Time for another wonderful contest. The amazing publicity folks at Peter Pauper Press are providing a copy of this great vampire journal and matching bookmark to one lucky winner.
The rules:
*One entry per person.
*Winner notified by email and will have three days to respond.
*Publisher will be mailing out the prize and I am not responsible if for some reason the prize does not reach its destination.
*US and Canadian entries only please.
*You must be 13 to enter.
*You must be a follower to enter.
*The contest will be held from June 30th-July 20th, 2011.
*Winner will be chosen at random, but the more points you have, the better chance you have to win.
What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?
Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction. (Goodreads)
So far I am enjoying this book. Stay tuned for a review very soon!
Amy Goodnight's family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.
From the Hardcover edition.
I have been waiting for the arc of this book for months and was super excited to receive it from the publisher. It was a longer read than most, but seeing as the pages flew by, I didn't mind at all. Could have had another hundred pages and it would have been fine with me. Excellent read.
What I liked:
The Goodnight family is full of quirks and supernatural goings on. Phin with her gadgets and Amy trying to be normal, but beseiged by ghosts. Ben, the hunky cowboy, is a great character. He and Amy flair like oil and water, then wham! Sparks! I loved it.
What I didn't:
It ended. Boo.
Overall:
Put this on your summer reading list. The plot is a mix of Nancy Drew meets Ghost Hunters, with a hot summer romance thrown in. I love the Goodnight family and wouldn't mind seeing another book if Rosemary Clement-Moore has another one hiding up her sleeve.
Q. In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?
A. I have so many favorites, but Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series is high on my list. I am about to start reading Darkest Mercy and I am looking forward to it with great anticipation...
“When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?”
I think reading became important for me way back in grade school. Remembering back to a very young age, I used to work very hard so I could read up in the tree house the school library had built inside the library for the kids. It was so quiet up there, and I could escape everything and read. All through my school years, staying in and reading was my deepest love. I think I became a bookseller because of it, and hope to be a published writer one day also. YA is my genre of choice and it never fails to enthrall me.
What about you?
Thanks for dropping by on Follow Friday. Don't forget to check out the Facebook Fan Page while you are here.
What is your favorite genre and what book made you lean that way?
If YA is a genre, then I am all there. I love it all. Regular fiction, paranormal, dystopian, paranormal, zombies...the works. Most of my TBR pile is YA. Speaking of which...onto our next question of the week.
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.
Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.
Goodreads
This book grabbed me from the first page! Amazing storyline, great snarky lead character and a hunky hero that is drool worthy. Not bad for a first novel! Gretchen McNeil does an excellent job of plot development, characterization and everything in between. Sent to me by the publisher for an honest review, I can say that I could not put this book down. If you liked the movie The Rite or The Exorcist then this is right up your alley. It will be out in August, so make sure you put it on your to be read list on Goodreads.
Want a werewolf story that is just a little bit different? Check out By These Ten Bones by Clare Dunkle. With the flavor of an old world fairy tale, Dunkle will take you back to old world Scotland as a girl is pitted against an ancient and horrible curse.
On The Broomstick: By These Ten Bones Review: "There's hidden places all over this land-old, old places. Places with a chain for them to chain up the wolf when it's time. A bone-chill..."
A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.
Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
Goodreads
This book had my attention at page one. The uber realism about what life would be like after a world ending scenario like the one Lucy lives through is staggering. What would you do if everyone you ever knew died of a mysterious plague? Would you try to make it alone like Lucy or see if you could make it in a shelter, knowing that people were being taken almost daily? A tough question.
The description in the audio clip describes Lucy's attempt to make turtle soup. It had me gagging as she tried to prepare the animal for cooking and then finally the smell of what she was going to be eating. Not that she had a whole lot of choices. Given the situation, Lucy did a great job of making it out in the wilderness.
Lucy is a strong character who never stops trying. I really enjoyed her character and the storyline. The only issue I had with the book was the handling of the dogs. Being a dog lover, it is hard for me to read about dogs being used to track and shred human beings. I know it is completely possible, but it wasn't my favorite aspect of the book. If not for that, I probably would have rated the book higher.
All in all, I thought it was a great adventure. There was no glossing over hardships that someone living in the wild would have to endure. The same with the commune when Lucy joins the group. Each situation has risks and I thought Treggiari did an amazing job of shedding a realistic light on them. The romantic tension between Aiden and Lucy is palpable and the book keeps you guessing as to how it will end up until very close to the end.
This book was sent to me by the publisher for an honest review.
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their new found happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.
Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.
Goodreads
From the second I started this book, I was hooked! It was a prize from a blog contest with the amazing Tara Hudson signing it for me. I had also requested it from Netgalley, which was where I ended up reading it from, because of how convenient it is to just download it into my iPad and go.
I won't give away any other plot pieces because Goodreads does such a great job at filling in everyone about it, but I can tell you that it is original and will keep you turning the pages late into the night. An interesting look at life, death and the places in between.
Q. What are you doing to prepare for an upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen? (Both of which could be terrifying.)
Answer:
Well...I guess I have been reading up on it with all the awesome zombie books out lately. That and watching Zombieland too many times. A must have would have to be the wooden sword I have hiding behind my bedroom door. Would have to consider some shotguns and stock up on the rations. Maybe some boards for the windows. Some good sneakers for running. Hmm...oh! My stash of yellow zingers. How could I forget that?!
Thanks for stopping by on this awesome Follow Friday!
I often accept books from authors and publishers in exchange for an honest review. I am also looking for Etsy artists with items that appeal to a YA audience. If you are interested in having me review your YA book in either e-book or physical form, or consider your Etsy shop for a feature article please contact me at:
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