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Half Moon by Jordan Deen Publisher: Black Rose Writing (January 13th, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback Source: Author Series: The Crescent, book #2 Rating: 5 of 5 stars"I’d been a fool for coming here with them, and now… no one would come to save me. The world that hid in the shadows of humanity was full of enemies."

Faced with death, Lacey Quinn ran away from the only family she’d ever known.

That… was just the beginning.

As the decision she’s made sinks in, Lacey struggles to fit in with the pack and find the key to bonding with her werewolf soul mate, Brandon. But, lies can only be concealed for so long.

Adjusting to a powerful new best friend, a twelve-year-old roommate with a nauseating Barbie fetish, and a lost love that won’t stop haunting her dreams, she knows she has no hope of having a normal future—ever again.

After a long talk with the dead mother she never knew, and an almost deal-breaking night out with Brandon, Lacey starts spiraling into the underworld—a place where all things are possible and everyone is out to kill her.

With mysterious legends of witches and sorcery marring her past and clouding her future, she quickly learns—werewolves aren’t the only ones lurking in the woods… waiting to claim her powers for their own.

The Mares? Well, they are the least of her worries.
Review: Half Moon is the sequel to The Crescent and one that I highly enjoyed. In this book Lacey is now fully aware of the werewolves and is trying to adjust to her new life. She struggles with the isolation and secrets everyone continues to hide from her. Brandon is keeping secrets as well and it's something that brings a lot of old feelings back for Lacey.
I have to say that I don't think I have ever read a series where I have switched"Teams" as much before. I found myself hoping she would end up with Brandon, then Alex, then Brandon, then Alex, etc. throughout the book. I am still unsure! But I loved it because typically books always have the guy who will win in mind.
Half Moon gives us an introduction to a lot of new characters that will be like a family for Lacey. I enjoyed each one and thought Jordan did a fantastic job depicting their lifestyle and how it varied from what Lacey was accustomed with. Lacey had some dark times during this book and I felt sorry for her as she struggled with her idea of mating with Brandon. It was easy to see the pressure she was under and how her dreams would make her question what she really wanted.
I was happy to see male characters who are not perfect. Both Alex and Brandon have their flaws and it's refreshing. Their common thread is simply the hope for Lacey's safety. The environment Half Moon presents is one that we don't get to see in The Crescent so I'm curious to see where the next book will go.
Overall: In Half Moon Lacey continues on her journey of change and discovery as she enters the world of the werewolves and attempts to forget about her previous life. The romance, history, and prophecy she is forced to deal with all ends up as simply one wild ride for the reader. I'm excited to see what else happens to Lacey as she is faced with more questions in her life for what she will become and who she will love.

Find out more about Jordan Deen Jordan Deen / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase The Crescent Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

I'm the second stop on the White Flame tour for Jordan Deen's upcoming book Half Moon. If you'd like to visit the first stop it was with Reading Teen.
First I have an interview with Jordan and later today my review of Half Moon will be up. This series ROCKS by the way: ) I highly suggest it.
There are 12 stops on this tour and it all ends at Jordan's blog on Half Moon's release day, 1-13-11. All of the blogs on the tour are listed below.
There is also a giveaway and you could win… 'Half Moon' swag
Signed ARC of 'Half Moon'
$25 Barnes and Noble gift card
Leather Bound Bracelet

1. What did you learn between writing The Crescent and then Half Moon? What were the biggest differences in how you tackled this project?

When I started working on 'The Crescent' I was so green in the world of writing. The difference between the two novels is night and day. I think readers will notice the difference in my writing style between the two novels. The story is deeper, more detailed and the plot is richer. I hope readers appreciate the transformation the characters (and I've) gone through in the past year.

2. Can you give us a teaser as to what is in store for Lacey in Half Moon?

Lacey will learn more about her parents and her history. She'll get to meet some new people, including a few that she never thought possible.

3. Are there any scenes you had to take out of the story that you wish could have stayed in?
Yes. There was one scene that I had to remove, but not because of publisher demands. I removed it myself. I know that sounds crazy, however, I had to take out a scene between Lacey's new best friend (Brea) and her mate, (Catch), that didn't make since to put in at this point of the overall story. But don't fear, that scene is going to be in 'Full Moon'. I've already got it planned out.: )

4. You have recently had book signings and that has to be exciting! Can you tell us a little about that experience and if you have any more events coming up soon?
My first signing was nerveracking. The store was not ready for me and several people walked right past me, asked me where the restrooms were, picked up the book and said werewolves suck… yup- true story. However, you take the good with the bad. I had one girl come back after buying the book and told me the book was amazing. It was a great feeling. Plus, I've met some amazing people. Currently, my signings are on hold in preperation for 'Half Moon's release. I'll be starting signings again in March (fingers crossed).

5. Full Moon is the third book in this series. Does the writing seem easier or more difficult as you go?
This story has gotten easier and more difficult in many ways. Easier because I'm growing into each of the characters skin and harder because I know that this great story is coming to an end and I want the readers to be comfortable in the ending of the story. The struggle is to write to that point-- write to the ending, knowing that it's coming.

6. If you could use 3 words to describe the relationship between Lacey and Brandon, what would they be? And, what words do you think Lacey would use?
Only three word?! I'm a writer! What are you trying to do to me? Only 3? Okay-- in my opinion: heartbreaking, fated and natural. From Lacey's opinion… I think her idea of her relationship changes throughout 'Half Moon', so, I'll give you three words from the beginning Lacey: crushing, convoluted, and stressful

Thank you so very much for participating in the 'White Flame Tour' for 'Half Moon's release. I'm looking forward to sharing this story and 'Full Moon' with all your followers!

Half Moon by Jordan Deen Publisher: Black Rose Writing (January 13th, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback Series: The Crescent, book #2"I’d been a fool for coming here with them, and now… no one would come to save me. The world that hid in the shadows of humanity was full of enemies."

Faced with death, Lacey Quinn ran away from the only family she’d ever known.

That… was just the beginning.

As the decision she’s made sinks in, Lacey struggles to fit in with the pack and find the key to bonding with her werewolf soul mate, Brandon. But, lies can only be concealed for so long.

Adjusting to a powerful new best friend, a twelve-year-old roommate with a nauseating Barbie fetish, and a lost love that won’t stop haunting her dreams, she knows she has no hope of having a normal future—ever again.

After a long talk with the dead mother she never knew, and an almost deal-breaking night out with Brandon, Lacey starts spiraling into the underworld—a place where all things are possible and everyone is out to kill her.

With mysterious legends of witches and sorcery marring her past and clouding her future, she quickly learns—werewolves aren’t the only ones lurking in the woods… waiting to claim her powers for their own.

The Mares? Well, they are the least of her worries.

Tour Schedule
Reading Teen -12/10 Confessions of a Bookaholic -12/13 <-- You are here The Leo's Den -12/16 Bibliophilicbookblog -12/19 A Simple Love of Reading -12/22 Narratively Speaking -12/27 The Bookshelf Sophisticate -12/30 A Great Read -1/2 A Tale of Many Reviews -1/5 Murphy's Library -1/8 Mundie Mom's -1/11 Jordan Deen -1/13

Find out more about Jordan Deen Jordan Deen / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase The Crescent Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

The Crescent by Jordan Deen Publisher: Black Rose Writing Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 187 pages Source: Author Series: The Crescent, book #1 Rating: 5 of 5 stars Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator. Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused. Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever know. Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read but one that kept me on the edge of my seat. Oh, and did I mention the super hot love triangle? In The Crescent we are introduced to Lacey. She has issues with her home life and her goal is to get away after graduation. Then, Alex comes into her life. Their relationship escalates fast and Alex seems to be head-over-heals in love with Lacey. Soon a new mysterious boy, Brandon, enters her life as well and his touch makes her have visions of them together. Lacey is confused with what is going on with her body, her mind, and her lovelife.
I am a sucker for werewolf stories and this one did not disappoint. Along with having fascinating characters, it had a complex plot filled with feuding werewolves, prophecies, and a changing destiny for Lacey. As a reader, I often had the same questions Lacey did regarding who she should end up with. I continually shifted from Team Alex to Team Brandon.

Lacey was a great character and one I felt bad for. She knew nothing of the life she was supposed to live and everything seemed to be snatched away from her at once without explanation. The most enjoyable part for me was the simple mystery of it all. In most books it seems clear who the girl will eventually end up with. I can be honest in saying I have no clue what is in store for Lacey.
There are multiple characters we meet throughout the story and each one helps build this dysfunctional family of werewolves she will begin to know as the series progresses. The Crescent had quite a few parts where I was shocked with how things turned out and it had just enough action and romance to keep the pace going.

Overall: The Crescent is full of adventure and a mysterious prophecy that transports Lacey into a world she is very unfamiliar with. The wonderful characters and pace of the story kept me guessing what might happen the entire time.

Find out more about Jordan Deen Jordan Deen / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase The Crescent Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

By: Jordan Deen

The cat.
The last thing I remember is the cat.
The cotton restraints bind me in place. Dr. Pollock twists in her chair. This has to be just another bad dream… one that has followed the last month of bad luck. “A cat?” she says disapproving, like this is the first time she’s heard it from me. “Yes, the last time I saw Toby he was taken by the cat.” Hmmmm… her southern accent vibrates in her throat. “And, the cat didn’t advance on you?” “No. It hissed at me.” She stifles a laugh. Every other session has gone this way. The dark mahogany furniture doubles for bars on my cell. I see them more than anything else, well, that and the cats that haunt my nightmares. Toby’s frail body being dragged into the woods is only an afterthought sometimes. Everyone thinks I’ve lost my mind. “Hissed?” I think of Toby, the last day at the lake house. We ran after each other and played in the

hot springs. He laughed and played… more than he had in months. Chemo had almost destroyed his livelihood; he had become just barely a shell of his former self. I guess that made him an easy target. “Yes, meowed and hissed.” That damn cat. I’ll never forget that meow. Like the cursed feline wanted to taunt me; egging me on to make a mistake—so it could claim me to. I wouldn’t let it. I couldn’t. I had to stay safe- make the right choice to get Toby back. “Do they still come to you?” “They?” I say, playing coy. I know what she’s talking about. The cats. They can’t know they still haunt me. “The cats. Are you still having nightmares about them?” “No.” They are the reason they keep me here. The reason the red camera light still blinks in my room. Why I’m never alone anymore. Why I’m on constant suicide watch. “Are you sure? Nurse Raliegh said last night you awoke, screaming.” Shifting in my chair, I slap on my best teenager attitude to give the appearance of normal. “Is it against the law to have a bad dream once in awhile?” “Is that what we are calling them now?” The images of the black and white cat, the leader of them all, dragging my younger and only brother out to the woods. A cat. Not a monster. Not a lion or a tiger. Just your normal, everyday, average house cat. That’s what stole my brother. That’s what took him. That’s what I have to fight to get him back and to save my own life. “Yes. Anyone that watched their brother being dragged off would have nightmares.” She flips back through the pages and pages of notebook paper. “Yes, when you came to us you were unresponsive and mumbling incoherent things. Eventually, you told us a tale of a cat dragging your brother into the woods. Tell me about that.” My eyes glaze over, thinking of Toby playing too close to the woods. The hissing and howls of the feral animals vibrating through the woods. They stalked us; waited for the right opportunity to claim their prey. The wind whipped my hair into tangles and only momentarily blocked my vision—that’s when it happened—when they claimed him. Took him back to Max their leader… their commander—the one that rallied the pack into war against us—against my family. A war based on retribution. “I already told you what happened,” I snip and try in vain to get to an itch at my side. Restraints are so last year. And eggshell is not a flattering color on me. I’ve always been a spring, not a winter. “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Well,” she taps her chrome pen to the notebook, “do you think he is still out there?” “Who, Max?” I slip. She flips through the notebook, her instant recall of our sessions failing her. “The cat? I was referring to Toby. Your brother. Is he still in the woods, Miranda? We just need to find him. Your parents deserve… closure.” It’s finality they seek. The truth is hard to accept. It’s easier to believe I may have done something to him than to think a housecat took his life. “Toby is with them.” I start to rock back and forth in my chair; my mind shutting down and my heart breaking in my chest. “He is with Max. The cats took him, claimed him for my mistake.” Her eyes shoot to mine. The one thing I hadn’t told them. The reason the cats pursued us, hunted us down. I killed Max’s mate; ran her over on the road to the cabin. I brought this nightmare to my family. “We were laughing in the car. I wasn’t paying attention. I swerved… but still I hit it.” “Are we talking about the cats again?” Annoyed, I respond hard, “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.” Of course, my attitude she chronicled in her notebook. She’d use that against me later, I’m sure. This wouldn’t get us Toby back, and my confinement only kept the cats at bay. Eventually, they would come for me, too. They’ll never give up. Max demands his justice. He demands repayment for those he lost. “I think we are done for the day,” she says tapping the top of the golden tenth-anniversary clock the hospital gave her per the little plague on the bottom. Another twelve hours and I’d be back in this chair. Back in hell. A head shrinker is not what I need—a witch doctor? Maybe. Nurse Raliegh leads me back to my room, pushes me inside and I turn to give her easy access to the locks confining me, only to be met with a seven by seven foot concrete confinement. I pick up my chalky rock that I dug out of the limestone jail. I start to draw on the walls again—walls adorned with every size and shape cat imaginable. They’re still out there. They prowl at the gates of the hospital. Just waiting for redemption. They wait for me. And so I sit. And rock. And wait. Wait for the day the hissing meows come for me. Meow.

The Crescent by Jordan Deen Publisher: Black Rose Writing Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 187 pages Series: The Crescent, book #1 Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator. Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused. Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever know.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a signed ARC of The Crescent and The Crescent and Half Moon swag.

• You must be at least 13 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and l ink s must be provided.
• Contest is INTERNATIONAL and ends October 27th.
• Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

Half Moon, book #2 in The Crescent series, will be released January 13th, 2011.

- Thank you so much Jordan for the story and giveaway!

Find out more about Jordan Deen Jordan Deen / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase The Crescent Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

* Check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post.

*Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.