The Best Reader [Search results for fantasy] 

BBAW is finally here and I am so excited to welcome Chachic from Chachic Book's Nook.

You're from the Philippines! That is so cool! Are there other book bloggers in your area? If so, what are they! I'd love to visit their blogs!
I'm so glad you think it's cool that I'm from the Philippines! There are actually a number of book bloggers here. I only started blogging this year but I noticed that there have been Filipino book bloggers for several years and more and more are popping out lately. I noticed that we didn't have a site that brings together all Filipino book bloggers so I decided to create Filipino Book Bloggers (http://filipinobookbloggers.wordpress.com/) . I know the name isn't that creative but I'm happy to get to know some of the book bloggers out there. We're having our first meet up soon and I'm really excited for that.

That's so awesome about the meet up! I hope it goes awesome! Because English is your second language, is it hard to read YA novels written in English? What about writing the reviews? Here in the Philippines, we actually use English as the medium of instruction. The Philippines was colonized by the United States and it was Americans who established education in the Philippines. All of our subjects, starting from nursery up to college, are taught in English except for Filipino and a couple of other History subjects. That's why English books aren't translated to Filipino over here and I'm comfortable with reading books and writing reviews in English. Also, I've never mentioned this on my blog but I actually work with Americans. I'm a research analyst for a Business Process Outsourcing company and I report directly to people in the US.

As an international book blogger, what differences in book blogging have your noticed between international and US book blogging?
One of the main differences is we don't get review copies. International shipping is really expensive so I understand that publishers would have a hard time sending review copies and it also takes a couple of weeks for the books to get here. I've never received a copy for review and most of the other Filipino book bloggers that I've talked to also haven't received any review copies. The books that I review on the blog are given as gifts, bought, or borrowed.

On a positive note, I love it when US book bloggers are amazed with some of the things that I mention in reviews like how I've never seen snow or how we don't have public libraries over here. You don't have public libraries! Wow, that really makes me appreciate my library.
You host a meme called "Want Books?" where readers can highlight books that they want but can't have either to it not being released in their country yet, not having the money for it, a far-out release date, etc. Where did you come with the idea? When is your weekly post up? How many bloggers generally participate? I love the photo too! Are you familiar with the meme Waiting on Wednesday (WoW), which is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine (http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/) ? In WoW, you can feature upcoming releases that you're eagerly waiting for. I used to use that meme but then I realized that it would be better if there's a meme that lets you feature books that have already come out that you can't get for some reason. Instead of complaining about books not being available here, I thought it would be better if I could create a meme to highlight them. So that's how I came up with Want Books. I put up a post every Saturday and anyone can participate. It isn't a popular meme though and only a handful of book blogger friends have participated. I don't mind because I don't think I'll ever run out of material for the meme, there will always be books in my wishlist.:)

I see that you have a giveaway ending TOMORROW! What is it and who is eligible? Yes! I have a Mortal Instruments giveaway but sadly, it's only for residents of the Philippines. All you need to do to enter is tell me what review of mine is your favorite and why. Learn more about it here. We both read a lot of YA, what books would you recommend to struggling young adult readers? Oh gosh, I have so many recommendations! Here you go:

Fantasy
The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
Sasharia En Garde duology by Sherwood Smith
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy

Fairy Tale Retellings
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

YA Contemporary Fiction
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Jessica Darling books by Megan McCafferty

Historical Fiction
Sunbird, The Lion Hunters, The Empty Kingdom by Elizabeth Wein
A Countess Below Stairs, The Reluctant Heiress and A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
Thanks for all the great recommendations! Wow! I'm going to steal one of your questions because it was so good! What is your "good read" preference — contemporary YA, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction or dystopian? I read read books from all of those genres but I have a special place in my heart for epic fantasy.

What are your comfort reads? Books that you go to on a rainy day for a reread when nothing seems to be going your way. The books that I listed in the recommendations section are my favorites so they're really my comfort reads. I've reread most of those several times already.

What book are you pinning for — that you can't wait to get your hands on? Oh so many! Check out my Want Books meme because I have weekly posts on books that I'm pining for. Although if you're asking for books that are yet to be released, I can't wait to get Bayou Moon and Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews, Pegasus by Robin McKinley and Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier.

Chachic, thank you so much for stopping by! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and discovering your blog. Readers, please remember to stop by and visit Chachic at Chachic Book's Nook.

BIG thanks to Scarlett, From the Heart, for this awesome review! Thank you Scarlett!

******************* From Amazon.com...

"This is the first in a trilogy in which a new universe has been created. A world where daemons swoop and scuttle along the streets of Oxford and London, where the mysterious Dust swirls invisibly through the air, and where one child knows secrets the adults would kill for."

Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend other kidnapped children from becoming the subjects of gruesome experiments the far North.

My favorite book of all time is Northern Lights or The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Northern lights is my favorite book because I am a huge fantasy junkie. I just cannot get enough fantasy. The idea of the daemons is a terrific one. While reading this book I was wishing that I could have my own personal daemon and I wondered what my daemon would look like when it took on its final form.

Basically, Philip Pullman has woven a magical tale that is actually believable. It’s so well-written that I find myself pulled into the magic of the world and it seems as if I am there as part of the magic.

The characters are all definitely memorable. I loved Lyra, she is just the coolest character ever. I also remember Pan, he is just great. Pan would be such a great daemon friend.

If you’re looking for a great fantasy book with elements of action and mystery then definitely look into Northern Lights because I know that you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did!
*******************

Again, HUGE thanks to Scarlett, From the Heart! Make sure to stop by and share some book love!

Today Allie is here from the fabulous book Breaking Beautiful. Here is her THIS or THAT list.
(Interesting note: I think some of these answers would change based on where you were in the book, or where Allie was. I answered as if Allie were at a place in the middle of the story.)
Fantasy or Reality Fantasy. Everything is possible in fantasy and there’s always some epic battle where good wins out, in reality that doesn’t happen.

Books or Movies I’m going to have to go with movies. Reading is hard for me.

Funny or Smart Depends on whether you’re talking about whether that’s my preference in boyfriends or whether I would rather be funny or smart. My brother Andrew is super-smart, so I’ve spent most of my life wishing I was smarter. Being able to sit down and do homework without beating my head against the wall? Yeah, that would be great. But if you’re talking boyfriends I’m going to have to go with funny. A guy with a sense of humor makes life so much easier. Guys who take things too seriously aren’t for me, at least not anymore.

Art or Music That’s a hard one, I love music, but lately art has kind of stolen my heart.; )

Fight or Flight Um, flight. I’m not very big and so fighting back really isn’t much of an option. Besides, I’ve learned that fighting, especially in school, just get you in trouble. Better to just run away.

Breaking Beautiful by Janenifer Shaw Wolf
Publisher: Walker & Company (April 24th, 2012)
Hardcover: 368 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Janenifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

This year we have 23 authors that I'll be featuring over 7 days and each day you'll have a chance to enter to win! There's also a scavenger hunt going on, so be sure to check out The Crossroads Tour Post to see what questions will be asked, what blog you'll be able to find the answer on and enter to win!
Today I am featuring Lisa M. Cronkhite, Kiki Hamilton, and Jane McConnel. Be sure to check out the rafflecopter giveaway, too!

1. Can you share an excerpt from your upcoming novel?

Ten months later, and I still think Jimmy’s gonna walk through the front door. In some small way, I kid myself that it still might happen. I’ll never forget those two burning words my father said when Jimmy disappeared that dreaded day. Words that still haunt me now. I keep thinking Jimmy’s out doing something and will come back soon. I know he’s gone, but still, my mind plays tricks on me.

It’s the only way I can cope with his death.

2. What can you tell us about the main characters?

Bee is super skeptical and questions pretty much everything. But with that skepticism, she’s smart and is able to protect herself enough to get through it all. Bee’s father is about the best a dad can be. He loves and trusts her and lets her make her own decisions. Bee’s father is the most consistent and supportive character in the book, whereas the mother is in a whole other world.

1. What’s the most fascinating thing about writing historical settings?

I love the Victorian era because there was such a dichotomy of belief – the industrial revolution was

changing how the world did business and how people lived, but at the same time belief in magic, faeries and the occult was still very strong. So what I love about writing historical fantasy is to mix the real world with fantasy – sort of a what if these stories dropped through the cracks and pieces of history existed that we’re just now finding out about?

2. If you could travel back in time, where and when would you visit?

I would visit London for sure. There is SO MUCH history in that city – goes back to the Romans occupying in AD 64. I would be interested in many eras but if I had to choose one, I would probably go back to the Victorian era.

1. Daughter of Chaos involves witches. If you could do one magical spell, what would it be?

At one point in the series, another Witch teaches Darlena how to travel huge distances in an instant. I’d love to be able to do that: it would make my wanderlust so much cheaper and faster!

2. Can you tell us a little about Red Magic and what it means in your book?

Red Magic is chaos magic. It’s a very misunderstood kind of magic in Darlena’s world, but as she begins to discover, chaos is about more than destruction and death. It’s incredibly powerful, but also incredibly difficult, and being a Red Witch leaves Darlena feeling angry and isolated.

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And Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crossroads-Blog-Tour/218310244897337

Top Ten Books that Inspire Me
1) The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
This book made me fall in love with the idea of storytelling. The first time I read it, I discovered that many of the bedtime stories my father told me were actually inspired by the world that J.R.R. Tolkien created. I thought it was so cool, and I decided I wanted to write stories that could inspire people the same way. It was also where my love of fantasy started, a love that inspired me to write and publish my first book, Beckoning Light.

2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, and I've read Pride and Prejudice countless times. It inspired my love of romance and flawed characters. If I could travel back in time, I'd love to meet Jane Austen.

3) Portal by Imogen Rose
This YA Time Travel Romance inspired me to self- publish. I loved the story and knew it was something that probably wouldn’t have been traditionally published originally because it was so unique, and it didn’t fit within the traditional categories. I was so impressed, that it gave me that final push to take the indie plunge.

4) Flat-out love by Jessica Park
This is my favorite NA book. It inspired me to try writing in the NA category, and it reminded me of how great books with a twist are. I'd been reading almost exclusively paranormal and fantasy, and Flat-Out Love rekindled my love of contemporary.

5) Moby Dick by Herman Melville
This is my favorite book. Melville captures obsession like no one else. You feel the emotion even though it's a book that takes place almost entirely on a whaling ship. Moby Dick inspires me to challenge myself to play with genres and to experiment with my writing.

6) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
I love Agatha Christie, and this is my favorite mystery of hers. She instilled in me a love of mystery and intrigue. I especially love how timeless it is, it’s still so great after all these years.

7) Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
I read the first five books on my honeymoon. Reading the series was the first time I discovered Internet fandom. I used to read Muggle net with my friends when we were supposed to be listening to law school lectures. It’s such a fantastic world that never leaves you.

8) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.
Twilight reintroduced me to YA, and paranormal. I Loved Bella and the voice. It made me feel confident about writing first person even if it isn't what you were"supposed to do."

9) Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Mull is the king of writing a series where all of the books tie together perfectly. Hints he drops in book one, tie together in the final book. I strive to do the same in my series, and I aim to make every detail count. Chances are if it’s in my book, it's there for a reason even if it takes a few books to see it. The same goes with my characters.
10) Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark
I picked up one of her books at the library in sixth grade, and read every book of hers within a few months. This was the one that stuck with me longest. Mary Higgins Clark was one of my early transitions into adult fiction, and I still have so many fond memories of curling up with one her books.

Wrecked by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Published: April 30th, 2013
Reading Level: New Adult
ebook edition: 285 pages
Series: Clayton Falls, #3
Summary:
When your past catches up, it's time to stop running.

Jake Mathews messed up yet again— but this time his misstep lands him in the hospital. He wakes up to find the girl of his dreams and the memory of having his deepest secret revealed.

Emily Taylor needs a break. She's been working double shifts as a nurse just to pay the bills while trying to heal a broken heart. The last thing she needs is to fall for a patient.

Strapped with community service and the knowledge that he's disappointed everyone in his life, Jake is determined not to let Emily slip through his fingers. Emily wants Jake, but can she really open herself up to heartache again?

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Author Bio:
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance

and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Links:
Website: http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaRoseIvy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyssaRoseIvy
WRECKED Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16208128-wrecked
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5047249.Alyssa_Rose_Ivy

Janet Fox is here today to talk about her newest book, Forgiven. It was released earlier this month.

Janet has answered some questions for me and one lucky winner will receive a copy of her book.

1. You have accomplished so many amazing things already. Including diving to the bottom of the ocean! Do you like to bring in any of those experiences into your writing?

Thank you! All of my experiences feed my writing, even when I haven’t used or shown the specific experiences. My ocean diving experience, for example – and I should let readers know that I was in the submersible ALVIN and working on my MS, diving to the bottom of the Cayman Trough – does not yet appear in any of my stories. But my geology experience and knowledge of geology certainly do, in both Faithful and Forgiven. In Faithful, my knowledge of the geology of the Yellowstone region informs my descriptions. And in Forgiven, I focus in part on the earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco, and I had lots of geologic material to examine as I wrote.

I should also add that, in the case of diving in the ALVIN, there’s a certain emotional factor involved: fear of the deep, of the darkness, of enclosed spaces; excitement at exploring the unknown, at seeing what no one else has ever seen. Those emotions do indeed feed my work.

2. You've written a variety of stories and poetry that include a wide range of topics. Can you tell us a little about what other types of stories you would love to tackle?

What a wonderful question! I’m working on a story right now that is my dream story. It’s a middle grade fantasy that involves angels and demons, talking animals, death and what happens in death, love and desperation – in short, I’m hoping to tackle subjects that enthrall me through the lens of fantasy. Can I succeed? I can only hope. I feel that as a writer my job is to challenge myself to write what I think is impossible to express. Art is all about expressing the otherwise inexpressible. I’ll let you know how it goes.

3. Can you tell us how Faithful and Forgiven are connected?

Faithful is the story of Maggie Bennet, a society girl who longs to fulfill her dream of a society debut, a society marriage, a predictable life. Forgiven is the story of Kula Baker, a girl raised in poverty who desires to raise herself up to be a respectable lady. Maggie’s dream is withdrawn, and she’s forced to face the false promise of her expectations and to recognize who she really is inside and to recognize her abilities aside from those expectations. Kula’s dream is thwarted, and she’s forced to face her fears and the true desires of her heart. If I say too much more I might add spoilers.

4. If you had to describe Kula in 3 words, how would you describe her?

Stubborn, feisty, courageous.

5. What are you currently working on that you can share with us?

I’m working on the third book in what I hope will become a quartet. This third novel is titled Moll and takes place in 1925 in New York City. It features a girl trying to save her family, her brother’s ghostly presence, a gangster and his moll (who becomes my protagonist’s friend), lies, secrets, illegal doings, flappers, romance, and a noir mystery. I’m planting seeds so that characters from Faithful, Forgiven and Moll can meet in book 4, tentatively titled Paradise. I’m excited to be able to give these stories resonance in what I’m thinking of as an American saga. Fingers crossed.

Janet Fox will donate a portion of the proceeds from FORGIVEN to The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. To learn more about what you can do to help agencies that actively fight the exploitation and trafficking of children, visit the following websites:
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Unicef

Stop Child Trafficking

Forgiven by Janet Fox
Publisher: Speak (June 2nd, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 288 pages
Series: Faithful #2
Kula Baker never expected to find herself on the streets of San Francisco, alone but for a letter of introduction. Though she has come to the city to save her father from a cruel fate, Kula soon finds herself swept up in a world of art and elegance — a world she hardly dared dream of back in Montana, where she was no more than the daughter of an outlaw. And then there is the handsome David Wong, whose smiling eyes and soft-spoken manner have an uncanny way of breaking through Kula's carefully crafted reserve. Yet when disaster strikes and the wreckage threatens all she holds dear, Kula realizes that only by unlocking her heart can she begin to carve a new future for herself.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a copy of Forgiven by Janet Fox.

• You must be at least 13 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US Only and ends June 30th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

Find Janet Fox
Website | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Purchase Forgiven
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Kristie Cook is here today to show us the brand new covers for her Soul Savers series, Promise and Purpose.

Leave a comment below telling us what you think about the new cover and enter for a chance to win some awesome swag!

Can you talk a little bit about the old covers vs. the new covers and how the change came about?

The old covers are pretty. The new ones are gorgeous. ‘nuff said. Haha! Okay, I’ll be serious. The old covers are symbolic, but no one gets the symbolism until I explain it, so it’s pretty much lost on everyone. And for some reason, the flowers seem to give the impression that the books are Young Adult, but they’re not. I also didn’t know how to carry the look out through the entire Soul Savers series. I’d hoped to find a professional cover artist by now who could take my vision and turn it into art and I did – author Brenda Pandos. She did an amazing job and we now have a theme to work with for the rest of the series.

What’s your favorite thing about the new covers?

Oh, so not fair. I love everything about them. One thing that’s important to me is not giving the reader a pre-conceived idea of what the main characters look like. I want the reader to take the basics I give them and make them their own. But I still wanted people on the covers, so I’m really happy with how the people are there, but not. The whole scene for each one just really encapsulates the stories. What’s your favorite thing?

It’s amazing that each book has some additional content; can you talk a bit about those changes and how it’ll impact anyone who’s already read the first two books in the series?

Promise – By the time PROMISE went to publication, it had been manipulated a lot, always in the best interest of the story. But in my heart, I always felt a little dissatisfied with it because, for me, it wasn’t “what really happened.” The order of events was changed up and scenes were altered or deleted when they shouldn’t have been. One scene has a change that isn’t huge but comes up in future books, the events have been returned to the order in which they really happened and a scene that had been deleted is now back in, providing some character insight that I think is much needed. There are some other minor changes, too—bringing back a sentence here or there that had been deleted and getting rid of others that shouldn’t have been added.

Purpose – The changes in PURPOSE are much less extensive than those in PROMISE. When I first wrote the books, they were actually one book and the middle section, the bridge between the two, was a series of letters Alexis had written Tristan on each of their anniversaries. Although she couldn’t send them, this was her way of keeping him updated on her and Dorian’s lives – and also bringing the reader up to speed. When I split the books, I took the letters out and tried to weave those things into the story. However, a lot of readers have the wrong impression of what Alexis had been like over the years and why she’s such a mess in the beginning of PURPOSE. The reason is not what everyone seems to think! I haven’t put the letters back in, but I’ve made some tweaks to the first few chapters to give the reader a better understanding of the past and the present. I may post the letters on my website or blog one of these days.

For the last year, I’d had a secret fantasy to go back and make all these changes. With the new covers and a few other additions – such as adding an excerpt of the next book – we had to obtain new ISBNs, which is basically the new bar code that says “this is a different book.” Since we have to go through all that anyway, we figured we may as well make it worth it. So my publisher let me fulfill my fantasy. Isn’t she awesome?

If you’ve already read PROMISE and PURPOSE, you don’t have to read the new releases to understand the future books. The one change in PROMISE that comes up in later books isn’t major enough to throw you into a big state of confusion if you haven’t read it. But if you’re up for reading them again, I think you’ll get a better grasp of Alexis and Tristan and what motivates their behavior in these two books. Also, PURPOSE has an excerpt of DEVOTION, Book 3, at the end.

When will we be able to purchase the books with the new covers and content? And for those of us with eReaders, when will they be available for download?

They’ll go live on Kindle hopefully by early next week and on Nook about the same time. It might take a week or two before they’re up on the other ereaders. They’ll be available in paperback format on my publisher’s store website ( http://www.readourwrites.com/ ) and Amazon in the next week or so and on other retailer sites in a month or two (sorry, but those guys just take longer to update their sites).

And lastly, can you go over some dates with us? For the novella, Genesis and the third book in the Soul Savers series – Devotion? When will we get a chance to see those covers and when will they be available for purchase?

GENESIS comes out October 28, 2011. The cover will be revealed later this month. I can’t wait!

DEVOTION comes out February 10, 2012. I expect the cover to be ready to share in September or October. I know it will be gorgeous, too.

Kristie, Thanks so much for stopping by both — A Life Bound By Books & Confessions of a Bookaholic — and for sharing the new covers with everyone. We can’t wait to re-read the first two books and the new content and to read Genesis & Devotion!

Thank you so much for having me! It’s always a pleasure to visit both of you and all your followers. I can’t wait to hear what you think. And seriously – what is your favorite thing about the new covers? Fill out the form and enter to win a Soul Savers Series swag pack. Two chances to win – one on each blog — here and at A Life Bound By Books!

Kristie has another giveaway going on over at her blog. Be sure to visit, check it out and enter to win some amazing prize packs! ~USE GOOGLE~

Kristie is giving a lucky winner a Soul Saver Series swag pack! Two chances to win — one here and one on Lisa's blog!! So enter here and over at
A Life Bound By Books!

Now, are you ready to see the new cover?!? Promise (Soul Savers #1)

OLD COVER

NEW COVER To see the cover of Purpose (Soul Savers #2) check out A Life Bound By Books.

Giveaway Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a Soul Savers swag pack.

• You must be at least 18 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US Only and ends August 22nd.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

Find Kristie Cook
Kristie Cook | Soul Savers Series | Goodreads | Twitter

I think the new covers fit the story perfectly! I can't wait to see what the next cover will be like. I think that now people can glance at the cover and get an idea of the story. Plus, it doesn't look YA anymore (especially Promise!). Great job Kristie and Brenda!! Now I'll have to add these to my collection!!

1. In the series Vamped, Gina is a total fashionista. If you suddenly became a vampire, would you make sure you were at least a stylish one?

3. Can you share with us some tips to being a fashionable vampire?

4. Can you tell us the scoop on Vamped book 2, ReVamped? What is in the future for this series?

Vamped by Lucienne Diver Publisher: Flux (May 1st, 2009) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 340 pages Series: Vamped, book #1 Gina Covello's Perks and Pitfalls
of Vamp Life
1. Hello?! Eternal youth and beauty!

2. Free. Designer. Clothes.

3. My hot new boyfriend Bobby went from chess dud to vamp stud.

4. No reflection! First order of business: turn my own stylist to stop the downward spiral from chic to eek.

5. Vampire vixen Mellisande has taken an interest in my boyfriend, and is now transforming the entire high school into her own personal vampire army. If anyone's going to start their own undead entourage it should be me.

I guess I'll just have to save everyone from fashion disasters and other fates worse than death.

Find Lucienne Diver Lucienne Diver / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase Vamped Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

"I enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it to any reader looking to return to a world of gowns, princesses, magic, and dancing" — Miss Remmers

Release Date: March 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Challenges: Audiobook Challenge, DAC 2011, 100+ Reading Challenge

"Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her... beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing... it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation. Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late."
I haven't read a book like this in a long time — a true fairy tale-esque story. Yes I've read loads of fantasy and paranormal books, but it's been forever since I've felt complete transported back in time to a land of princesses and magic. The audiobook was extremely helpful with this particular book in regards to setting the scene and the atmosphere of the fairy tale. The narrator was superb and excellently pulled off that "In a land far away" type of voice.
As for the plot — I did have a few frustrations. There are twelve little princesses — TWELVE! I found this a bit excessive and they all kind of mushed into one princess by the middle of the book. I just don't understand why it was necessary to have TWELVE princesses. Even now, after reading the book, I only remember Azalea, Bramble, and Clover as actually having a personality. I understand that Dixon wanted to illustrate that Azalea was the "mother figure" and that she had a lot on her plate — but honestly, with twelve sisters to remember I had a lot on MY plate!
I was also bothered by the triviality of the main concern of this story — dancing. Now, I love to dance and I never sit out a dance (not even on my wedding night!) but really, if your life basically goes down the toilet and (I'll just say it because I think we can all assume it's going to happen) your mother dies I feel like you're going to be a bit more concerned about other things than dancing. I found this preoccupation with the hobby a bit repetitive and unbelievable.
Wow. That sounds really negative. I don't mean it to be because in reality I enjoyed this audiobook. It was a great listen while walking the dog and I looked forward to those walks because of it. Those two slight annoyances were just that... annoyances. They never ruined the book for me and they didn't (obviously) make me stop listening. I enjoyed Azalea's character although some of her actions may have made me doubt her intelligence (but really, what damsel in distress do you NOT doubt the intelligence?). She was likable and headstrong and she really did have her sisters' best interests at heart. I loved the two main love interests (and the surprising third) and I especially enjoyed the King.
Random point — I felt like there were three different times this book could have ended besides the actual ending. When listening to an audiobook you can't necessarily "see" the end so this was a bit confusing (when all of the tracks are downloaded so you aren't dealing with CDs) and I actually had to go into my iPod option on my phone to make sure I was on the right track.
In short, had I attempted to read this book rather than listen to it I'm not sure if I would have been able to stick to it simply because it is harder to get used to this entirely different atmosphere and scene. The narrator did a fantastic job of whisking me away to this far away land whenever I put my ear phones in. The plot, while centered around the repetitive concept of the love of dancing, did actually fit the feeling of the book and the characters, who melded into a three characters (Azalea, Bramble, Clover, little sisters), were likable and fit well into this fairy tale-esque world that Dixon has created. I enjoyed the audiobook and recommend it to any reader looking to return to a world of gowns, princesses, magic, and dancing.
-Visit Heather around the web here: Website | Goodreads
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Library Loan Audiobook recommended by Michelle at Hooked to Books

"The characters were all fantastically real to me... I found myself rooting for them and thinking of them well after the book was closed and finished. The plot was extremely fast paced, suspenseful, and down-right addicting." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Not all dreams are sweet.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody — notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime. She can't tell anybody about what she does — they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant... "

Book Trailer I picked this book up simply because it looked good. Then I read the premise and that sounded interesting too. So I put it with the five other "these look good" books at the used bookstore; when I got home I put them on my shelf. Less than 24 hours later I felt drawn to this book, there were loads of other books I needed to get to first but I found myself looking on the shelf for this book in particular after finishing Delirium.
Upon first opening "Wake," I realized that the writing is extremely choppy — and that I liked it that way. The sentences are short and to the point; it's a type of writing style I would normally discourage with my freshmen, but with "Wake" I found that it drew me in and added both mystery and suspense. The choppy writing made the story seem to move faster and with a sense of urgency. Lisa's writing style otherwise was unique and different. The different font for the dreams and the reality were helpful; the dream writing was done so in a way that I felt like I was actually seeing it.
I pitied Janie for her ability, I can't imagine getting pulled into people's dreams without warning. It'd be one thing if she were sleeping too, but that she can be driving, studying, talking, and all of a sudden pass out — not cool. But speaking of cool... Cabel is hot. I've been lucky enough to read two books in a row with fantastically drool worthy male protagonists ("Wake" and "Delirium"). Even when Cabel was being sketchy, I couldn't help but hope he had a plan. On the bus with the McDonalds when he came to her rescue — I almost died of romance! The Snickers bar and the skateboard! This boy has moves and if I weren't engaged to the most romantic man I know (nonfiction wise), I'd let him put his moves on me!
Cabel's "alternate" life was a little hard to buy — but it didn't deter me from reading. Lisa's characters were all fantastically real to me, even with their flaws (especially Janie's a bit unbelievable best friend). I found myself rooting for them and thinking of them well after the book was closed and finished.
The plot, like I said, was extremely fast paced, suspenseful, and down-right addicting. I can't wait to pick up "Fade" and "Gone" from the library today!
Originality: 10/10 Ending: 10/10 Characters: 8/10 Plot: 10/10 My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10 Theme: 10/10 Imagery: 10/10 Setting: 5/5 Voice: 5/5 Style: 5/5 Tone: 5/5 Cover: 10/10 Overall: 97/100 A
To the FTC, with love: Loved and Bought
To find out more about this series and author, visit the following links: -Visit Lisa around the web here: Website | Blog
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Random bit of information: Last night I had to extremely awful nightmares that I'm sure Janie is happy she didn't have to witness. Not the kind of nightmare where I'm naked — but the kind where both my parents have died and I didn't get to say good bye. I just remember wallowing in my dream pity. I'm pretty sure my face was contorted to my "crying face" while I was sleeping because now my cheeks hurt. I also dreamt that I was in a play with my three best friends (all drama majors) and I screwed around the whole time and then didn't know my lines when it came to the opening night and I let them all down.
/End Rant

Amazon † Barnes and Noble

Astart e's Wrath is the companion n ovel to…

Check out Trisha Wolfe's other books…

A peek inside Astarte's Wrath… “I’ve found you.”

I turn to see Xarion leaning against the frame of my terrace door. A slight smile curves his beautiful lips, and his arms are crossed over his bronze muscled cuirass.

Feeling brave, I slip close and wrap my arms around his waist, the brass studs of his belt pressing against my stomach. “I wasn’t hiding,” I say, looking up into his face. I can see his exhaustion there, in the dark crescents under his eyes, though he’s putting on a good front. “I’d never tempt a great hunter.”

He chuckles as he steps away long enough to slip off his breastplate, then he embraces me. Leaning down, he whispers in my ear, “You’re always tempting.” Running his thumb over my cheek, he lowers his face before mine, his breaths shallow. “In fact, your power of seduction is having its desired effect on me right now.” His lips softly brush mine, sweet and inviting at first, then he deepens the kiss.

I realize that anyone could walk in, and I begin to pull away. “Xarion, my room is not secure,” I say between his kisses.

He groans against my lips, and the deep rumble sends my hands into his hair, pulling him to me. I feel him smile. He scoops me into his arms, his lips never leaving mine, and walks us inside.

My sense breaks through, and I whisper, “Lunia or Phoenix could come looking for me and—”

“That’s what locks were designed for,” he interrupts.

I laugh. “Oh, that will not stop either of them.”

He turns the bolt on my door, keeping his arm sturdy beneath my legs. Then he takes me to the bed where he lays me down. I let my head fall back against the coverlet as he hovers above me, his fisted hands pressing into the mattress on either side of my head, his knees parting my legs.

Suddenly he bounds up, and I think he’s come to his senses. My stomach tumbles as I realize how much I don’t want him to be responsible—but we can’t chance it here. Only he grabs the chair from my desk and kicks the back. My eyes widen in surprise. He places one of the panels against the door, securing its ends in the torch brackets.

“That should give them some difficulty,” he says as he unbuckles his belt, the action making my heart beat wildly. “And give me enough time to hide in your dressing room like a clandestine lover.”

A smile twitches at my lips. “You mean, like exactly what you are?”

Shaking his head, his dark hair falling against his eyes, he counters, “I’m offended.” He strips off his leather armor. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as my eyes slip over him, and a crooked smile hikes his face. “Ah, but that does it for you, huh? You like stealing kisses in the shadows, the constant fear of being caught.” Climbing onto the bed, he positions himself above me. “I bet your heart is pounding hard right now, the adrenaline claiming your body”—he presses his palm over my heart—“with a need only your clandestine lover can satisfy.”

About the author…

I’m the author of the YA Steampunk DESTINY'S FIRE (O mnific Publishing), the upcoming YA Utopian FIREBLOOD ( Spencer Hill Press, Oct. 2013), and a new YA Dark Fantasy series releasing June 2013, OF SILVER AND BEASTS.
I’m the creator of YA Bound, a promotional blog for the Young Adult genre. A proud member of the SCWW and The Apocalypsies. And I’m also a business owner, partnered with my partner, my husband. When I’m not busy doing all of the above, I’m a wife and the mother of a gorgeous teen boy who's the sounding board for my male characters.
Check out my website TrishaWolfe.com for more on my books and bonus material. You can also follow me on Twitter @TrishWolfe or like my Facebook pagefor updates.

GIVEAWAY IS OPEN INTERNATIONAL! Must be 13 or older to enter. Contest ends March 18th!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blast Hosted by…

Wow! BBRAW has officially come and gone! Thanks to everyone who participated or stopped by! I've had a great time getting to know some new bloggers and reconnecting with old friends.

You've made it through the week! Thank people for stopping by, thank new readers and old readers, wrap up your giveaway (if you had one), tell who you nominated for as MVR and why (if you feel comfortable), wrap up the first BBRAW experience, and basically celebrate your readers in any way that you like!

Kimberly @ Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Kimberly always stops by my blog and checks out my facebook posts. She is so sweet and always takes time to read basically anything I post. She always puts a smile on my face. She is probably the biggest supporter of my site and I really appreciate it. She is so awesome and kind.

I enjoy her comments, we share in many cases very alike reading tastes, she has recommended wonderful books and audio to me — and probably most influential is that her Check Point meme she started this year inspired me to start Team Kickin It. Her advice and encouragement is valued.

She is the very best commenter ever... and I pretty much think of just talking to her when I'm writing my blog posts.

Ryan has become a blogging buddy of mine who not only leaves me thoughtful comments, but also encourages me to try new authors with his great reviews! He's been a longtime follower/reader/friend and the blogging world is a better place because he's in it!

She is one of the most faithful readers of my blog, nearly since the beginning. I'm proud to call her a friend as well, even though we've never met! Her book preferences are so insync with mine, we often joke that we are sisters from different mothers. She's a wonderful lady!

Mindy is always leaving thoughtful and wonderful comments on my reviews and posts. Her comments never fail to make me smile. We all know that when you run your own blog you can get bogged down and not find time to visit other people's blogs and comment, but she is always taking time to connect and comment on other peoples reviews and to reach out positively on twitter.

She always stops by my reviews and leaves thoughtful comments. I see her around at tons of blogs even though she has her own awesome blog to run! She is full of pure awesome!

Giselle is everywhere, leaving comments. Her name caught my eye because of how many times she commented on my blog especially when I didn't have many Followers. As I do my best to comment in the blogiverse, I see her name and cute smile everywhere. She makes socializing a goal and really shares the warm fuzzies of Comments!!!

Winners, look for an email from me before Wednesday (things are a bit busy right now with the trip we're going on tomorrow and picking up Prim on Monday).

Cumberland Island
by
Emma Carlson Berne

Have you ever been to Cumberland Island, Georgia? Don’t go, if you’re the nervous type, which I am. Also, I am blessed with an active imagination.

Last summer, my best friend Jessica and I were on the ferry to the island (which is accessible only by aforementioned ferry). We were primed for a weekend of backpacking and camping—really, the only thing to do on the island, which is minimally inhabited. The place is a sandy wilderness of live oak trees dripping Spanish moss, giant palmetto shrubs, armadillos, ticks, and ferocious red ants.

So there we were on the ferry, and there was a crazy woman on with us. We knew she was crazy because she was carrying nothing but a plastic grocery bag full of Mountain Dew and pretzels. And she was declaring to anyone listening that she was going camping on the island. Most of the ride, though, she sat in a corner and mumbled to herself.

We were all off-loaded at the island, including the crazy woman, and the ferry chugged away. It was twilight, and there was no way off the island until the next morning. And the whole time we were lugging our packs to the campsite and setting up our tent, I was listening for our crazy friend. Because I’d decided that she was very likely going to come and kill us during the night. Why? Because she was crazy, that’s why.

And because I was at an isolated campsite, two miles from anyone else, except for Jessica, of course. We were in the woods and huge palmetto shrubs surrounded the site, so we couldn’t really see anything except palmetto leaves. And blackness. Or hear anything but the rustling branches over our heads, or occasionally, an armadillo crashing in the underbrush. The armadillos sounded just like human footsteps. So when the crazy woman crept up on me, perhaps, as I was bending over the fire—
Yeah.

Well, you can guess how well I slept.

Oh, and it rained too.

“Don’t worry,” Jessica said in the tent, when I finally confessed my fears. “You have to enter her fantasy and become a part of it before she’d attack you. That’s what Robin says, anyway.” Robin was Jessica’s husband and a psychiatrist, so he must know. But I didn’t feel terribly reassured.

And the thing about being in a tent is that you can’t see who’s creeping up on you. And yet you have no real protection. No locks. A nylon door with a zipper. Which can be easily unzipped from the outside. Or someone with a knife could just stick it right through the side of the tent. How did Margaret Atwood put it? “Butchered like kittens in a sack.” That was the phrase.

When we made our way down to the ferry dock the next day, we didn’t see the crazy woman in with the rest of the waiting group. She didn’t appear when we boarded either. I shivered as the boat pulled away from the shore.

But, of course, it was only my imagination.

Right?

Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
Publisher: Simon Pulse (December 20th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 212 pages
Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He's leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they'll never forget. But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit… off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn't seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin's dark side, and her own safety.
Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive a copy of Still Waters.

• You must be at least 13 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is US Only and ends November 14th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

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Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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. Don't forget to check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post for today!

1. Can you tell us a little about your experiences with bloggers?

It’s been great! I’ve been overwhelmed at the “blogosphere’s” response to SHADE in particular. *blushes* A writer friend of mine compared YA book blogdom to science fiction/fantasy fandom, because they’ve formed a friendly, passionate community around the thing they love most—books! — Jeri Smith-Ready

I love bloggers! They have really helped me get the word out about my new books. I've made a lot of friends all over the world--Spain, France, New Zealand--and we stay in touch. They've helped run contests, review my books, and connect me with other bloggers and fellow bookophiles. — Nancy Holder

In one word, bloggers ROCK! My experience has been almost 100% positive. As a debut author without the backing of a major publisher, I’m responsible for all of my marketing. One of the first things I did was look for bloggers who might want to review my book. I contacted 10 at first and received 9 yes’s. One or two didn’t get the reviews done, but I really was overwhelmed with the kindness and excitement everyone else had about reading my story. Then others contacted me, asking me to please, please, please send them a copy. No book that’s been read by a decent amount of people is going to get all glowing reviews – there’s just no way everyone is going to love our books – and I’ve had a few that were not so stellar. But they’re usually written well and make great points, whether the reviewer liked the book or not. There have been a couple that seemed to be written just to hurt the author and these just make me sad for both the author (me or someone else) and the reviewer because they’re not helpful at all and only create bad feelings. Most bloggers, though, give so much heart and soul to their reviews and to their blogs that you know they’ve really considered what they’re writing and how it will affect both writers and readers. — Kristie Cook

I’ve had really good experiences with bloggers. Even if I don’t fully agree with a review, I respect the fact that someone took the time to read my book and write about it. Sometimes a blogger will pose a question, and I’ll follow up in the comments section. I seem to startle bloggers when I do that, which leads me to believe there are some that don’t have the time to post. I hope I will continue to be able to follow and contribute to the blogs. I figure if you took the time to write the article or a review I will take the time to thank you. Even if you spelled my heroine’s name wrong (wink). — Jana Oliver

When my first book, Redemption, came out in 2004, I wasn’t aware of bloggers. This time around, for Deadly, I realized that bloggers were really, in essence, rabid book lovers. Being a book lover myself, I could identify. Actually communicating with bloggers to ask for reviews and interviews was a bit scary for me (I feel a little funny promoting my self/book.) Some bloggers were highly receptive and communicative, and some less so. It was important to pair my book not just with the bloggers who’d be receptive, but also with bloggers who were interested in my kind of work, this historical medical mystery type thing. It took me awhile to understand how important that was. — Julie Chibbaro

I count bloggers as some of the best experiences I've had since being published. I had no idea such a community of women existed before. Some of my most joyful moments came from reading their reviews, because they are the real reader. These are true representatives of the people buying and reading my books. — Janenifer DeLucy

I went to my first kidlit blogger conference a few years ago, but honestly I had no idea the YA blogger community was so vast until Kristi at The Story Siren chose Tell Me a Secret for her 2010 Debut Author Challenge. Since then I’ve met some of you in person at events, had coffee with others, and have happily visited your blogs as a guest and on tour. You are celebrities to me! — Holly Cupala

I love bloggers! They have been so wonderful--they care about books and about spreading the word on good books. They're like the librarians of the online world. — Beth Revis

My experience with bloggers has been absolutely amazing! I first learned about book bloggers when I joined Twitter last year. I was very flattered by the warm welcome they gave me, and I continue to be so grateful for their excitement and enthusiasm about Other Words for Love. — Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

The funny thing about bloggers is that most of the time they are indistinguishable from readers. I can be talking to someone about books on twitter, goodreads, or wherever, and I'll be completely surprised to hear that person's a blogger. It just goes to show that anyone can develop strong opinions about literature and present them in a convincing way via a blog. As a result, I've come into contact with such a wide variety of opinions about different books that it's really helped broaden my sense of what readers are looking for. Because we're all a little different, I have a theory that no two people ever really read the same book, and so it's wonderful to read reviews on a number of blogs to see the variety of ideas and perceptions. — Jason Letts

Bloggers in general have been nothing but ah-maz-ing to me! Without their undying promotion and love of books, getting word out about great novels would be harder to come by. Many of these bloggers (including you) are now my closer online friends and they warm my heart with their kindness. — Brenda Pandos

* The second question for the bloggers will be posted tomorrow in 3 parts. USE GOOGLE if you want to know more about the blogoversary celebration.

1. What are the biggest differences now that you are promoting the second book, Purpose, from when you were promoting Promise?
Releasing Promise was one of the most exciting times of my life because it was my debut. My first in everything. That also made it a lot more stressful, because I was scared to death people would hate it. Fortunately, they didn’t. J And now they’re looking forward to Purpose. Combine that with my own feeling that Purpose is a better story and I’m not quite as worried about that part of the equation. Of course, I’m still anxious – maybe it’s not what readers are expecting, maybe the change in Alexis turns them off, maybe it takes a direction fans don’t like, etc. – but this is the book I started out writing, the one that grabbed my heart and soul. So whether people like it or not, I personally feel a lot better about it than I did Promise.

2. I do know that you have had a few major events and awards since you were last on here, would you like to share some of those?
Hehe Yes, Promise has exceeded my expectations in the big world. It won the 1^st Place Fantasy (Published) Royal Palm Literary Award for the Florida Writers Association. That is a huge honor that I don’t take lightly. It’s also received some great reviews, including a “highly recommended” by the prestigious Midwest Book Review. MBR may not mean a lot to the average reader, but it has a strong influence on booksellers and librarians. It’s a feather in the industry cap. Promise is also (finally!) available at all major and indie retailers (though you may have to request it), including for international delivery through The Book Depository. I’ve also done some appearances, like at the Miami Book Fair International, and have some signings and presentations coming up in January.

3. Can you share with us some of what we can expect for the continuation of this story?
In Promise, Alexis starts out as a young woman just barely getting started in this world she had no idea existed. Purpose really initiates her into the world, giving her (and the reader) a taste of what’s to come. She has many challenges ahead of her as she fulfills her destiny of being the fierce protector of human souls and, eventually, taking her leadership role of the Angels’ army on earth. She transforms from vulnerable, pretty naïve and nearly human in the first book to kickass warrior in the books to come. The love story of Promise evolves into stories about the various forms of love we all experience, from love of our soul-mates to our children to complete strangers and people we never thought we could love.

4. Will any other books be featuring these characters?
The rest of this part of the series – 5 or 6 books – is Alexis’s story, so, yeah, there’s a lot more coming. Some of the major-minor characters have been sharing more of their stories with me, too. I don’t know if they’ll be full series or even books, but at least some short stories or novellas.

5. Do you have any other books in the works? We NEED more from you!: )
I’ve started book three, but it’s been back-burnered for quite a while, so I don’t know where I’m really at with it. I’m really looking forward to getting back to it, however, I’m also excited to work on some of these other stories. So many ideas, so little time…

6. What is the main thing you have learned from the entire process of getting a book out to the public?
Patience. That goes for any writer, regardless of where you are in the process. You need patience to produce the best story possible; patience in seeking publication; patience with the publishing process; and patience on the other side, as well. The word has been spreading, but it takes time to build buzz and momentum. Just because someone wants to read a book doesn’t mean they go out and buy it right away. Or even if they do, they don’t necessarily read it right away. I’m the same way. My TBR pile is a mile high. And I know most readers are that way. So we just have to have patience while the snowball grows.

7. Did you have to take out any scenes that you wish you could have kept in the story? What were the biggest changes in the story from the time you first wrote it, to the finished version?
Promise and Purpose started out as one story. Now, ending up as two books, they are, in some ways, quite a bit different than when I wrote that first draft. There are many scenes that didn’t make it and many new ones that have been added. I’m happy with the final results, but there were some sweet scenes originally in Promise with Alexis and her mother Sophia and others with Alexis and Tristan that just didn’t do enough to move the story along so they had to be cut. Probably the biggest change from that very first draft, however… something I didn’t see at first while focused on just this one book… something that has added a whole new twist to the entire series… originally, Dorian wasn’t born alone.

8. You've had quite a roll in the promoting of Promise and Purpose and you have done a fabulous job! Is that part more stressful than the writing?
Marketing is my background and I mostly enjoy it, but writing is my passion. The most stressful part, really, is not having enough time to do everything.

9. Do you have any recent events planned that you would like to share?
Of course, there’s the virtual release party for Purpose going until 12/18. After the holidays, I’ll be doing some local signings and by spring, I should be expanding the tour into other states, including Virginia, Arizona and Minnesota.

10. Can you give us a little excerpt from Purpose?

A shadow shifted in the corner. Two small, red lights glowed from about two-thirds up the wall. I realized they were eyes. It can’t really be Daemoni—can it? We hadn’t been bothered for over seven years. Not a single visit or even a threat. Nothing at all. They had what they wanted.
“Don’t you know?”
The shadow moved forward, just enough for the light from my clock to slightly illuminate a face—pale, bluish-white in the clock’s glare, glowing eyes and… fangs. The light reflected off his glimmering teeth, bared in an evil grin, if that’s what you could call it, and I knew for sure those were fangs. And I knew immediately what he was. From what I could see, he favored some of my characters, as if he’d stepped out of the pages of the books I wrote.
Such a strange feeling—to feel as though I’d awakened in my usual way but know I was dreaming again. I had to be. Monsters were real, but vampires were not.
“C-Claudius?” My voice shook. I knew this dream was about to become a terrible nightmare. With his dark hair floating around the sides of his face, this visitor looked similar to my Claudius, leader of the evilest vampire nest in my make-believe world.
“Ha!” the shadow barked. “So you do see the resemblance.”

Purpose by Kristie Cook Publisher: Ang'dora Productions (December 15th, 2010) Reading Level: 17 and up Paperback: 377 pages Series: Soul Savers, book #2 Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.

Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself… but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?

Don't forget to check out the Re-Cover contest of Promise and Purpose. Entries must be in 12/18.

Find Kristie Cook Kristie Cook / Promise / Goodreads
Purchase Signed Copies of Purpose

Today I am participating in the blog tour for VAIN by Fisher Amelie. She is stopping by to share with us the top 10 songs that inspire her. Check out the great giveaway below as well.
Top 10 Songs that Inspire You
First off, thank you so much for having me, Total Bookaholic!!! I’m honored!

My taste in music is fairly eclectic and constantly changing but right now these ten songs are writing my next book.

Change of Time by Josh Ritter
This song makes me a little sad but in a good way. For some reason it reminds me of every wrong that’s ever been wronged in this world. It makes me want to move, to fix them, to stand up and shout for those who can’t.

Breath of Life by Florence + The Machine
This song has written at least three heart pounding scenes that I know of.

Blackout by Muse
This song belongs to my husband and I. It’s ours, very, very ours.
All the Rowboats by Regina Spektor
Haunting and beautiful and so Regina Spektor.
High by Feeder
This reminds me of when I lived in England. Some of the best years of my life.

Somewhere Out There by Our Lady Peace
High school dances, friends, singing at the top of our lungs, falling over each other in laughter. It was such a magical time for me, full of silliness and seriousness. There wasn’t a day that would go by that I didn’t experience both.

Mustard Gas by The Dear Hunter
This song will always scream to me in ways no other song ever could because it reminds me of the first book I ever wrote. Full of angst and demands, it’s written many passionate scenes.

Sunburn by Muse
Every time I listen to this song, for some reason I imagine an incredibly distraught woman dancing on pointe’s.

Tuna in the Brine by Silverchair
Oh my word do I love Silverchair. I am so in love with their music it’s not even funny. Their Diorama album has some incredible compositions scored by Van Dyke Parks. I’ve just never heard an album more beautiful than that one and Tuna in the Brine is my favorite.

Inception Theme by Hans Zimmer
When I need a dramatic scene, this is the song I listen to.

VAIN PLAYLIST HERE.

(VAIN Trailer link: http://youtu.be/t5D9naNNSkI) VAIN Trailer

Find Fisher on her blog here! Find Fisher on Amazon! Find Fisher on Barnes & Noble! Find Fisher on Facebook! Find Fisher on Twitter! Find Fisher on Goodreads! Find Fisher on YouTube!

Add to Goodreads VAIN SUMMARY: If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah… then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price… And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
GIVEAWAY

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This week was sooooooooo good!!! Not only was I blessed with great review books but I won an incredible contest from the Bewitched Bookworms and won 5 signed books from the Dark Days of Supernatural tour! *happy dance!!* Absolutely made my week. I didn't have anything by these authors signed and I'm a huge fan of all of them so I will cherish these books forever.

Also, huge thanks to Janenifer Sommersby (who gave me the best book personalization of all time), Harlequin Teen, Simon & Schuster, St. Martin's Press, Tachyon Publishing, and Lisa at A Life Bound by Books.

Review
Sleight (SIGNED) by Janenifer Sommersby
The Urban Fantasy Anthology (ARC) by Various Authors
If I Die (ARC) by Rachel Vincent
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Sirensong by Janena Black

Gifted
Albatross by Josie Bloss (Thanks Lisa!)

Won
Die For Me (SIGNED) by Amy Plum (and bookmark)
Hereafter (SIGNED) by Tara Hudson
Cryptic Cravings (SIGNED) by Ellen Schreiber
Illusions (SIGNED) by Aprilynne Pike (and 2 tattoos)
Divergent (SIGNED) by Veronica Roth
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

and a bracelet too (not pictured because my daughter ran off with it. Thief!)

HUGE thanks to the Bewitched Bookworms for having this amazing contest and for asking my question during the signing! EEK! I've never been to an author event before but siting here watching it from home was just as terrific!: )

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

A few weeks ago I received an email that brought tears to my eyes. Tina from Book Couture had wrote me just to tell me how much she enjoyed my blog. It blew me away that, not only did someone really enjoy my blog, but would take time out just to write me to tell me. Wow! Those comments and emails will always mean the world to me. Thank you so much Tina for making me feel like I am doing something right: )

Today Tina will be discussing The Seven Deadly Sins!

Hi! I'm Tina, an Aussie teenage book blogger who spends a great chunk of her time at Book Couture, where I write book reviews, participate in memes, and aim to spread knowledge of blogger through my tutorials.

My primary goal for Book Couture is to recommend good books to other people. The most fulfilling thing for me would be if someone decided to pick up a book I recommend, and enjoy it as much as I did. The thought that someone else out there could be as moved as I am through reading the same story, experiencing the same magic that it evokes, is what moved me to create my own blog.

I'm also the founder and co-moderator of the Book Contest Directory, a listing of book contests across the blogosphere. Feel free to check it out for contests galore!

My favourite genres are fantasy (Harry Potter), paranormal (Vampire Academy), science fiction (Ender's Game, The Hunger Games), historical (The Luxe), and contemporary/chick lit (think Meg Cabot). Although I started my blog initially to read more reviews about books, and record my own opinions, I have found something more — a lively community of bloggers that share stories and listen to each other's thoughts.

Sometimes, I'll even find the special blogger out there who is willing to help out a newbie. You know who I"m talking about — Jess @ Confessions of a Bookaholic, of course! Thank you, Jess, for featuring me today.

Guest post: The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins, also known as the Cardinal Sins or the Capital Vices, dates back to as early as the 14th century. The Catholic Church needed a classification of common immoral human vices to educate people against sinning, and as 7 was seen as a number of power, the Seven Deadly Sins was formed.

This theme is commonly used in art, sculpture, scripture, and literature. Think of the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, where Arthur Penhaligon battles seven Demesnes of the House, each possessed by a deadly sin. Or Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins, where each deadly sin is linked to a Trek race.

Sometimes, the Seven Deadly Sins are also related to other themes with 7 concepts. For example, the seven angels that fell from grace by rebelling against God, becoming demons, were associated to the Seven Deadly Sins by Peter Binsfeld.

What are the Seven Deadly Sins?

Pride/Vanity

Pride or Vanity is the love of oneself, and the belief that one is superior to others. It is the desire to be better, greater, or stronger, and is considered to be the greatest of all sins. It is associated with the demon Lucifer.

Greed/Avar

Greed or Avarice is one of the three sins of excess (the other two being Lust and Gluttony), but greed pertains to the idea of desiring more wealth, status or power than required. It is associated with the demon Mammon.

Lust

Lust is also one of the three sins of excess, and is applied to those who have excessive sexual thoughts and desires.

It is associated with the demon Asmodeus.

Gluttony

Gluttony, the final sin of excess, is the sin of over indulgence and consumption of food or alcohol to the point of waste. It is associated with the demon Beelzebub.

Envy

Envy is the strong sin of desiring what is not yours, and resenting others for having what you do not have. It is associated with the demon Leviathan.

Wrath

Wrath is pure hatred or anger towards something/someone. It is uncontrolled, and leads to violence or self-destruction. It is associated with the demons Satan and Amon.

Sloth

Sloth is the sin of being lazy and apathetic towards something. It may also mean that one's gifts or talents are not utilised. It is associated with the demon Belphegor.

All the beautiful Seven Deadly Sins art is by Marta Dahlig (blackeri) on Deviantart.

Personally, I think my Deadly Sin is Sloth — I procrastinate way too much. Whenever I settle down in front of the computer to do some homework, I will inevitably end up on Book Couture, or I'll be surfing around on other blogs. Then there's Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
In the blink of an eye, it's midnight, I haven't done any work, and I'm cursing myself for getting distracted. So I'm definitely a sloth. But don't tell anyone *winks*.

Q: Which deadly sin do you have?

WOW! Has the year flown by or what? I can't believe we're ready for another fun filled week where we look back at some of the best of all things books of 2012 and what books we're looking forward to in 2013. Last year was a blast co-hosting the event with some of my favorite fellow bloggers — Lisa from A Life Bound By B ooks, Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime from Two Chicks on Books and this year were excited to have Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads join us in co-hosting this year.

The event runs for five consecutive days, the last week of the year. Five days of some of our favorite lists and we invite ALL of YOU to join in on the fun and share your lists with everyone too!

Each day of the event we hope you'll visit one of the hosting blogs and share your list with the Linky that will be provided. Just be sure you follow which lists goes on which day. Speaking of… here's what we're doing for this years event -

Monday, December 24th - Best Books I've Read in 2012 (Doesn't have to be released in 2012, just a book you've read in 2012)
Tuesday, December 25th - Best Book Covers of 2012 (MUST be a book released in 2012. Would be best if it's a book you've READ in 2012, but it's not required)
Wednesday, December 26th - Best ________ Of 2012 (Readers/Bloggers choice. Please fill in the blank with ONE of these topics — Villains, Contemporaries, Dual POV's, Novellas, Adult titles, New Adult titles, Love Triangles, Couples, Bad Boys or Debuts. REMEMBER — this list MUST be from books you've READ in 2012)
Thursday, December 27th - Best Book Boyfriends of 2012 (MUST be from a book released in 2012 and from a book you've READ in 2012)
Friday, December 28th - Top 10 Books I'm looking forward to in 2013. (This list should be comprised of books released ONLY in 2013)

How you do these posts/lists is totally up to you. What books, covers and characters you pick are all your own.

The only rules to follow are posting the topics on the dates we've provided.
Now, I know what you're all thinking. That this will be hard to keep to 10. Some of you might like to break the lists up a bit. Working with a Top 10 for YA books and then a Top 10 for Adult titles. Feel free to add honorable mentions if you're also having a hard time sticking to 10. However, with the honorable mentions, please try to keep it to a minimum or it kind of defeats the whole purpose of things.

Our main focus of this event is for YOU to join in and share your lists with us all and for everyone to visit each others blogs' and see what books have made it on THEIR lists.

The event is simple. Follow the dates and list topics as provided and fill out the linky below. This gives us an idea who will be joining us for the Top 10 week. THEN, be sure to come back to one of our blogs on each of the five days and link up your post for that specific day! Just remember, each day will have a linky for THAT Top 10 topic.

Also, you don't want to miss a day during the event. We just might have some giveaways up our sleeves and joining in the event, keeping up with our and everyone lists just might help you enter to win! Additional giveaway details to follow, so keep checking back to find out what we're giving away and when!

And don't forget to snag our button and to help spread the word for the event. We'd love to have anyone and everyone join us this year. The more the merrier!

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NOTE: this is the SAME Linky on each of the Co-Hosts Blogs, so please only enter your Name, Blog Name and URL on one blog. Thanks!

Be sure to take the button provided for the event and display it on your blog and link it back to this post so anyone who wants to find out more info about the event easily knows how to find us. We hope everyone who reads this will be as excited for this event as we are and we can't wait to check out all of your lists!

Andrew Jacobson is one of the co-authors of the middle grade fantasy adventure series, THE FAMILIARS.

I grew up in the same house my entire life. It was a brown and white, two story colonial in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Save for the white picket fence, Norman Rockwell himself would have approved. Like any kid, I feared the basement laundry room, and the old heaters made some awful noises, but I knew those noises well. I didn't imagine monsters under my bed. I slept with the lights off.
Then one night, when I was 14, I found myself running down the upstairs hallway into my parent's bedroom, screaming bloody murder.
My older brother was a freshman in college, and had returned home for the weekend. He and I were having a late night chat in my bedroom, catching up on all things into the wee hours. As we whispered in the dark, the closet door — which I always kept securely shut — creaked open. My brother and I tip-toed out of my bed and walked over to the now ajar door. I reached out and pushed it shut again.
As we turned back for my bed, the door creaked back open. And that's when I ran screaming. The next thing I remember is my mom and dad waking in a panic, and my brother standing in the hallway behind me looking at me as if I had lost my mind.
After that, my closet door would creak open on its own periodically, and whenever it did, I felt a cold chill. What lurked among my plaid button downs and doc martens? A ghost?
I have never been able to sleep soundly in any bedroom since unless all the closet doors were closed tight.
… Now, that might be my scariest paranormal experience, but for those of you who don't believe in ghost stories, here's a different kind of scary story…
I still remember the summer afternoon in 1991, when as a grade schooler in Milwaukee, I came home to the news that a man named Jeffrey Dahmer had been arrested for the murder of 17 men. It was one of the most gruesome serial killing sprees in history, and it had all happened just a few minutes away from my sheltered little house in the suburbs.
This would have just been a footnote to my otherwise idyllic Midwestern upbringing, but for the fact that my father, an attorney, represented nearly all of the families of the victims of Dahmer. Together, they sued Dahmer and won settlements totaling tens of millions of dollars — not a penny of which Dahmer would (or could) ever pay. So my dad got creative. He decided to go after any profits that Dahmer or anyone else tried to make off the exploitation of his murders. This included comic books, movies, and even trading cards. Really sick stuff. It also included a book that Jeffrey Dahmer's father wrote about the murders, which he was going to make a healthy payday from.
That's when my dad decided to sue Dahmer's father so the money he was making would go to the victims' families. And this is when the story gets scary. I'm not talking bump in the night scary, or I think there's a ghost in the closet scary, or I heard something in the attic scary. No, this is the worst serial killer in history threatened to make my dad sorry scary.
Although Dahmer was locked up in a maximum security prison for life, it was no less unsettling when I returned home from school that fall to learn that my dad had received a letter from Jeffrey Dahmer. It was typed on a typewriter, and was actually quite polite. But there was no mistaking the subtext of his note. In essence, he was warning my dad that if he went after Dahmer's father, he would be very, very sorry.
My mind raced, as any 13 year old boy's mind would. What if Dahmer escapes from prison, or gets out one day? What if he comes after my dad or my family… or me?! This was a guy who dismembered people and cannibalized them! I was terrified.
And then, a few months later, news broke that Jeffrey Dahmer was shanked in a prison laundry room, murdered and left dead on the floor. I'm not going to lie. I was relieved.
Happy Halloween everyone!

The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson Publisher: HarperCollins (September 7th, 2010) Hardcover: 368 pages After three young wizard apprentices are kidnapped by the evil queen of a distant land, it is up to their familiars, their magical animal companions — a street smart alley cat, a precocious blue jay, and a bumbling tree frog — to save them.

Thank you so much Andrew for the story!

Find Andrew Jacobson
The Familiars / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
Purchase The Familiars
Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes and Noble

*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.