Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones
Published: 2nd October 2012
By: St. Martin's Press
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was Darynda Jones first venture into the young adult world and I was impressed. I thoroughly enjoyed Death and the Girl Next Door. While maybe not perfect, there is a lot I can overlook when I have a host of fantastic characters to capture my attention, and that's what I found here.

Lorelei, the protagonist, has two amazing best friends, Glitch and Brooklyn. So when Cameron begins to stalk her, and then Jared shows up and weird things start to happen, like her dying and being brought back to life, she has them to fall back on and tells them everything. Unlike a lot of books where the heroine will keep the secrets and loses her friends. And when Cameron and Jared start hanging out with these three, I enjoyed the banter, the sarcasm and wit really kept me entertained.

There is a lot of mystery in this book. Lorelei's parents just disappeared one day ten years ago and no one knows what happened. Then, there's Cameron and Jared, who between them, seem to have a lot of secrets. There's a lot of questions that come up and not all of them are answered by the end of the book.

I really enjoyed the touch of romance here too. Thankfully there's no love triangle though I did feel as though the cover hinted at one.

With the revelations that came at the end of this book, I'm really looking forward to the next in the series, Death, Doom and Devotion and I'm expecting great things from it.

Buy the book: The Book Depository/Amazon

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Spotlight and Giveaway: The Whispers of the Sprite by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

Published 7th October 2012

Blurb:
When Ania moves from London to Swansea city in Wales she is hoping that her life will get a bit more exciting, after all she is running away from her controlling mother to taste more freedom and feel more independent. Everything seems to be going the way she wanted until she almost dies while taking a quiet walk around the beach in the late evening.

When she opens her eyes, nothing seems the same...

She starts seeing people that no one else is able to notice. An enchanting looking man keeps following her and Ania’s life seems to getting more exciting than she ever wished for.

After the attack something changes inside her, she has been blessed with the new frightening gift of seeing and hearing sprites all around her... the magical creatures that only existed in folklore, myths and legends of Britain.

Gabriel is attractive and handsome but no ... he is not a vampire. He keeps coming back and Ania feels an instant connection between them but this might get her into more trouble. Supernatural romance is not on her mind right now.

Because he is forbidden to even touch her ... the line between the death and love has never been so thin and the sprites won’t stop whispering until ... she will choose to love or abandon Gabriel.

The Whispers of the sprite - the first book in the Young adult paranormal romance series,

(The Whispers series)

If you looking for a fresh new urban fantasy romance filled with folklore, myths, legends, fairies and magic then this is the one to keep an eye on.

This is a young adult paranormal romance which includes violence and sexual scenes recommended for ages sixteen and up.

Excerpt:When I left the bar, it was late – almost close to one in the morning. My rash decision to walk home this late was unreasonable; it would take me at least an hour to finally get to my street. Walking through the empty roads, I wonder why I didn't just get a taxi. Rhian stayed behind with a few other friends but I had to get back. Surrounded by complete darkness the city seems to be asleep, the roads are clear and I have been walking for about half an hour now. Fear is slowly beginning to take over my body and my mind is creating an alarming scenario in my head. I stare at my phone, wondering why Mum hasn't called me yet. She always calls me, even if she knows that I will be home within minutes, just to check. The streets are so quiet; there is no one around, not even cars passing through, which is odd. It seems that the city collapsed in a winter sleep, instantly forgetting that it's still summer, like some lost soul that is trying to make it’s way to Heaven but getting to Hell instead. I think about the enjoyable evening that I had with Rhian and some friends; they were all excited for me finally gaining a new independence and a new life in another city. Our casual cocktails were interrupted by constant phone calls from Mum but after 11pm, my phone suddenly stopped buzzing. I hoped that she had finally gone to bed and forgotten about me for at least one evening.

It’s cold and I shiver, trying to recognise the alleys and shops but I still don’t know which way I should follow. I take a shortcut and then feel horribly lost. I take a deep breath, trying to decide if I should call a taxi. The silence seems unnatural and I cannot understand why there are no cars around and no taxis when you desperately need one. I am alone and this is beginning to freak me out. I stop for a moment to wrap myself in a light cardigan that I find in my rucksack, only a few seconds pass but during this short period of time I feel like I am being watched. My subconscious is laughing out loud, calling me a fool. I look around but the streets are uninhabited and silent. No one is around but my mind is playing tricks on me, I inhale the thick air filled with my own fear and a cold shiver flows down my spine. A harsh bitter wind starts to blow and simultaneously a few streetlights go out, enveloping the street in an unexpected dimness. The tar-black darkness that surrounds me obscures my senses, I can't see anything and my eyes focus, trying to get used to the gloom.

I stop and try to sense the source of this odd occurrence; I hear someone’s movements and my heart starts racing while my mouth gets unpleasantly dry. I am certain that I heard something or someone; I stop breathing, trying to pinpoint the noise but everything is still again, the silence buzzes in my ears. My heartbeat quickens, making my mind spin. Suddenly, one of the streetlights comes back on again. I blink rapidly and continue walking while looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The houses and streets seem to be under a spell, there is not a single living soul anywhere around me. After half an hour, I finally reach my street locating the familiar path. I begin to wonder about the movement that I had heard, but my rational side keeps telling me that it's only my imagination. When I approach my house, a dark figure emerges from the corner.

‘Peaceful night?’ says the stranger as I walk by.

I make out that it's a woman's voice. It's soft, but I can't detect her accent, my habit of trying to establish where people are from works well normally, but not with this woman. I can’t see her face in the darkness, I am not sure if I should respond, it's late and it's odd that someone would linger on the street at this time so I just give her a light smile. The night is bitterly cold, but she doesn't seem to care.

‘Goodnight,’ she adds, leaving me speechless once again and walks past me. The strong fragrance of her perfume reaches my nose and I inhale, enjoying the pleasant smell. I manage to get a look at her face; she is an older lady with short silver hair and big wide dark eyes but it's too dark to tell if I had seen her before. As she starts to disappear into the dark alley, it begins to rain. I search for my keys, wondering what she was doing on my street. I toyed with the idea of her visiting anyone I knew. I shake my head, thinking it’s been a rather strange night.

My thoughts are still on the odd noise that I thought I heard in the alleyway. While walking upstairs to my bedroom, I look in to make sure that Mum is still asleep and I quietly close the door. Normally, Mum would wait for me and run through millions of questions but tonight had unusually stopped calling which still remains mystery to me why. I take off my clothes and soon drift off into a dream, forgetting about the woman on the street.

Author Bio:

Joanna Mazurkiewicz was born in Poland. She moved to United Kingdom when she was only nineteen and just finished high school. She had aspired to be a writer upon completion of the Harry Potter series but also enjoyed reading books like ‘Gone with the Wind’, ’Animal Farm’ and ‘The doll’. She graduated from Swansea University with a bachelor degree in American Studies. While studying in the UK she made a decision to start writing fiction in English.
The “Whispers of the Sprite” is her first debut novel and she is currently working on the second book in the series. Joanna lives in Cowbridge, a small town in South Wales near Cardiff with her boyfriend Bruce. She enjoys cycling around Welsh countryside some of which has become the settings in her first series.

Twitter/Website/Goodreads

Giveaway:

Joanna has very kindly agree to give away up to 5 ebook copies of her book. For every 20 entries in the giveaway, another ebook will be added, so the more entries, the more prizes, to a maximum of 5. So, best of luck :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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COVER REVEAL: Blood Bound by Keshia Swaim

Title: Blood Bound
Author: Keshia Swaim
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: September 10, 2013

Blurb:

Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder. Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life. But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.

What do you think? Which cover do you prefer?

Which design do you prefer, the one with the hand or the one with the girl on the cover?

• Hand
• Girl

Freeblogpolls

More polls: Memira

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The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Published: 2nd October 2012
By: Strange Chemistry
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ananna dreams of being Captain of her own ship one day, so marrying Tarrin, a marriage arranged by her parents, is something she really doesn't want to do. So, she runs from her betrothed, by stealing a camel and running, or should I say, riding, away. She doesn't know what she's going to do now, just that she can't go back to her parents and that Tarrin's family will most likely have assassins on her tail before long.

Naji, the assassin sent after Ananna, has a curse on him. He will be bound to protect the person who will one day save his life, and will feel unmerciful pain when that person is put in danger. And during his attack on Ananna, she saves his life from a snake. And so begins a trip across the dessert, across the ocean and to the Isle of the Sky, to find someone who can lift the curse. The threat of another assassin coming after Ananna or "the mists", coming after Naji, is with them all the time.

The Assassin's Curse was an awesome read. I found Ananna to be a fantastic heroine. She's a pirate, she's strong, brave and handy with a knife or sword. She's also ambitious and not afraid of speaking her mind.

The Assassin, Naji, is broody and mysterious. A scar down one side of his face adds vulnerability to what is otherwise a tough exterior. He is very self concious of it, and wears a mask most of the time. This vulnerable side made him so much more appealing and I loved him.

I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions and relationship of Naji and Ananna. While there's no romance and revelation of feelings between the two, I know they're there for Ananna and feel they are also present for Naji, I'm definitely hoping they are anyway.

The Assassin's Curse is fast paced with a dose of action and angst plus Naji keeps us guessing throughout with all the secrets he keeps. What's coming in the next book, The Pirate's Wish, seems really good and I'm really looking forward to it.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Evie's Knight by Kimberly Krey

Published: 11th September 2012

Blurb:
In Evie's Knight, love doesn't simply hurt ... it kills.

EVIE always thought college life would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. CALVIN KNIGHT, the very object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations.

CALVIN'S grandfather used to speak of this woman, and Calvin always doubted the legends were true. Yet when he falls in love with Evie, he senses the truth of it, the danger lurking among them. Guilt follows each time he enjoys the taste of her kiss. When he pulls her close and whispers her name, he's haunted by an inner voice that warns him Evie's in danger - because of him.

As his love for Evie deepens, Calvin is forced to choose: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven-haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.

A short excerpt:

“You’re covered in juice.”
Evie looked down at the spots on her shirt, the drips along her arms. “I know. Let me go rinse off real quick. I’ll be right back.”
Calvin reached out, wrapped a hand around her wrist, and gave her a playful grin. “Wait. I love peaches. Especially the juice. Aren’t you at least going to give me a taste?”
“What?”
Her eyes widened with barely contained shock as he brought her arm close to his lips. “May I?”
Her heart kicked into a flustered rhythm. “May you what?” The distant roar of the lawnmower told her that Dad was still in the front yard.
Calvin eyed a single drop at her wrist before looking back at her. “Have a taste.” The smile was gone now. Only the piercing depth of his gaze remained.

Author Bio:

I'm a writer of romantic Urban Fantasy, a reader of any good, clean romance, and a lover of home, family, and friends. A perfect day would include ample relaxing time with my hubby and kiddos (indoor or out). Add delicious meals involving seafood, chocolate, or Cafe Rio and I'm on cloud nine. End it with a novel by one of my favorite authors, Marcia Lynn McClure, and it's picture perfect. 

As far as movies go, I'm not sure it gets any better than The Notebook, The Lake House, or How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days - for chick flicks anyway. For family, my favorites include Elf (seriously, does it get any better than that?), Napoleon Dynamite, Overboard, The Grinch, Bedtime Stories, A Christmas Carol, Puss in Boots, and about one million more.

Interesting (or not) random tidbits about me:
I'm obsessed with chapstick. I spread SoftLips chapstick (the pretty pearly kind) on my lips about a hundred times a day.
I'm equally obsessed with mints; I eat them all the time. Altoids Smalls are my favorite. I smooth the lips, pop the mint, and I'm in good shape.
My favorite super heroes are Superman and Spiderman. I can't really decide between them, which is fine because my husband happens to be a scrumptious combination of the two!

Twitter/Blog/Website/Goodreads

Buy a copy of this book on Amazon US or Amazon UK

Giveaway:

And finally, Evie has offered a signed copy of her book to one lucky winner and the giveaway is international :)

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Stacking the Shelves #21

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, (and filling our kindle) sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process! Hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews

Another two week book haul this week and I have to say, I'm really excited about some of them.

Click on the book title for more information

   

Undeadly by Michelle Vail (Netgalley)

The Vampire's Daughter (Of Light and Darkness) by Shane Leighton (Netgalley)

Blud and Magick by Preston Norton (Netgalley)

 

The Source by Melissa Darnell (copy received from author)

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway (Spencer Hill Press)

Severed (Fated #2) by Sarah Alderson (copy received from author)

Don't forget to leave your links so I can check out your haul for this week :)

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Something Wicked Comes : Shannon Dermott, Cambion series

Today I'm really excited to be taking part in the Something Wicked Comes blog tour hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and Babbling About Books. For my stop, I want to highlight one of my favourite authors, Shannon Dermott and her amazing Cambion series, and give you the chance to win the first two books in the series, Beg for Mercy and Waiting for Mercy. This is one of my all time favourite series, and I just want to share it with you all.

First up, an excerpt from Beg for Mercy which I hope you all enjoy. 

Before any one of us could say anything, a tall girl, clad in a taupe leather vest and animal print painted-on pants with golden tones of blond hair hastily pulled back in a braid, materialized in front of us. She was a vision to behold, appearing out of thin air.

“Where is he?” she demanded.

I’m sure my eyes were wide because she focused on me. Her golden eyes burned into me like fire. I had a moment of choice, to fight or flee. “Who?” I asked boldly, surprising myself.

Her eyes narrowed into slits when she spoke, mimicking the shifters with her stance. She gave no notice to my tone with her arms folded across her chest. “The rat fink who cheated on me with my sister,” she said coolly.

“Bernadette,” a voice said behind me.

I whirled around as did Flynn who’d been standing beside me. Sebastian was poised directly behind me. He was gorgeous, dressed in a charcoal shirt and dark wash jeans. He stole my breath away just by the sight of him. My heart rate leaped more than it had when the mysterious girl appeared in our path.

I turned back around when the girl, Bernadette, began to speak again. Her arms were no longer folded in front of her. Instead they were extended in front of her. “Rat,” she said sternly. Her eyes were on fire. “How could you kill my sister?”

Lightning fast, her hands were a glow in fiery orange orbs. Revving up, like a pitcher in a baseball game, I noticed Flynn move for the first time. He began moving forward with timid steps. Even though things were moving quickly now, I caught every detail that happened. I felt arms come around my waist and darkness begin to invade my eyes. I knew what was about to happen. Before the obscurity overtook my vision, Bernadette’s attention was on Flynn. I had a moment to see her blast him back with a fiery ball before I’d been transported elsewhere. I had no way of knowing if he was okay.

I didn’t even let Sebastian speak, “What the hell? Take me back!” I yelled. With the trees still surrounding us, I knew we were still in the woods but that wasn’t my concern.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re safe,” he said calmly holding out his hands in a gesture of peace from my wrath.

“Flynn could be hurt,” I exclaimed.

He nodded and a moment later he was gone. I hoped he was going to get Flynn because if he wasn’t he wouldn’t have to worry about Bernadette. He would have to worry about me. With life and death an issue, I’d found who I was. I was a fighter not a flighter.

If the events of the evening weren’t scary, I might have laughed when Flynn and Sebastian reappeared in an embrace. They looked at each other for a second before separating rapidly. I scrutinized Flynn. He appeared to be okay so, I had to assume he was.

“What the,” Flynn began to say when a voice boomed out from not far away.

“I know you’re there Rat. You can’t hide from me.” I recognized that voice even though I’d only heard it once. Bernadette had found us just that quickly. I saw the glowing balls of fire in the distance. Sebastian came to me at that moment.

“I don’t want to leave you, but I think if I do I will draw her away. I’m sorry for this. I’ll be back to check on you as soon as I can,” he said in a whisper before disappearing from my existence.

His assumption was wrong. “So you’re the girl he’s with now,” Bernadette said from about thirty feet away looking at me.

Yes, he’d most assuredly been wrong. She hadn’t left. Crap. So, I answered her with an emphatic, “No.”

She hadn’t waited for my answer and it was too late for me to react. I stared like a deer in headlights. A glowing ball of heat was already headed my way. Flynn saw it before I did and his reflexes had been better than mine. I was on the ground with him on top of me when the orbs soared passed. The burning ball of flame narrowly missed him with the slight exception of a burn on his right arm. The orbs blasted bark off the tree they hit that was behind us.

Bernadette was closing in on us now. This time it would be impossible for her aim to miss. Bleakly, I thought it would be a great time for Sebastian to make a reappearance. A bright light like a car’s headlights shined through the trees casting a white glow onto her. For whatever reason her face grew pale, then she dissipated.

I shifted under Flynn’s weight turning to see what made the illumination, but it was gone. Besides being in the woods, I wasn’t even sure where we were. There must have been a road nearby and the beam of car lights somehow frightened her away. I wasn’t sure why car lights would frighten her but I wasn’t going to knock the gift horse that saved us. What I hadn’t expected was the figure to appear through the trees.

“If you weren’t my best friend, I would have to question why you are lying on top of my girlfriend in the middle of the woods,” Luke said.

Flynn turned around then lifted himself up with his forearms getting to his feet. “Luke, you made it,” he said. Luke clasped Flynn’s arm helping him up. There was something I caught in his eyes before he turned away. Before I could think about it, Luke was at my side.

Luke asked, “Are you okay?”

Looking into the pools of his warm blue eyes I said, “Yes.” And frankly, I was a whole lot better with him here.

So, what do you think??


And now, an interview with the amazing Flynn *swoon*

Hi Flynn, I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you here at my blog today to answer a few questions.

I smile, giving my host the best grin I can give. I can only hope her questions won’t be too hard.

Q. How long have you and Luke known each other, where did you meet, and how did you each find out what the other was?

Not too bad, I thought when I heard the question. I should expect worse. Luke, he was like a brother to me. How did I explain? Smiling, I said, “I’ve known him all my life. My dad and his know each other and have dealings with each other. It was just kind of natural for us to become friends.”

Q. How did you feel when you realized you were going to kiss Mercy in the game of spin the bottle?

What to say? “She’s a bit uptight. I thought kissing her might lighten her up a bit. It was all in good fun. She knew what she was getting into when she came in that room.” I tried not to sound defensive. But thinking back on that day, she’d acted self righteous like I was the bad guy.

Q. When did you realize that Mercy was a succubus?

“Thinking about it now, maybe on some level, I’ve always know. When my dad told me, it wasn’t really a shock,” I confess.

Q. How did you feel when you found out that your dad was dating Mercy's mom and that you were going to be living together?

“I was shocked. My dad wasn't one to settle down. So something had to be up. I couldn't imagine sharing a roof with two women especially if one of them was Mercy.”

Q. You've had a crush on Mercy for a long time, how did you feel when your best friend made a move on her?

Raising my hands, I had to squash this. “Who said I had a crush on Mercy? She’s cute and all but there are other girls, easier girls. And you hit the nail on the head. Luke’s my best friend. I couldn’t be happier for the guy if he’s happy.” 

Q. Do you honestly think that a relationship between you and Mercy would work?

“Mercy has a boyfriend, so that isn’t really possible,” I say. I can tell my host isn’t buying my answer. “Okay, if, and that is a big if, there was the remote possibility that we could be together, then yes. I think it could work.” What I don’t say is that there are things that only me, my dad and maybe Mercy’s mom know that would say most definitely it could work between Mercy and I. That is one secret that I hope to take to my grave. Luke would be furious if he knew. And Mercy, well who knows how she would handle it. 

Q. How does it feel to know that you can have practically every girl you see, but not the one you really want?

I laugh and laugh. How do you answer that? “I don’t know that I could have any girl. Maybe I’m just lucky.” Then, it hits me, the full weight of my host’s question. ‘The one I really want.’ I sober, my face losing the grin I had moments ago. The one I really want was off limits.

Q. You're known for being a bit of a womanizer, going from one human girl to another and feeding on their lust. But would it be possible for you to actually settle down with a human if you met the right one?

“A human,” I choke out, ignoring the womanizer comment. “No way. A long term permanent relationship isn’t possible with a human, period. That is if they want to live.”

A lot of these questions weren’t something I’d like to talk about. So I nod to my host and say, “Thanks for having me.” I give her a wink because my words are flat. But I knew coming in, she would be curious. And she’s cute. Maybe I should ask her out to lunch.

Books in the Cambion series

Prelude to Mercy (Cambion 0.5)(Part of anthology)

Beg for Mercy (Cambion #1)

Waiting for Mercy (Cambion #2)

No Mercy (Cambion #2.5)

Angel of Mercy (Cambion #3)(Coming 31st December 2012)

And now for the giveaway

You have two chances to win the first two books in this series, Beg for Mercy and Waiting for Mercy. Shannon is giving away a paperback copy of each and I'm giving away an ebook copy of each. This giveaway is international, so long as you can receive an ebook from Amazon etc. So good luck to you all.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OUT TO LUNCH :)

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Falling to Ash (Moth #1) by Karen Mahoney

Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney
Published: 27th September 2012
By: Corgi Childrens
Source: Random House UK

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Falling to Ash was a book that I hadn't even heard of until I was offered a chance to request it. Of course, my love of vampires just wouldn't let me refuse and I just couldn't wait get started on it.

Marie, or Moth, as she now calls her vampire self was turned about a year ago when she was 18, but her maker, Theo, kept her hidden from the Family, for fear of repercussions to himself and Moth if they knew he had turned her without permission from them. The Family, are a vampire council who rule and police the vampires.

Theo, is the head vampire of Boston, a hot young looking vampire, who wooed and dated Marie before losing control one night and then turning her, rather than letting her die. He claims it was a lapse in judgement, but now, must face the consequences from the Family. Marie will be allowed to live if Theo can kill Thomas Murdoch, a notorious vampire hunter, and produce his head for the Family. Otherwise, Moth will be ended, taking a little bit of Theo's soul with her. He has one week.

Someone is killing teenagers who are connected to Moth in some way. The first guy, Rick, is a guy she went to college with. When Moth gets a visit from the police because the dead guy has her name and address on him, she senses something fishy and knows she needs to look into this herself. It appears to be a vampire attack so if she can get to the body, she may be able to pick up the scent of the vampire. If Theo gets wind of this she'll be in trouble.

She heads to the hospital, only to run into Jason Murdoch, son of Thomas, the vampire hunter. After a brief tussle, he decides to check things out with her. He can't let a vampire stroll freely around a hospital. They arrive at the morgue just in time to see Rick, sitting on a slab, chewing on an arm, the nurse dead at this feet. All of a sudden, Moth and Jace are on the same side.

I truly loved this book. Moth is a spectacular heroine, brave with a smart mouth but extremely caring when it comes to people she cares about. She's not happy about what she is but accepts that she has to get on with it. Despite Jace being a hunter, she can't help but find him attractive. He is definitely swoonworthy. While a romance doesn't actually take off between the two, the tension is there and when the two of them are together were probably my favourite times in the book.

Theo is Moth's maker, and therefore, she has to do what he says. While she complains about him a lot, I could feel a caring, compassionate relationship between them.

This is my first book to read by Karen Mahoney but I will definitely be looking into others. Falling to Ash is fast paced with sufficient action to keep you on the edge of your seat. I didn't want to put this book down. As yet there is no information on the second book but I really hope we're not going to be kept too long waiting.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Spotlight on Remember by Shannon Dermott

Expected Publication: 18th December 2012

Sixteen year old Charlize Daniels didn’t crave the limelight and relished being ignored. That until she finds herself being hunted. With no memory of how she ended up lost near her home, it was an angel face boy with an uncanny ability to disappear who saved her. Her obsession with the supernatural, one she developed after her father’s unnatural death, had her hoping her rescuer was her guardian angel. But little did she know, that couldn’t be further from the truth. With a new resolve gained after her brush with death, she no longer wanted live in the shadows. But her biggest obstacle will be to survive being hunted. Her only hope might be to remember the truth.

Teaser #1
Although the battle was won, there was no glory in the defeat. If he hadn’t been there, she might not have survived. He turned his back on the falling body of the would be killer shifting his attention back to her. His heart grew still when he saw her lips blue and her chest unmoving. He moved to her like an icy breeze, bending down to check for signs of life. He would do what needed to be done, to hell with the consequences. He hoped she would forgive what would come next.

Teaser #2
The bell rang and I reached for my backpack. I’d been to my locker before class and didn’t need to go back. I shot straight out of my seat headed out the classroom directly for the school exit. What I needed was to be outside getting some fresh air and calming my nerves. I only had a short time to complete my task. I walked straight with only a few yards until I broached the exit doors. If I could get out and away before the throngs of students gravitated to the parking lot to hang out after school, it would be a small victory.

However before I could reach the exit, I felt eyes burning on the back of my head. Why I turned and looked back, I don’t know. But there, in the sea of students, milling around to unknown destinations, standing still was the fair-haired boy of my past. His green eyes and handsome looks were unmistakable. But so much had changed. I couldn’t take back the choices I made. So I broke our gaze and walked out the exit door without a word to Alex.

Author Bio:

Shannon first love was reading, diving into other realities to explore and brave new worlds. To share her writing is the best experience of all. Her first series explores the life and trials of being Mercy Moore, a teenage cambion. When Shannon isn't writing she loves to shop and watch horror movies that make turning out the lights seem like a stupid idea.

Website/Blog/Goodreads/Twitter/Facebook

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Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum

Until I Die by Amy Plum
Published: 3rd May 2012
By: Atom
Source: copy from publisher in exchange for an honest review

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Well, it took me five days to get through this book and I think that speaks volumes. I really struggled with Until I Die, a book I had been really looking forward to reading, having absolutely loving Die for Me.

It's been a while since I read Die for Me so I don't remember every little detail, just the enjoyment I had from reading it. So I was very surprised to find myself feeling quite negative towards Kate. She just really didn't appeal to me throughout this book.

But I was still completely in adoration of Vincent, and that's probably what kept me going. The hardship that he was going through in this book for Kate just pee'd me off. While we don't find out exactly what it is until the end, we do know that it's not something that's doing him any good. He has bags under his eyes and sometimes literally looks like death warmed up. While I admired him for doing it, and trying to make it easier on Kate being with him, I felt that he shouldn't have to be doing anything, that she should have just accepted him as he was.

I very quickly guessed who the enemy was going to be and didn't like them from the start. A lot of the time I had an idea what was going on with their motives and couldn't figure out how no one else could see it, so needless to say, that was very annoying.

The secondary characters that we know and love from Die for Me actually play very little part in Until I Die and I missed the banter I had enjoyed between them all previously.

Kate begins to do her own sleuthing then on trying to find a cure for Vincent which does add a little bit more interest, but this isn't until almost halfway through. We learn more about the history of the Revenant's and the Numa and of a prophecy that tells of a Champion among the Revenant's, who will be able to destroy the Numa once and for all. But the person who kills the Champion, will automatically take all their powers.

Any action or excitement in this book didn't occur until the very end. And then it ends on a woeful cliffhanger. I was left feeling so mad that I just wanted to fling this book out of the nearest window. I couldn't believe that I had struggled through this boring, dullness for the past five days for it to end with that.

Obviously, such a cliffhanger ensures that I will indeed pick up the next book despite the fact that this was pure insipidness.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Covet (The Clann #2) by Melissa Darnell

Covet by Melissa Darnell
25th September 2012
By: Harlequin Teen
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Savannah makes a promise to the vampire council that she'll stopping dating Tristan. And back in Jacksonville, she makes the same promise to the clann, against the wishes and pleas of Tristan. She knows it's the right thing to do. She could kill him with a kiss, or the bloodlust could take over. It's harder for vampires to resist the descendants magic blood than it is a regular human, even for older vampires.

Savannah's vampire side is taking over and becoming stronger than the witch in her. Her strength and speed increases, her bloodlust gets harder to control and she develops the gift of mind reading. But all the while, she's missing Tristan and trying to come to terms with the fact that he's dating again.
But Tristan is broken hearted and will try any means possible to get Savannah back, he even looks into becoming a vampire himself, something that he discovers a descendant can't do.

Like Crave, this book is written from the perspective of Savannah and Tristan. We experience Savannah's changes with her on a personal level also learning more about the vampire council. From Tristan's aspect, we see how much he still misses Savannah, how he's still trying to protect her and also providing more insight into the clann.

We see a lot more of Savannah's dad as she has to move in with him once it becomes apparent that she is becoming a vampire. He was really likeable and interesting and I enjoyed watching him come to terms with living with and looking after his teenage daughter.

There was a lot going on in Covet with some surprising twists and turns. Clann members are being murdered by what appears to be a vampire, or is it just someone making it look like a vampire in order to start another war between the vampires and the witches. I wasn't sure.

A shocking and exciting ending leaves me longing for the next book in the series, Consume. I couldn't stop thinking about Tristan and Savannah long after finishing Covet so I can't wait to see how things turn out for them in book 3.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Spotlight on Through the Lens by Shannon Dermott

Expected Publication: 13th November 2012

Being a twin isn’t all that bad, nor is it all that good. Being the fat twin makes things a little worse. Seventeen year old, Jessa Shelby has been all but ignored. Trimmed down, but not skinny like her sister, she has decided to make her mark in her final year in high school.

Things begin anew the summer before her senior year when she makes friends with Ethan Hart, a boy with a twisted past, and Allie, his near celebrity status girlfriend, while taking pictures with her new prized possession. Hanging out with them opened her eyes to a lot of new possibilities including Josh Macon, whom she’s secretly crushed on all through high school. No longer the ‘fat girl’, Josh now seems interested in her too.

Long before the day comes to graduate, Jessa finds herself gasping for air. With her vision clouded from tears born of pain as the straps from her precious camera tighten around her throat, clarity sets in. They say that just before you die your life flashes before your eyes. And on the threshold of death claiming her, she finds that partially true. Her flash begins as if to explain just how she ended up on Death’s door. With mere moments left, she has to wonder if trust had come at a very high price.

Teaser #1
Moving his hands from his lap, he placed them on the floor to help him stand from his crouched position. The black leather of the couch seemed like a stone now weighed down with all the things left unsaid in the room. “The light was for the pictures,” he said scooping up my camera. “I had a feeling that you hadn't finished the roll. You don’t have a flash, so we would need good light to make use of it.”

Wow, he’d thought of everything. He’d known that I was a fraud from the beginning. I wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Bravery was new to me when it came to boys, “If you knew I hadn’t finished taking pictures, why invite me over?”

Raising his eyebrows, I realized he was just as surprised as I was that I’d asked that question. “Maybe I wanted to see how good your pictures of me came out.” It almost sounded arrogant, but it was off. He wasn’t that guy even if he tried. “Maybe I just wanted to hang out with you.” And that sent the butterflies off in my stomach.

Teaser #2
One moment his hands were in my hair, the next I was lying on the couch underneath him without a clue how that happened. His hands made their way up the side of my dress which let me know I still had it on, thank goodness. Obviously, I’d lost all reason. Taking inventory of myself, my damp skin was surely from the heat of the room. With a sudden urge, I felt the desire to undress to just to cool off, of course.

Author Bio:

Shannon first love was reading, diving into other realities to explore and brave new worlds. To share her writing is the best experience of all. Her first series explores the life and trials of being Mercy Moore, a teenage cambion. When Shannon isn't writing she loves to shop and watch horror movies that make turning out the lights seem like a stupid idea.

Website/Blog/Goodreads/Twitter/Facebook

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Stacking the Shelves #20

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, (and filling our kindle) sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process! Hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews

Hi guys, again these are my books for the last two weeks, I didn't do an STS last week. Thankfully, I haven't been getting to many review books because I still have an awful lot to get through at the moment. But I did see a couple that I wanted really cheap in my local bookstore and I just couldn't leave them there. 

Click on the book title for more information.

For review

  

Devil's Bargain by Rachel Caine (Harlequin UK)

Reaper by L. S. Murphy (J. Taylor Publishing)

Blood Prophecy (Drake Chronicles #6) by Alyxandra Harvey (Netgalley)

Centaur Legacy (Touched #2) by Nancy Straight (Beta read)

Bought

 

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Grave Doubts and Heaven Sent by Meg Cabot

Won

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (from the lovely Sam at Realm of Fiction)

So guys, I'd love to see what goodies you received this week. Leave me a comment with your link and I'll stop by.

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Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: 18th September 2012
By: Spencer Hill Press

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cursed is my first book by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I've been told that this isn't one of her best, and yet I'm impressed. So I really look forward to picking up books in her other series.

Ember was killed in a car crash, which also killed her dad. But her younger sister Olivia, who has a very special gift, brought her back to life. Now, Ember's touch is toxic, a touch of her skin can kill any human, animal, plant almost instantly. So she makes sure she's always covered up, wearing gloves and long sleeves, which also hide the scars on her arms. At school, she's now known as a freak, with Adam, being her only friend.

Ever since the accident, her mother has been practically catatonic and Ember has had to take over the care of Olivia, and look after the home and finances.

Soon after meeting the mysterious Hayden at the library, she's attacked in her home and wakes up in a strange house. Olivia and her mother are also there. And so is Hayden. Him, and all the other residents of the house are also gifted.

Like I said earlier, this is my first JLA book, but it definitely won't be my last. Curse had perfect pace, fantastic characters, a brilliant storyline and an appealing writing style.

Ember was lovely. She did a really great job of taking care of her sister and herself for the last couple of years and she was so devoted to Olivia. And yet, she thought that she was bad and evil and had no soul. I enjoyed the relationship she had with Hayden and I thought some of their earlier "moments" together were really sweet. There was an insta love kind of feeling from Hayden but I felt it played out well, as he'd been watching Ember for a long time and felt like he knew her.

The rest of the gifteds in the house don't like Ember, and think Jonathan Cromwell, the head of the house, and Mayor of the town, should send her away before she kills someone and exposes them. I felt that Ember dealt with it all admirably considering the state of mind she was already in, having woken up in a strange house with her old life completely gone, showing her strength of character.

Unfortunately, I did find Cursed quite predictable as I managed to work out the bad guy, his gift and his methods almost immediately.

Cursed ended nicely, with no cliffhanger, thank goodness. I'm not sure if there's going to be a sequel, but if there is, I'll definitely be picking it up.

Thanks to Spencer Hill Press for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Buy the book: Amazon/The Book Depository

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Spotlight on Sheltered by Debra Shapoton

Published: October 2012
By: Big Pine Lodge Books

Living together unsupervised, five troubled teens confront demonic forces and are compelled to deal with their problems in distinctly different ways. Paranormal meets psycho meets Goth in this story of a supernatural haunting and budding love.

High school junior, Ben, hacks into his step-father's real estate holdings and provides rooms in an old two-story house to various outcasts: the schizophrenic kid, the angry Goth girl, and the homeless girl who worships him. When Megan needs a place to live she comes to the rooming house with a different set of problems and the ability to confuse and attract Ben.

One by one strange and mysterious occurrences stretch the teens’ beliefs in the supernatural. How they deal with demons, real and imagined, has tragic as well as redeeming consequences.

Excerpt: Prologue

Next Wednesday

Emily knew the precise moment that Ben returned, she felt him in her scars. She watched him carry some things to the house, heard the door close; she smiled when she heard him call out that Santa was here. He did that once before, in early December, insisting that she accept the gift he held out, not wanting her to wait until Christmas to use the mittens he knew she needed.

She went toward her door now, wondered what he had brought, and then heard Megan’s voice below. Oh no, he probably brought something for her. She scuttled back to her nest by the window and stared outside, was still staring fifteen minutes later when she saw them walk down the street, Ben shouldering a shovel, his other hand knotted with Megan’s.

She touched the skin on her arms, lightly at first, making it tingle. The image of Ben with Megan multiplied across her mind in broken mirrors, a repugnant picture that reflected her own self-loathing. She scratched at her scabs, felt the pricks of pain force away the ticklish sensations. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them she saw a figure standing at her door.

“Who–?” she started, but the figment waned to less than a shadow. Still, though, there was something at her door.

She rose slowly and held her hand out.

Its face was more womanly now, friendly, motherly. Yes, she knew this face. Its pearly white skin so shocking against the ruby lips, the stringy hair a match to her own. Her mother.

She stretched her fingers toward the face. The hallucination faded then sharpened. The eyes began to blaze. She drew her hands back to her own face. What’s wrong with me?  The delusion grieved Emily; all around her fluttered a longing.

And a deadly fear.

Buy the book: Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

Debra Chapoton has taught kids of all ages in her main career as a teacher. She has a BA in Spanish and a Master of Arts degree in Teaching English. She started writing in 2002 and was surprised to find out that the characters quickly take over the action and dialogue in the stories. 

Her first YA novel, Edge of Escape, was self-published and then discovered by Piper Verlag Publishing and translated into German. Stalking and obsession get a sympathetic twist in this story of physical and psychological survival.

Her second YA novel, Sheltered, detours into a different genre as she writes about five teens who confront supernatural forces. Two boys and three girls all harbor secrets which make some of them susceptible to demon possession. Embracing all things supernatural might protect them, but are they ready for the consequences?

Chapoton has also written eleven chapter books for middle grade kids and a non-fiction work for adults, Crossing the Scriptures.

When she’s not writing Chapoton enjoys the quiet of the full log home she designed and built with her husband. They live in the middle of 62 acres of beautiful woods in northern Michigan.

Website/Twitter/Blog

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You know the rules: grab your current read, open to a random page and share a two sentence teaser with us (no spoilers!). Be sure to tell us about the book, so we can add it to our TBR list!

This week's teaser comes from Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Crash! Something landed on the hood of the car and she screamed. Two piercing blue eyes were staring at her through the windshield. There was a growl, deep and low and menacing.

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