answers.

This is a fabulous young adult series I highly recommend to young adults and adults alike.  This installment was pretty clean (one steamy scene but nothing happened other then a kiss).

4/5 stars!

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

Review: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

Glamour in Glass (Shades of Milk and Honey #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal
Reading Level Adult/ though it's clean and would be appropriate for a young audience 
Hardcover, 336 pgs.
Published April 10th, 2012 by Tor
Source: Publisher

Please note this is the second in a series and the description as well as the review may have slight spoilers for the first book.

Mary Robinette Kowal stunned readers with her charming first novel Shades of Milk and Honey, a loving tribute to the works of Jane Austen in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence. This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. Shades debuted to great acclaim and left readers eagerly awaiting its sequel. Glamour in Glass continues following the lives of beloved main characters Jane and Vincent, with a much deeper vein of drama and intrigue.In the tumultuous months after Napoleon abdicates his throne, Jane and Vincent go to Belgium for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, Jane and Vincent’s concerns turn from enjoying their honeymoon…to escaping it.Left with no outward salvation, Jane must persevere over her trying personal circumstances and use her glamour to rescue her husband from prison . . . and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country's war.

Shades of Milk and Honey was one that totally blew me away.  I have a hard time reading Jane Austen because of the length and the many descriptions and I feel that the author has brought us a new version (it's a new story and everything) that is nice and easy to read.  The comparisons to Jane Austen are that it's in her style,  she uses the words that Jane Austen used and tries to avoid using any words that weren't in existence at that time and the writing feels like Jane Austens as well as it's the same type of story that she wrote.  But it's much faster and easier to read. And Mary Robinette Kowal, the genius, has added magic to the picture!

Now don't get any ideas that this is full of constant action or anything, but I felt like it moved at a good pace.  Yes, sometimes things went a bit slower as Jane and Vincent learned new glamural techniques, etc, but I never felt bored at all.   And in fact I am surprised that I comprehend so much of the magical stuff.  You see magic is pulled from the ether and is made into things that everyone can see.  People can glamour their sofa to look newer, they can glamour a painting to look better, they can create a fish tank with fish that appear to be swimming around.  They can even use glamour to appear invisible.  It's quite a remarkable thing and the fact that I can imagine it and it seems like it could be real means that the author did a brilliant job in describing how it's done without boring me!  HUGE props to her for that! 

This book takes place in Belgium rather then in England (other then the very beginning) and I appreciated the change in scenery.  Also the manners over there are quite different from those in England and you really see how stuffy those British could be at that time.  Most of the book is about Jane and Vincent learning some new techniques and then Jane discovering her own MAJOR discovery!  It's not until the last quarter that the real  action happens.  Now the description tells you but for those who don't want to know I'm not going to say what this action is, but it definitely added to the story quite a lot and made me love Jane even more!

This is a clean read and while it reads for adults being as the characters are adults, it would work as a crossover for young adults who may enjoy the classics like Jane Austen or are interested in historical fiction books.  I very highly recommend you pick this series up and give it a try!

4/5 stars

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

Review: Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers

Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers
Young Adult
Hardcover, 245 pgs.
Expected Publication: April 24th, 2012 by Henry Holt & Co.
Source: NetGalley & Henry Holt & Co.

After years of boredom in her rural South Carolina town, Maria is thrilled when her father finally allows her to visit her estranged artist mother in New York City. She’s ready for adventure, and she soon finds herself immersed in a world of rock music and busy streets, where new people and ideas lie around every concrete corner. This is the freedom she’s always longed for—and she pushes for as much as she can get, skipping school to roam the streets, visit fancy museums, and flirt with the cute clerk at a downtown record store.

But just like her beloved New York City, Maria’s life has a darker side. Behind her mother’s carefree existence are shadowy secrets, and Maria must decide just where—and with whom—her loyalty lies.

This book was full of awesome that I totally loved!  It also had some things that I felt really needed to be developed more as well.  But when I finished the book I felt happy and I can honestly say that I really enjoyed it.

Maria moves to NYC to live with her mom and her moms boyfriend who is only six years older then Maria.  Maria's mother has always been absent and she hasn't seen her since she was very young.  She knows that her mom is a bit flighty and has some issues but she doesn't really understand them or know what they really are until she's living with her.  And it's not really until the last quarter or so that we really see what the issues really are (other then her being obsessed with music and not very present for her daughter).  

I liked the characters in the book.  I liked their personalities and all that but I never felt really wow'd by them.  I don't really have a lot to say about them actually.  Maria's mom was a bit neurotic so I can picture her the best because her personality came out the strongest.  Her moms boyfriend Travis is a good friend to Maria and I think he could have used a bit more character development and stood out just a bit more.  He was important to the story but didn't quite POP like he could have.  But I liked him and I just wanted more.  

Graham was the love interest but I never really felt anything toward him.  He really felt like a side character and not important.  And he wasn't real terrible important but Maria has feelings for him and I just never felt it.

Okay, so it seems like things have been kind of negative so far but I honestly did enjoy the book.  The thing I really liked the most was the time period and the setting.  Maria is the same age as me which makes the book take place in the 90's.  There was so much I connected with.  It was only briefly mentioned but Maria's grief over Kurt Cobains death (OMG!  That was HUGE for me!), and Maria was teased for wearing JNCO's (remember those?!  I wore them!).  And for those of you who don't know, they are huge saggy pants.  The kind where the pockets are at your ankles (practically anyway ;)  The music scene, the grunge scene, all that stuff- I so totally connected! The setting of NYC was absolutely fantastic!  I would have LOVED this book as a teen.  I wanted to move to NYC so freaking bad!  I was happy to just read about Maria's experiences in the city but I really was wishing for more conflict, more to move the plot along a bit.  In the last quarter it really did move along and suddenly the story itself was absolutely terrific.  But then it just ended.  I didn't feel like we really got the full conclusion to everything like I would have liked.  At the same time I kind of 'get' why the author ended it there though.  We can come up with our own conclusions I suppose.  I'm just a fan of everything getting wrapped up and that's a personal preference.


Overall I enjoyed the book.  I think that if things had been a bit more developed this would be a 5 star book for me.  I also have to mention that for those who didn't grow up in the 90's and experience those things probably won't enjoy the book that much.  There is TONS of music talk and if your not familiar with the scene it'll go right over your head.  So, if your ready for some 90's nostalgia, go read it!


3/5 stars


Disclosure:  I received an advance copy for review purposes.  The final version may be different from the copy I read.  This review is my own opinion and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

 This book qualifies for the YA Contemporary Challenge 2012.  Click the button to find out more.

Saturday Situation- Link Up Your Reviews & Give@ways!

 Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself.  It's a linky for you to link your book related 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.

ATTENTION:  

This will be the last Saturday Situation post on my blog.  But every Friday evening Lori at Pure Imagination will still post it on her blog.  

I'm taking a break from blogging to spend more time with my family.  At this time I have reviews already scheduled to auto-post until they run out.  After that you can find me on GoodReads where I'll post brief snippets of reviews like 'WOW, what an AMAZING book!' or 'Eh, could've been better, couldn't connect with the characters.'  and reviews like that.  

I'll miss you all immensely but hope I can still see you around occasionally when I visit your blogs, etc.  

Also thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog.  I cherish each and every one of you and you have all made the past 3 years a complete and total blast!  I've honestly loved every moment of blogging.

Okay, so on to the linky!

Review: Channeler's Choice by Heather McCorkle

Channeler's Choice (Channeler #2) by Heather McCorkle
Young Adult
Hardcover,
Published Feb. 27th, 2012 by Compass Press
Source:  Author *for review*

With her parents’ murderers dead, Eren can finally concentrate on fitting in at Spruce Knoll High, not to mention figuring out what it means to be a channeler. If only it were that easy. It turns out she isn’t normal even among channelers - she may be a legendary warrior meant to protect the earth in a last great battle.

But Mayan prophecies are the least of her worries as she involuntarily starts to gather her own Society, another girl moves in on Aiden, her powers rage out of control, and worst of all, someone is stalking her. To top it all off, Eren discovers she doesn’t have to be a channeler after all - she has a choice.

As an old threat closes in and she risks ending up like her parents, she is forced to decide. Be a normal teenager and leave the legendary warrior stuff to someone else, or embrace a dark destiny?

 
I really enjoyed the first book in the series and was really looking forward to reading this second one.  But this is going to be one of those difficult reviews to write.  It's not that I felt negative about the book but because I felt right down the middle about it.

I like Eren and I like Aiden.  I like that they have such strength and that they truly love each other.  I also like that for the most part their relationship is issue free.  Though there was a spot toward the end where I truly felt Eren way overreacted to something, other then that their relationship was very smooth.  I did grow a bit tired of Eren talking about how hot he was and the kissing and heated moments became too frequent for my taste.  

The setting of Spruce Knoll is nice.  I've decided I like how it all works.  This town full of Channeler's is quite interesting.  I also like that there are issues of prejudice because the Irish think they should all marry Irish and Mayan should marry Mayan, etc.  Eren and Aiden are doing a good job at showing people that mixing races isn't so bad.  

The channeler powers are great but I started to feel like it was too much to take in.  It felt like they just kept revealing more and more and conveniently Eren and Aiden seem to have them all and more.  I know that they are suppose to be unique and super strong and there's an explanation for all of it, it just feels a bit too much I guess.

This was a slower paced book.  I felt like it was focused on Eren and Aiden and them developing their powers more as well as Eren learning fighting.  The real action is mostly just brief snatches here and there and mostly in the background until the very end.  And I think that it could have used just a bit more action.

Now it seems like I've pointed out a lot of negative things but I actually did really enjoy the book.  Heather McCorkle is a great writer with a fantastic imagination.  She's created a world and characters that I enjoy reading about.  So while it's not perfect for me, it certainly wasn't a waste of my time and I most certainly plan to continue the series and see where things go.  

3/5 stars

Disclosure:  The author provided me with a copy for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.  

Review & Give@way ENDED (INT) of the fantastic Cornerstone by @MistyProvencher

Cornerstone by Misty Provencher
Young Adult
ebook or Paperback, 228 pgs.
Published Nov. 2011 by Misty Provencher

Nalena Maxwell has been branded ‘The Waste’ at her new school, due to her mom's obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it's the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena's life and it is the boy...the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she'll ever say...that already knows her powerful secrets. But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.

My goal has been to try to read more self published books this year but it's not always easy because I've tried to read quite a few that were horrible (mostly terrible editing) and I've read a lot that were good, but not quite amazing.  I haven't read that many that totally blew my mind and this one did that.  Totally and completely.  Cornerstone had me riveted from page one as we are introduced to Nalena and her mother and her mothers paper hoarding.  I immediately found this fascinating and I felt this was a clue to the future of the book.  Especially when I learned that what her mother writes all over these papers is peoples names and something about them.  To Nalena these are characters that her mother has come up with for stories that she never writes.  And her mother keeps these stacks of papers everywhere, even in the oven (unplugged of course).  And she does this writing compulsively all day long.  She doesn't work, she doesn't do anything but write.  While this could be a compulsive disorder I immediately knew there was more to it.

The story sucked me and held me the entire way through but don't expect to get answers right away.  I suppose I grew frustrated because I needed to know more so badly but it wasn't really a bad thing either.  I enjoyed the journey of getting to know Nalena and her mother as well as Garrett and his large and very quirky family.  Clues are everywhere as you continue through the story and piecing them together was slow going but yet a fantastic ride.  And the answers when they came were fantastic because this was a very unique take on something paranormal-like without really feeling paranormal.  I don't know what else to call it though... But there's not a vampire, zombie or a werewolf in sight.

I thought that the romance might be insta-love but it wasn't!  It was instant attraction but Nalena has a bit of a low self esteem and really doesn't believe that Garrett could ever like her.  Garrett is different from other boys though and doesn't care one wit about what people think of him.  He takes Nalena under his wing and while it appears that they are 'together' to the general population of the school, they aren't quite... not really.  I loved all interaction with these two because the vibe between them is strong and Garrett just has this personality that you can't help but be drawn to.   He's so hard to explain but he was so easy to 'get' as I was reading.  He's not a bad boy, but he's not a 'goodie two shoes' either.   One thing I can say is that he's so dreamy... He actually kind of reminds me a bit of Cricket in Lola and the Boy Next Door.  Just personality wise as he didn't dress like him.

Oh, and I have to mention, editing in this one was perfect!  If there were mistakes of any sort I didn't happen to notice them (which doesn't mean they weren't there, but they must have not been very obvious).  This is also a clean read.  There's kissing but that's about it.  I don't recall any cursing.

I highly recommend this to YA readers as well as adult readers who are eager for something a bit different.  Something paranormal-like but yet not really paranormal. 

I must also note that I see this book has all high ratings.  Right now I'm not seeing one review with less then 4 stars.  As a reviewer I prefer to see a variety of ratings as it concerns me that maybe all the reviewers are family or friends of the author.  I honestly have to give this one 5 stars because I loved it so much.  Yes, it's not a completely perfect book, but because it captured me so completely and had me entranced the entire time I just can't give it less.  But I purchased this book and had no prior contact with the author.  It wasn't until I read it that I start corresponding with her just because I loved it so much and wanted to tell her so.  My review is in no way biased, this is my complete honest opinion of the book and my guess is that the high ratings are because of the awesome'ness of the book.  So you better get on reading it cause you're missing out!

5/5 stars!

The Giveaway:ENDED

Misty is generously giving away 2 ebooks and a paperback copy of Cornerstone to two lucky people!

Open internationally!

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends 3/29/2012

To Enter: ENDED

Leave a comment about the review and include the following info:

Which format you'd like (if you can accept ebooks that would be great to leave the paperback for those who can't read an ebook but I'm not going to check or anything)

Leave a way to contact you (email or twitter)

Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter
Young Adult/ Mythology
Paperback, 304 pgs.
Published March 27th, 2012 by HarlequinTeen
Source: Borrowed

Kate Winters has won immortality.

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

When it comes to mythology retellings you can find many in the young adult genre, but what I want is something that feels different and so far I've discovered that most every author comes up with a unique and compelling world but Aimee Carter's is definitely one of my favorites.   While there were a few minor issues I had with the first book I think they were mostly resolved for me in this one.  More of that in a minute though.  I love the way she's created this world and the characters in it.


Kate is a strong character and determined to be the best she can be.  While she may seem a bit headstrong and determined, she is only a teenager and has been thrust into some very strange circumstances and she does such an amazing job.  She has a hard time because of Henry's difficulty loving, or rather, letting anyone in.  He's had his heart broke and Kate just wants to know that he does care for her and that she isn't staying with him when he doesn't want her.  Kate is pretty vocal about her feelings and Henry just doesn't seem to get it.  While this was frustrating at times it was kind of frustrating in a good way.  Because we know that Henry has given up his heart in the past and had it completely broken, but in this book we find out even a bit more about why he guards his heart.  And I love that Kate and Henry have to fight for this relationship because they obviously are going to have things to overcome.  They think so drastically differently since Henry has been alive for thousands of years and Kate has only been around for 19 years.  There's no way their relationship would be at all realistic if they didn't have some difficulties to work through.  While in the first book I had a hard time feeling the romance between the two in this one it was kind of a start-over (or maybe it's just me and I just felt it more) and the way that things build and change and finally come to a head made me start to really feel the vibe.  Plus in the first one I kept picturing Henry as old and in this one I guess I let go of that image of him.


Now this book is not at all only about their relationship.  Actually the tension and difficulties between Henry and Kate are put on the back burner time and time again as they have to battle Cronus and Calliope.  Kate gets to meet, and get to know, her sister Persephone and find out more about her new 'family'.  And they all have to figure out how to beat Cronus and Calliope and figure out how to keep the world from ending.   It was pretty non-stop action as it seemed one thing after another kept happening. 

This was very fast paced and it was easy for me to fly through it.  I loved how things have changed so much from the first book and it's not at all the same story.  The setting has even changed as they are now in the Underworld.   One warning though: CLIFFHANGER!  I detest cliffhangers this severe, but I guess it just has me dying for the next one even more!

I recommend this book for those enjoy young adult mythological books.  I recommend it for more mature young adults and adults.  There is some mature content such as sex which is off page but it's clear that it happens.  It was light to no cursing.  


4/5 stars

Interview with Benedict Jacka and Give@way ENDED of FATED!

Today I'm lucky enough to have the author Benedict Jacka on the blog.  He is the author of Fated which I loved and reviewed HERE.  He was nice enough to answer some questions and the publisher is offering up one copy of Fated to one lucky person!

Thanks so much for being on my blog Benedict! Fated was such a pleasure to read and I am very eager for more of Alex!
The world you've created in the books is fascinating and I'm curious, where did you draw on your inspiration for it? (Authors often hate this question but I can't seem to stop asking it. I've gotten such great answers in the past!)

No problem - glad to be on here!

I can see why they'd hate the question - it's a hard one! For the Alex Verus series, about half of it comes from all the books, films, series, and games I've ever watched or read. The other half comes from the setting - my childhood growing up in London and the sense of the city. It's hard to put into words, but there's something about London which makes me think of stories and magic.


When it comes to Alex, do you see yourself in him at all or is he totally different from yourself?
Hmm . . . tricky one. We're probably more similar than different. I used a lot of my personality traits as a starting point for Alex's character, but they've developed in a different way since they're all filtered through his (much more violent) history. We do have the same sort of approach to solving problems, though.


What was the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome when writing?
*laughs* Getting rejected over and over again! Writing's not a job for the easily discouraged. I'm not even going to go into how many books I had rejected before Fated was published, but let's just say it was a lot!

The road to publication is definitely a long a difficult one!


Do you have a favorite character to write?
Probably Alex himself. His personality's a natural fit to mine and so it's very easy for me to figure out what he'd do in any situation. Also, I love coming up with ways for him to use his divination magic to get out of whatever overly-lethal trouble he's in this time.

Oh yes, I think I would have fun figuring that out as well! 


Or a character that's particularly difficult to write?
Deleo's scenes were very hard. This is because she's insane. Since I'm not insane (as far as I know) it's tricky to put myself in her shoes. Luckily she snaps back and forth between psychotic episodes and periods of lucidity so at least she has some spaces where she's not full-on-crazy.

And I loved how she was done!  The insane pieces along with the parts where she's lucid were done very well and added a nice element to the story.  I'm sure it was difficult though!

In Fated do you have a favorite scene and if so can you give my readers a bit of a tease?
Ooh, hard to choose. Maybe Alex's final confrontation with Khazad. It's probably the darkest and the most vicious scene in the book, but it shows Alex's character really well - both his vulnerability (Khazad plays with him in a very cruel cat-and-mouse fashion) and also his dangerous side (Richard picked Alex as an apprentice for a reason).

Oh yes, that was one intense and crazy scene!  I loved it!

We're lucky enough that you have three books from the Alex Verus series coming out this year. I love that it is being done more often because quite often a year between books results in me losing interest. If it's only a few months then I'm still excited and eager for more of the world and characters. How did you get lucky enough for that happen? Did you have three books already finished when they sold, or how did it all come about?
It was actually a publishing decision by Orbit, for the reason you just described - it's a lot easier to build up momentum for a series if it's getting released at three-month intervals. I wrote the first draft of Fated all the way back in 2008. In 2009 I started to get interest from Orbit, in 2010 I rewrote it, and in the same year I was offered the contract for all three books and got to work on Cursed and Taken. Fated's been sitting waiting for publication for a long time!

Yay!  I'm so glad they are doing that more!  I love having three books that I can read closer together, I hope they do it more often!

And the three books come out this year but will there be more of Alex Verus in the future?
If I have any say in it, definitely! I'm plotting out Alex Verus #4 at the moment.

Oh good!  I'm sure that three won't be enough for me. ;)

Can you tell us anything about what will happen in Cursed, the next Alex Verus book, or is it still a secret?
A lot of Cursed is about the relationship between Alex and Luna - although probably not in the way most readers are going to be expecting! There's a lot more about magical creatures and their place in the world (especially Arachne) and we get to see an item that's referenced to in Fated, along with exactly what it can do.

I'm definitely anxious to see more Luna and more magical creatures?  YAY!

Okay, so if you lived in Alex's world what would you like to be, or what ability would you like to have? I have to say that Alex's seer ability was far more useful then I would have ever imagined... it helps that he's a fast thinker too though, not everyone would be able to all that he can do, that's for sure!
Hehe, everyone has a different answer to that one. Probably air magic, just for being able to fly. Although Alex's abilities might just be more useful in the long run!

Yes, being able to fly would be great!  I would be traveling the world... But you're right that Alex's abilities sure would be useful!

I see that you've traveled a bit but you always end up back in London. Of the other places you've lived, or even just visited, which was your favorite and why?
Probably China. I spent half a year there in a small city in Anhui province. It was the first time I'd spent a really long time in a completely different culture and it was quite an experience - especially since there were 200,000 people in the city of whom about 5 were from outside the country! Luckily I speak a little Mandarin but it was still very very different from what I was used to.

I have a friend living in China right now and my aunt lived there for a few years as well.  It's so beautiful, I know that!

I'm an eclectic reader, but I love unique worlds with characters that POP, what book (or series) do you recommend?
One that I read when I was much younger that's always stuck with me is The Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane. It's an urban fantasy written back when hardly anyone knew what 'urban fantasy' meant, with a set of wizards trying to save New York from a multi-universe threat involving an invasion by dinosaurs. Oh, and the main characters are all cats. If you're an animal lover and a fantasy lover, you'll like it!

Oh I looked it up and it sounds very different!  I'm definitely going to have to read it!

Thanks so much for being on Benedict! I'm looking forward to reading much more from you. And one day I'll travel to London and I'm hoping that you'll 'just happen' to be having a book signing right at that particular time so I can get my books signed. Or you could always have a US tour too. ;)
Heh, I'd love to have a US tour - maybe it'll happen some day! If you ever do come to London look me up so I can plan a signing in advance. And thank you for the very nice review and for doing this interview. I'll keep on writing the Alex Verus series - hope you'll keep on reading them!

I will most definitely let you know if I can make it to London, it's been a dream for a very long time!  And I can't wait for more Alex! 


In the meantime, I have a blog (http://benedictjacka.co.uk/) that I update regularly with a series called the Encyclopaedia Arcana that describes the background to Alex's world, as well as news and reviews and updates - the most recent is an email exchange between me and Jim Butcher. If you'd like to find out what's going on with future books, take a look!

About Fated: 

Alex Verus is part of a world hidden in plain sight, running a magic shop in London. And while Alex's own powers aren't as showy as some mages, he does have the advantage of foreseeing the possible future—allowing him to pull off operations that have a million-to-one-chance of success.

But when Alex is approached by multiple factions to crack open a relic from a long-ago mage war, he knows that whatever's inside must be beyond powerful. And thanks to his abilities, Alex can predict that by taking the job, his odds of survival are about to go from slim to none...

The Giveaway:ENDED

The awesome folks at Penguin/Ace are offering up one copy of FATED to one lucky person!

Open to US only (sorry international folks!)

Must be 16 or older to enter

Ends 3/28/12

To Enter:ENDED

Leave a comment and remember to include contact info! 

Spring Cleaning Give@way! ENDED

Here it is!  Time for the Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer.  I don't do a lot of hops but I signed up for this one because I have quite a few books piling up that I don't feel I absolutely have to keep and would love to pass on to others.

The point of this hop is to pass on books we already own.  So they can be ones you read, ones you couldn't finish, ARC's you don't care about keeping, etc.

What I'm Giving Away:ENDED
Package One:
ARC of Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
ARC of Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman
ARC of family by Micol Ostow
ARC of Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
ARC of The Wikkeling by Steven Arnston
ARC of Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

This package is open to US only.
Must be 13 or older to enter.
Ends 3/25

Package Two:
The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy
Vestal Virgin by Suzanne Tyrpak
ARC of One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost

This package is open to US only.
Must be 17 or older to enter.
Ends 3/25

To Enter: ENDED
Fill out the form below.

Review: The Marked (Talents #2) by Inara Scott

The Marked (Talents AKA Delcroix Academy #2) by Inara Scott
Hardcover, 320 pgs.
Expected Publication April 3rd, 2012 by Hyperion
Source: Review

In her second semester at a boarding school for teenagers with special powers, Dancia Lewis faces danger from both inside and outside of Delcroix Academy.

I've had this book quite some time as the publication got pushed back by several months.  Unfortunately the first book had faded quite a lot from my memory but as I read things came back to me quickly and I was happy to hear about Dancia's journey once again.

Because the description is so short I'll give a short run-down of it.  This is about Dancia and she has an earth power.  She can move the earth and things in it and can even make herself and/or others float, or fly.  She attends a boarding school with others that have talents as well though they have different talents then her, the earth talent is rare.  In this one Dancia sees that there's a group outside of the school that also has talents and they are targeting the school because they are angry about something.  Some are former students.  Dancia wants to know who they are and why they are angry.  Her friend Jack is with that group and tries to convince her that the school isn't good and that she's on the wrong side.  Dancia doesn't know who to believe.  

 I like Dancia and I love that she's smart enough to question people and not just believe everything that's told to her.  She feels something is wrong and she sticks to her guns in her cautiousness.   She's got a lot on her plate because now she's training and learning more about her talent.  She's also an awesome friend and a good girlfriend to Cam now that he's not her watcher anymore.

Cam is not my most favorite character ever.  I didn't love that he was really goody-goody about being Mr. Judan's right hand man and lackey.  But he was a good boyfriend and he can seriously kick some butt when needed.  He's sweet to Dancia and I feel his feelings toward her are genuine.  But there was just something I wasn't loving about him.  However, there's a big thing that happens at the very end and I think my feelings about Cam could change.  It's possible I could really love him in the next book.  Also, I didn't not like him, I just didn't love him.

The supporting characters were great.  All the friends and her grandma were all excellent.  And I really have this feeling there's more to grandma and I hope that in the next book more will happen that has her involved because she wasn't very present in this one.   


I missed Jack in this book.  He was there but not really.  He was very much in the background while still being very important to the plot.  I was sad with how things went as far as he goes but I'm really hoping we haven't actually seen the end of him.  I'm not really sure if he's out of the picture for sure or not. 

I didn't love the romance but I didn't hate it either.  I think that it left it in a place where I could get a good feel for it though and potentially end up loving them as a couple.   


The book takes place near Seattle so it's in the Pacific NW which is good for me because I am too!  I like being able to picture the scenery around them.  The school is pretty cool for a setting and even though boarding schools are really popular in YA right now I'm still okay with them.  I sometimes feel it's just a convenient way to keep the parents out of the picture but in this book I didn't feel that way at all.  The school worked for me and the field trips they went on to 'train' added to it all a bit.


The book felt a tad slow at first but it picked up and I liked that there were constant pockets of action.  Yeah, it wasn't constant action, but it was enough to keep the plot moving.  There were smaller issues thrown in with the bigger ones.  Dancia just doesn't know what to think as she's being told that Delcroix Academy isn't all good and that she's being fed lies but at the same time she sees that this other group of talents that doesn't attend the school are definitely not all good because she sees the things they've done.  She doesn't know who is telling the truth or is there maybe another explanation?  Dancia is determined to figure it out and has to keep a lot to herself as she doesn't want to get those at Delcroix Academy on her case.  The final climax of the book was quite excellent.  I really liked it and liked that it opened things up to more in the next book.  She has some true and very good friends by her side and hopefully they can all figure out what's going on.


So I really liked the book!  It's clean (just kissing, no cursing) and it's one I recommend to those who enjoy YA with super power elements.  


3.5/5 stars!


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

In My Mailbox (99)

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

I didn't get any books in the mail this week!  It was really weird, but not a bad thing really.  I got all these at Value Village (which is like a goodwill, all used stuff) and bought Envy new.  

Envy (A Novel of the Fallen Angels #3) by J.R. Ward

Holidays are Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie M. Liu and Vicki Pettersson

Stray (Shifters #1) by Rachel Vincent

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Thailand  travel book so I can dream of one day traveling there. 

Saturday Situation- Link Up Your Reviews & Giveaways!

 Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself.  It's a linky for you to link your book related 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.

Review: Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley

Eye of the Sword (The Angeleon Circle #2) by Karyn Henley
Young Adult Fantasy (clean read)
Paperback, 233 pgs.
Published March 13th, 2012 by Doubleday 
Source: Amazon Vine for Review

Where angels walk the ground and the future is told in song, does a man of low rank have a chance at love with a princess?

In Camrithia, a land of shadows and mystical secrets, Trevin lives to serve King Laetham. But his heart belongs to the princess, Melaia. When the King sends Trevin on on a dangerous quest to find the missing comains—captains in the king’s army—he must leave Melaia to the advances of a swaggering Dregmoorian prince.

Challenged to prove his worth, Trevin throws himself into his quest. Striving to prove his love, Trevin undertakes a second mission—find the harps Melaia seeks in order to restore the stairway to heaven. Through fire caves, rogue winds, and murderous threats, Trevin remains steadfastly dedicated to his quest—even when he is falsely accused of a heinous crime. As Trevin’s time runs out, he realizes he must face the shame and horror of his own past and the nightmare that has come to life. Will he have the courage to finish what he has started?

Okay, so I'm a bit of an idiot.  When I accepted this one I thought it was the first in a series or a standalone.  I was depending on an app on my phone and it was wrong, it's the second in a series.  Because of the fact it was a Christian publisher I was a bit on the fence.  I like *some* Christian fiction but only when the Christian aspect isn't obvious.  I don't want to have religion shoved in my face or be preached at.  (Sorry, that's just my opinion on the matter, lots of books considered Christian fiction are great.)  But for that reason I decided I'd just try the second book in the series and not bother buying the first and possibly wasting my money on something I didn't like.  But the book did sound good so I was hoping it might be one I'd like.  And I'm so glad I gave it a try!  This book was awesome!


Now since I didn't read the first one you'd think there would be some confusion but it wasn't really that bad.  The author didn't really reiterate what happened previously, but we see bits and pieces from Trevin's memory.  The biggest confusion was understanding the angels and the history of who and what they are.  But I guess I gathered enough information as I read it was never a big issue for me.  However, I wish I'd read the first one just because I loved this one so much!  


Books about angels are popular these days but most are urban fantasy's.  Books that take place in the here and now.  And this was a high fantasy.  It was a made up place with a whole unique angel perspective.  The world was creatively done and I totally loved the medieval feel to everything.  

Trevin was a fabulous MC.  I love male characters and it became clear straight away that Trevin had been through a lot in his life already and he had more to go through.  He discovers all sorts of things about himself and finds strength to become even more then he was originally.  He strives to be good, to do the right thing, to travel the right path and his love for Melaia is just one thing he fights for.  He has surprise after surprise and some things go right and some things go horribly wrong, but he sticks to his path and survives to reach his goals.  At least some of them... (the series isn't over yet!)

This is a fast paced fantasy.  While we get enough vivid descriptions to picture the world clearly we never get lengthy explanations that send us on a snooze fest.  I felt like the author did perfect in the pacing as there were no long journeys where we grow bored or anything.  It felt like we got the meat of the story and it came to us perfectly.   And the author had several passages that I thought were absolutely beautiful.  Her writing is truly stunning.


Now the Christian aspect- you know what?  There's nothing that tags this as Christian fiction to me.  There are subtle things and messages woven in like that we can make mistakes and be forgiven and that we should forgive others for their mistakes and I think it doesn't matter if your religious or not, that's a great message for everybody, even if your atheist.  This was also clean (no sex, no cursing).  I may not be seeing all the 'messages' or whatever that are maybe suppose to be there, but I think that's probably a good thing, it means it was woven in carefully.  Either way, this was a great read and I don't want the fact that it's a Christian author and publisher to put off you reading it.


I'll most definitely be continuing the series and will most likely work at getting my hands on the first book so I can find out the entire story in the beginning.  

I recommend this one to young adult and adult readers alike who enjoy high fantasy, reading about angels and historical type books.  While the characters are in their late teens it's a clean read and I would recommend it for middle grade up.


I give it 4/5 stars.


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

Review of the amazing Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers
Young Adult Historical fantasy 
Hardcover, 564 pgs.
Expected publication: April 3rd, 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Source: Gift (ARC)

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I wanted to read this book ever since I read the description.  It absolutely sounded amazing!  So I went in with high expectations (usually not such a good thing) but this book met those expectations!  It was such an amazing book for me!

The book starts out steady and keeps that steady pace through the entire thing.  I was concerned that the first half would be Ismae being brought to the convent and her training, but the author cut the three years of her training out and provided us with just the important information.  Which meant that we got to the meat of the story almost straight away.  I thought it was done perfectly!

I really liked Ismae and the strength she showed.  She could kill without overmuch thought and trusted she was doing the right thing.  While later in the book issues arise that make her second think the way things are done, she's always firm in her beliefs and finds her way with an amazing strength.  

I wasn't sure if there would be romance in this book so I was surprised at how amazing it was!  It was easy to see where things would go as they argued and fought about things, the spark between them was clear from the start.  But they had to go through a lot and Ismae had to find herself truly trusting him before it went anywhere.  So there's no instant romance here.  It was drawn out and played out exactly how I like!  And while Ismae fought the attraction I never felt truly frustrated with her like I sometimes do when characters fight the spark.

I loved the way the story played out.  I never felt confused even though there were quite a few nobles to keep track of.   The court intrigue was fun and kept me riveted.  The entire book was easy for me to keep reading, I truly didn't want to put it down!  And the way the historical aspects blended with the fantasy elements was perfect!  I wasn't real aware of how and what the fantasy would be like but it's subtle though important at the same time.  Ismae is Death's daughter and I just figured that she wasn't really, that she just was called that cause she should have died in her mothers womb.  But she is.  And she's called to deliver Deaths vengeance on those that are traitors to the crown.  And she knows who these traitors are because they bear Mortrain's mark which is like a smear on their body where they are to be delivered the death blow (or poison, etc).  There's also a seer that sees how it is and will be, etc.  It may sound a little weird, I don't explain it well, but it works great and it feels real, it was believable to me with how it all blended together. 

It's been a few days since I finished the book and I'm not very good at voicing my thoughts when I wait more then a day.  Especially since I've read three books since then.  But I loved this book and it's definitely a series I'll have on my to-keep shelf.  I very highly recommend it!  I do have to point out that there are some more mature themes and I recommend it for a more mature audience.  


5/5 stars!

Children's Book Review: I'm Not Tired Yet by Marianne Richmond

I'm Not Tired Yet by Marianne Richmond
Childrens Book
Hardcover, 32 pgs.
Published March 1st, 2012 by Sourcebooks
Source: Publisher 

For every parent whose child won't settle into bed without a dozen excuses, here is an adorable bedtime story from a beloved, award-winning author. With Richmond's signature heartfelt illustrations and whimsical text, "I'm Not Tired Yet!" helps every parent ease their child off to dreamland. Full color.

This book is absolutely adorable!  My kids, 3 and 7, are often difficult to get to sleep.  I thought this would be a fun read for us.  And it was!  

The pages are full color illustrations that are very cute.  The words rhyme and make it a fun book for adults to read which is very important to me.  I gotta say, I hate all those books based on TV shows, they are NOT fun to read, this is one I pick up often because I could read it several times a week and not be tired of it.  

The book is about a little boy (6 years old) who claims he's not tired yet.  He goes through the whole thing of saying he sees a bug, then claiming there's a monster, and on and on and his mother always comes back with some adorable thing like:

"Could it be that what you need is a fishy goldfish kiss?"

and

"Could it be what you need is one big gorilla hug?"

as well as

"Could it be that what you need is a cozy polar bear cuddle?"

and so on and so forth.  
After each one there's a two page illustrated spread of each thing, the two goldfish, the gorillas hugging, the polar bears hugging and a few others.  I thought it was cleverly done and have to admire the mother for her patience.  One concern I had was "is this a good example for my kids?"  Because I don't want them to think they can just go on and on with excuses for not going to sleep.  But while they think the book is loads of fun, they didn't pick up on the prolonging bedtime routine.  Oh, to be sure my kids have their own techniques but this book didn't really change anything.  

Overall this is a great book and we've had a lot of fun with it.  I read it to them quite often before bed and while it's a bit of a silly and fun book it doesn't get the kids all riled up and rowdy.  

I give it 4.5/5 stars!

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

Come Join Us for a Masquerade Read-Along! Sign-Ups are open!

I'm co-hosting a read-along for Masquerade by Cambria Hebert for the month of April. This is going to be a total blast and I hope that you'll all sign up! There's going to be prizes (see more below) and we're going to have loads of fun discussing this awesome book! It's only $2.99 for the ebook and Cambria will give an ebook away to each tenth person who signs up!


About the book:

Before. Everything was so much better Before. I wasn’t haunted by nightmares, my place at school was secure and my face was flawless. Now, I’m a freak and everything has changed. The worst part is that I can’t remember the night I was sentenced to the shadows. The memory has been stolen from me and I just can’t shake the feeling that someone, something is out there -watching.

Just when I think I have my life handled, Sam, with his intimidating golden stare and shiver inducing voice, makes me realize that I don’t know anything. He makes me see that my scars don’t matter. That they never mattered. I can’t help but fall for him, completely unknowing that he knows exactly how I got this way. Not knowing he was involved.

***

Heven has no idea how closely death stalks her. She has no idea what I have done to keep her alive. I fear the day she learns my secrets, finds out what I really am. But even then I cannot stop, I vow to make things right. Finally her hunter will be hunted, Heaven and Hell, faith and sin will battle, and we will be victorious. But first, Heven must learn to be what she never imagined. I know her strength is there – I feel it. If we are to overcome all odds, she must push past her flaws - her frailties - to become much more.

Masquerade Read Along ; April 1-April 28

Read Along Schedule

April 5th – Chapters 1-8 – hosted by Stephanie at Five Alarm book Reviews
April 12th – Chapters 8-16 – hosted by Candace at Candace’s Book Blog (That's here!)
April 19th- Chapters 16-24 –hosted by Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings
April 26th Chapters 24-31 – hosted by Veronica at Mostly Reviews
May 3rd – Announcement of Giveaway Winners – hosted by the author – http://www.cambriahebert.com

Discussion Questions

April 5th – Stephanie at Five Alarm Book Reviews
Chapters 1-8
5 discussion questions:

1. If you were disfigured like Heven (by some sort of accident) do you think you would have reacted the same way as her? (loss of self confidence, hiding yourself, etc)


2. Do you think that Kimber’s plan for revenge against Cole (for kissing another girl) is a good idea?


3. In the beginning chapters, Heven is very drawn to Sam but won’t admit it due to her own insecurities. Kimber begins to “date” Sam… do you think that Heven should have spoken up? Do think Kimber should have seen Heven’s real feelings?


4. Masquerade is broken in four separate POV’s: Heven, Sam, The Hate and The Hope. Do you think having multiple POV’s adds depth to the story? Why or why not?


5. A great source of strength for Heven is her grandmother. Who do you think yours is/would be?


Prize pack giveaways that can be found at the end at http://www.cambriahebert.com


Prize Packs:

The giveaway will be open to all who participate in the read along each week. There will be a Grand Prize and a Runner up prize pack.

Grand Prize:
A signed paperback copy of Masquerade
A PDF ARC of Charade (Heven and Hell #2)
An Ecopy of Between (A Heven and Hell novella due out in April)
Two signed Bookmarks
A Bubble Tea pack to include everything you need to make and enjoy your own bubble tea. (tea mix, colored tapioca pearls, fat straws and a drinking cup)
Necklace with Masquerade mini book charm made by Southwest Sky Jewelry

Runner Up:
A signed Bookmark
A sticker of the Masquerade cover
A copy of Between (A Heven and Hell Novella)
A $10 Amazon gift card

Links to buy Masquerade:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Be sure to grab one of the buttons (the one at the top or this one)!


Enter your blog info into the linky to sign up! This is the same linky on all the blogs that are hosting so don't sign up more then once!

Interview (& Give@way *ended*) Christina Henry for Black Howl Tour!

Today I am so lucky because I have Christina Henry on the blog!  She's the author the Madeline Black series. I absolutely love this series and you can find my review of Black Wings HERE, and Black Night and Black Howl is a double review you can find HERE. 

Thanks so much for being on my blog as part of your tour Christina! I'm really enjoying the series and completely adore Madeline and her bold personality.

Thank you so much for having me here today!


Paranormal and urban fantasy are huge right now and running across similar concepts isn't so far fetched. As a matter of fact I recently read several different takes on the grim reaper in different books. Fortunately so far everyone's take is so incredibly different it's like reading about totally different things anyway. I love that yours is an agent of death and it's more like a job with paperwork and all that. When you wrote the book were you concerned about it being unique enough, that it would stand out on it's own? Or did you feel you were just writing the story you needed to tell?
I did want to create something a little bit different, but most of all I was concerned with writing the book that I wanted to write. You can never predict what trends will become big in this field and as a writer you can't worry about those things.

When I was writing BLACK WINGS there were very few stories featuring angels on the market, but the year BLACK WINGS was published there was an angel explosion! Basically, you just never know what else is in the pipe for publishers so you have to focus on writing the best story you can and hope that it finds its audience.

I also think that every writer brings something different to the table even if the basic subject matter is the same. There are tons of vampire stories out there right now, but every author has their own unique take on vampires and that makes each book worth reading.

I completely agree!  Each author makes their own story unique and because your book takes forever to come out you can never really predict what sorts of books will be flooding the market.  But as long as you're writing the story you need to write I think it's all good!

Do you feel like you have Maddy's story pretty well planned out before you start writing or does the story take over once you start?

I write chronologically, and while I have a vague idea of what's going to happen I usually just let the story unfold as I go. Sometimes I'll write a scene that will materially change what I had planned for the book, and I am OK with that. I like the process to be very organic. If you get too caught up in a plan or an outline you can miss an opportunity for your characters or your world.

I think that's smart and often leads to some awesome twists in the plot!

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to writing?

Time! I never seem to have enough of it.

Don't we all?!

Who is your favorite character to write about? And who was the most challenging?

Beezle is my favorite character to write, because he is the most like me. I spend most of my time thinking about food.

Nathaniel is the most challenging because he is never what seems to be. I'm always finding new layers in his personality.

Beezle is my favorite!  I like that you said Nathaniel is the most challenging because he's the one character that seemed to surprise me the most.  I never really knew what he might do.

I have a few series that I feel like are comfort food to me. I'm attached to the world and the characters so much that I never want the series to end. I feel like the characters are actually my friends and I miss them in between books. Usually it takes several books to get that attached but I was feeling that attachment to Madeline about halfway through the second book and I know the year in between books is going to be very long! Do you have any series that you feel that way about? (Two of mine are the Rachel Morgan series aka The Hollows by Kim Harrison and Sookie Stackhouse, of course.)

I love Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series. They all have books that I have read and re-read many times.

I have the Dresden Files on my shelves but have yet to read them.  I plan to get to them this year though!  I haven't read the Dark-Hunter series yet either.  I wish I could read faster!

Paranormal shows have been taking over television for several years now are there any that you watch and have become favorites?

Right now I watch "The Walking Dead", "Grimm", and "Once Upon a Time". When "Game of Thrones" and "True Blood" start back up I'll watch those, too. That's probably my upper limit for TV. I prefer shows that are serialized rather than stand-alone episodes, and I don't necessarily watch TV every night. Episodes tend to get stacked up in my DVR and then I'll have to watch large chunks of a show at a time. I like serials because if you watch two or three episodes at a time it's like watching a movie.

We don't get cable anymore and rely on netflix streaming but I'm anxious for Game of Thrones to be on there.  Of course I'd like to read the books first... I like being able to watch several episodes in a row as well.  I get frustrated waiting for the next episode.

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

Japan. I love Japanese film, Japanese culture, Japanese food. One of my life goals is to learn to speak Japanese so that I can watch Kurosawa films without the subtitles on.

Oh, my aunt lived in Japan for many years!  She always got us neat things like kimono's and the cool Japanese dolls.  I would love to visit there as well!

If you could time travel what time period and place would you pick?

In theory I like the idea of traveling back in time, but I really don't know if I could live without flush toilets. It would probably be interesting to travel to the future and see what's going to happen next.

Oh I think I'd be scared to travel to the future!  Though if you knew you could get back I sure would be curious to see what you found!

Thanks so much for coming on today! It was a pleasure having you!

Thank you so much!

Find the list of tour stops HERE.
Visit Christina Henry on her website HERE.

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Leave a comment telling us a 'comfort' series for you.  One that you really love and feel like the characters are family.   And be sure to include contact info! (email or twitter)