Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Speechless by Hannah Harrington.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Contemporary, High School, Coming-Of-Age.
Publication : August 28th 2012 by HarlequinTeen.

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Chelsea Knot has a big mouth and a nose for gossip. Being one of the popular girls, or rather, the popular girl's best friend, she has turned bitchy because that's what is expected of her. However, at a party one night, Chelsea's ineptitude at keeping secrets finally catches up with her, causing a chain of horrible events that in the end, leads to her decision to take a vow of silence.

The premise of this book probably seems extreme to most people but I get it. Sometimes, when you're a teenager, everything gets so screwed up (with you being the cause) that you need to just back off for a bit. A dose of extreme is exactly what's needed to gain some perspective. A lot of girls have probably been through that at one point during their teenage years and I'm one of them. It's also why I love the plot of Speechless.

Chelsea grew as a character through out the novel, from a girl who conformed to high school's cliches to someone who eventually realised her mistakes and found people who gave her a second chance - good, genuine friends who understand her - and that's how it is in real life. I loved watching her transform and finally be who she really was, without giving in to peer pressure.

That being said, while I understood why Chelsea needed to take the vow of silence, there were times when I wondered why she wouldn't speak up. Her silence, while it seemed like a good idea at first, was kept for too long. She took too much crap; not just Chelsea but a lot of other students. She let her ex-friends think she sent the pictures, she let pretty much everyone think whatever they wanted. It's okay at first because things needed to settle down but really? I wished she had been straightforward and taken action by reporting them.
In the end, no one can treat you a certain way, in high school or anywhere else, unless you let them. I get that some people find it hard to stand up for themselves but there's a part in the book where Chelsea finally speaks up and plots her revenge - I wasn't a fan of that. I was happy that she stood up for someone else but if she had any sense she would've reported all of them because it's going to keep happening unless someone puts a stop to it.
Pretty much every young adult contemporary set in high school seems to have the mean popular girls/jocks stereotype and each time I question it's relation to reality - How is it that in a not so huge high school campus, filled with students and teachers, NO one ever takes action right away? Like I said, she kept her silence too long and when she finally did speak up, the moment wasn't as big as I had expected it to be, nor was Chelsea as sensible as she could've been.

That being said, I haven't read Saving June yet so this is my first Hannah Harrington book and I'm honestly impressed. I could relate to the characters, specifically Chelsea, for the most part and there's a moral/lesson in the plot. The writing's relatable and the story's kind of unique too. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves high school/coming-of-age YA contemporary such as books by Jennifer Echols, Laurie Halse Anderson, Sarah Dessen, Susan Colasanti and Lauren Barnholdt.

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Blog Tour : 12 Rounds by Lauren Hammond (Excerpt)

Today's Kindle and Me's stop for Lauren Hammond's 12 Rounds, hosted by Jessica at Total Bookaholic. We've an excerpt for you today, provided by Lauren. Thank you Lauren, for letting me be part of the tour =)

12 Rounds by Lauren Hammond.
Audience/Genre : Adult/Contemporary Romance.
Publication : July 31st 2012 by S.B. Addison Books.

Sean (Right-Hook) Reilly knows a few things about himself. One, he's the middle-weight boxing champion of the world with an undefeated record. Two, women find his cocky persona, chiseled biceps, and inked body sexy. Also, the fact that it's known that he doesn't do relationships only adds to his sex appeal. And three, he's Irish, proud of it, and a member of the Braithreachas Don Saol, a branch of the Irish mafia and king pins of the drug cartel taking over the streets of Cleveland.

Connor Doyle(aka Connie) the boss and leader of the Braithreachas Don Saol, has been like a father to Sean, taking him under his wing and teaching him how to survive on the streets after the death of his parents. Sean has never been ungrateful, but has always wanted one thing...

More. More to live for. More to fight for. More to believe in. A chance at a future without drugs or guns. A chance at a future without wondering which day will be his last.

There's only one problem with that. You live by the braithreachas. You die by the braithreachas. And Sean knows whether Connie considers him to be family or not, the only way he'll be leaving the braithreachas is in a body bag.

Hadlee Flax has had a year to overcome her issues. After almost being raped and brutalized, she's putting her best foot forward, seeing a therapist, and has even(with some persuasion from her best friend, Lara) enrolled in self defense classes. And she's doing well moving on with her life until she meets the dark, and conflicted Irish boxing champion of the world, Sean Reilly.

Hadlee is immediately drawn to the gorgeous, cold, and mysterious man who speaks with a slight Irish brogue. She soon learns that there is much more to him than his darkened gaze, cool demeanor, and body covered in tattoos. He's not the type of man she thought he was. And Hadlee finds herself doing something she never thought she would do in the last year...

Falling for a guy.

Falling for Sean Reilly. A man who is on the path to becoming a boxing legend.

One thing Hadlee doesn't know is the other part of Seans' life. His life of drug running, and killing. Or the fact that when he's not boxing he's walking the streets with a gat tucked into the back of his loose jeans, and glancing over his shoulder at every turn.

But it doesn't take Hadlee long to learn that some attractions and relationships can be fatal.

And sometimes...

They just might be worth fighting for.

Excerpt - 12 Rounds.

Hi Readers!

I’d like to thank Kindle and Me so much for having me on the blog today! I hope you all enjoy the excerpt from my NA romance, 12 Rounds!

When I was working the streets, I saw the desperation that I knew was inside of me in the customers’ eyes. You know, the addicts. The cocaine was like a religious temple to the junkies and they needed to pay their respects once a week. Sometimes more. Sometimes I thought that I could see their eyes sparkle when I handed their bag of blow and they handed me a wad of cash. It’s like they had wet dreams about mountains of white powder and they were rolling around in it, tossing it up in the air like snow, laughing gleefully when it floated down from the air and landed on their tongues.
The guilt never came while I was making the sale. It came afterward when realization of what I’d just done hit me. I just contributed to someone’s death for completely selfish purposes. I’d always thought that. I used to go home after a night on the streets and let the guilt completely drown me. I’d lie awake in bed, fighting off sleep, and hate hate hate myself for what and who I had become.
Until one day right before Murph joined the brotherhood he gave me some helpful advice. “You need to stop beating yourself up over this, Sean. You did not make those people addicts. They were addicts before you came along and they’ll still be addicts after you. They have to find it within themselves to make a change for the better if they want to.” Sometimes I think the big lug is smarter than he lets on.
Even though Murph’s advice was so true and sound, part of me still thought about punching Connie in the f’ing face and screaming, What are we? Shouldn’t we be trying to help these people instead of fueling their addiction? Shouldn’t we be trying to clean up the streets to make this city a better place to live?
But I never did. Not because I was afraid of his reaction. Or because I was a young coward. Or afraid of dying even. I never said anything or did anything because I knew, deep down in my gut that the man just didn’t give a damn. And I knew my ranting and raving wouldn’t make a damn bit of a difference.
I hear the door to the four-plex open, but I ignore whoever came in until a soft, feminine voice greets me with, “Hey Sean!”
I snap to attention when I see Hadlee’s roommate, Lara. I nod. “Hey.”
The truth is my mind is too clouded with thoughts of Hadlee and haunting images from my past to have any kind of conversation now. So I stand up slowly, brush past Lara, and say, “Have a good night.”

It all began with a dinosaur, a T-Rex to be exact. He was the main character in my very first short story. Me and T, well, we went places. He is the reason I won my first essay contest at age ten. And he is probably one of the number one reasons, I pursued a career in writing.

Throughout highschool, I was what you would call a rebel. Someone who had convinced herself that she had life figured out at age sixteen. Still, writing was my only safe-haven during that time. I wrote notebooks full of poetry, even writing fellow classmates papers for them.

Unbeknowest to me, creative writing, seemed to be my one, true calling, my passion in life.

At age twenty, I began writing my first novel. After that, everything seemed to fall into place.

I won Best Poets and Poems of 2007, and The Editor's Choice award for my poem, Summer Days.

Also, during that time I wrote or co-wrote fifteen different screenplays, some which earned me finalist spot in various screenplay competitions.

In 2010, I've come full force, with my novel Love Sucks, that was released by Punkin House Press, in August of 2010. On top of Love Sucks, I have six novels that are slated to be released through the next five years. Also, doing some various marketing work for authors and publishers.

I pride myself in telling fellow writers to always follow their dreams. Who knows where I would be if I would have given up.

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Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions #1) by Louise Rozett

Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions #1) by Louise Rozett.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Contemporary, High School Drama.
Publication : August 28th 2012 by Harlequin Teen.

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)

First off - 2013?!?! I can't wait until then to find out what happens next! Gah!

Confessions of an Angry Girl surprised me, in a really really good way. Rose Zarelli is a high school freshman who's trying to get over the death of her father. While most people grieve, she's angry, like all the time. Add to that the drama of high school, it's enough to drive anyone crazy.

I can't name just one specific thing that made me love this book, there's all these little things or rather, it's everything that makes this a fun read. I started reading it expecting a story revolving around the universal drama of high school cliques and teenage life - best friends, boyfriends, crushes, parents, curfews, parties, first times and all that but Confessions of an Angry Girl had much more than that. To start with, I loved Rose's voice; she's not your typical teenage protagonist. Rose doesn't try to fit in or be cool, which is why I admire her. She's sensible and I found her relatable. While some may argue that she isn't a realistic portrayal of a teenage girl in high school, I'm still on her side.

Confessions of an Angry Girl is also one of the rare books where I liked the secondary characters just as much. Louise Rozett deviated from the stereotypical depiction of high school kids in novels and it was perfect - Robert, despite all the smoking and being ruled by his hormones, is a good guy and a good friend. Jaime is an imperfect boy, which is a breath of fresh air among the perfect, hot jocks that end up being the male lead in contemporaries. Tracy..I expected her to disappear on Rose, being carried away by the cheerleaders, but again, Rozett surprised me.

Confessions of an Angry Girl is not predictable, which is why you should read it. This is a really well written and unique high school/coming-of-age novel and personally, I feel that a one year wait for the next book is unreasonably long. Like I said, I cannot wait to read it!

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Blog Tour : Shards of History by Rebecca Roland (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Shards of History by Rebecca Roland.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Paranormal.
Publication : August 21st 2012 by World Weaver Press.

Like all Taakwa, Malia fears the fierce winged creatures known as Jeguduns who live in the cliffs surrounding her valley. When the river dries up and Malia is forced to scavenge farther from the village than normal, she discovers a Jegudun, injured and in need of help.

Malia’s existence — her status as clan mother in training, her marriage, her very life in the village — is threatened by her choice to befriend the Jegudun. But she’s the only Taakwa who knows the truth: that the threat to her people is much bigger and much more malicious than the Jeguduns who’ve lived alongside them for decades. Lurking on the edge of the valley is an Outsider army seeking to plunder and destroy the Taakwa, and it’s only a matter of time before the Outsiders find a way through the magic that protects the valley — a magic that can only be created by Taakwa and Jeguduns working together.

Now Malia is in a race against time. She must warn the Jeguduns that the Taakwa march against them and somehow convince the Taakwa that their real enemy isn’t who they think it is before the Outsiders find a way into the valley and destroy everything she holds dear.

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Shards of History Blog Tour! I've an excerpt and e-book giveaway for you guys today =)

Excerpt - Recipes from Shards of History (Chapter 2).

Soon Malia neared the spot where the Jegudun had fallen from the sky.
She slowed, scanning the area for any signs of it. Wind rustled aspen
leaves, the only sound other than her soft footfalls. The lack of
animal sounds raised the hairs along the base of her neck.
Something rustled in the tree above her. Malia’s hand flew to her
dagger as she crouched and looked up. A squirrel chattered at her,
then bound along the tree limb. Malia pressed a hand to her chest and
took a deep breath. Her heart raced as if she’d just run uphill. Then
she grinned and shook her head at her reaction, glad nobody had been
around to see her jump at a squirrel.
A few steps later, the aspen opened to a meadow about twenty paces
across. The grass grew as high as Malia’s waist in some spots. Yellow
cinquefoil bloomed along the perimeter. The wind died, and everything
went still.
To Malia’s left lay the Jegudun, a small, human-like figure with
wings. Standing, it would probably be no taller than a five year old
child.
The creature’s face reminded Malia of a wolf. Sharp teeth lined an
elongated snout covered with down, and a short beard clung to its
chin. Its eyes, set forward in its face, were closed, and its tufted
ears, although pointed, seemed relaxed.
Feathers on one side of an outstretched wing melded from light gray
to dark gray on the other side of the wing. Blood covered its right
shoulder.
Feathers gave way to down on its face and barreled chest, but that
was the only thing soft about the Jegudun. It had squat, heavily
muscled legs, and arms separate from its wings. An outstretched,
human-like hand ended in curved, sharp claws that could easily tear
flesh.
The tension in Malia’s muscles eased as she realized the Jegudun was
dead. She imagined those men at the cliffs, facing a horde of these
creatures, and shook her head. She didn’t think she could stand up to
one living Jegudun, much less a bunch of them.
Malia swallowed the knot in her throat and inched forward. She
reached a trembling hand towards the wing. The feathers were soft and
smooth beneath her fingers. Emboldened, she ran her hand along the
forward edge of its wing, moving to its bloody shoulder. Hard muscle
lay beneath the down.
The Jegudun’s other arm whipped around to grab her leg. Claws dug
into her flesh. The creature yanked, toppling her onto her back.
Malia hit the ground hard. She kicked her leg, trying to pull free,
but the Jegudun’s grip was a vise.
It sat up, snarling, showing two rows of sharp teeth. Malia cried
out and fumbled for her dagger, but it was pinned between her hip and
the ground. The Jegudun pulled her towards it, her skin scraping
against the ground. She imagined the creature’s teeth clamping on her
leg and tearing out flesh, or burying its snout into her soft belly
until it reached her intestines. I won’t die this way.

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• Giveaway ends on September 12th, 2012.

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Rebecca Roland lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she writes primarily fantasy and horror. Her short fiction has appeared in Uncle John’s Flush Fiction and in Stupefying Stories, and she is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s usually spending time with her family, torturing patients as a physical therapist, or eating way too much chocolate.

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Naturals (The Lost Souls #2) by Tiffany Truitt

Naturals (The Lost Souls #2)
by Tiffany Truitt.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Dystopia.
Publication : April 9th 2013 by Entangled Teen.

Tess is finally safe from the reach of the Council, now that she is living in the Middlelands with the rebel Isolationists. With James having returned to Templeton, she easily falls back into her friendship with Henry, though her newfound knowledge of Robert’s chosen one status still stings. Even surrounded by people, Tess has never felt more alone. So she’s thrilled when James returns to the settlement, demanding to see Tess — until she finds out that it’s because her sister, Louisa, has been recruited into Tess’s old position at Templeton, and that the dangerously sadistic chosen one George has taken an interest in her.

I find this cover absolutely gorgeous! What do you guys think - you like it/dislike it? Share your thoughts! =)

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The Possibilities of Amy by Jaye Frances (Guest Post + Excerpt + Giveaway)

The Possibilities of Amy by Jaye Frances.
Audience/Genre : (Mature) Young Adult/Contemporary Romance.
Publication : March 17th 2012 (Self-Published).

Amy is the ultimate trophy girl—gorgeous face, killer body, and a vivacious personality. But there’s something else about her, something that makes her even more special. Amy is new. A transfer student from out of state, she’s starting her senior year without knowing a soul. And that means she’s up for grabs, available.

Infatuated from the moment he sees her, David is determined to meet Amy, and if the fates are willing, to spend the rest of his life with her. But his shyness prevents him from approaching her—until his friends devise a contest to determine who will be the first to prove their manhood by seducing her.

I'm happy to have Jaye Frances for the first time at the blog today. Her new novel, Possibilities of Amy, is out on Amazon and she's giving away a digital copy of her book today :) Make sure you scroll down and enter!

Thank you, Anjana, for hosting me today on Kindle and Me with my coming-of-age romance novella, The Possibilities of Amy.

I’m often asked why I write from the male point of view. While the reasons (and the motivation) varies, it was an easy choice to make when I began to develop The Possibilities of Amy. The story was inspired from a very personal experience, one that gave me an interesting perspective on those socially awkward and emotionally-charged years I spent in high school.

During a recent high school reunion, I was approached by a long-forgotten classmate, and even though he seemed familiar, I just couldn’t place him. After a few awkward moments of me asking about which classes we had shared and who some of our mutual friends were, I finally had to admit it—I didn’t remember him.

“That’s okay,” he said. “It’s my fault for not wearing my nametag.”

I felt terrible. He had called me by name, asking me about old boyfriends, reminding me of the pink taffeta dress that was drenched with Coke during a Friday night dance in the cafeteria, and during our junior year, the Saturday afternoon he’d sat behind me in the theater to watch “The Way We Were.” Our conversation quickly moved on to more current topics until it became obvious we’d exhausted both memory and common interests.

And then he said it: “You know, I had a huge crush on you all through high school. I spent more nights than I can remember dialing all the digits of your phone number, except the last one. I was just too shy to ask you out. So I kept hoping we’d bump into each other in the hallway and strike up a conversation, or we’d wind up sitting together in one of those break-out discussions we used to have in English class. But it never happened. And even years later, I still wondered what my life would have been like, if I’d only had a little more courage.”

On the way home, it was all I could think about—how he must have felt, keeping his feelings a secret, especially from me, who had spent more than her share of Saturday nights in front of the TV set, wondering why my friends always seemed to have dates, and I didn’t.

The experience became my inspiration for “Amy, ” written from the perspective of a shy and insecure high school senior guy, who falls for a girl in his English class—a girl who doesn’t even know he’s alive.

Excerpt.

I thought about Pete, at home in his room, getting ready for his date with Amy, going to his dresser to check his supply of condoms, opening his wallet and slipping a fresh one inside.

I quickly closed the book I had been pretending to read, grabbed the rest of my things and stepped through the forward door and out into the hallway. I made a quick right and walked toward the classroom’s rear door—the one Amy usually used. If I timed it perfectly, I would be able to “accidentally” bump into her, and after a quick apology, I could unleash my rehearsed small-talk.

The hallway was choked with bodies, all moving at the same sedentary pace. What if I’d already missed her? I maneuvered toward the middle, looking for her blonde hair.

Someone tugged on my shirtsleeve. I brushed it off, not wanting to take the time to turn around.

“Hey, what’s your hurry?”

She sounded familiar, like . . . Amy. For a brief moment, I wondered if my imagination—my desperate need to talk to her—was leading me to color someone else’s voice with expectation.

“Wait up a sec.”

This time I was sure. I stopped and turned around. Amy was standing so close—almost touching—that I started to back away. I caught myself and held my ground, hoping she didn’t notice.

I raced through my inventory of words and phrases, attempting to recall what I had memorized, desperate to get them in order. “I didn’t know you were behind me.” It was the best I could do. I half-expected her to roll her eyes and walk away.

“I don’t want to make you late for your next class,” she began. “I just wanted you to know I liked what you said.” She let a single fingertip find my arm and I felt a rush of air expand my chest. “It made a lot of sense,” she added. “Especially when it’s so hard to understand anything that goes on in that class.”

“I should have introduced myself earlier. I’m Dave.”

She nodded. “Amy.”

I have to say something clever and interesting. I have to ask questions, about where she used to live. I should ask her if she likes it here. No, that’s wrong. Backwards. She’s talking specifics—about the discussion we had in class.

“I hope I don’t disappoint you, but I’m not really into Shakespeare.” Why the hell did I say that? I sound like I’m not interested, like I’m trying to blow her off. I smiled nervously and shrugged. “In fact, today’s probably the first time I’ve ever thought about it. And . . . ” I held the pause intentionally, to sound sincere, “I think it’s because you asked.”

She smiled and leaned forward, then retreated, as we both realized our bodies had briefly touched. My breathing quickened into shallow drafts.

“I just thought it was unusual,” she said, “mature really, to consider a relationship in that way.”

“You caught me on a good day. Normally, I don’t have much to say.” It came out too fast and sounded a little forced.

“I’ve only been here for a couple of weeks, and—”

She stopped, distracted by someone tapping her on the shoulder. She turned to speak to him, and the change on my face had to be obvious—like a brilliantly lit Christmas tree turning cold and dark with the flip of a switch.

He was dragging out their conversation, not letting her go. I stood there like a stray dog, waiting for them to finish, painfully aware of the passing time—of every second lost—while her attention was focused on someone else.

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• Giveaway ends on September 1st, 2012.

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Jaye Frances is the author of the paranormal-occult romance "The Kure", the first novel in "The Kure" series, "The Possibilities of Amy," a New-Adult/Mature YA coming-of-age story about a high school senior forced to choose between alignment with his peer group and protecting his new love interest, "The Cruise - All That Glitters," a satire on romance with an edgy, humorous take about a single man taking his first cruise, hoping for a shipboard romance - or his version of it, and "The Beach," a sci-fi fantasy about a man who has the opportunity to be granted a wish, and is horrified when he lives to see it come true.

Jaye is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life's destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent. When not consumed by her writing, she enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and "beachy", and taking pictures-lots of pictures-many of which wind up on her website.

She currently lives on the central gulf coast of Florida with her husband, sharing their home with six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

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Cover Reveal : Conjure (The Hoodoo Apprentice #1) by Lea Nolan (Giveaway)

Conjure (The Hoodoo Apprentice #1) by Lea Nolan.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Paranormal.
Publication : September 24th 2012 by Entangled Publishing, LLC.

Be careful what you search for...

Sixteen-year-old twins Emma and Jack Guthrie hope for a little summer adventure when they find an eighteenth-century message in a bottle revealing a hidden pirate treasure. With their best friend—and Emma's secret crush—Cooper Beaumont, they discover the treasure, and accidentally unleash an ancient Gullah Hoodoo curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching eighteenth birthday. Determined to save the two people she loves the most, Emma apprentices herself to an elderly sea island hoodoo root doctor who agrees to teach her the magic to undo the hex while she works to unravel the riddle of the pirate’s message.

With the clock ticking down to Cooper’s birthday and Jack turning into a walking skeleton, Emma must hone her new skills to conjure visions of the past to discover the curse’s origins, steal an antique ruby, battle a horde of terrifying demon dogs, and summon ancient spirits who can help set things right before it’s too late.

What do you guys think? Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway being hosted by Lea! Rafflecopter's below =)

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Blog Tour : Tall, Dark, and Divine by Jenna Bennett (Interview + Giveaway)

Tall, Dark, and Divine by Jenna Bennett.
Audience/Genre : Adult/Contemporary,Paranormal-ish Romance.
Publication : July 20th 2012 by Entangled Publishing: Covet.

Eros, the Greek god of love, swore off the useless emotion after his ex ran off with some Viking godling. He's lost all interest in his matchmaking business, Made in Heaven, until he spots the sweet baker who works across the street. Before she stirs his sullen heart, he'll match her and get back to his ambrosia-laced wine in no time.

Lonely baker Annie Landon has given up on finding Mr. Right. What she needs is Mr. Right Here, Right Now, and this so-called “Greek God” she’s heard is on the rebound sounds exactly like the perfect kind of distraction. But picking up the bitter, workaholic is easier said than done…especially when he seems unreasonably determined to match her with someone else.

Can a woman looking for love—and the matchmaking god who wants her to find it with someone else—have a shot at a happy ending? May the best god—or mortal—win.

I’ve an interview with Jenna Bennett, author of Tall, Dark and Divine (from Entangled Publishing) and a lot of other books, for you guys today. It’s Jenna’s first time on Kindle and Me and I’m excited to have her here. Thank you, Jenna, for taking the time out to answer my questions!

What inspired Tall, Dark and Divine? How did the idea for it come about?

Originally, the idea for the story came from a life-long love of mythology in all forms and from reading the Lords of the Underworld books by Gena Showalter. I love the Lords of the Underworld, but there’s no denying they’re a bit... dark, I guess. I don’t really do dark, not for long, so I had the idea for a light and funny paranormal series about Eros and his matchmaking agency in Astoria, Queens, New York, where I lived in my twenties. And then it went from there, with Eros doing his best to match Annie while all the while fighting his own attraction for her.

If you had to describe your Annie and Eros’ relationship in one word, what would it be?

Sweet. Or maybe hot. Or funny. It’s hard to describe something in just one word. Especially for a writer.

Could you name some of your favorite authors?

With pleasure. But fair warning, it’s a long list. I write, and read, in a wide variety of genres. I already mentioned Gena Showalter. Jennifer Crusie. Elizabeth Peters. Julia Spencer-Fleming. Ngaio Marsh. Misa Ramirez. Lois McMaster Bujold. Linnea Sinclair. Suzanne Brockmann. Josh Lanyon. Terry Pratchett. J.K. Rowling.

What is the book that you’re reading right now/last read?

I read Misa Ramirez’s Deceiving the Witch Next Door last week, and really enjoyed it. I’ve been working my way through some of Stephanie Bond’s recently re-released out of print romantic mysteries and having a great time; Kill the Competition was particularly good, I thought. Top of the TBR pile right now is Heather Graham’s The Unholy. I love ghost stories!

What’s your favorite quote from a book?

Not my own? Let’s see... “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are, Harry. It is our choices.” From, IIRC, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I’m also partial to, “Why bother with a cunning plan when a simple one will do?” Nobby Nobbs, from Terry Pratchett’s Thud!

Which do you prefer : Mac or Windows?

I usually work on a PC. Hewlett-Packard. But I must admit I love my iPad. It’s harder to write on, though. But I enjoy carrying it around. :)

Chick flicks or Chick lits?

Oh, lits. I don’t watch much TV or many movies. I just read a lot. Definitely lits.

Bad Boy or Prince Charming?

Bad boy. Definitely. Eros falls more into the category of Prince Charming, I think, so I do occasionally write about them, too. But I do like a good bad boy. Eros’s best friend, Dionysus, Greek god of wine and debauchery, tops the list at the moment. I can’t wait to give Dion his own book!

Any other books planned? If yes, can you tell us a bit about them?

Lots of books planned! I hope to be able to continue the Tall & Dark series with a few more installments. There’s Dion, of course. I’m thinking maybe Tall, Dark and Devastating? Then there’s Adonis – Tall, Dark and Delicious – and Alastor, the minor god of vengeance – Tall, Dark and Dangerous, or maybe Deadly – and even Harry Mitchell: Tall, Dark and Dull.

Aside from that, I have the sixth Do It Yourself home renovation mystery from Berkley Prime Crime, Wall to Wall Dead, hitting stores September 4th. Entangled Indulgence is publishing a contemporary category romance of mine called Friends with Benefits on October 15th. And on November 13th, the first in my science fiction romance series, Fortune’s Hero, will be released.

At the moment, I’m halfway through writing the 2nd SFR, Fortune’s Honor, and I’m hoping to be able to finish that and squeeze in one more book this year – maybe another Tall & Dark, maybe a sequel to Friends With Benefits – but we’ll see. There are only so many hours in the day. But December is looking so bare without a release.

Thanks very much for having me here; I appreciate it!

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• Giveaway ends on August 31st, 2012.

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Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Verse Novel, Contemporary.
Publication : August 1st 2012 by Stephanie Parent.

Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other…until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play’s theme of love at first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don’t always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed’s comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd—and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes—but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia’s and Reed’s families even farther apart…and Julia must decide whether she’s willing to give up everything for love.

Defy the Stars is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel’s combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and form that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare’s play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.

Stephanie Parent, newly self-published author of Defy the Stars is providing us with an excerpt of her new novel and a giveaway of her e-book and $5 Amazon giftcard today! So check it out =)

Excerpt.

A quiet morning,

an empty practice room,

and Chopin’s first Ballade—

this is the best part of my day.

I’m done with the dull scales and arpeggios, the thorny
new Czerny étude, and as always—at least since November’s
auditions—I end my practice session with Chopin.

Two months ago, I played this Ballade before tables of stern
judges, knowing they held my future in their furiously
scribbling pens, and I really don’t need to practice it anymore—

—but I do, every day, because it feels like welcoming home
an old friend. The trills and flourishes are so familiar
by now, they flow from my fingers with little effort.

And that feeling—the music carrying me along, as though I’m
swept up by a current on a gentle, sun-warmed sea—reminds me
why I love piano so much, why all the hard work is worth it.

More than that, the Ballade reminds me that I can play,
that I may not be a prodigy worthy of Juilliard, but I
nailed this piece at my auditions.

Two months from now, I’m sure, at least one acceptance letter
will be on its way to my mailbox, offering me a place at a good
music conservatory—Oberlin or Eastman, or even the Peabody.

By next fall, I’ll be miles away from Fairvern, from
Mom’s charity balls and Dad’s business dinners. From
the exhausting rounds of who-likes-who, the endless
drama that fills up the equally infinite hours of high school.

Good-bye to calculus, chemistry, world history; hello to Chopin,
Copland, Tchaikovsky. I’ll be learning what matters to me,
surrounded by other people who get it—it being music, obviously—
and for the first time in my life, I’ll feel like I’m really part of something.


I just have to make it through this last semester of high
school…

…and then my future will begin.

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• Giveaway ends on August 31st, 2012.

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Stephanie Parent is a YA author repped by Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major.

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Blog Tour : Deceiving the Witch Next Door by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez (Interview + Giveaway)

Deceiving the Witch Next Door by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez.
Audience/Genre : Adult/Paranormal, Romance.
Publication : July 20th 2012 by Entangled Publishing (Covet).

Storie Bell has a little secret—she’s a witch. But magic hasn’t exactly kept her life from being a complete mess—her love life is non-existent and the town thinks she’s a total nutter. Plus there’s her neighbor Reid Malone who runs hot one minute and cold the next.

Reid Malone can’t wait to escape Bloomington, Texas. Unfortunately, he’s stuck where he is unless he helps his father hide a very illegal secret. The only key to Reid’s freedom lies with the eccentric Storie…and he’ll do whatever it takes to get the information he needs from her.

But Reid’s holding something back. Something big. And if he’s not careful, he’ll find out exactly what happens when you try to deceive a witch…

I’m excited to have Melissa Bourbon Ramirez, author of a lot of awesome books, including her latest novel Deceiving the Witch Next Door (from Entangled Publishing), here again today. Thanks Melissa!

Can you tell us a bit about Deceiving the Witch Next Door? What inspired the story?

Thanks for having me here! Deceiving the Witch Next Door is a fun, short contemporary romance with a little paranormal twist. It’s about a witch, Storie Bell, and the bar owner next door, Reid Malone. They had an encounter twelve years prior to Storie returning to Bloomington, Texas, and now things are heating up between them—in more ways than one!

Is Storie’s personality based on you or someone you know?

It was actually inspired by a bookshop called the Storiebook Café in the small town of Glen Rose, Texas. There’s a real Storie, too! I loved her and her shop, spent time there, and the idea grew from there. My imagination took over ☺

How does your writing process work? Do you plan the story/chapters out in advance or do you think of the plot as you write?

That depends on the project. I try to write everyday, although that doesn’t always happen. I have a general plot with an idea of where the story will go. As I write, the details flesh out and the story gains depth and interest.

What is the book that you’re reading right now/last read?

I’m currently reading Ain’t Misbehaving, by Molly Cannon. It’s a really fun Southern contemporary romance. Think Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Loving it!

Any favorite movies/TV shows?

Of course! I love SMASH, THE NEWSROOM, 24, and SUPERNATURAL The occasional CAKE BOSS is fun, too, and I’m a sucker for The Food Network.

What’s your favorite quote from a book?

“After all, tomorrow is another day.” ~Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind. I have a necklace (which I happen to be wearing right now!) with that quote on it.

Do you prefer writing in a first person's point of view or
third?

They’re pretty different from each other. Most of what I write (my Lola Cruz Mysteries and my Magical Dressmaking Mysteries) are all first person, but a few more recent romances are 3rd and I’m really enjoying them! I think it’s a toss up, and I love that I can go back and forth.

All your books so far have been targeted toward adults. Do you see yourself writing for a different audience, maybe young adult, in the future?

I actually began my career with a children’s picture book. It’s out of print now, but helped me catch the fire! I have several middle grade projects in progress. If I ever have time, I may continue to work on them, but right now I’m busy and happy with what I’m doing ☺

Any other books planned? If yes, can you tell us a bit about them?

Always more books planned! I’m currently working on book 4 in the Magical Dressmaking Mystery series. Book 3, Deadly Patterns, comes out in October, and book 4 will be early summer 2013. I have the next Lola Cruz Mystery sometime later in 2013, the 2nd romantic suspense in my Deadly Legends trilogy, Curse of Passion, to come out in spring of 2013, and then next book in the COVET series (with Astrid, Storie Bell’s sister) coming in the middle of 2013.

So lots to write!!

Thanks for having me. I love your love of books, and hope you enjoyed Deceiving the Witch Next Door!

Giveaway Terms and Conditions :

• Giveaway is International.
  
• Prize is an e-book copy of the book.
  
• The Author/Publisher is responsible to ensure that the winner gets the prize.
  
• Giveaway ends on 27th August, 2012.

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Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams. She is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox and two romantic suspense novels to be released in 2012.

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Inbetween (Kissed by Death #1) by Tara A. Fuller

Inbetween (Kissed by Death #1) by Tara A. Fuller.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Paranormal Romance.
Publication : August 28th 2012 by Entangled Teen.

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Honestly, I don't even know how to begin.

Lately, every paranormal novel I've read seems to be a cliche but Tara Fuller completely surprised me. Scratch that, she blew me away. Inbetween is a love story; epic, timeless love story which has been pulled off perfectly only a handful of times in YA novels. With all the fluff that I've come across in the paranormal genre lately, while I expected Inbetween to be an engrossing novel, I didn't expect to be sucked in as much as I did.

The story begins with Finn, a reaper of the Inbetween - a place between Heaven and Hell where some souls wander until they get sorted into one of the two places or be born again - going to collect a soul at a car crash. What he didn't see coming was the girl in the accident to be the love of his life afterlife, Allison, re-incarnated.

First off, I've read a few reaper stories and I loved Tara's take on them. Although the story focused more on the characters, the world-building's unique and so different from the other reaper stories that I've read. The concept of an 'Inbetween' area between Heaven and Hell made this book stand out from all the rest. Throw in the forbidden and intense love story, I'm hooked.

The characters, God, where do I begin? I'm attached to all of them. Easton is like Jughead from the Archie comics - he watches from the sidelines, he's friends with all the main characters and he has his significant role to play but it's subtle and he adds to the entertainment. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense right now.
As for Cash, I spent the first 150 pages not knowing who to root for, Cash or Finn, because I'm completely crushing on Cash right now. Finn might be the Romeo of this book but Cash is like..Adrian from VA - the guy you're going to swoon over even though you know that she's not going to end up with him. I noticed that this is a series and I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that the next one is about Cash and Anaya because while I loved Finn, I have a soft spot for a bad boy who's messed up and trying to figure himself out. Besides, he's adorable. You'd love him too.


Cash rolled his eyes "I always knew there was something wrong with you. Now turn around so I don't ruin you for other men."


Tara's added humour made this book complete. The Justin Beiber and Judy Blume references, along with the witty dialogues had me snorting quite a few times.

"Screw you. You're the one haunting a high school student."
"I'm not haunting her. I'm protecting her."

Inbetween has found itself a place on my favourites shelf and like I said, I can't wait to read the next book. It's an intense, emotional love story with an engaging plot, interesting world-building, wonderful writing and excellent supporting characters. This is one of those extremely rare books where the author has done everything right. Frankly, Tara Fuller just restored my faith in the genre; Inbetween gives me hope that there're still some good young adult paranormal romance stories out there (emphasis on the romance. Really, it's that good).
Fans of paranormal romance novels like Twilight (but with much better writing and smarter characters) and Fallen will enjoy this (I think)!

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Random Giveaway!

Hey awesome people!

Okay, I've some left over money from the Summer Book Talk giveaways so I've decided to have a random giveaway for you guys. Just to show my love.
P.S. Commenters, I love you a little bit more than the rest.

Prize.

Book of your choice.

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• Giveaway is International as long as The Book Depository ships to you.
  
• Winner has 36 hours to respond or a new one will be picked.
  
• Giveaway ends on August 31st, 2012.

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Cover Reveal : Wicked Sense (Singularity, #1) by Fabio Bueno

Wicked Sense (Singularity, #1) by Fabio Bueno.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Paranormal.
Publication : August 9th 2012 by Booklings Publishing.

Witches inhabit our world, organized in covens and hiding behind a shroud of secrecy—the Veil.

Skye’s London coven sends her to Seattle’s Greenwood High to find the Singularity, an unusually gifted witch who may break the Veil and trigger a dangerous new era of witch-hunting. Things get complicated when Skye meets a charming new classmate, Drake. Skye’s job becomes even trickier when she clashes with Jane, an intimidating rival witch.

Drake falls for the mysterious Skye, but odd accidents, potion mix-ups, and the occasional brush with death kind of get in the way of romance. Once he discovers Skye is a witch, he goes to war for her, even though his only weapons are a nice set of abs and a sharp sense of humor.

Fighting off wicked Jane and the other dark forces hell-bent on seizing the Singularity's immense power, Skye and Drake will risk everything to save the covens.

Going on a date has never been harder.

What do you think?

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Wrong Bed, Right Guy by Katee Robert

Wrong Bed, Right Guy by Katee Robert.
Audience/Genre : Adult/Romance.
Publication : July 20th 2012 by Entangled Publishing.

Seducing Mr. Wrong has never felt so right...

Prim and proper art gallery coordinator Elle Walser is no good at seducing men. Heck, she’s been throwing hints at her boss for months, but he’s completely clueless. Desperate to escape her mother’s matchmaking efforts, she comes up with a plan—buy some lingerie and climb into her boss’s bed. The plan goes brilliantly…until she accidentally seduces a sexy stranger instead.

Bad boy nightclub mogul Gabe Schultz just had the best almost-sex of his life. Too bad the smoking hot blonde thought he was his brother and bolted before he could finish what they started. Though her holier-than-thou attitude puts a serious damper on his mood, Gabe’s never been one to give up on something he wants. And he wants Elle. But does a man who lives on the dark side really have a chance with a proper lady?

Elle Walser is not exactly experienced when it comes to men. She hasn't been with a guy in ages; she's crushing on her boss, Nathan, and he has no idea. Finally, Elle's dry spell becomes so bad that even her mother gets desperate and tries to set her up with someone. Determined to change things, Elle comes up with a plan to make Nathan see her differently; she decides to dress up in sexy lingerie and seduce him. Yeah, clearly not a very good or well-thought of plan but that's not the worst of it. Getting confused in the dark, Elle ends up seducing the wrong guy - Nathan's brother Gabe.

I spent the first ten minutes of this book laughing so hard! Talk about an imperfect plan. The book had such a hot, funny and amusing start that I was hooked; things just went up from there.
I found Elle adorable and got embarrassed for her. As for Gabe, ah, he's total hotness. I'm not kidding, he had my heart racing right from the beginning. I'll say this - Katee can create one helluva hero.
Okay, sure, the bad boy and good girl story has been done plenty of times before but with Elle and Gabe, you could feel the chemistry between them! Katee Roberts' witty dialogues and the sizzling chemistry between the characters is perfect for when you're looking for a happy and bold romance; a story that's out of the ordinary.

Overall, Wrong Bed, Right Guy was such a cute read! Not your usual, sweet love story; this has fun written all over it.

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Intentions by Deborah Heiligman

Intentions by Deborah Heiligman.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Contemporary.
Publication : August 14th 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Rachel thought she was grown up enough to accept that no one is perfect. Her parents argue, her grandmother has been acting strangely, and her best friend doesn't want to talk to her. But none of that could have prepared her for what she overheard in her synagogue's sanctuary.

Now Rachel's trust in the people she loves is shattered, and her newfound cynicism leads to reckless rebellion. Her friends and family hardly recognize her, and worse, she can hardly recognize herself. But how can the adults in her life lecture her about acting with kavanah, intention, when they are constantly making such horribly wrong decisions themselves? This is a witty, honest account of navigating the daunting line between losing innocence and entering adulthood—all while figuring out who you really want to be.

Intentions was such a messy read!

I spent the first five minutes trying to figure out what on earth was going on and the next ten minutes wondering why the protagonist just wouldn't stop talking about the Rabbi. The first 20 pages of this book had me thinking that the whole book was about the Rabbi, which, it's not.

Okay, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Let me explain, Intentions does not feel like you're starting at the beginning of the story; it makes you like you were thrown right in the middle of a crazy carnival and you're just trying to figure out what the heck is happening around you. You'd think that feeling would go away after some time but nope, it lasts you through the entire novel.

To begin with, I couldn't stand the protagonist, Rachel. I'm going to blame the writing because I don't think I've met such a random (not in a good way) character. There were times when I felt like the author Rachel was going for funny by trying to write, what she assumed, was the way teenage girls think but really, it just didn't work for me. The girl's thoughts and the story jumps from one random event to another and it's all so abrupt that a lot of times, nothing really makes sense.

But.

(Yeah, there's a but).

I get the idea for the story. Normally, despite the messiness, this book would've made an entertaining read as the plot doesn't completely suck. It's about a teenage girl trying to deal with what's happening around her and obviously, things don't go well. I just wish it was written better. Maybe if the author traded the protagonist for a sane better one, added more pages in between chapters to fill the gaps (so it doesn't feel so abrupt and random), Intentions would've got a higher rating from me.

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Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Dystopia.
Publication : August 28th 2012 by Balzer + Bray.

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

3.5 Stars.

Set in a dystopian world (slightly along the lines of a post-apocalyptic setting),Defiance begins with Rachel, waiting for her father's return at the gates of the city of Baalboden but he doesn't show up, causing the leader of the city to declare him dead. However, Rachel believes that her father is still alive and refuses to give up; so along with her newly assigned Protector, Logan, she tries to figure out a way to reach her father.

My review's going to be pretty simple.
Redwine's writing is excellent and on the powerful side. The characters are strong and even the story is fast-paced and gripping. That's all that's usually needed. Rachel is a really strong protagonist and Logan's is definitely hot and at certain times, even adorable.
If you're new to the dystopian genre, you'd rate Defiance 4/5 or heck, even 5/5. It's everything that someone looks for in a YA novel.

However, I was a little disappointed - not with the writing or the story itself but my problem was mostly just that the basic storyline for Defiance is nothing new. There's an evil man, a strong girl and hot guy who plays the protector (in this book, literally). There's also other dystopian elements that pose danger to the people; in the case of Defiance it was the Cursed One. To put it simply, I was bored and I wanted more. It's too similar to various other young adult novels in the genre.
I know, I know, I sound contradictory but like I said, the book is good, I just wanted something new. I guess I was in the mood to read a novel that would blow me away but it didn't happen.

Also, like I said, Logan's hot and all but I would've liked the romance better if I got to watch Logan and Rachel's relationship grow from scratch - the first time they meet. They already knew each other, there was already chemistry and all that and C.J.Redwine certainly pulled it off but I just didn't get as attached to the characters as I could have.

I should probably mention that it wasn't all predictable, Redwine still added some elements that I haven't come across in other novels much, such as the tech stuff/gadgets. That was cool.

Oh well, having said that - Defiance is good, people. It's better than good, if you're new to the genre. If you're not, depending on whether you're okay with reading the usual YA dystopian stuff or you're looking for something new, you might love it or you might just like it. Don't worry, there's no way in hell that you'll dislike this novel. Either way, definitely worth a read!

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Facebook!

Heya,


Happy Monday everyone =P

Seemed like it was about time the blog had a Facebook page, makes it easier to share posts, giveaways, IMMs (because I'm really, really lazy) and other bookish randomness. So please, show me and the blog some love and go on and like us? I've made it easy for you and everything! Thank You! ♥

The Affair (Jack Reacher #16) by Lee Child (Giveaway)

The Affair (Jack Reacher #16) by Lee Child.
Audience/Genre : Adult/Mystery,Crime,Thriller.
Publication : September 1st 2011 by Bantam.

Everything starts somewhere. . . .For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A cover up. A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington. Reacher is ordered undercover—to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control. Local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux has a thirst for justice—and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust one another, Reacher and Deveraux reluctantly join forces. Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his mission, and turn him into a man to be feared.

Thanks to Random House India, I've a giveaway of NYT Best Seller Lee Child's new novel The Affair for you guys today! So go on and enter!

Giveaway Terms and Conditions :

• Giveaway is India Only.
  
• Random House India is responsible to ensure that the winner gets the prize.
  
• Winner has 36 hours to respond or a new one will be picked.
  
• Giveaway ends on August 22th, 2012.

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Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight #1) by Darynda Jones (Interview + Giveaway)

Hey!

Okay, I'm sure most of you already know the awesomeness of Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson anyone?) but if you haven't read her adult series yet, you probably don't know that her first YA novel, Death and the Girl Next Door, is out this year.

Well, I'm so, so excited to have Darynda on the blog today! Make sure you read the interview because there's a giveaway following that =)

Thanks a bunch Darynda, for answering my interview questions!


Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight, #1) by Darynda Jones.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/ Paranormal.
Publication : October 2nd 2012 by St. Martin's Press.

From the author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right — a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors.

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real?

Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

Interview with Darynda Jones.

I have to ask this first - how do you come up with your book titles? They’re all so catchy!

Thank you! For a long time I just called Dead People. LOL. I had no title. I wanted something fun and yet a little dark and I wanted something that let the reader know which book in the series it was. So I decided on using ordinal numbers, i.e. first, second, etc. That’s when First Grave on the Right hit me. It was funny and yet spoke of death at the same time. With Charley being the grim reaper, I thought it was perfect.

My YA series went through several different titles. It was first called Riley’s Switch, which is the name of the fiction town the series is set in. Then it was called Grimsight, but my editor didn’t really like it. Death and the Girl Next Door was actually the brainchild of a friend of mine’s. I absolutely loved it, presented it to my editor, and she loved it too.

How did the idea for Death and The Girl Next Door come about? Was there a specific inspiration?

I actually wrote that manuscript years ago, long before First Grave. I have written young adult forever and wanted to get back to it. I wanted to venture into the paranormal world and the story hit me one day. I just thought, how cool would it be if Death went to high school?

If you had to pick three words that best describe Death and The Girl Next Door, what would they be?

Fun, action-packed, sexy.

Tell us a bit about Lorelei, is she as sassy as Charley?

She definitely has her sassy moments, but she’s not quite as sarcastic as Charley. Then again, she has two best friends, Brooklyn and Glitch, who help her out with that.

Have any of your characters been inspired/based on someone you know in real life?

I do actually use people I know in real life as physical inspiration quite often. It makes it easier to envision my characters. But for most of the characters in DATGND, I just used my imagination. Still, there is a set of twins, Ashlee and Sydnee, who are based on two of my nieces.

How does your writing process work? Do you usually have almost everything organized and planned out before you start writing the novel or do you go where your mind takes you as you write?

I have about 85% of the books planned out beforehand. I throw in extra stuff as I go, but I MUST know where the story is headed before I start writing it. I always know exactly how it’s going to end and often write my endings first.

How many books are you planning in The Darklight series?

The Darklight series will be a trilogy: Death and the Girl Next Door; Death, Doom and Detention; and Death and Other Distracations.

Lastly, what’s your favorite book of all time?

No! That’s too hard. Okay, I am going to have to say it’s a tie between Lover Awakened by JR Ward and The Duke and I by Julia Quinn.

Thank you so much for having me!!!!

Giveaway Terms and Conditions :

• Giveaway is International as long as The Book Depository ships to you.
  
• Winner has 36 hours to respond or a new one will be picked.
  
• Giveaway ends on August 22nd, 2012.

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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones won the 2009 Golden Heart® in the paranormal category for her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. After the Golden Heart final, she pimped herself as best she could, landed an amazing agent and has sold 8 books to St. Martin's Press. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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Blog Tour : Foretold (The Demon Trappers #4) by Jana Oliver (Interview + Giveaway + Review + Excerpt)

I'm going to go all fan girl today. I absolutely LOVE The Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver and it's pretty much an honour to host her on my blog today. I've tons of awesome stuff for you guys, thanks to Dark Mind Book Tours and Jana, including an INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! Okay, sorry about the caps, I'm just really excited.
Sooo, check it out!

Foretold (The Demon Trappers #4) by Jana Oliver.
Audience/Genre : Young Adult/Paranormal.
Publication : August 2nd 2012 by Macmillan Children's Books (UK), December, 2012 (US).

Stand by as Riley prepares to kick some serious demon butt for the last time in this thrilling, dramatic and sexy conclusion to The Demon Trappers series.

Riley’s always known that Beck had a chequered history, but she’s not prepared for what it actually means to be in love with a guy with this many dark secrets. Now that he’s finally admitted to himself that he’s in love with her too, there’s no more hiding the truth about his past. And as it turns out, fending off a demon apocalypse is nothing compared to what’s to come...

The Demon Trappers has got to be one of the best young adult paranormal series out there and the word 'sad' isn't enough to describe how I felt when I was done with Foretold.

Before I go on with my review, you guys should know that I'm going to be biased because as I said, according to me, this series is seriously one of the best out there! The book started off a little slow, with the early chapters focusing mainly on Beck and his past, but watching his relationship with Riley grow totally made up for the initial (lack of) pace . Beck's one of the hottest (realistic too) guys in YA fiction and personally, I loved getting to know him better,especially his vulnerable side.

Anyway, that's just the beginning; Jana Oliver has written yet another awesome book in the series with a kick-ass plot, making Foretold impossible to put down.
For those of you who love this series for the fantastic world building and a storyline that gives you an adrenaline rush - you won't be disappointed. There's a lot of action, twists and awesomeness in Foretold, just as with all the other books in The Demon Trappers series. Jana wrapped everything up perfectly, despite the tiny details that were left unexplained. I'm not sure if I've said this before but Jana's version of Lucifer is really one of the coolest I've come across.

I'm the type of reader who lives the story through the characters so I hope you get me when I say that I kind of don't want this to be the end because I just can't get enough.

Foretold is a wonderful and amazing conclusion to a phenomenal series. If you haven't read it yet, you really shouldn't wait any longer!

Excerpt.

After the events in South Georgia, Riley returns to Atlanta and the classroom.

FORETOLDJana Oliver.

The old Starbucks’ parking lot was nearly full up by the time Riley pulled in and, to her relief, she was a few minutes early despite all her fretting about being late. Harper had been right – finding a Klepto-Fiend in the middle of a peach producers’ convention had been anything but a slam dunk. Three hours in she’d finally caught the little fiend as it’d slowed down long enough to collect some glittering peach pins at one of the producer’s booths. On the plus side she’d scored four jars of peach preserves. Those would be yummy on Mrs Ayers’s homemade scones.

Peter sauntered over the moment she exited her car.

‘The wandering Riley returns,’ he said. ‘And look, no gator bites, either.’
A magnificent bruise encircled his left eye, shading from brown to green.

‘Peter! What happened?’ she demanded.

‘Your stalkery ex said something I didn’t like and I told him to jam his head up his butt. It didn’t end well.’

‘Alan? I warned you he’d get even,’ she said. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about this?’
‘You had enough going on down south – you didn’t need to know about my problems.’

Getting in Alan’s face felt like a plan right now. He couldn’t hit her best friend and not incur her wrath. Riley’s eyes swept the various knots of students as they clustered around talking or texting before class began.

‘So where is the jerk?’ she asked.

‘He’s suspended until Thursday. I only got a warning.’

There was only one reason Peter might receive that.

‘You hit him back?’

‘Sure did,’ he said, holding up his skinned knuckles as evidence. ‘My dad gave me props once he heard what happened. He said he was proud of me, but it had to be top secret so Mom doesn’t come unstuck.’ He waggled an eyebrow. ‘Simi thinks I’m cool because of it.’

‘She’s just jealous of your hair,’ Riley replied, pleased her barista friend had finally begun to take Peter’s interest seriously.

‘Maybe, but she thinks I’m so cool we’re going to the dance together.’
That works. Simi would encourage his wilder side while he mellowed her out. Then the other part of his statement registered.

‘What dance?’ Riley asked, hefting her backpack on a sore shoulder. Her muscles still felt as if someone had stomped them into a pulp.

‘It’s the annual citywide “dress like an adult” thing. It’s this Saturday.’ Peter fell in step next to her as they walked towards the building.

‘You mean the prom?’ Of course he did.

With the school system bankrupt, the dances were sponsored by local businesses. To accommodate all the kids in the city, there were a series of proms and it appeared theirs was going to be way early this year.

A pang of envy shot through her. She would have loved to go, but . . .
‘You guys have fun.’ She would probably be trapping smelly demons in a MARTA station or in the bowels of Demon Central.

‘You can come, you know,’ Peter suggested. ‘I’m sure I could spare a dance for you.’

‘No. It’s . . . It wouldn’t feel right.’

‘So ask Beck to the dance.’

‘What?’ she sputtered. ‘No. Not happening.’

‘Ah, I got it. You’re chicken. You’ll take on a horde of demons, but when it comes to the one guy you’re really hot for—’

Riley glowered at him. ‘Don’t. Go. There. The subject is closed, Mr King.’

Peter raised his hands in surrender. ‘Whoa, you are grouchy. I was looking forward to seeing you . . . why?’

‘You don’t understand. It’s complicated with me and Beck.’

‘Buzzz!’ he said. ‘It’s totally simple: You guys have to stop being idiots. You’re driving each other crazy along with the rest of us.’



FORETOLD © 2012 – Jana Oliver (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Interview With Jana Oliver...

I’m THRILLED to have Jana Oliver on the blog today. I’m a huge, HUGE fan of her Demon Trappers series and I can’t thank her or Dark Mind Book Tours enough for letting me be a part of this blog tour.

Thank you, Jana, for taking the time out to answer my questions!

This probably isn’t a question I should ask for the final book in the series but I have to know – how did the idea for The Demon Trappers world even come about?

The concept came from a number of sources, beginning with Good Omens (Pratchett and Gaiman), a curious tale of an angel and a demon trying to prevent the end of the world. I’d wanted to write a classic urban fantasy for some time, having fallen in love with Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels Series. As the ideas kept tumbling around in my mind, I found that Riley Blackthorne had a tale to tell so I stuck the poor girl in the middle of Heaven and Hell and the result was the Demon Trappers Series.

How do you decide on your characters’ personalities? Take Riley, for example, is she based on someone you know in real life?

The majority of the characters aren’t based on anyone in the real world. Riley and Beck are their own folks, though I’m sure I’m woven in bits of other people I know without realizing it. The only two characters that have something in common with the real world are Ayden (the witch) and Chris Jackson (the demon trapper). Even then, I had to be careful what I wrote as I didn’t want to 1) annoy them or 2) find myself in court for libel. Which is why I prefer to dream up characters rather than basing them on real folks.

If you had to describe Riley in 3 words, what would they be?

Tenacious, brave and smart.

Could you name a few of your favorite paranormal books/authors?

I’m a huge fan of Jim Butcher, Terry Pratchett, Ilona Andrews, Kevin Hearne, Ben Aaronovitch, to name a few. In the young adult world, Suzanne Collins rocks, but then I doubt many readers will argue with me about that.

If you could live in any city in the world, which one would it be?

That’s a toughie. I like Atlanta a lot. I think Chicago is wonderful, but they have real winters there. I’ve very fond of London, but for limited periods of time. After about a week I feel the desire to take off into the countryside to get away from the noise and bustle. So if I had a chance, I’d probably opt for living an hour or so outside of London and then I could commute in whenever the need arose.

How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?

I read a lot, watch murder mysteries (I’m seriously hooked on those) and if I get a chance, I do some photography.

Who’s your favorite character from The Demon Trappers series and why?

It’s a close tie between Riley and Beck. I really like Riley’s steel backbone, how she doesn’t back down from a challenge. She is an awesome young lady. Beck I love because he is so wounded and yet he’s out trying to make things better for himself. That sheer strength of character always awes me, even when it’s in a fictional character.

Could you tell us one of your favorite quotes from a book?

“It’s still magic even if you know how it’s done. –Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky.

I’m insanely sad that this is the last book in The Demon Trapper series. Do you have any plans for another book/series?

I have plans for a few standalone novels in the near future and if my publisher gives me a thumbs up on the plots, I’ll be writing those. I figured it would be nice to take some time off from the heavy lifting a series requires.

Giveaway Terms and Conditions :

• Giveaway is International.
  
• The Author/Publisher is responsible for ensuring that the winner gets the book.
  
• Winner has 36 hours to respond (if you want a print copy) or a new one will be picked.
  
• Giveaway ends on August 20th, 2012.

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Dark Mind Book Tours is running a massive giveaway on their blog of the entire Demon Trappers series and swag. It's open international so enter! =)

Jana Oliver is an American author. Her books cross many genres, including romance/fantasy and historical mystery. An Iowa native, she currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Her Time Rovers Series is published by Dragon Moon Press, a Canadian speculative fiction publisher, and in e-book form by Nevermore Press. The series has been nominated for fifteen awards and has won twelve, including ForeWord Magazine's Editor's Choice Book of the Year, the first time a science fiction novel has received that honor. Her latest young adult series (The Demon Trappers) is published in the US by St. Martin's Press (THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER, SOUL THIEF and FORGIVEN).The series is also published in the UK, Germany, France, Poland, Russia, Turkey and Brazil.

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