Waiting on Wednesday (27)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

I am a big fan of the Infernal Devices series and I love Will and Jem!!  I read the prequel series before I read Mortal Instruments which is why I like Infernal Devices so much better.  I just feel like Shadowhunters belong in the steampunk world and not the modern world. I'm super excited for Clockwork Prince to be released even though it's still going to be a little bit of a wait.  December 6, 2011!

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters.  But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute.  If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street--and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal.  He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life.  To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined.  When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move--and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heard drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her.  But something is changing in Will--the wall he has built around himself is crumbling.  Could finding the Magister free Will from secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what he was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest of heart.

Well, I hope that the whole story wasn't just told in the synopsis, because that is one of the longest ones I've ever read! What are you waiting for?

In My Mailbox (20)

In My Mailbox is an awesome way to connect with our blogger and reader friends and share which amazing books we received, bought or borrowed during the week! This weekly meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.



Review:

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Eve by Anna Carey
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Beyond the Grave by Mara Purnhagen
Dark Territory by J. Gabriel Gates

Paperbackswap:

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

Bought:

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

What's in your mailbox?

Blog Tour-Interview with Angela Henry and 2 Giveaways!

Today I'd like to welcome to the blog Angela Henry, the author of the Paris Secret, an adult mystery novel set in Paris.  As her Kizmet blog tour is coming to end end, she has done an interview with me and has some big prizes to giveaway!

The publishing process can be long and arduous, from writing the initial draft of a book to selecting cover art to waiting for those first reviews to roll in.  What's the most exciting part of the process for you?


The most exciting part of the writing process for me in when I'm writing that first draft and an idea hits me out of the blue that takes the story to another level.  Sometimes it's a new subplot other times it's a change in a character's motivation.  The coll part is that I never know exactly where the idea will take me until I start writing.

How much sway did you have in the process of creating the cover of the book?


Of all my books, I've had the most input on the cover for the Paris Secret.  My publisher, Carina Press, had me fill out a cover art fact sheet where I answered questions about my characters looks, setting, what other covers and images I liked.  I was able to make suggestions on what I wanted it to look like.  When I saw it I was so surprised and happy because they gave me exactly the over I asked for.  The Paris Secret is so cross genre and I think the cover really conveys that well.

Are you ever surprised how a scene works out when you're writing it or how a character winds up acting in a scene?


Always.  I usually have a vague idea of how things are going to work when I start writing.  By the time I'm finished, it's never exactly how I envisioned it.  My characters don't always do what I want them to.

What is your favorite scene and character in the book?


My favorite character is actually Simon's smart and sassy 13 year-old goddaughter, Francoise.  I just think she's a hoot.  My favorite scene is when Maya and Simon have to go to a hair salon to try and retrieve a dress.  Maya is furious with Simon because of something she finds out from Francoise and he can't figure out what's wrong with her.

I read in your book that you got the idea for the Paris Secret while on vacation?  Is vacation where most of your inspiration comes from or other places as well?


The Paris Secret is actually the only book inspired by a vacation.  My inspiration comes from lots of places: dreams, new stories, and personal experiences just to name a few.

When in your life did you decide to become a writer?


I decided I wanted to be a writer when I was in my teens.  But I didn't attempt to write my first novel until I was in my late twenties.  Up until then I'd only ever written short stories.

It must be hard to find time to relax when you're so busy writing, but everyone needs a break.  Is there a particular genre or author you enjoy reading when you're not writing?


I love "time slip" novels where character either travel back in time like in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series or featuring two heroines who are connected through time by an object, like in Kate Mosse's Labyrinth and Christi Phillips's The Devlin Diary.  I also love dark, edgy YA and middle grade mystery and adventure novels.

I would like to thank Angela for conducting this interview! It has been a great pleasure and it was really fun doing my first ever interview!


The Grand Prize Giveaway!



Angela has a huge grand prize that she is giving away on her blog on Tuesday, July 26, 2011!  The grand prize consists of a beautiful Eiffel Tower pendant, delicious lip gloss, a signed poster, The Paris Secret music playlist and an Audible gift card good for two audio book downloads! WOW! That's a huge prize pack!  For your chance to win, you answer to the following question in my comments section will be valid for one entry!

Every good story must come to an end.  But not every story ends happily ever after.  Do you prefer endings that are tempered with loss or unfulfilled wishes?  Or are you someone who reads a good story FOR the happily ever after?


Rules:

1. In order to win the grand prize pack, you must answer at least one question in the comments of any of the tour stops. You may answer as many of the questions as you like, for up to 15 entries in the tour.  Only one answer per tour stop will be considered valid.
2. No purchase, affiliation, status as follower to a certain blog or any other association is required to enter.
3. Full rules for the contest can be found at The Paris Secret's tour home page.
4. Winner of the Grand Prize pack giveaway will be announced on Angela's homepage on Tuesday, July 26.

For your chance to enter the giveaway 14 more times, please visit The Paris Secret's tour home page for a complete list of all the participating blogs! GOOD LUCK!!

As part of the Kizmet blog tour, each participating blog gives away an e-copy of The Paris Secret!  Fill out the form below for your chance to win! The giveaway is open until midnight of Saturday, July 23, 2011. One entry per person.

Review- The Devouring

Title: The Devouring
Author: Simon Holt
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Library book

"When dark creeps in and eats the light,
Bury your fears on Sorry Night.
For in the winter's blackest hours,
Comes the feasting of the Vours,
No one can see it, the life they stole,
Your body's here but not your soul..."

THE VOURS: Evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the winter solstice.

When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic.  But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it's clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman's imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life.

To save the people she loves, Reggie must learn to survive in a world of nightmares.  Can she devour her own fears before they devour her?

My thoughts:

I loved this book! I was a little hesitant to pick it up for a couple reasons. 1. It's a little bit older of a book and I hadn't heard much about.  2. It's a bargain book on Amazon (sometimes a bad sign). 3. The synopsis makes it sound kind of weird and definitely different.  I was completely thrown off by all these factors and ended up falling in love after only a few chapters.  I was so engrossed that I read it in one sitting!

The Devouring is a horror novel so for all of you who don't like horror, you will most likely not like it.  But I love horror!  Ever since I read Carrie by Stephen King in the seventh grade, I have loved horror books! It's something about not knowing what's lurking around the next corner that sucks me right in.  Not only is the Devouring horrifying, but it's also somewhat gruesome.  Author Simon Holt does not spare on the details.  Since I read this whole book in broad daylight, I wonder if I would have had a hard time reading it at night.  It makes me think about all my worst fears and what it would feel like to be overwhelmed by them.  It kind of gives me the creeps.

The Devouring is also part mystery, the characters trying to figure out how the Vours work and where they come from while trying to save the life of a child.  There's also the mystery of the journal and trying to figure out if the scenes depicted actually happened or if they were just the ramblings of a crazy person.  Then there's something mysterious going on with the bookshop owner that he's not letting on just yet.  Which of course means I can't wait to read the next one so that I can find out more!

I just loved this book so much because it was a mix of the two things I love the most: mystery and intrigue with horror.  I can't wait to dive right into Soulstice and find out more about the Vours!

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also the covers are always amazing!

This week for Waiting on Wednesday, I chose Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, the third and final book in the Hush, Hush trilogy! I am so excited for this book to come out and, lucky me, Becca Fitzpatrick is doing a release party in Huntington Beach, CA, which is not too far from my house! Silence will be released October 04, 2011!

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone.  They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds....faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth.  Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for--and their love--forever.

Teaser Tuesday (12)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. It includes two sentences from your current read without any spoilers!

Today I'm reading Ariel by Aaron Patterson.

"What would he see in me?  I don't really stand out.  Then again, why would I want him to notice me?  Sure, he's hot, but what else is there to the guy?  He probably gets girls falling all over him everywhere he goes.  Especially the rechargeable kind, the ones with perky, dumb personalities and nothing to say but nonsense.  And guys are so stupid anyway--always falling for blonde hair and blue eyes and cheerleader uniforms.  He's probably just like every other guy--just let it go.  Ignore him, girl--he's bad news." Pg. 23

Review- Forgive My Fins

Title: Forgive My Fins
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast.  Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid--she's a Thalassinian princess.  When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs.  Sure, land has its problems--like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher--but it has that one major perk--Brody.  The problem is, mermaids aren't really casual dating type--when they "bond", it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

My thoughts:

This book was so fun to read! I loved the Little Mermaid feel to it and it was super funny and upbeat!  After finding out that her mother is human, Lily's father decides that she should spend sometime on the shore since she is half-human.  After being above water for only a short while, she comes across Brody who she sees swimming effortlessly in the ocean.  She decides right then and there that she is in love with him and wants to bond herself to him for the rest of her life.  But the only problem is, he has a girlfriend and has never really mustered up enough courage to tell him how she feels.  Her neighbor Quince irritates the hell out of her by always showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Even though I loved the aspects of Lily and Quince's relationship, I thought it was very typical of a YA novel.  They hate each other, at least she hates him, but they spend so much time together that they decide that maybe there's something there they didn't see; maybe there's chemistry and a spark.  Then Brody turns out to be the typical popular jock and doesn't accept Lily in the way she wants him to.  I felt a lot of the themes in the book were just typical and ordinary instead of being extraordinary.

The main character Lily is very likable and I was rooting for her the whole time even during the times I was hoping she would finally find common sense and realize you can't be in love with someone you barley know.  Again with the ordinary because Quince was the typical bad boy who drives the motorcycle and kisses unsuspecting girls without their permission.

All in all the story was just so fun and that's what I keep coming back to.  I didn't not like it but it wasn't absolutely amazing.  It was enough to keep me going, made me glad that I bought it and excited to read the next one!