Cover Reveal:Eternal by Kristi Cook

THERE’S NO HIDING FROM DESTINY…



In the final book of the Winterhaven trilogy, Violet McKenna and her friends find themselves right in the middle of a vampire war. The stakes have been raised, the danger unavoidable now. As the Warriors’ senior year draws to a close, not everyone makes it out alive. Who will be left standing at the end of it all? Will Aidan be a part of Violet’s future, or is he just a specter of the past?

About The Author

YA author Kristi Cook is a transplanted southern gal who lives in New York City with her husband and two kids. Her YA debut, HAVEN, was released in Feb. 2011 by Simon Pulse.



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Book Haul: January 29th Releases!

As you know, Tuesdays are the best days of the year because they mean book releases!

There were so many awesome titles that released this week, but here are the few that sparked an interest in me.  I have, in fact, downloaded them and am ready to read.  When I find the time to read them... that's another story.

1. Prodigy by Marie Lu

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. 

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller Legend, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action. 

2. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

3. Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Will
Maybe I'm too late. Maybe Zoe's dad stole all her fifteen years and taught her to be scared. I'll undo it. Help her learn to be strong again, and brave. Not that I'm any kind of example, but we can learn together.
When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can't run fast enough.
Zoe
Maybe it'll take Will years to come to terms with being abandoned. Maybe it'll take forever. I'll stay with him no matter how long it takes to prove that people don't always leave, don't always give up on you.

Book Blast: Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista

To help spread the word about the fact that Jeanette Battista's LEOPARD MOON, the first book in the Moon series, is available for free at Amazon for the Kindle until the end of the month we've invited the author to the blog to share a guest post about her experience writing the book.



The Moon series consists of four books - LEOPARD MOON, JACKAL MOON, HYENA MOON and HUNTER MOON - and is a series author Melissa Marr says, "... is filled with action and romance, shape shifters and strong heroines."



To check out all the books in the series on Goodreads, CLICK HERE.



The guest post follows below, but first here's some information about the awesome book and author and places you can find them both online!

About the Book



Title: LEOPARD MOON (Moon Series #1)

Author: Jeanette Battista

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release date: March 7, 2012

Pages: 204

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble



***Kindle format free at Amazon - HERE***



Description:



How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?




A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.




When the moon rises, the hunt is on….

Dimitri Williams Photography
Source: Author's website

About the Author



Jeanette Battista graduated with an English degree with a concentration in medieval literature which explains her possibly unhealthy fixation on edged weapons and cathedral architecture. She spent a summer in England and Scotland studying the historical King Arthur, which did nothing to curb her obsession. To satisfy her adrenaline cravings—since sword fighting is not widely accepted in these modern times—she rode a motorcycle at ridiculously high speeds, got some tattoos, and took kickboxing and boxing classes. She gave up the bike when her daughter came along, although she still gets pummeled at the gym on a regular basis.




When she’s not writing or working, Jeanette spends time with family, hikes, reads, makes decadent brownies, buys killer boots, and plays Pocket Frogs. She wishes there were more hours in the day so she could actually do more of these things. She lives with her daughter and their ancient, ill-tempered cat in North Carolina.



Find her: Goodreads | Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

I'll be honest--I wasn't planning to write a book like Leopard Moon. I had an entirely different story in my head at the time, but it just wasn't coming into clear focus. That's the funny way writing works though: there I am, sitting at a red light on my way to meet my friends for a birthday martini and pedicure, listening to Florence + the Machine and WHAM! The song Howl comes on and this whole lovely scene just starts unfolding in my head. There was Kess, running through the woods, ripping off of her clothes as she triggered a change into a black leopard. And there was Cormac, standing in a different part of the woods being beaten mercilessly by the villain. I didn't know Sek was going to turn out to be Kess' brother, but I did know who he was as a character and what he wanted.



It was truly a gift: the entire final fight scene just unspooled itself along with the song lyrics. Each beat of the song matched a key point in the fight. The more I listened, the more I realized that the lyrics could apply to all of the characters in the main triangle at some point in the story I suddenly wanted to tell. And I wanted that story to be more than just boy meeting girl--I wanted that story to be about girl saving boy, but more importantly about girl saving herself. The song Howl gave me Kess first and Sekhmet second, so a lot of what I tried to do with them was to show them as two halves of a whole, two sides of a coin. Howl, at least to me, wasn't a love song at all--it was a song about possession and obsession and all of those things that show up in our animal drives. that we'd like to forget exists.




So when I began to craft Kess and Sek, Howl played on a continuous loop. And though the song speaks of wolves, I knew these two had to be cats. Wolves have a more social nature and are more easily understood by us--I think it comes from them being a a precursor to our beloved dogs. Cats are an unknown quantity, strange and separate, even if they choose to share space with us. I wanted real darkness there, not just a brief bit of danger that would be easily resolved. Obsession and mental illness gave Sek that scariness, but also--I hope--a bit of sympathy. He really does love his sister and wants what is best for her and his clan. I never intended to excuse his behavior, but I did want to try and understand it.



Just like the song made me understand that narrator of that story. I can only hope I did half so well.

***

To meet Kess, Cormac and Sek in this first book in the Moon series, head over to Amazon to download the Kindle eBook for free until January 31st.

It can be found HERE!

Blog Tour: Author Interview- Jennah Scott (Making His Mark)

Today, we'll be interviewing Jennah Scott, the author of 

the adult fiction debut, Making His Mark.

Jennah Scott resides in Kansas City, Missouri. Until she started writing she didn't know what she wanted to be. Which is why she has

degrees in education, business, and medical assisting. All that uncertainty has provided her with plenty of ideas for new books. When

she isn't writing she's causing trouble on Twitter, hanging out with family, or she's lost in a book. There's one thing about Jennah, there will never be a dull moment when she's around.

We're so glad to be participating in this blog tour!

1. Describe Making His Mark in three words.

Fiery, Intense, Passionate.

2.What movie title would Bo and Alexis use to describe his/her relationship with the other?

Bo would pick It Happened One Night.

Alexis would have to go with Let the Right One In.

3. Do you have any tattoos?

Yes I do!! I’m addicted to them. I have 6 for now. But will add more soon! My favorite is a cherry blossom design on the top of my foot.

4. Alexis and Bo initially hate each other and never expect to fall in love. What's your opinion on finding love? 

Oh man. That’s a tough one. I think love happens when you least expect it.

5. Which character are you most similar to?

I’d have to say Sarah. I’m a little more quiet and laid back than Alexis.  

6. Choose a song as the theme song for Making His Mark.

Okay, so I had to elicit help for this one. Music is not something I’m well versed in at all. The theme song is Maybe by Kelly Clarkson! It fits both Bo and Alexis in different ways.

7. If the book were to be made into a blockbuster, who would you want to be casted?

Elena Finney for Alexis. 

Alex Meraz for Bo. I know he’s an easy pick, being from Twilight and all, but when you look as good as he does…why not? 

8. What do you want your readers to take away from your work?

Good question. I want my readers to get what I get from books. A chance to escape into another world, and enjoy the trip.

9. What's the next project you're working on?

I've got a few things I’m working on right now. One of them is Matt and Sarah’s book. I’m also working on a collaborative story that features a body shop owner and a Rockabilly artist. Check out my website for updates.

10. What was the last good book you read?

The book I’m reading right now, A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean.

Thank you for hosting me on your blog for the day! I hope you and everyone else enjoys reading MAKING HIS MARK. 

Thanks for your time, Jennah!  

Blog Tour: Review- Making His Mark by Jennah Scott

Making His Mark by Jennah Scott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Summary:  One kiss is all it took for Alexis Catori’s world to turn upside down. One kiss with a man she thinks can help her move beyond her past. 
Bo Nantan has one rule when it comes to tattooing: he refuses to ink his friends. Until Alexis asks him to do her work. 
Bo tries to refuse, but decides maybe there is a compromise that will work. Together they discover their compromise is about more than just art, it’s facing the past so they can move on with the future.

Characters: 

• Alexis: She is more outgoing, being friends with a bunch of guys.  She puts up a facade, but she's actually very sensitive.  The trait that I like about her a lot is her kindness, not just to Bo, but everyone.  She's an elementary school teacher, which tells you a little something about her patient personality.
• Bo: Bo definitely has his moments of being sweet, but he acts really dumb sometimes.  There's no other way to say it.  He's lucky that Alexis overlooks this.  regarding him, the one trait that I liked was his loyalty to the people he loves and that he wants to make them proud.     

I appreciate that diversity of these characters.  It's refreshing to read about Native Americans.

Plot: *Spoilers*

I'm pretty sure that epic kiss happened in the 2nd chapter.  I was utterly confused.  How can you go from being enemies to kissing each other?  Where's the build-up for the climactic kiss?  Along the same lines, it seemed like Bo was in love with Alexis extremely fast.  The pacing of this book was way too quick!! 

I realize that this is adult fiction, but wow, this book is largely made up of sex scenes!  Now, I'm totally for a few here and there to build up tension and anticipation, but that got lost for me because of the frequency.

I was expecting Alexis' reasons for not wanting to get involved with Bo to be more dramatic than they were.  I guess I read too much fiction involving drama,trauma, death and other serious issues, so this plot seemed very plain and disappointing. 

Overall, I had issues with the plot.  I thought it was less than mediocre.

Writing: I haven't been addressing this too often, but I felt the need to say that the D was neglected.  That's right, there were endless diction errors.   I don't know if I received the finished product, but the horror!  Crystal, captious Crystal, would die!  I get that self-published books might have errors, but  these took away from the story.  I cringed at the book when I found a mistake, and unfortunately that was often.  Now, I'm going to feel really embarrassed if there are any typos in this review.

Cover: I was surprised to see such clean, ink-free models for a book surrounding the topic of tattoos.  I expected Bo to at least have one. 

Would I recommend this to a friend? No, I'm sorry.  I feel terrible for giving a bad review on a blog tour, but I must be candid.   

Check out our interview with the author.

View all my reviews

Book turned Movie: Review- Silver Linings Playbook

My Rating: 8.5/10

I finally got around to seeing this, and I'm glad I did! I had no idea what this movie was about, but I wanted to see Jennifer Lawrence in a new role.

My Summary: Pat was institutionalized after he found his wife Nikki cheating on him with another teacher, who he then proceeded to beat up.  Later, Pat is diagnosed with bipolar disease.  He returns to live with his parents in the Philadelphia area, determined to get his life back together.  He believes working towards getting his old job and wife, whom he has a restraining order against, will make his life better again.  But better gets a whole new meaning when he meets Tiffany, a widow with a reputation of being deranged and promiscuous...

Wow! I would call this one a rom dram sprinkled with some com.  In other words, a romantic drama with comedic relief.  This story takes a look into the world of mental disorders, but still manages to leave you with an overall light and happy feeling.  It's about coping with struggle, love, and resiliency   Though I haven't watched too many of the movies Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in, I was impressed by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence's acting.  They were truly believable "crazy" people and equally pulled off being romantic interests.  To anyone else who lives near Philly or loves the place and its sports teams, it was kinda fun to look for all of the places that you recognize and recall the specific statistics about an Eagles or Phillies game.

Overall, go see it!  It was serious, funny, and cute.  There's something for everybody.  Or just go see it  to look at Bradley Cooper for 2 hours...

Book Info:

The Silver Linings Play Book by Matthew Quick

As I mentioned, this was originally a debut from Matthew Quick published in 2008.  Though I have not yet read it, I heard that the endings differed slightly.  After seeing this movie, I think I'll add it to my TBR list.

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Actual Rating 4.5 stars

Summary: When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Characters: 
Allison: Allison is a really relatable character. She's always done what's she's been told and done it without complaining. But, inside is a totally new girl waiting to come out, and Willem is the guy to break her free.
Willem: So, just as the book title says, the audience only gets to know Willem for one day.  I don't think that I really got to know Willem too well. Right off the bat, Willem comes off as a total playboy.  Yes, he did have his sweet moments and could be witty, but he still remains a stranger with a possibly drama-filled past? Well, he did still manage to get me interested in his back story with his charm. Needless to say, I'm excited for Just One Year. I think I'll come to love him, like I did with Adam from If I Stay. I thought he was a sweet guy in it, but I didn't really know him. Once he told his story in Where She Went, I absolutely fell in love with him!
Plot: The plot was not what I was expecting. I thought there would be more of a focus on the romance, but they literally only spent one day together.  The book was really about her becoming herself and not pretending to be what others wanted her to be. The phrase on the back of the book sums this book up perfectly.  It said something like "While looking for him, she found herself." I will admit that the part of the book right after the one day got a little boring.  However, her travels of self-discovery were actually really inspiring for teenage girls.  At least they were for me. I know I feel like I have to live up to expectations constantly, and this book made me want to go on my own trip throughout Europe to learn about myself.  I really admire the courage and determination Allison has to decide to travel by herself.
Plot issues: Something that I can say from experience: Allison being able to pick up enough French to get around France is total bologna. With one summer intro class under her belt, she's able to speak a pretty good deal.  When I went to France this summer, it felt like everything I had learned disappeared. I had known 3 times as much French as Allison, but she's able to find out what she needs.
Also, how she manages to track Willem down seems too unrealistic.  Trying to track down someone whose last name you don't know seems a little bit harder than this makes it out to be.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes, this a really cute book.  I love the aspects of European travel, but I truly enjoyed reading about Allison's transformation.  I can't wait to read more about Willem in the next book. This one leaves on such a cliffhanger that really won't be answered until the final book of the series if the next is the same timeline as Just One Day.

We saw Gayle on tour!



View all my reviews

Movie News: If I Stay by Gayle Forman- Chloe Moretz to play Mia!

Yup, Chloe Moretz is attached to the If I Stay movie adaptation!!

I like Chloe Moretz, and I'm excited to see her portraying Mia.  I loved Hugo, and I thought she was funny in 500 Days of Summer.  Honestly, I think she's going to be the next big actress and is definitely worth watching.

It seems that casting directors choose actors that are older than the characters so often.  I'm usually annoyed that they do this because people in their late twenties playing teenagers is a bit of a stretch. But for this book, because the subject matter is so mature, I thought they could get away with casting an older actress.   That's why I'm so surprised, but again, I'm excited to see her take on this role.

So, Chloe is 16, and Mia is supposed to be 17.  The age difference is practically nonexistent. However, Chloe looks pretty young on screen which affects who can be cast as Adam.  If you put in an actor too old, it'll look like pedophilia.  I can't think of any young actors who I would cast as Adam.

At the signing yesterday, Gayle said that the casting directors were considering musicians that could also act.  I still have no ideas...

I've seen suggestions for Adam by MTV.  They mentioned Thomas Dekker, Austin Butler, and Carter Jenkins.

Chloe Moretz

Thomas Dekker

Austin Butler

Carter Jenkins

Who do you want to play Adam?   

Book Signing: Gayle Forman- Just One Day

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance ofTwelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.




Today at 7:00 PM, Crystal and I will be at the Gayle Forman signing at the Towne Book Center & Cafe in Collegeville, PA.

It's Crystal's first signing ever!! She'll get to experience the fun, yet strange world of book events.

Do you have any questions that you'd like us to ask Gayle?

I'll be posting a review tomorrow, and we'll be sure to snag a pic for you and report back with details from the event!  By the way, this book is pretty cute, and leaves you with such a cliffhanger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***UPDATE******

Returned from the signing, and it was tres magnifique!!!!

Lucky for us, we weren't sure of the bookstore's address.  When we checked it, we saw that the signed was changed from 7 to 6 PM.  Thank goodness we did, or I would have been a sad panda!

Gayle had pictures of herself on various voyages on her laptop to go along with the book's European travel theme.  From our seats, I got a lovely view of the person in front of me's head.  Anyway, the laptop presentation connected to the passages she chose to read from the book; it was obvious that her own experiences helped to shape Allyson and Willem as well as their stories.  I have to say, the readings seemed endless!  I couldn't believe how much she was giving away, and Crystal was next to me, extremely bored.

I'm a huge Gayle Forman fan, so I brought my mylar-wrapped, first edition hardbacks of If I Stay,  Where She Went, and You Can't Get There from Here.  I'm sure you probably never have hear of the third title which is why Gayle was so surprised that I had a copy.  I was missing her other books, Sisters in Sanity, Fashinonistas, and Truth or Fashion , so she said that by having a copy of You Can't Get There From Here, I earned these books.  She said to write down my info in the copy of Just One Day that she was reading, and she will send me them.  I can't believe I got to sign an author's book!!!!!! And an author's sending me her hard to find books so I can complete my collection!!! My life will soon be complete!

Notes: You Can't Get There From Here is a non-fiction book, and Gayle told me that it was bad and specifically wrote in my book not to read it.  I think I'll trust her on it.

Fashionistas and Truth or Fashion were written under the pen name, Chloe Walsh.

Check out my review of Just One Day!


View all my reviews

Book Turned Pilot: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

It's official!  Fox has ordered a pilot based on Lauren Oliver's Delirium.  Karyn Usher (Prison Break, Bones) will be the writer.

The film rights were bought over two years ago, but I guess that it won't be a film anytime soon.  Possibly if the pilot is a hit?

If you don't know what Delirium's premise is, I gotcha covered!

THEY SAY that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever.And I've always believed them. Until now.
Now everything has changed. Now, I'd rather be infectedwith love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie. 

Cover Reveal Announced: 1-31-13 Eternal by Kristi Cook

Don't be a sphere, be here...on January 31st, 9 AM!  

We'll be revealing the cover of Eternal (Winter Haven Series #3) by Kristi Cook.

Don't forget: There's going to be a giveaway as well!

Cover Reveal: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Look how pretty it is!!!!!!!!

So, Entertainment Weekly was the first to reveal the cover which explains their logo adulterating that beautiful cover.

I'm thinking Noah's alive? Thank the lord!

I honestly wasn't expecting this as the cover.  I did a post earlier showing the photos in the Abyss of the Dishearted by Heather Landis, the photo shoot in which the two other cover art photo's were chosen.  

I thought this one was going to be the winner, because Mara looks like she's breaking free and this is sad, but I didn't think the designer would give away what happens to Noah from the cover!

The photo was definitely lightened, but I like the original seen below a lot. Moreover, it seems that they get lighter and lighter with each cover, nonetheless a very nice move on the designer and author's part.  

I personally, love these covers.  They're gorgeous and kind of dark just like the books.

Can't wait till it hits the shelves!

What are your thoughts on the covers?

Repost: 18 Insanely Cool Bookshelves You'll Want to Own

Alex Wain
January 20, 2013
Original Article



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What's your favorite?

The Best of Edgar A. Poe (D'apres Moi)

In honor of his birthday, I've created a list of Edgar Allan Poe's best stories/poems in my opinion.  With Poe, it's pretty universal that he had mental health issues and his stories were odd with deranged characters, but I think they're really interessant!

Happy Birthday!

1. Annabel Lee

In short, it's a beautiful poem about the narrator's love for his dead lover, Annabel Lee.

I've found really neat and modern photos/ drawings when I Google searched "Edgar Allan Poe Annabel Lee."  They all are very dark and and show the "kingdom by the sea."

2. The Oval Portrait

I don't think too many people like this one, but it's about a painter that obsessively devotes his time with creating a beautiful portrait, but ends up taking away a stroke of life from the real woman each time he paints a stroke of the portrait.  Definitely depressing, but I still find it beautiful.

3. The Cask of Amontillado

Now we're getting into the vengeful, crazy characters and plots we all love!  This is about a man who brings another into the cellar, I believe, while the latter is intoxicated and traps him behind a wall.  But he's alive...

4. The Raven

There's a lot of controversy about what the heck this poem's even about.  Was the narrator just dreaming the entire thing?  Was he mentally unstable because Lenore left him?

I admire the fact that he had everybody so confused and interested in the real meaning of it that he had to write an essay on the matter. 

And don't you forget, Nevermore!

 5. The Black Cat

Oh, man.  This was absolutely animal cruelty! Poe knew exactly how to make me cringe at the sickness of the psycho cat torturer.  Now that requires skill what with the diction and clear imagery which is why I put it on this list.  No, I'm not an animal torturer.  I LOVE CATS!