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UK vs. THE WORLD! (12)

2012-02-15T10:00:00.009Z

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK vs. Australia

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Mist: There's no doubt here, I'm in love with the Australian cover, the UK one is really interesting and different but I love the colours in the Aus cover and the swirly thing it's got going on around the edges.

Ninfa: Two interesting covers, two different tag lines...The UK does it for me, with the opposite images in black and white and then in colour of the model, the tagline and the simple font for the title it looks very stylish and really catches my attention. The Aussie cover is not bad and the flowers doing the whole hypnotic vortex thing is a cool effect, but I'm not as captured by the tagline and the title font is a little busy. UK wins

UK vs. Bulgaria

Immortal beloved book one.

('Безсмъртна любима' and 'Вечен живот' translates to 'Immortal beloved' and 'Eternal Life')

Mist: I prefer the UK cover here, the flowers around the edge are so pretty and the forest pathway in the middle is simple so it doesn't make the whole thing look to crowded, and I want to know where that path goes. I don't really like the Bulgarian cover, it's very racy but boring at the same time, I do like the heart with the wings though.

Ninfa: The UK cover is jsut so pretty and I love the black and white picture of the forest with the red flowers framing it. It really gives me a feeling of "Forever", of something calm and mysterious that stretches as far as you can see. It took me a minute or two to actually make out what was on the Russian cover, apart form the bad tattoo-like heart there the naked back of a woman. Looks like the cover would be more suited to an Erotic book in my opnion, which I know this book isn't. An absolute UK win for win.

Which do you prefer?

Someone else's life - Review

2012-02-13T10:48:00.000Z

Someone else's life by Katie Dale
Available now.

What's it about?
When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...

My review

I'll admit it, I was attracted to this book because of that gorgeous cover! It just looked like something I would enjoy so I didn't even read what it was about, I just picked it up when I saw it instore. Ok, so I know that's not the best method for choosing books and it's backfired on me in the past but luckily this wasn't one of those times.
I hadn't meant to start the book right away but I needed something to do on the bus journey home so I read a few pages then went back to it at home when I'd finished my current read and I'm so glad I did, it was hard to put down!
I was hooked straight into Rosie's world full of spilling secrets and revelations, the book was full of surprising twists that made it so hard to put down I finished this almost 500 page book in two days, which is quick for me!
I really liked how it switched off between characters so I knew what each party was feeling and I think I fell a little bit in love with Rosie's boyfriend Andy.
I also learnt a lot reading this book, before picking it up I knew nothing about Huntington's disease except for the name and this book is full of facts without it feeling like a science lesson so I was also left enlightened when I was done.
More than once I had to hold back the tears throughout this rocky, sometimes heartbreaking adventure and I was anxious to see the outcome, I was really happy with the way that it ended though.
I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next after reading this beautiful book.

My thoughts on the cover
Well I've already said I think it's gorgeous, even though there's a lot going on it doesn't feel to busy for me, I love the quirky picture of the girl sitting on a chest of drawers and the scribble over the top of the image to make it lighter, the contrasts of the blue and red are also really pretty.

Sorry, I don't have any favourite quotes, I wasn't planning to review this book since it was a personal read so I didn't take any notes but I loved it so much I just had to share it.

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Everneath - Review

2012-02-13T09:34:00.000Z

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Everneath book one.
Available now.

What's it about?
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

My review

(2.5)

I'll be honest, I found this book difficult to get through, though I found Ashton's take on The Persephone myth to be refreshingly different to anything else I've read before it didn't save the book for me. I like some mystery in a book, it keeps me guessing but I felt the author just left it to long to explain the little details about what the Everneath is and what happens there, and I was so bored with the rest of the book that I didn't feel like trying to guess what it all meant, the only character I felt had any personality was the "bad guy" Cole. The protag Nikki just didn't have anything about her, in her flashbacks to before she went to the Everneath it's all about her boyfriend, does he really love her? Will he cheat on her? She doesn't trust him or understand why he wants to be with her, nevermind they've been best friends for years and he's told her he loves her, I just found it all so frustrating. I was also frustrated with Jack, he's just to understanding, he admits later he knew Nikki couldn't be strung out on drugs when she disappeared, but he doesn't question her either, he's never mad about her disappearence, there are hardly any emotional responses from him throughout the book and I was also annoyed that Nikki chose to go back for the six months to make things right and say goodbye to everyone but she wastes half the time ignoring everyone. I also don't understand why she had to go back, it's repay a debt, a debt because she got to go back to earth for six months? Because if she hadn't gone back she'd still be in there, and she was in there in the first place so an Everliving could feed off her emotions for a century, how did she work up a debt? I just don't get it.

As you can tell I didn't really like this book, there was just to much that didn't make sense for me, and it's unlikely, though not completely impossible, that I'll read the next one.

My thoughts on the cover

This cover is just stunning, the clouds and the smoke coming off the girls gorgeous red dress, it's just a beautiful image and suits the story so well.

Favourite quotes

'I closed my eyes and pictured the boy with the brown hair, and as I took in my first really deep breath of Surface air, a name to match the face came to me. A name I'd been trying to cling to for a century.
"Jack."'

'Cole had been right that first night he came into my bedroom,althought it'd taken me this long to realise it. I did have hope. Somewhere, in the pit of my soul, I believed that I could get out of my debt. That I could stay here.'

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Same difference (24)

2012-02-09T10:00:00.002Z

The marked son by Shea Berkley (Keepers of life book one) and

Rex rising by Chrystalla Thoma (Elei's chronicles book one)

Same hot guy, two slightly different angles, personally I prefer the first cover, the cover for Rex rising is cool but is photoshopped to death and he doesn't look real, I also prefer the font of The Marked Son and the green backgroud is nice :)

Which do you prefer?

UK vs. THE WORLD! (11)

2012-02-08T10:00:00.005Z

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK vs. Romania

Eve by Anna Carey

Eve book one.

Mist: Hmm well I do like the Romanian cover but I don't think it suits the book, whereas the UK one does and it's a lot more animated and I like the colours better, definitely a UK win for me.

Ninfa: So difficult to choose, both covers are lovely and so similar in concept. The UK one is really haunting, we can mostly see this bridge stretching in front of the model and the greenish colour almost makes me feel like she's walking through a mist. The Romanian cover has again the bridge, though you can see the model's face. I love her hair and the windswept look, as well as the faint image of the moon above. I think by a small fraction it's a Romanian win.

UK vs. France

Fire and thorns by Rae Carson
Fire and thorns book one.
('La fille de braises et de ronces' translates to 'The daughter or embers and brambles' - According to Google translate.)

Mist: I really don't like the UK cover at all, I mean the desert is nice but the rest I just don't like. The French cover is much prettier and intriguing, even if the model has forgotten to put her top on lol. I love the hand with the light on it, makes you want to know what that is all about.

Ninfa: Oh it's got to be a French win! The cover is very "Fantasy" inspired and I love the outfit, the jewelled dagger and the little light effects that suggests something special is happening. The UK cover is okay I guess, just not to my taste thought the desert shot behind the model's eyes is pretty cool. French win

Which do you prefer?

Legend - Review

2012-02-07T21:14:00.001Z

Legend by Marie Lu

Legend book one.

Available now

http://www.penguin.co.uk/

What's it about?

The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history....
Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it.
Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital.
Only one person could be responsible.
Day.
And now it's June's mission to hunt him down.
The truth they'll uncover will become legend.

My review

I really liked this book, it's written well, moves at a good pace and I liked that it was told from both June and Day's perspectives so I got an insight into both worlds, as the way they both live is completely opposite, yet they have simlair character traits, they're both great, strong characters. There were lots of parts of this book that could've been dragged out and I'm so glad they weren't, it was straight to the point and to the action so I was never bored, my only complaint is that I thought the characters should've been older than 15, even though I know they would be more mature because of what they've both been through in their lives I still felt they were to mature for 15 year olds. But other than that I really loved it, there plenty of twists, some I guessed, some I didn't and a fabulous ending. It was all just so well written and tied up nicely at the end but gives me an idea of what will happen next which has left me thirsting for the next one!
I loed both the main characters of June and Day, Day because he's strong and brave, he tries to only take care of himself but I can't help caring for others and will help at risk to himself. And June, well she's bad ass! She's clever and quick thinking, together they make a great team! There were also a couple of smaller characters that I liked, Tess and Kaede, both for different reasons!
So, all in all a great start to what I hope will be an awesome series, I can't wait for the next one!

My thoughts on the cover
I love this cover (so much more than the US one!) It's really dark and the girl looks strong, I love the city scape in the backgroud and the dusky sunlight and the 'R' symbol in the corner. It's just a great cover!

Sorry, no favourite quotes for this one as I read an ARC copy and don't have a final copy to compare it with.

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Immortal beloved and Darkness falls - Double review

2012-02-05T21:42:00.000Z

Immortal beloved by Cate Tiernan
Immortal beloved book one.

Available now.

http://www.hodder.co.uk/

What's it about?

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

My review

Whilst I did enjoy this book and found the back story and history really interesting, I have to say I didn't find it very exciting, it felt more like the set-up for book two (which I'm starting once this review is written!) which I hope will be a bit more fast paced.

I did like Nastasya, though I found her pretty immature at times for a 500 year old woman! As we go through the book we learn about the terrible things she's been through and has been working to block out for a long time and I felt for her more as the story went along, and really feel I'd gotten to know her by the end.

There are a lot of characters to meet in this book though some get more 'face time' than others, I didn't find I disliked any of the characters but there weren't any I'd call my favourite either. I think what I'm trying to say is, this was a pretty avergae book for me, I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either, I'm intrigued to read the next one to find out what happens next and hopefully get some answers to the questions I was left with and the action I think it coming.

My thoughts on the cover

This is a gorgeous cover! It has a dark and eerie forest in the middle, surrounding by gorgeous colourful flower and vine drawings that stand out a mile, the black of the book is also soft to the touch giving it an extra depth, it really sits pretty on my shelf.

Darkness falls by Cate Tiernan
Immortal beloved book two
Available now.
http://www.hodder.co.uk/

What's it about?
Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.
She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

My review

(2.5)

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me, I found it to be even slower than the first one and it took me a long time to finish because I just wasn't hooked in and kept putting it down. I loved the use of history and lots of research has obviously gone into it but the story itself I wasn't excited by.

In this addition to the series we see Nas get led astray again by the 'dark' except it doesn't happen until past halfway into the book and even then she doesn't really go as 'dark' as I was expecting from the description. I also found her inner monologue to be quite repetative which got a little annoying at times. I also felt not enough time was spent on the romance side of the book between Nas and Reyn, I struggled to feel her attraction to him because they don't actually really talk much, there's obviously bigger forces at work that have bought the two together but mostly all Nas thinks about is how she hates him but thinks he's gorgeous at the same time and she can't deny the attraction yet she never questions it, never tries to find out what's behind it all. Personally I won't be trying the next book in the series but I would be happy to try more books by the author as I think it's just this particular storyline I don't like and the main character annoys me a bit, but the writing itself is great.

My thoughts on the cover

I like this one even more than the first cover mostly because I'm more partial to blue than red lol I'm not sure what the birds and the nest are all about but they're really cool.

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If I die UK blog tour - Review and quickie interview with Rachel Vincent

2012-02-04T07:00:00.042Z

If I die by Rachel Vincent

Soul screamers book five.

Available now.

http://www.miraink.co.uk/

What's it about?

No one wants to be this teacher's pet…

The entire school’s talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr Beck. That is, everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee’s no ordinary high-school junior. She’s a banshee — she screams when someone dies.
But the next scream might be for Kaylee.
Yeah — it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee’s going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine — her boyfriend’s needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human, either.
But Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life. Anything.

My review

I'm a big fan of Vincents work and of the soul screamers world, the first book in the series is my favourite, at least it was until I read this! Now I'm not so sure because If I die was soooo good! The story is so gripping right from the shocking reveal at the start until the conclusion in the last pages, and if I don't get my hands on the next book Before I wake soon I might die myself!
If you're reading this then you've likely already read the previous books and I don't need to go to in depth about the characters or the authors writing, you already know they're awesome! I liked Kaylee a lot in this book, she's extremely brave and despite what she has waiting for her, she still puts others first, I'm not sure if that's something I could do!
I'm also definitely more warmed up to Tod after this book to, I'd never really noticed him until the last couple of books but he is a great character (If you haven't read the short story Reaper yet, you should!) I certainly found myself swooning over him as we got to know him more personally. I was a little disappointed that Alec was barely in this one but the book was already chock-full of bookish goodness there wasn't really room for him, maybe in the next one!
If I die really did keep me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the end, there was no way I could predict how it would go and I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment.

My thoughts on the cover
Stunning as ever, the UK covers for this series are some of my favourites ever and this ones no exception, though I'm not sure what the dragonfly has to do with the story it's still gorgeous and the smoke and the title, ahhh I just love it!

Favourite quotes

'He shrugged, looking right into my eyes. "Right now, this is all I feel." He held our intertwined hands up for me to see and I wanted to look away, but I couldn't break the hold his gaze had on me, like he could see more than anyone else saw. Things I couldn't even see myself.'

"Kaylee, I would do anything for the girl who granted my dying wish." - Tod

Quickie interview

How do you go about writing a book? Do you map it first or do you just start writing and see where your characters take you?

-I have to plot the book first, because I have to turn in a synopsis to my editor. But things often change during the actual writing process.

When is it you first decided you wanted to be a writer?

-That wasn’t really a conscious decision. I’ve just…always written. From the time I was five years old and could first hold a pencil. Once I realized it might actually be possible to make my living with my pen (though it’s actually a computer), I was full-steam ahead. Unfortunately, that realization didn’t come until my mid-twenties.

If you weren't a writer, what do you think you'd be instead?

-I suspect I’d still be teaching English.

Do you think when Kaylee’s story is told you'll write more in the world of the soul screamers or will you end it there?

-I honestly don’t know. Maybe. But that depends a lot on what both my publisher and my readers want. And what I feel like writing at the time. But that point is a full year away.

You use a lot of mythology in the series, do you have a particular favourite mythological character/creature or story?

-I have lots of favorites! I love the Persephone/Demeter myth. I’ve always wanted to do something with the Tantalus myth (though I’m not sure what, yet. I LOVE the concept of oracles and I’ve mentioned and even shown them in the Soul Screamers universe (in “Niederwald) but have yet to write an entire story about them. But even more than particular myths, I’m drawn to particular themes and concepts.

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Giveaway - Win Click: An online love story (Int)

2012-02-03T10:08:00.000Z

Click: an online love story

by Lisa Becker.

Renee Greene is approaching her 30th birthday and dreading it. Although a succesfull PR agent in LA,she's still single and tired of the dating scene.

Enters her friend Mark,who convinces her to try Online Dating...

Between the fun and the heinous dates,Renee will discover that love can really be found in the weirdest places,and that true friendship is a precious gift.

Sounds good right? If your still not sure then check out My review, or even Ninfa's review, I read this book last year and really enjoyed it, now the lovely Lisa Becker is offering an ecopy, in your preferred format, to one lucky winner.
This giveaway is replacing the monthly giveaways for February which I just couldn't afford to run this month, sorry! so it will end 29th Feb and it's International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Charity book auction - Guests posts wanted!

2012-02-02T22:03:00.000Z

Hi guys, so you may or may not know that I'm planning a big charity auction next month during the week of World Down syndrome day.

If you don't know you can find all the details (including how you can help if you want to) on the tab up top or clicking on the WDSD image in the sidebar.

I'm looking to post a few guest posts during that week as well so I'm looking for people who have been touched by Down Syndrome in some way in their lives who'd be willing to write a short (or long!) guest post about their experience....

If that sounds like you please contact me at bookaholics@live.co.uk or you can even tweet me or whatever!

Thanks!

Same difference (23)

2012-02-02T10:00:00.001Z

Cicada by Belle Whittington and

The mind readers by Lori Brighton (Mind readers book one)

These are both so similair and pretty it's hard to say which I like more, I love the darker blue of Cicada and the watermarked patterns on The mind readers and both fonts are pretty cool.

Which do you prefer?

UK vs. THE WORLD! (10)

2012-02-01T10:00:00.010Z

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK vs. Poland

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Evernight book four.

('Powrót Do Wiecznej Nocy' translates to 'Back to eternal night' - According to Google translate)

Mist: These are both so different and lovely, I really like the colour of the UK cover and the font but I love the Polish cover as well, it's kinda haunting but it has that random flower lol I think I prefer the UK cover but only by an incy bit.

Ninfa: Oh, the Polish cover is really pretty, dark with the splash of colour from the petals. I really like the model and the doorway behind her, kinda makes me wonder what's on the other side. The UK cover is okay, nothing very exciting to be honest, so it's gotta be a Polish win :)

UK vs. US

Black swan rising by Lee Carroll
Black swan rising book one.

Mist: This one is easy, UK!! Oh it's so gorgeous with the sweeping dress and the street and creepy bare trees, the US cover is kinda boring in comparison, I do like the pattern on it though.

Ninfa: I love the UK cover, the model walking down the road whilst the swans shadows in the distance. Very atmospheric! The US cover in my opinion is something we've seen before, model face, swirls like tattoos. A little creepy for me as well...UK wins.

Which do you prefer?

Guest post - Dianna Hardy and a giveaway

2012-01-31T18:00:00.013Z

The Witching Pen Relationships

by Dianna Hardy.

Welcome! Thanks for joining the celebration of the release of The Sands Of Time. I only sent out one ARC to one reviewer this time around as ARCs are something I'm experimenting with. (I also think she may have pulled my arms and legs off if I didn't send her the book as soon as I possibly could.) You can read the very first review, by the lovely Ninfa here.

I thought I'd centre my blog post on writing about relationships. I call myself a romance writer because I love writing relationships, although, in truth, I don't actually know if that makes me a romance writer – you see, I'm not led by the romance, but by the characters. Some people would consider me an erotic romance writer, because I like those relationships to be hot, but this is also not necessarily true. It's only as hot as the characters allow (and yeah, a lot of my characters allow for that). I'm learning, as time goes on, that to be true to the relationships of my characters, I have to break some rules of what the romance genre expects. So I may not be a romance writer at all…

I get bored easily. I'm lucky, because my significant other has about ten different personalities and they all keep me amused. I look for the same in books. I like to read and write about the differences between all my characters and how they relate to each other.

In The Witching Pen Novellas, we have at least three examples of emotional / sexual relationships: there's Karl and Elena in book one – they're the sweet ones – best friends who have always loved each other, and although there's definitely passion there, there's also a gentleness that is unique to them, as well as that unbreakable 'soulmate' bond. Pueblo and Amy, in book two, have a more lustful arrangement, not least because of their blood bond and other elements that come to light. In book two, we also get a hint of what Gwain and Mary's situation will bloom into. It's only a hint – and the keyword is 'intensity'. They both have a deep need that stretches back aeons, and that's all I'm going to say about that for the moment.

But these books are also about all relationships, not just romantic ones (and this is the part where I question if I'm really a romance writer). Pueblo has a world of hurt placed on his shoulders from his tribe, so how does he relate to others? Gwain has some kind of history with Elena's mother – what does that mean to Elena? He's also the closest thing that Karl has to an angelic 'tutor' – we could go so far as to say that he fathered / midwifed Karl into his angelic life – so what does that mean to Karl? I'm not even going to go into Amy's complications… But these are all important key points that affect the characters' relationships with each other, and more importantly, it's what bonds them all together and makes the story come alive (or at least, that's what makes the story for me).

The 'romance' is always there. Each book focuses on two characters' emotional romantic development, but it does not leave the other characters behind – they continue to develop as well, and we see that in spades. It's entirely possible for me to explore two couple's relationships in one book (although one will always take centre stage over the other), because life is all about cross-overs and how people meet and relate. From what I understand, this is a big no-no in romance. Maybe what I write about is life (supernaturally, of course) – it's just that for me, life has always been synonymous with matters of the heart and more often than not, that means relationships.

Am I a romance writer? You decide, because I can't – and when you figure it out, please let me know ;)

So what am I leaving you with? (Grins…) I'm leaving you with the blurb for book three, The Demon Bride (below), as well the link to the now up and running site for The Last Angel, where you'll also get to see the book cover prototype. The Last Angel will be a spin-off, full-length novel to The Witching Pen Novellas. Oh yeah … and I have GIVEAWAYS! Read on…

"Two thousand and eleven years after the birth of the Failed One, the Witching Pen will be made manifest on Earth by the Great Shanka Witch of the Old Scrolls. By her hand, the earth will rumble and shatter, and all dimensions will bleed into one."
The true purpose of the Witching Pen has been revealed, and it must be destroyed before an apocalyptic prophecy comes true. There's just one problem – the Pen is indestructible.
As everyone searches for much needed answers, Elena lays down plans for a radical mission to save her mother, Katherine, from the Shanka's shadow world.
Meanwhile, Mary has finally discovered who she really is, and
what that means for the human race. Almost more disturbing, is her growing dependency on Gwain to relieve the excruciating pain her nightmares inflict upon her – nightmares which have started to inhabit her waking hours.
While Elena, Karl, Amy and Pueblo enter the Shanka dimension to retrieve Elena's mother; Gwain searches for a way to save both Mary and mankind ... and comes to a startling conclusion.

Released Summer, 2012, this is the final instalment of The Witching Pen Novellas, but will give way to a full-length, spin-off novel, called The Last Angel. I can't give you much information on that yet, but expect an Earth-shattering conclusion to everything that's happened so far! You can catch a glimpse of the tone of the novel at http://www.thelastangel.co.uk/ where I'll also be posting updates as and when.

Find the author: Facebook I Website I Twitter Buy the book: Amazon US I Amazon UK

1 x eBook copy of The Sands Of Time

1 x signed paperback copy of The Sands Of Time, hot off the press (in about 8 weeks)

10 x signed 'Karl and Elena' bookmarks (because I still have loads of these!)

All giveaways are international.

Rules of attraction by Simone Elkeles

Undead - Review

2012-01-29T10:22:00.000Z

Undead by Kirsty McKay

Available now

http://doublecluck.com/

What's it about?

Being new at school bites. But at least it doesn't kill you. Mostly.

Bobby thinks she might well be on the School Trip from Hell. Too bad she's a noob, too bad her classmates don't rate her weirdo accent and too bad that Scotland is having the worst blizzard since the Ice Age. Looks like she's going to be on this school bus for a quite a while; could things get much worse?
Yep. They could.
Inexplicably, her classmates start dying...and then they come back to life again...and what's more, they're very, very hungry.
With nowhere to run and no contact with the outside world, Bobby is thrown together with a raggle-taggle group of survivors at a roadside café. There's indie kid drop-out Smitty, the class beauty queen Alice, dweeby Pete and two near useless adults: a half-conscious bus driver and a volatile petrol station attendant.
The frenemies struggle to stay alive - through explosions, deadly battles and a breakneck chase through the snowbound wilderness. Somehow they have to make it to safety - and get some answers - no matter what the cost.
Can they survive the Undead? And each other?

My review

Undead is a fun, witty, exciting story and I loved every minute. Right from the first lines it had me laughing out loud at Bobby's sarcastic inner monologue, I'm pretty sarcastic myself so we had a lot in common.

The book quickly jumps into the story and is fast paced right the way through keeing me engrossed in the book until I finished making it a quick read. There was a good bit of mystery to as to why everyone has been infected and I loved the conclusion and how it ended.

I found there was a good mix of characters that all kept the story going, the 'core' characters, Bobby, Smitty, Pete and Alice were really diverse and were pretty funny together, none of them were originally friends but this bizarre situation has left them having to work together to survive but that doesn't mean they have to like each other and even with the apocalypse looming they bicker about the best way to do things which gave the book a light tone throughout.

So I guess this review has ended up pretty short but there isn't much more I can say, I really loved it and thought it was hilarious and am anxious to see what the author comes up with next.

My thoughts on the cover

Sometimes plain covers can be boring and sometimes they can be pretty cool, this one falls into the latter for me. I love the zombies in the title, particularly the one in the 'B' with the weird stance lol I like the tag line to, it really represents the humour of the book.

Favourite quotes

'Mr Taylor's head snaps up. He sees us. Letting out a long groan, he stretches his hands out and heads directly towards the bus.
He looks... hungry.'

'We don't know it's true that they died. For all we know, this is some whacked-out haggis 'flu.' I'm saying it, but I'm not entirely buying it.' - Bobby.

Find the author

In Mists mailbox (31)

2012-01-28T20:02:00.000Z

In my mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The story siren where we share the books we have gotten.

23rd Jan - 29th Jan

Books mentioned

Bought

RAK/Gifted

Zenith and Aurora by Julie Bertagna

Frost by Marianna Baer - All from Natalie!

The statistical probability of love at first sight by Jennifer E. smith - From Siobhan at Totally Bookalicious

For review

Monsieur Linh and his child by Philippe Claudel

eBooks

Kindle freebies!

The Vincent boys by Abbi Glines

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Moonlight and oranges by Elise Stephens

Also if you live in the UK, have a Kindle and love Kindle freebies you should join my new fb page run with Siobhan from Totally Bookalicious and Donna from Book passion for life: Free Kindle UK (FKUK for short hehe)

This week in review

(This is the books I have reviewed this week)

Blue sky days by Marie Landry - Vlog review

The wife who ran away by Tess Stimson

The iron knight by Julie Kagawa

Juggernaut by Adam Baker

Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald Dahl - Audio book review by Wanda

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Interview - Nicolene Lorette design and a giveaway

2012-01-28T07:00:00.006Z

Today we are chatting with the lovely Nicolene of Nicolene Lorette Design.

Nicolene is an artist and she works through photo manipulation creating amazing pictures, including book covers!

So, thank you Nicky for talking to us today, here's my first question:

How did your passion for photo manipulation begin?

-I discovered photo manipulation 3/4 years ago. I was amazed at how far I could stretch my imagination and then re-create it for everyone to see. There was no limit. Anything was possible. Soon I was creating design after design and started showcasing my images on Facebook, Deviant Art and Shadowness.

Where do you find inspiration for your art?

-I only design when I am inspired by the story line/ music/ movies or the image I have been given depending on my mood.

Do you have a favourite theme when creating your images? You seem to like the Supernatural and Fantasy (Faeries, Witches etc.) :)

-Nope, I don't have a specific theme I like, I do all kinds of things so long as it's interesting to me. I have been focused on Faeries and Witches but I like playing around withmy own ideas and making up things.

Who's your favourite artist of all time?

-I know this might seem lame to some people out there but my favourite artist would be God, everyone else just copies him. My other favourite artists would be: Nathalia Suellenlady as Lady Symphonia and Silviya Yordanova as Morteque and a few others...

You work on book covers amongst other things, how difficult is it to translate a story into a book cover? How much input do you get from the author/publisher?

-Well it all depends on the person that's trying to get their vision across. It's not so easy but I get a base-line and we tweak and work on it from there. I like it when the author/publisher/client can explain to me what they want and I can form an idea from there. Sometimes you need to come up with ideas for the client and they're not always pleased with the results but then you go back to the drawing board and you start again. I like doing book cover designs but I also do artwork and other designer things (O: I really enjoy what I do and that shows in my work... so I guess that's all that matters.

And last but not least, are you a Bookaholic?

-But of course :o)

You can find out more about Nicolene and her amazing artwork on:

How would you like to win a fabulous 'You can't kill me' wallpaper/screensaver for your computer?

Well just fill in the form, it's International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audio Friday - Charlie and the chocolate factory - Review

2012-01-27T10:58:00.001Z

Audio (every other) Friday is for Audio reviews.

This weeks review is by Wanda.

Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald Dahl

Narrated by James Bow.

Via Wikipedia

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's book by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. in 1964 and in the United Kingdom by George Allen & Unwin in 1967. The book was adapted into two major motion pictures: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in 1971, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005. The book's sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, was written by Roald Dahl in 1972. Dahl had also planned to write a third book in the series but never finished it.
The story was originally inspired by Roald Dahl's experience of chocolate companies during his schooldays. Cadbury would often send test packages to the schoolchildren in exchange for their opinions on the new products. At that time (around the 1920s), Cadbury and Rowntree's were England's two largest chocolate makers and they each often tried to steal trade secrets by sending spies, posing as employees, into the other's factory. Because of this, both companies became highly protective of their chocolate making processes. It was a combination of this secrecy and the elaborate, often gigantic, machines in the factory that inspired Dahl to write the story.

Overview of the story
Charlie is a sweet well behaved boy, whom by a stroke of luck lands in a Chocolate factory with some truly naughty children and their parents.
One by one these childrens behavior lands them in trouble and they are forced to leave the grand tour. This puts Charlie in a position where fortune smiles on him.

If like me, you’ve never read the story or seen either of the two film adaptations then this is where I will leave you now regarding the story line.
My review
I absolutely adored the story and the narration by James Bow was superb. I loved the fact that he would sing the songs in the book as naturally as if he had composed them himself. The book is read at a nice fast pace and an audio listener can finish the book in a morning which makes it an altogether more fun read than it already is.
Charlie is portrayed as a well mannered well adjusted little boy filled with the wonder of a little boy in a chocolate factory. This is apparent in the questions he posed to his grandfather.
The characters portrayal is done with such clarity that I am sure many a grown up would listen to the book and say – Hey we had a girl like that in school! The children’s offences in the book is of such a nature that I winched and thought to myself that wow – I wonder what my parents would have done had I tried to do x, y or z. I am sure I would have been in for a well deserved hiding. I loved the lessons in good manners these books give to children and have to admit that afterwards I am even more set on my own manners. I am unsure as to why I have missed these books up to now. But I am glad to report that I have two more on audio and can’t wait to start on them.
While doing a bit of research for this review I found a lot of information on the book and the motivation and I would suggest all to take a few minutes and go and read up on this book in open source directories. The amount of information is astounding as well as very entertaining.
I will give this book a 5/5 star rating since I simply adored listening to it. I would recommend that parents listen to this with their children. We all can do with a brush up on manners every now and again. This said, I would not describe this book as a children’s book although it is obviously suitable and advisable for children to listen or read this book. I find many of the more humorous parts to be above the level of a child to grasp totally and appreciate fully. Hope to listen to the next book soon.

The iron knight - UK blog tour - Quickie interview with Julie Kagawa

2012-01-26T17:57:00.000Z

The iron knight by Julie Kagawa
The iron fey book four.

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side. To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale. And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The iron fey is such a unique and beautiful series, had you always wanted to write a story about faeries?

-Thank you! Yes, faeries have always fascinated me. I love creepy tales and stories about things that go bump in the night, and I love the idea that there is this whole other world that exists right alongside ours, and we just don't see it. The Iron Fey series was a chance to explore that old, scary world, while at the same time creating something completely new.

Obviously A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a big inspiration for some of the story as you've used the same characters, was A Midsummer Night’s Dream a story you grew up with?

-Not that I grew up with, per se, though I did read A Midsummer Night's Dream in high school and absolutely loved the character of Puck. I've read several books since then that featured the fey, and many of them had Mab, Oberon, Titania, and Puck as prominent figures. Puck, especially, is always the same crafty, mischievous prankster that he was in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I've always wanted to write about him. I only hope I did his character justice.

What made you decide to write an extra book told from Ash's perspective?

-Well, originally, the series was going to be a trilogy, ending with The Iron Queen. Meghan's story had come to a close the way I envisioned it; she had to grow up and learn to take responsibility, even at great cost and sacrifice. Her journey was done. However, my fabulous editor convinced me that we couldn't leave Ash and Meghan like that, so not long after I finished The Iron Queen I started to think of how Ash would tell his own story.

A couple of my favourite characters from the series are Puck and Grimalkin, who was your favourite character to write?

-I think my favourite character to actually write would be Grimalkin. He doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, he speaks what's on his mind always, and he usually says what the reader is dying to say to the other characters when they are being especially thick. But Puck is pretty fun, too. Especially when he's teasing or arguing with "ice-boy."

You have a brand spanking new series starting in a few months, do you think you'll write anymore in the world of The Iron Fey in the future?

-Oh, definitely. My new series is called Blood of Eden and is a post-apocalyptic vampire series, but I also have a second Iron Fey trilogy coming out starring Ethan Chase, Meghan's younger brother, when he is older. Ethan's story will be set in the same world, and I'm sure many familiar faces will pop in for cameos.

Find the author:

Also check out my Review

Juggernaut - Review

2012-01-26T17:34:00.000Z

Juggernaut by Adam Baker

Outpost book 0.5

Available 16th February 2012

http://www.hodder.co.uk/

What's it about?

Iraq 2005 Seven mercenaries journey deep into the desert in search of Saddam's gold. They form an unlikely crew of battle-scarred privateers, killers and thieves, veterans of a dozen war zones, each of them anxious to make one last score before their luck runs out. They will soon find themselves marooned among ancient ruins, caught in a desperate battle for their lives, confronted by greed, betrayal, and an army that won't stay dead...

My review

Wow!... That's about the extent of my review because I don't know what other words I could use to justify how much I loved this book!

Readers of Outpost will already recognise Bakers signature writing style starting this book, if you haven't read Outpost, don't worry these can be read out of order, the author has a really unique way of writing that really adds an extra effect to his chilling novels.

Juggernaut is every bit as stomach clenching and nail bitingly scary as the first book and just left my head spinning at the end, I really had to collect myself before I could pick up another book.

I will admit however, for me it took a little getting in to, not because it's bad just because I know nothing about the military so all the lingo and the different weapons just went over my head, I even had to find out exactly what a Mercenary is because I wasn't sure, but yeah, that was my problem lol At the same time though, I'm glad there wasn't descriptions of all the weapons and what the guys were talking about because I think it would have slowed down the story and added a big chunk to the book, I figured it all out for myself as I went and as the story was set up and the book started flowing I was completely hooked.

As the pace speeded up I came closer to the edge of my seat, my stomach in knots as I awaited the conclusion, I could feel the desert heat sizzling off the page.

There's plenty of 'infected' action and some really great insight into how the infection came about, something I know I was dying to learn about after finishing Outpost and I know others were to, and it's good!...

I enjoyed all of the characters, we don't learn a whole lot of backstory about most of them but I enjoyed how they interacted with each other, you can tell that the core group have been friends a long time... although there are some great twists along the way! There was also a good mix of characters, good, bad and really bad that made a good dynamic to the book.

Adam Baker is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and for those that don't know there is to be another book to follow in this series, which I'm pretty sure is set after Outpost and I cannot wait to get my hands on it and be back in this world that sends chills up my spine.

My thoughts on the cover

I love this cover, it fits in so well with the cover of the first book and is super creepy with those faces at the top, the orange is the perfect colour for the books setting in the desert, I love the guy in the fatigues and the people/monsters in the distance.

Favourite quotes

'It's a matter of will. Put a man in a fiercely hostile enviroment like the desert or leave him marooned in Artic wastes and you'll soon see what lies in his heart.' - Jabril.

'Lucy will have no choice. he will turn homicidal. She will have to kill him, or be killed.' - Jabril

Find the author: Website I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads

Same difference (22)

2012-01-26T14:32:00.002Z

Touch of frost by Jocelyn Adams and

The diviners by Julian White.

These covers are both gorgeous and so simlair it's hard to say which would be my favourite but I'm slightly tempted more by Touch of frost, the snow is so bright and I like the font better, but the water on The Diviners cover is cool to.

Which do you prefer?

Blue sky days blog tour - Guest post - Marie Landry

2012-01-26T07:00:00.002Z

My love affair with books.

First, I'd like to thank Mist and the other Bookaholics for having me here today. I'm thrilled to be among a group of fellow book lovers!

I come from a family of bookaholics, so I've always been a reader. Both my parents and my grandparents loved to read, and instilled that love in me.
The books that really got me into reading were the Berenstein Bear books my Stan and Jan Berenstein. I'm not sure how old I was when I started collecting them, but I clearly remember my parents reading them to me, and then me reading them to my Grama. I loved those books. I think part of it was coming from a family just like the Bear Family—two parents, a brother, and then me as the baby of the family.

I was very lucky to have a family who fostered my love of reading. Buying Berenstein Bears books became a special ritual for my dad and me. Whenever we went to the post office, which was situated at the back of a large store, I was allowed to choose a new book. Those memories became even more precious after my dad passed away when I was ten.
Growing up in the 90s, my favorite books were pretty standard—The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, and RL Stine's books were among my favorites. Throw in some classics like Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Tuck Everlasting, and the Chronicles of Narnia, and my love for reading never faded. Of course, it helped that my mum is an avid reader, and so was my Grama right up until her death, just three months shy of her hundredth birthday.

Becoming a book blogger has only added fuel to my status as a book addict. In 2011, my first year as a book blogger, I surpassed my reading goal, and ended up reading more books in one year than I ever had before. I've been opened up to a whole new world of books and book lovers who share my passion for the written word. I don’t have many friends in ‘real life’ who enjoy reading, so finding the book blogging community was a godsend for me. Now when I go on and on about books, I know other people get it. We’re all here for a common reason. I can stand up among these amazing people and say that I am proud to be a bookaholic.

Marie would like to thank the people who have supported her by showing her appreciation in some small way. So, for every person who buys a copy of Blue Sky Days during the tour and sends Marie proof of purchase via email to irishstar_83{at}hotmail{dot}com she will enter you into a giveaway to win a book of your choice up to $12 CAN from The Book Depository.

Blue sky days.

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

Find the author:

Author blog

Book blog

Facebook Author page

Facebook 'Blue sky days' page

The iron knight by Julie Kagawa.

YouTube

Goodreads

UK vs. THE WORLD! (9)

2012-01-25T14:01:00.001Z

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK vs. Indonesia

Wake by Lisa McMann

Dream catcher book one ('Terjaga' translates to 'Awake' - According to Google translate)

Mist: I definitely vote for the Indonesian cover here! It has a really dark feel to it, the UK cover is nice but it just has to much going on.

Ninfa: I'm not keen on the UK version although I love the tagline. it's just a little messy for my taste. The Indonesian cover is quite pretty, sort of reminds me of the Twilight Graphic novel cover. I don't love either of them I have to admit, but my choice would be the Indonesian cover this time.

UK vs. Spain

Tigers curse by Coleen Hauck
The tiger saga book one ('La maldición del Tigre' translates to 'Heart of the tiger' - According to Google translate)

Mist: Oh this is hard, they so simlair and have that gorgeous tiger on but I think I like the UK cover a little bit more, I prefer the lighter colour and all the patterns at the top and the ones that are more faded, the Spanish cover is lovely to though.

Ninfa: Wow, these are both lovely covers and so similar. I love the tiger in the UK cover, it's really striking and something about the eyes draws me in. But the Spanish cover with the model is my favourite, something about the model's expression is so endearing.

Spanish win this time.

Which do you prefer?

Guest post - John Connell

2012-01-25T09:13:00.000Z

A fantastic idea: The world of Carnal by John Connell.

I don't remember exactly but it has to be close to eleven years ago now that I had a very vivid nightmare. This wasn't the kind of nightmare where you'd wake up screaming in a cold sweat. The imagery was so vivid and realistic. When I awoke, I grabbed my morning coffee and proceeded to sketch out my vision with plans of creating a painting. What I began to draw was a huge humanistic rhino, black and grey with black striped war paint smeared diagonally all over. He was fighting off a clan of humanistic hyenas that were clawing at him.

The whole scene was lit up like a national geographic special, safari rangers, jeep and all which were positioned way off in the distance. The animals eyes all glowed bright red. I thought "Man, this would make a killer painting."

Another strange thing aside from remembering all of this imagery is the fact that I remembered it!! I have the worst memory. Just ask my wife. Writing this now, I can still vividly see the rhino fending off the hyena's.

Thirdly, I'm famous for starting projects and not quite finishing them. I have a studio filled with half done paintings, sketchbooks crammed with toy ideas, concept sketches for painting series and partially made clay figures. My intent was to paint the image I saw that night in my dream, but this was more than a thought or a picture. This had a whole story of it’s own to be told. The idea grew in my head. What if the lions had humanistic qualities? What if the Cape Buffalo were humanistic? And of course the great Rhino. For a year or so, I was building on the idea of making this world come alive. I would jot down ideas and visions even if they weren't complete thoughts. There were numerous notebooks filled with ideas.

In 2003 my wife and I had twins and my Carnal hobby had to be put on a shelf. I already had a successful art career which was my source of income and any free time from there was spent on the babies and sleep. During this time, I had an addition of a studio added to my home so I could focus on painting while working from home. On the wall in my studio I hung a lion warrior portrait. Seeing the painting everyday nagged at me to start on Carnal again. Not having the time to paint, I worked up my Carnal ideas in photoshop and took the chance of posting them on Deviant Art. I was pissed at myself for not following through with ideas and projects in the past so I made a promise to myself that any free time would be devoted to Carnal. I've never been one to display my art but when I shared it on Deviant, I received four or five positive comments within the hour which motivated me even further. It felt great to have complete strangers take the time to comment on my art. On the other hand, if I received a "this really sucks" comment, I probably would never have continued to post it!

Over the years, I kept my promise to myself to keep the dream of Carnal alive. While the positive feedback continuing to pour in I would take time after work and on weekends drawing Carnal designs of Lions and I'd post them. There seemed to be a fan base forming. About a year from this point, I received a message from David at Sea Lion Books asking if I would be interested in publishing Carnal through them. I think I emailed back "HELL YEAH" or that's what I wanted to. It was then I asked my nephew, Jason Bergenstock, to help me with the writing. Jason and I would have writing meetings and come up with the story. It came from pictures in my mind or from designs I had done. I'd look at the design and try to come up with a story that matched the character in the art. Jason has been instrumental in helping to put my thoughts into words and to help create the world of Carnal.

Be sure to check out:

The Carnal website

Sealion books

The iron knight - Review

2012-01-24T07:00:00.005Z

The iron fey book four.

Available now.

http://www.miraink.co.uk/

What's it about?

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.
Unless he can earn a soul.
To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My review

Whilst I did enjoy this book, especially since it followed yummy Prince Ash! I have to admit I did feel in the end that it kind of dragged on and found myself becoming bored as I just wanted to get to the (hopefully) happy ending. I know Ash's final journey shouldn't have been an easy one, but I personally thought there were bits the book could have done without and it still would have been a tough journey, but that being said it did make a nice ending to the whole series altogether and left everything wrapped up nicely, though I wouldn't say no to more adventures of Puck! Puck has always been a fun character but I found him extra funny in this installment and he balanced the tortured, brooding mood of Ash so that they book didn't become depressing. I also still love Grim and was glad he was in this and the addition of a couple of new characters also kept it interesting. As usual the writing is beautiful and Julie Kagawa has a brilliant imagination, creating a vivid world I'd just love to visit. I didn't find this book as exciting as the other books but it will still have a place in my permanent collection.

My thoughts on the cover
All of the covers for series are gorgeous and this ones no different especially with handsome Prince Ash on it! I really love the vine patterns around the border and the extra touch of the snowflakes and frost and the blue colour chosen is gorgeous.

Favourite quotes:

'I'd learned long ago how to mask my pain and remain silent, even in sleep. You don't show weakness in the Unseelie Court.'

'Deep within me something stirred. the darkness that I'd kept locked away, the part of me that was all Unseelie: hate, violence and black rage, rushed to the surface with a roar, seeking to overwhelm me. But it was met by something bright and pure and intense, a miasma of light that seared away the darkness, filling every corner and expanding outward, until there was no place left for the blackness to hide. I shivered, reeling from the flood of light and colour and emotion, not knowing how empty I had been until that moment.'

Find the author:

The wife who ran away - Review

2012-01-23T09:45:00.000Z

The wife who ran away by Tess Stimson

Available now

http://www.panmacmillan.com/

What's it about?

Kate Forrest is invisible… Ned, the husband she adores, doesn’t seem to know she’s alive, and her two charming children have grown into stroppy adolescents. Her boss is suddenly shunting her towards career Siberia, and her demanding mother is never off the phone. With her fortieth birthday fast approaching, all Kate wants to do is run away from the lot of them. And so she does. On impulse, Kate walks out of her job, her family and her life, and gets on a plane to Italy. With no ties and no responsibilities, she soon finds herself deliriously caught up in La Dolce Vita – and the arms of a man barely half her age. But when the unthinkable threatens her family, Kate is brutally forced to choose between her past and the future.

My review

Not being a big reader of womens fiction I wasn't sure what to expect with this book or even if I'd like it but it turned out I had nothing to worry about! Not only did I really enjoy it but I related to the character of Kate a whole lot. Right from the first pages I could feel her frustration and understand what it is that drives her to that airport and run away. I have three children myself, and like Kate try to do it all and some days it drives me crazy, I could never imagine throwing a full time job into the mix as well!

I loved the way the author told this story from everyones point by having mulitple narratives between Kate, her husband and their two kids, it really gave me an insight into all the dimentions of the story and what everyone was thinking.

I enjoyed all the sub-plots and the gasp-out-loud shocking moments, that all rounded together in the end to make for a clean finish, and the descriptions of Rome and the landmarks Kate visits really made me feel like I was there.

I have to say I really didn't know what would happen at the end of this book until I was actually reading the end, though I did have my fingers crossed for a particular ending.

It was well written and I found I read the book much quicker than I thought that I would, racing to get to the end to see what life Kate would choose.

The wife who ran away is an emotional, well written journey of a woman just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants and I loved making that journey with her.

My thoughts on the cover

The first thing I notice about this cover is of course the turquoise colour of the dress and text, it's a gorgeous colour, I also love the backdrop of Rome and Kate looking at it with her suitcase, it really gives the feel of the book and I really like it.

Favourite quotes

'This is a mistake. I shouldn't have come. Once Julia sees me, it'll all be real. I need to go back home to my children, to Ned.... 'Kate,' Julia calls across the moonlit lawn. 'I've been expecting you.'

'I never stopped loving Ned. I just lost sight of it for a while.'

Find the author

Website
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Goodreads

Blue sky days - Vlog review

2012-01-21T22:58:00.000Z

Blue sky days by Marie landry

Available now.

What's it about?
A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.
When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.
Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

My review:

Blue sky days is a wonderfully written, deeply emotional journey. I loved all the characters and felt very close to them as I got to know them, so much so I could feel their emotions, I felt Emmas despair, at her mother and later at Nicholas' illness, obviously I was praying for a happy ending and I was biting my lip, on the brim of tears, waiting to find out if there was one. It's definitely one I'd recommend and I cannot wait to see what else Marie comes up with in the future.

My thoughts on the cover
This is a lovely, simplistic cover. The holding hands lets you know this is a love story and I love the sun, which of course fits in witht the title, and the beach. It makes me think of summer.

Favourite quotes

'All these thoughts and more ran through my head as he made his way up the hill. I couldn't really believe that he was coming to talk to me, and in the minute it took him to reach me. I had created a million different reasons why he could be climbing this hill. As he got closer and I got a good look at those beautiful blue eyes, I forgot all the reasons I had created and hoped he was coming to talk to me'

'His smile was so beautiful, transforming his already handsome face with that flash of dimples, and the way his eyes crinkled in the corners. But when he smiled at me, it took my breath away. Everything else faded away for a few seconds.'

Find the author
Author blog

Book blog

Facebook Author page

Facebook 'Blue sky days' page

Buy

In Mists mailbox (30)

2012-01-21T22:20:00.000Z

In my mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The story siren.

It's a regular meme where we share the books we have gotten.

16th Jan - 22nd Jan

As you can see I cut out some bits where I just rambled on to make the video shorter lol

Books mentioned

Bought

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

A witch in winter by Ruth Warburton

Gifted

The complete Harry Potter collection box set (HB) - from my husband.

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz - from Alice @ Best books.

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari - from Natalie.

Divergent by Veronica Roth - from HarperCollins

Swapped

As I wake by Elizabeth Scott

Wake by Lisa McMann

For review

Legend by Marie Lu

Trieste by Daša Drndić

eBooks

Kindle freebie

Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Bought

The boyfriend thief by Shana Norris

So over you by Gwen Hayes

This week in review

(There seemed to be a bit of confusion last week, 'this week in review' is the reviews that have been posted this week on the blog, in case your interested in reading them, not books I have gotten)

This is not forgiveness by Celia Rees

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Guest post - Anne Elizabeth and a giveaway

2012-01-21T19:17:00.000Z

THE PENDULUM: From Dream to Reality

by Anne Elizabeth

“Every project begins with a dream and a desire to succeed.” This is one of my father’s favorite sayings. When I was a child he’d sit me on his knee and we’d read the Sunday comics from the newspaper. We’d laugh together, and I can still hear his distinct laughter echoing in my head and see his broad grin. As the years passed, the meaning of these words has grown in value. He was right; an individual’s determination to reach a goal depends on their will to achieve. Thus, I filled my heart with courage and went for my goal over five years ago, and the PULSE graphic novel and comic world was born.

High school was the vetting ground and birthing place for my brain child. Beginning when my high school English teacher asked the class to write a creative short story, I created a brand new supernatural world. (Of course, this was before Harry Potter, Twilight, and many of the now-popular paranormal series.) I was so intrigued by my creatures – ones that came out of imagination, frustration, and a fondness for justice and romance – that I found myself compelled to keep writing. Pretty soon, I had completed a full-length novel and many, many short stories. Plastic purple binders held my treasured manuscripts. Though there was interest in the storylines and characters, none of the publishing houses could figure out how to market it or fit it into their current collections. That is, until Dabel Brothers LLC read the first manuscript – PULSE OF POWER – and offered a contract for my first graphic novel.

After publication, my email was suddenly flooded with letters from reviewers and fans who liked this brand new superhero – someone who spoke of empowerment, decision-making, and standing up for the little guy. There was something special about Tia that connected with readers and so I opened the treasure box further to release the rest of her stories as well as those of her friends. Suddenly, I was editing the stories and my notes, indentifying the overall arc and themes and crafting them into script form. FYI, you need scripts for each participant in the process: One for the editor, one for the artist, one for the colorist, and another for the letterer.

Working with award-winning writer and former DC Editor Alisa Kwitney, who also edited Neil Gaiman for his Sandman series, is the ‘Experience of a Lifetime!’ Alisa is BRILLIANT! I look forward to each interaction, and she has gifted me with an amazing education in comic form, structure, and Haiku snappiness.

After the writing process is complete, the art critique begins. This is where the images and panels are honed into the sharpest and most compelling visual presentation. I worked with Artist Siya Oum, whose creations are intensely beautiful! She’s AMAZING in terms of her knowledge, ability to create captivating nuances, and depict the heart of an emotional climax. When the pages are complete, they are sent to Colorist Mauro Salgado who changes the black and white into complex layers of colors and detail. Lastly, the pages are lettered by Bill Tortolini, who is fantastically gifted at complementing the art and coloring with captions, speech balloons, exclamations and so much more!

The completed high resolution files are then approved by the publishers. Keep in mind, oftentimes both the author and/or the editor are guiding the steps in the pre-production art process. When everything is final, then the book goes to print. Diamond Distributors works with independent bookstores, Amazon and many others to make sure the comic or graphic novel arrives on time and is forwarded to customers.

Please note, this process is not just one person’s work. It is a collaboration of dedication, harmonious agreement, and perseverance. This is a “we” process and it is not an industry for the weak of heart or those with mediocre resolutions. Critiques can be tough. Roadblocks such as illness, change of artistic talent, or delays in production – as well as a multitude of other traumas and dramas – can test the resolve to continue on. But, the outcome is worth it!

Holding a book that you were a part of can bring a wellspring of emotion. The smell of the ink and sleek pages as they slide – silky smooth – along your fingertips. Very memorable!

As you guessed, I admit again that my father was right – that it takes ‘a dream and a desire to succeed’ – and as my mother would add, “Holding your ground and then climbing the next great hill matters, too. So, keeping going and keep challenging yourself.”

My words of wisdom are: If you have a story swimming around in your brain, teasing your spirit, then it is important to write it, speak it, or share it in some way. “Lively boldly, my friends! Live your greatest wish as if it were your last moment on earth.”

Power up with Anne Elizabeth’s graphic novels: PULSE OF POWER and THE PENDULUM available now; or catch her next short comic – ZOMBIE LOVE – releasing Spring 2012 and her full length graphic – POWER PLAY – the third book in the PULSE series releasing early at the New York Comic Con in October 2012. For more information, check her Website.

Want to win yourself a copy of 'The Pendulum'?

Just fill in the form, your free entry is the only one mandatory, the rest are optional and it's International :)

This is not forgiveness by Celia Rees

This is not forgiveness - Review

2012-01-20T23:51:00.000Z

Available Feb 2nd 2012

http://www.bloomsbury.com/

What's it about?

Everyone says that Caro is bad ...but Jamie can't help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can't believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn't know why, but there's no way he's going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro. But as Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is more to Caro - much more. There are the times when she disappears and doesn't get in touch, the small scars on her wrists, her talk about revolutions and taking action, not to mention the rumours he hears about the other men in her life. And then always in the background there is Rob, Jamie's older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect ...but that isn't how things work out in real life, and Jamie is going to find out the hard way. This taut psychological drama is the brilliant new novel from acclaimed Celia Rees.

My review:

This book really is exciting as it sounds! Whilst the first few chapters started off confusing and it was probably fifty pages before I really got into it I loved the way it constantly picked up the pace until a nail biting ending. The book mostly follows Jamie but there are chapters that follow Rob and Caro, out of the three I definitely preferred Jamie but I did enjoy the crazy insights into the minds of Rob and Caro, it really gave me an idea of what was going on and everyones motives.
Once I was hooked into the story I was gripped until the conclusion but I have to say, personally, I felt it would've been better without the first chapter which took away some of the surprise from the ending but I still enjoyed it a lot and will definitely be searching out more books by this author in the near future to try.
I found the characters to be really well drawn out and complex, getting to know them was one of the things that made the book interesting, along with the exciting plot and fast paced writing. There well timed mystery reveals and a brilliant ending, though I'd like to have seen a bit of an epilogue to round it up.
I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of the genre and even some who aren't because I don't tend to read psychological dramas but this has most certainly turned my head to them and I'll be checking out more in the future.

My thoughts on the cover:
I'm really not a fan of this cover, it's just to plain and boring for me. The broken glass effect is interesting but personally I like pretty, colourful covers but perhaps the real thing will be textured to add a extra depth and this is just a bad picture lol.

Sorry, no favourite quotes because I read an ARC copy and don't have a final copy to compare them with :)

Find the author:

Fairy bad day by Amanda Ashby

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

UK vs. THE WORLD! (8)

2012-01-18T07:00:00.000Z

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

Also I'm thinking of adding a linky list in case others would like to participate on their blogs so let me know if you would if I did that :)

UK vs. Thailand

Beastly by Alex Flinn

('ตามหาหัวใจของนายอสูร' translates to 'By heart of the beast' - According to Google translate)

Mist: Both these covers are nice but I think I like the Thai cover a little bit more because of the lighter colours and also because I don't like that big red circle about the movie on the UK version. I do really like the font on the UK version though and both flowers are pretty.

Ninfa: I really like the UK version. Not very keen on the Thai one, it's just a little boring and the white rose gets lost in the pale blue background, whilst it stands out in the black of the UK cover.
I also like the title font on the UK one, so yep, UK win.

UK vs. Indonesia

Mist: These covers are also both very pretty and similar, I think it's interesting that the girl in the Indonesian cover is covered up more. I definitely prefer the Uk cover though, the girl just seems a lot more kick-ass and I prefer her stance to the girl on the other cover.

Ninfa: The UK cover is a winner again! It's just really cute and I love the outfit of the model and the big sword and the kick ass pose. The Indonesian cover is the same concept really, just not as well excuted. The model's clothes are a little too conventional and there's too much pink and blue in my opinion.

Which do you prefer?

New button

2012-01-16T21:58:00.000Z

Hi guys!

You might notice I've been a busy bee today! i've made a new header, signatures and profile picture for Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else we are. I've also, finally, made a ratings thingum and I've now made a brand spanking new button!

If you already have my button your blog then a huge THANK YOU! but if you'd like to switch to the new one that would be awesome! but I think the old one will still work, if you don't have my button on your blog but would like to, then that's awesome to, here's the code Ta-da

Wow that's lots of awesomes, I might have to get out the awesomesauce!!

Also, I'd looooooove to hear what you think on all the new little bits I've added today.

I'm likely gonna be fiddling about with the layout and some new social buttons this week to, so stayed tuned!

The butterfly and the flower on the header and such are for Spring and will be interchangeable through the year as the seasons and holidays change :)

formspring.me

2012-01-16T13:37:00.001Z

Ask me questions about Books http://www.formspring.me/BookaholicsBkCl

Guest post - Melanie Cusick-Jones and a giveaway

2012-01-16T07:00:00.002Z

From Reader to Writer

Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. ~Sharon O'Brien

When you tell people you know that you’ve written a book, it’s interesting how many of them say “I always thought I’d write a book one day.”
If I were being honest, I think when I first started writing it was just to see if I could do it. I had graduated uni with an English degree – that’s a lot of reading – and was doing temp work to pay the bills, leaving a lot of free space in my brain. That’s when I thought: “I’ll write a book.” That was the easy part.
My original book idea – a first stab at writing – is still sitting neatly in the bottom of my half-finished drafts pile decidedly ignored. (I actually cringe to read it now). The character and plot I still like and may go back to – I just need to be a lot better than I was! The hardest thing isn’t the idea – there are fantastic concepts for novels I believe most people would come up with – it is the actual creation of a person…a world…a story that is so much harder than I ever thought it would be.

Practice. It might not make you perfect, but it definitely helps you get better. Although Hope’s Daughter is my first published novel, I’ve completed four others prior to that, a couple of which I would consider releasing after a lot of revision. Hope’s Daughter is the first piece that I felt comfortable putting out for review, ridicule and whatever else may come – lol. But writing the other full novels really helped me.

Questions. When you’re writing – especially editing – you answer a lot of questions: would the character do that? How would they react to this? Should we see more of this person, less of another? If you have some twists or mystery the most difficult thing is ‘drip feeding’ the clues in exactly the right way to let a reader understand where things might go, without giving the game away. I definitely didn’t have that skill down when I first tried writing – I was trying to get every piece of the story down in chapter one, just because I knew where things would end up going. Hopefully I’m better at that now.

Support. Taking a creative writing course definitely helped me. You develop techniques for making you look more creatively at the world than I think I did originally. Feedback is undoubtedly the best way to improve, but you need to be able to take it for what it is. No one should have something they’ve lovingly crafted ripped apart, but if you can find helpful, constructive reviewers, friends and beta readers (the last is absolutely vital I have discovered) then they will help you write what you want to.

Reading. I imagine most writers are bookaholics at heart. Reading widely and what you like cannot be beaten. Although Hope’s Daughter is my story, it has probably been influenced by every book I’ve ever read and draws in elements from those that I love and stayed with me after I closed the cover (or switched off the kindle!) and steers clear of those I don’t!

Just do it. If you love to read and want to write, then do it! There may be natural writing geniuses out there, although I doubt it. Writing is a skill – some parts you can make better with practice, other parts will be absolutely individual to you because of what you love, what you read and how you look at the world. If it’s something you want to do, then you should. I love my characters – I like seeing how they grow and change from who I thought they were when I first met them. I love the giddy little rush I feel when I solve a problem in the narrative to get me from one scene to another – or more so when I think of a sneaky twist to hopefully make everything more interesting. For me writing and reading go hand-in-hand now, sometimes I have to drag myself away from one to do the other, but I love both.

Hope’s Daughter.

Life should be simple for Cassie.

For the small population of Earth survivors who live on the Space Station Hope everything they do is planned and scheduled, down to the cyclical food menus, their roles in the station, even how many children they have.

Despite rigid controls directing her life, Cassie feels more out of synch than ever and worries she won’t find a place for herself within the station community. Perhaps that’s because she’s hearing things inside her head that can’t possibly be real. Or maybe it’s the regular elopements of her peers, heading off to a romantic future in the Married Quarter of the space station, whilst she’s never even been attracted to a boy – no matter how hard her best friend Ami pushes them at her. Then there are the odd questions her work placement partner Balik keeps raising. His questions are just as troubling for her as his distracting smiles and eyes that seem to see inside her.

As Cassie draws closer to Balik she finds that everything else in her life begins to shift. He tells her things that call into question the system they live within. She can't believe he is right, but at the same time she finds it hard to deny the sincerity of his ideas. Could there be a connection between Cassie’s problems and Balik’s questions? The truth will drag them both to a terrifying and deadly conclusion beyond anything they could have imagined.

Find the author:

Buy the book:

Win one of three ebooks in your preferred format.

International and ends 23rd Jan

Please enter with an email address you check regurlarly as this is where you'll be contacted should you win.

A million suns by Beth Revis

In Mists mailbox (29)

2012-01-14T20:22:00.000Z

In my mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ The story siren where we share the books we have gotten.

9th Jan - 15th Jan

Books mentiond

Bought:

Gifted:

Tiger eyes by Judy Blume

Fracture by Megan Miranda

For review:

If I die by Rachel Vincent

Juggernaut by Adam Baker

Here's The interview I mentioned if you wanna read it.

This week in review

Dark parties by Sara Grant

Touch of power by Maria V. Snyder

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Never mind the botox: Rachel by Penny Avis and Joanna Berry

A need so beautiful by Suzanne Young - Audio review

Gastien parts one and two by Caddy Rowland - Guest review by Jenny

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Guest post - Caddy Rowland and a Giveaway

2012-01-14T07:00:00.002Z

Gastien Beauchamp and I (The Story of How I Wrote Gastien) by Caddy Rowland

I have read all kinds of blogs and stories about how people get their story ideas and how they develop their characters. Many are very disciplined, using story boards and writing out every detail of each major character before they even start to write the first page. Some are more seat of the pants. There is no “right” way. An author writes a story in whatever way works for them.

I have a secret to tell you about Gastien Beauchamp, though. I did not choose him. He chose me. He also wrote the story; I was just the conduit. Sound strange? Yeah. Well, I have been called worse. Here is how Gastien happened:

In March of 2010 I found out I had breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation. Chemo was not needed. I was very lucky, in that it was a Stage 0 cancer. It is completely gone and my doctor says to plan on eventually dying from something other than breast cancer.

Being told you have cancer is awful. It does, however, teach you to live in “now” and for that I am very grateful. Life is a lot more precious when you live in the “now”. Until you come face to face with possibly dying, I don’t think you fully understand that “now” is all any of us have. Even after having cancer, I sometimes have to remind myself.

Another thing it did was make me question life after death. I always had spirituality in my life, but it now became even more important. I had done a past life regression several years ago, so I definitely believed that we don’t just live once and then die, or live once and then “go to heaven” or “hell”. Still, facing cancer makes you think about the afterlife and what it means.

I read a book that July or August called Journey of Souls by Michel Newton PhD. In it he talks about cases of taking people back to the place we go between lives here…where we eventually will stay once we have become as advanced as we as an individual can. It fascinated me. I searched online to find his institute and then looked for a past life regressionist who had taken his courses.

I found a well-qualified psychologist who had several years experience and went to do a life between lives regression. In order to get to the life between lives you must first be regressed into some past life and then be taken to that life’s death, so that you can see what it is like when you leave this world and go there. It is done through hypnosis.

When I went back to a past life, the first thing I saw was a candle burning on a table. Then I saw a very handsome man with long, dark hair past his shoulders. He was leaning against a table with paints on it, and he had on a satin shirt. The shirt was cream colored and had full, billowing sleeves with large cuffs. He was looking at someone and smiling.

That was the first time I met Gastien Beauchamp.

Now, I am not going to say if I think I was Gastien, or if I think creative possibilities were opened to me that day. That is for me alone to cherish. What I will say is that for several weeks afterwards I would get “downloads” of information about this man. When I would check online to see if the things I was told could have happened in the time period I would find that, yes; indeed they could. The downloads became stronger and more frequent. Finally, I called the psychologist and made an appointment to just do a more in depth regression to Gastien.

We did a couple of two hour sessions. From this, the story of Gastien was born. It took four months to write over 1,000 pages. I decided to divide it into two books. I set aside part two and edited part one for four and ½ months. From that Gastien Part 1: The Cost of the Dream was born. It came out in August of 2011. Gastien Part 2: From Dream to Destiny then took another four and ½ months to edit. It was released in mid-December o 2011. There will be another two or three books in the series.

When I decided to write this story, I only had the “downloads” I had been given in my head. I did not know a lot of what I would write. So, I simply committed to writing one hour a day, five days a week. No excuses. The first day, I sat down, put my hands on the keyboard and asked Gastien to tell me. Really, I just asked him to tell me his story. Either how it was or, if it was way too dark, how he wished it could have been….without taking away the gist of his life.

Boy, did he tell it. Some days I could not type fast enough. Most days I did not know what I would be typing until I started. The writing was easy. The research after typing was harder. Since the story takes place in the nineteenth century, I had to make sure that the things Gastien said happened could be true for that era. I also had to make sure that I called items their correct names. For instance, men did not call pants by that name yet. They were trousers. Those little things that make it nineteenth century needed to be there.

I also used some French words and phrases and I don’t speak French at all. I wanted them in there to give readers a feel for him as a French man. So, I had to look those phrases up and I had to ask people from France how to use a word, because the conjugations of a word are very difficult in French. One word has so many spellings for first, second or third person and for past, present or future.

But it was fun! I was surprised many times by what I wrote. I loved the humor between Mic and Gastien. It was definitely a type of humor between two males; as a female it was very interesting to see it coming from my fingers! It was also a blast writing from male point of view.

The story is very dark, no question. It is also hilarious at times and gut wrenching. Just like life. Various books in the series are coming of age, drama, romance and historical. The first book, while it does have graphic sex, does not have a major romance. I needed to get a romance audience; however, because the second book is the love story. If readers were not romance readers they would be confused! It is not a typical romance, but then Gastien was anything but typical. He was a nonconformist through and through. An artist with a dream with a women who loved him, in spite of his terms.

To me, Gastien was real and continues to be. I have a deep love for him. It is my hope that you will take the time to read his story; that he will find a home in your heart, too. He is not always what you would like him to be, but he is always true to himself. That is all we can each hope for and what each of us should strive for in every life.

Now I must go. Book three is waiting to be finished in time for a spring 2012 release. Au revoir.

Buy links:

For kindle readers (Part 1)

For nook readers (Part 1)

To order paperback (Part 1)

For kindle readers (Part 2)

For nook readers (Part 2)

To order paperback (Part 2)

Gastien's fanpage

My blog

My email: caddyauthor@yahoo.com

__________________________________

Win an eBook copy of Gastien Part one: The cost of the dream.

International

A need so beautiful by Suzanne Young

Gastien Parts one and two - Double review by Jenny Needham

2012-01-13T18:00:00.001Z

The cost of the dream by Caddy Rowland

About the book:

Stunningly handsome Gastien has two dreams that burn relentlessly inside of him. First, he wants to become a great artist. Nineteenth century France is a hotbed of new ideas in art; unfortunately, naïve young men, hoping to achieve impossible dreams, die in the gutters of Paris every day.
Gastien also wants to become a great lover. That will not be so difficult. So far, nineteenth century women can only dream of a man who cares if he actually satisfies them!
He has no training, no money, and no connections. And, he is a virgin…so far.
What does he have? Raw, natural talent, a willingness to learn, and a face and body no woman will be able to resist. He vows to stop at nothing to make his dreams come true.
Gastien Beauchamp, Paris is yours for the taking.
Sometimes, the "impossible" is possible. But the cost can be extremely high.

My Review:
4/5

First I will say this is definitely a book for adult readers, with lots to keep the adult reader entertained with explicit sex scenes, violence and adult topics.
The character of Gastien in this book is intriguing, and with him being very different from the rest of his family, causing many problems as he is growing up. Following Gastien through his life you find that as you learn more about his character you grow to love and live the life that he does. The life lessons learned as you follow Gastien though all of his troubles are well wrote and believable.
The background story in this book is amazing and really brings to life Gastien’s life as he grew up in France in the 19th century when everything is very different to living life today in France. I found that the use of French terms was an amazing asset and well thought out by the author, really bringing you into the story, as well as adding that little extra, and I found that this really did make the book more enjoyable.
The author has helpfully put a full glossary at the front of the book with all the French terms and what they mean, as well as added the translation in the book at the first point it is used, so I would recommend reading this book even if the French within it would normally put you off it is definitely worth reading.
I found that I was absorbed into this book from the very first chapter, loving and feeling along with the characters. It is a testament to the author that the storyline flows so well, with well placed and in depth sex scenes that are not for the faint hearted. There are also many other adult topics that are covered within this book that are well wrote and really compelling to read. In all I really enjoyed the flow and story within this book following along with the life lessons learned. I will be heading over to the next instalment of this book very soon to find out what else life has in store for Gastien as he goes through his life.

From dream to destiny by Caddy Rowland

About the book:

I am Gastien Beauchamp, artist and lover. Any Frenchman would tell you that a peasant could never own property in nineteenth century France. Yet here I am, in my very own studio.
The personal cost was horrendous. I barely survived the choices I made, and my sanity was pushed to its limits.
Still, I finally now have security, peace, and freedom. For the rest of my life I can spend time “making love to the colour”, making love to beautiful women, and enjoying the wild nightlife of bohemian Montmartre. What more could a man need or want?
Then, one night, I see her. One look at Sophie, and my heart wants to betray me! I try to tell myself that I know better. Who needs love, anyway? I am already married-to my art!
No woman would ever understand and accept my lifestyle; nor am I about to give that lifestyle up! Not when I paid so dearly for it. Besides, I am too badly damaged to ever open up my heart…

My Review:
4/5

This book definitely continues on from the first book in the series.
Gastien continues to grow into an adult, with many challenges being presented both personally and in his art work. I love that Gastien continues to grow making him such a loveable character that at time you empathize with him, but at others you detest him just as much.
The author continues with the amazing story of Gastien being an artist in 19th century France, bringing to life the struggles that artist's faced when they started out. I found that I was even more captivated by Gastien and all the other characters in this book than I was in the first. I was so engrossed in everything going on that I read the whole book in a day, laughing, crying and feeling compassion for all of the characters especially Gastien himself. I must admit throughout this whole book I found that I experienced every emotion there was and I was emotionally drained by the end, but emotionally drained in a good way.
Again the author helpfully gave a glossary at the front of the book with all the French translations to both words used in the first book as well as new words and phrases used within this book. She managed to integrate both languages so well that most of the time you did not notice that both French and English were being used.
I would definitely love to continue on in this series and read book three, in order to find out how everything pans out for the rest of the characters. Although I can’t giveaway why, as I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending for those adults out there that want to discover Gastien and his travels through 18th Century France.

Check out Jenny's blog Madsheep reading

Audio Friday - A need so beautiful - Review

2012-01-13T14:00:00.000Z

Audio (every other) Friday is for audio book reviews :)

This weeks review is by yours truely.

Narrated by Hannah Smith.

What's it about?

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be forgotten.

Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?

My review
5/5

On the narrator: I found the narration of this book easy listening, Hannah Smith reads at a good pace and differed well between characters so I knew who was talking. The story was easy to follow and imagine, I'd definitely listen to more from this narrator.

On the story: This was a book I'd heard little about and thought was more of a romance so I'd never really paid any attention to it, but when I came across it looking for something new to listen to I decided to give it a try and boy am I glad I did!
It isn't a romance at all, it's about Charlotte and her struggle against the 'need' and not wanting to disappear, to be forgotten by her friends and family. It's a seriously gut wrenching tale as we follow Charlottes fight to stay, she has a life, she has a family, a best friend and a boyfriend all of whom she loves, who would want to leave that?! As Charlotte gets more desperate and her time runs out I felt my own pace quickening, I felt her despair and didn't want her to disappear anymore than she did. This is a beautifully written sad tale, that kept me up late finding things to clean so I could listen to it until the end because I could not stop thinking about it until I did and the book was still on my mind days later. I wish I had discovered it sooner but better late than never right? And it means I have less time to wait until the next book, A want so wicked in June.

On the cover:
I love this gold cover, even more so now I've listened to the story. It's a simple cover but the colour is gorgeous and the girl is really pretty lol

Find the author
Blog
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Goodreads

Touch of power UK book trailer

2012-01-12T15:43:00.001Z

If you haven't read this book, you should it's awesome!

Never mind the botox: Rachel - Review and quickie interview

2012-01-12T15:36:00.000Z

Never mind the botox: Rachel by Penny Avis and Joanna Berry

Never mind the botox book two.

Available now

What's it about?

Never Mind the Botox is a series about four professional women all working on the sale of high-profile cosmetic surgery business the Beau Street Group. Each book reveals how the women cope with one of the most glamorous but challenging deals of their careers, and the dramatic impact it has on their personal lives. With a briefcase in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, can they navigate their way through a surreal world of boob jobs by day and intrigue by night and still keep their own love lives on track? Rachel Altman is a corporate financier with a prestigious accounting firm who's desperately trying to keep on the straight and narrow. Hopelessly led astray by her bar-diving boyfriend, she gets the chance to turn things around when her boss gives her the break she's been waiting for. But when the deal doesn't go as planned Rachel panics, sparking off a chain of betrayal and lies that threatens to ruin both her love life and career.

My review

3/5

I didn't realise when I agreed to review this book that it was the second in the series but thankfully the books can be read out of order so I didn't feel like I was missing anything when reading it, it's a quick, easy read although I did find it difficult to get into and it was a good 100 pages before I felt comfortable reading it. The story is good, and I like the idea that the four books follow four different women working on the same deal, so you see each aspect of it, but I felt none of the characters really had much of a personality, they all spoke the same and the over use of the words 'Rather' and 'Quite' drove me crazy. Aside from one glimpse into Rachels past, which was more for the storyline, I didn't feel like we got to know her very well, I don't know how she got into her job or why she chose it and other than her boyfriend and going out drinking we didn't find out much about what she likes, it caused a bit of a disconnect so I didn't care much about the character. I do think this would make a good beach read in the summer as it's not a complex story and I did read it quickly and think chick lit lovers might enjoy it, there were some really funny one liners and situations that had me giggling to myself. There were also some interesting little side stories that all wove together and made for a nice ending with no loose ends and I did really like how the story ended for Rachel and how much she changed her outlook and 'hobbies.' The book was very realistic to real life and the authors knowledge of Rachels work field really showed through.

My thoughts on the cover

I do like this cover, it gives the idea of exactly the type of book it is and is nice and bright. The handbag is really cute. I love that all the covers match, the others just have the bag and font in a different colour, I'm a sucker for a matching set!

Favourite quote:

'Rachel looked at the cot and tried to imagine Harry as a father. What a thought! He could barely look after his own house keys, never mind a baby.'

Quickie interview:

What made you decide to write books together instead of solo?

-It was the result of a chance conversation shortly after Penny had taken her career break from Deloitte. She was thinking of writing a book and found out that Joanna had always wanted to do the same. We’ve been friends for years and decided it would be more fun to do it together. And it really has been!

Where did you get your inspiration from for Never mind the botox?

-From our own career backgrounds mainly. We have both worked in very similar situations to our four characters many times and that really helped us imagine what it would be like for them to work on the sale of cosmetic surgery business.

Do you have a particular track list in mind when you think of the book, like is there a particular song you think would fit into a scene from the book?

-Great question. Yes, all the time! We keep hearing songs on the radio that we think would be brilliant in the TV show. Such as Gabriela Cilmi’s ‘(nothing) Sweet About Me’. We also had in mind lots of camp 70’s disco tracks for the hen night scene in ‘Alex’ like ‘Jump’ by the Pointer Sisters and Boney M’s ‘Daddy Cool’.

This is a four books series about four different women, which of the women do you each feel a closest bond to?

-We do feel a natural affinity with the characters that are in our own careers, so Alex for Joanna and Rachel for Penny. But that said, we really love aspects of all of them. We designed the four characters together and at the same time, so each one ended up a blend of characters traits that we both liked.

Find the authors:

Same difference (21)

2012-01-12T14:00:00.002Z

Wander dust by Michelle Warren - The Seraphina Parrish trilogy book one &

Grounding Quinn by Stephanie Campbell.

These are so similair it's hard to pick a favourite but I think if pushed I'd go for Wonder dust, it has a more magical feel to with glittery parts and the green sky. Grounding Quinn is nice but feels more plain.

Which do you prefer?

Cinder - Review

2012-01-12T07:00:00.001Z

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar chronicles book one.

Avaiable now.

What's it about?

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

My review
5/5
This book really is as different and awesome as it sounds! There are many, many... many retellings of Cinderella in both literature and television and this is one of the best ones I've seen, well read. Whilst it has the outline of the original tale it also has completely new and unique twists, to remake the classic for the technological generation.
I was hooked into the story straight away and struggled to put the book down until I was finished, Cinder is instantly likeable, she knows she's a second-class citizen with no rights because she's a cyborg and whilst this bothers her, she accepts it and gets on with her life. She's treated horribly by her stepmother and stepsister which really made me feel bad for her, but she does have a friend in her younger stepsister Peony and Iko, the familys android, so she's not completely alone. All the way through I was hoping, not just for her happy ever after, but for her to be treated like a human because she is one, she has a prosthetic foot and hand but she still has emotions and deserves rights and I was outraged by the way she was treated, like I would be were she a real friend.
Although in it much less Peony is another really likeable character that had my emotions all over the place and then there was prince charming himself Kai, who is humble enough to admit he's not sure he's ready to be King, he's not sure if he can solve the problems of the commonwealth but he'll do anything he has to for his people, all of which were traits that made him even more endearing.
The book is split into four parts and at the start of each part is a little snippet from the original tale which I thought was a lovely little extra touch to the book, honestly I have no bad things to say about this book, I just loved everything about it, the characters, the story, the writing, the twists and turns that had me gasping audibly. Seriously I'm not even sure I can even use the right words to explain how much I loved it lol but I did!

My thoughts on the cover
I have total cover love for this! I love how it has the traditionall glass slipper, but it's red, and of course the metal work in the leg is real cool. And the old style of the font looks like something from a fairy tale, so it really blends in old and new, it's just awesome!

Favourite quotes

"You won't." She itched to reach out to him, but held back, wringing her hands. "You're going to be one of those emperors that everyone loves and admires."

'She smiled up at him, but it was short-lived. A single blissful moment of pretend.'

Find the author
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Happy Blogoversary to me giveaway

2012-01-11T21:03:00.001Z

So I can hardly believe it but a year ago today I set up this blog!!

It's actually a year ago tomorrow that I put up my first official post which was:

A review for My soul to take by Rachel Vincent

Pretty bad right lol You can see from my latest review for Touch of power by Maria V. Snyder I've kept the same formatting but have since added a couple of extra touches to my reviews to make them a little more special.

In the last year I've written 86 book reviews, 5 audio reviews and filmed 1 video review.

Strangley enough my most viewed review with 380 views is I am number four: The lost files: Sixs legacy.

The blog has had a little more than 37,400 page views, 1206 comments and 39 guests not to mention countless giveaways and winners.

And these aren't the only things I've done in the last year, this time last year I couldn't imagine reading anything other than a printed book but I've since broadened my horizons so to speak and gotten into eBooks until I even decided to get a Kindle for my birthday in June, more recently I've ventured into Audiobooks and now I'm crazy for them!

I've made some wonderful friends and found some awesome blogs and even when it's been hard work I've loved every moment and look forward to another year.

But you didn't come here for all that did you!

Deets

I wanted to have 6 winners because I've also recently hit 600 followers! But I just don't have the funds so there will be 3 lol

Three winners will each win a book of their choice from the Book depository up to the value of £10.

Open to anyone Book depository ships to. (Find out HERE if your eligible)

The giveaway will run until 8th February.

Fill in the form to enter!!

Warm bodies by Isaac Marion

UK vs. THE WORLD! (7)

2012-01-11T14:00:00.002Z

UK vs. The world is a weekly meme I made up lol.

It's simlair to UK vs. US except the UK covers are battling it out with their foreign counterparts from all over the world, because who doesn't love judging books by their covers!

UK vs. US

Mist: US all the way! I usually prefer the UK cover but in this instance it doesn't have much to it whilst the US cover is just really cool. I'm not sure what the red part is supposed to be lol but it looks really interesting and sticks out against the darker background. The UK cover is, well, pretty boring, from a quick glance I haven't got a clue what it's about.

Ninfa: A tough choice, the UK cover keeps drawing my eye with the stark contrast between the bright white cover and the red of the design. The US cover is also very intriguing with the red smokey tendrils coming out of the guy's head.

I have to say though, I think I prefer the US cover this time, there's just something very haunting about it and I like the background feel of it, as if the model is walking towards the light in a metaphor for the end of his life.
Yep, it's a US win for me.

UK vs. Germany

Angel by L.A. Weatherley

Angel book one (Dämonen des Lichts translates to 'Demon of light' - according to Google translate)

Mist: I've never really liked the UK cover, the colours are just to harsh, so I'm voting against UK again! That German cover is just gorgeous! I love the girls pose and the clouds in the background, it's all so mysterious and the font is awesome to.

Ninfa: Both really stunning covers, love the UK one and the mischievious glint in the model's eyes and the cheeky espression, and I like the black smoke tendrils around the sides as well. The tag line is pretty interesting, makes me want to read it.

The German cover is darker and gives a slightly different idea about the plot. I really like the smoke effect behind the model, makes it look as if she has wings made of smoke.
I like the both but if I really, really had to pick, I think by a tiny tinsie fraction I'd go for the UK cover.

Which do you prefer?

Dark days of January blog tour - Guest post - Sara Grant

2012-01-11T07:00:00.001Z

Sara Grant

The Missing.
by Sara Grant.

Writing fiction is a funny business. There’s a story you want to tell. You pluck characters from your imagination and create a world for them to inhabit. You go to great length to spin an engaging plot, twisted with sub-plots that you hope satisfies your readers. You write and revise and re-imagine, but when it’s all said and done and you read your story with a critical eye, you realize how much of yourself has sneaked onto the page.

I heard Hilary Mantel speak about her memoir Giving Up the Ghost. Someone asked her if it was odd to have complete strangers know so much about her life from her memoir. She said something like: in a memoir she controls what her readers know about her life, but in her fiction she unconsciously reveals so much about herself.

I wholeheartedly agree. Sometimes writing fiction is like looking through a magic window and telling your readers what you see on the other side. Other times the writing process can surprise you and you realize you’re looking in a mirror.

Dark Parties was a creative journey to the future, but it was also a cathartic journey to my past. My grandma passed away more than a decade ago, but, like my main character Neva, I still miss my grandma every day. Many details I included about Neva’s grandma were based on my dad’s mother – the way she smelled, how she loved to dress in bold colours, etc. She was a wonderful grandma who had a great imagination, feisty spirit, and a fantastic sense of humour.

Growing up, I’d often stay overnight with her. She would always share wonderful bed-time stories. They weren’t concoctions from her imagination but delightful tales about little Bobby and Donny – my dad and uncle. I’d beg her to tell me another and another. She shared my family heritage through these and other stories so it’s only fitting that I share a few fragments of her in my debut novel.

I didn’t set out to write a tribute, but I found myself writing this dystopian novel with the relationship between Neva and her missing grandma at its heart. I understood Neva’s yearning to see her beloved grandma again and her willingness to risk everything to find out what had happened to her. Every time I read Dark Parties, my heart fills with hope that Neva may find her grandma.

The pride I feel when I hold my first novel in my hand is overwhelming, but it is multiplied when I think that maybe I’ve found a small way for my grandma and her love of stories to live on.

Dark parties by Sara Grant.
Available now
http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/
Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...
Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

Check out Sara Grant's:

Dark parties Facebook page
and My review for Dark parties

Where can you find me?

2012-01-10T18:21:00.000Z

As you can see I do have some social buttons on my sidebar but I thought I would post some links to anywhere I have an online prescence where you can add or follow me, should you want to of course!

I'm happy to accept friend requests anywhere, as long as it's to be friends and talk books or anything else, not so you can just invite me to look at your blog/page/book or to enter your giveaway.

Facebook

Personal profile - Subscribe to me or add me.

Bookaholics Book Club - That page that started it all.

Misty and Ninfa go Supernatural - Mine and Ninfas supernatural page that is currently being run by our own Jenny.

Down syndrome support - My page for support to anyone affected by Downs syndrome in their life or for people who suppost the cause.

Twitter

@BookaholicsBkCl - I do have a personal profile but I never use it so better to follow me here.

YouTube

MistBookaholicsBkCl - Where I upload my IMM videos and more. So far I've mostly been using YouTube as a host site for my videos but I am trying to get more into the YouTube community as I learn my way around.

Google+

Personal profile - Add me to your circles.

Bookaholics Book Club - You can now make pages on Google+ so I made one for the blog, come add it to your circles.

Goodreads

Personal profile - Come add me and lets compare and chat books :)

Amazon

Kindle - It seems because I have a Kindle I have a Kindle profile where people can follow me, in fact I already have 10 followers! I don't know where they came from but I guess I best start posting stuff on there lol
Wishlist - And my ever growing wishlist if curious about which books I'm craving.

Klout
Bookaholics Book Club - If you like what I do come and give me some Klout :p

LinkedIn
Bookaholics Book Club - Another profile I don't really use at the moment but if you want to add me you can, I may be on there in the future when I figure out what it's for lol

Formspring
Bookaholics Book Club
Come and ask me any book related question you like!

Email
Bookaholics@live.co.uk
Well I'm pretty sure that's it but I'm bound to have missed something out lol So if you want to come and add me or follow me or just nose around my personal profiles so you can get to know me better!

Touch of power UK blog tour - Review and quickie interview

2012-01-10T07:00:00.044Z

Hit play to see the animated cover.

Touch of power by Maria V. Snyder

Available now.

Mira ink

What's it about?

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

My review
5/5
If your looking for a complete gush fest about how much I love this book and the author herself, then you've come to the right place!
It's no secret that Maria's my favourite author and I spent all of 2011 awaiting the release of Touch of power so as you can imagine I tore it open and started reading right away when it arrived and I was not disappointed!
Fans of Maria's previous work, her Study and Glass trilogies in particular will really enjoy this book, it's set in another fantastical world that's described with great detail so I could imagine myself as part of the gang as they travel across the land on a journey full of twists and surprises that had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
Avry is another strong women, she's survived on the run longer than any of the other Healers and she will stand up for what she believes in even if it means risking her life. As cold as she tries to be she can't help caring for people and wanting to help anyone she can.
On of the things I enjoyed most was watching her friendship develop with the guys she is travelling with, I really felt, by the end that I was friends with them to because it was written so well, they weren't instant friendships, the relationships grew over time making it believable.
The story itself was a fantastically woven plot that tied up neatly at the end but also left it open for the next book Scent of magic, there were some really interesting elements, some very sad moments that had me near tears and other times that had me swept up in the emotions.
Needless to say, I loved this book! In fact I think I might have already mentioned that I did but it bears repeating, if your a fan of the author then read it! If you've never read anything by the author then read it!
It's a great book, but did I mention the next one isn't out for a whole year! How will I survive waiting that long?!?

My thoughts on the cover
There are three different covers for this book (UK, US and AUS) and I love this one the best out of all of them! Not only does it fit in nicely with the covers of her other books so they look pretty on the shelf together but it's just stunning, the girl looks how I imagine Avry and I love how she's floating, the lightening from her hand, the forest in the background, and the colours are gorgeous. I really can't find anything I don't like.

Favourite quotes

'Disappointment panged until I remembered I hated him.'

"Tohon isn't mistaken." Kerrick traced one of the scars along my shoulder blade. "I would be...upset if he succeeded in luring you away."

Quickie interview:

1. This is the first time I've seen a story where people who can heal are "The bad guys" Where did you get the idea?

The idea came from reading and thinking about bio-warfare. Originally, I planned to make the plague a weapon that one realm leader released as an act of war to kill the people in the other realms and it ran rampant, killing almost everyone regardless of borders. But as I worked on the story, having the plague be a “past” event worked better with my characters.

2. You did such a great job at creating quick, believable friendships, were the relationships in the book based on any of your own personal friendships or people you know?

Flea was one instance where I “borrowed” from life. The name comes from a boy who played on my son’s soccer team. The other boys on the team gave Ben the nickname Flea because he was shorter than them, and younger by two years, but he was also fast and determined. I think the friendships in this book come from the time I worked on hazardous waste sites, doing air sampling. A group of us would spend months working long hours together in somewhat dangerous conditions, yet we joked, had rubber band wars, and even got together when we weren’t working. It was a fun time despite the job.

3. The next book 'Scent of magic' isn't due out until 2013! Do you have anything else in the works to tide us over until then?

I have a couple short stories coming out this year. I’ve a YA dystopian love story (yes, you read that right!) titled Berserker Eyes in the anthology Brave New Love, edited by Paula Guran and being released on 14 February 2012. And another short story titled, Capturing Images in the Bloody Fabulous anthology, edited by Ekaterina Sedia coming out in the fall of 2012.

4. I noticed the world TOP is set in is very similar to that of the Study and Glass trilogies, is set in the same, but a different part, world or is it just coincidence?

It is a similar fantasy world with no electricity, guns, or modern conveniences. I am partial to horses and swords J. However, it’s not part of the Study/Glass world. The magic system, governments, and topography are all different.

5. All of the covers for TOP are so gorgeous, do you have a particular favourite of the three?

You do know if I answer this, I could get into big trouble? Right? *looks over shoulder* However, for you, I’ll tell you that although I love them all, the UK cover by Henry Steadman is my favourite. He did the UK Study books and just nailed it – they were exactly what I’d imagined my Study covers would look like.

Contest:
Maria V. Snyder has teamed up with top teen mag Mizz to give you the chance to win an iPad and be the official book review for MizzMag TV to boot! All you need to do to enter is make a video review of A Touch of Power. MIRA Ink is giving away free review copies to the first 50 people who get in touch, so visit facebook/MIRAInk for more details on how to get involved! Also, check out Mizz Mag TV at www.youtube.com/user/MizzMagTV for an exclusive video of Maria talking about her new Healer series!

Find the author: Website I Blog I Facebook I Touch of power website

Guest post - Bob Dixon

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001Z

I actually began my writing career back in the very early 90’s in the comic book field. I created and developed a number of comic book titles for Pocket Change Comics (Assassinette: The Mind Stalker, Shadow Slasher, Psyco Duck, The Holy Knight, and Warzone 3719). Mouch and Company: The Dream Psychic is actually based on one of the comic books (Jester’s Dead), although I had to adapt the original story line a bit to make it flow better as a novel. Additionally I have written two children books - Rooty the Tree Troll and Holiday Bunny. When I was younger I never did a lot of reading as far as novels instead most of my reading were hours filled with comic books although now I’m just the opposite I will always have a fondness for the comic book field.

I began writing as a way to get away from the outside world, I was in college on a cross country scholarship and sustained an injury. It was during that time I started writing poetry afterwards I decided to try my hand at comic books and had a good run at that for a number of years eventually I moved on to writing a novel which I based off of one of my comic book creations.

Originally, Mouch and Company’s characters were featured in my Jester’s Dead comic book. At that point, Mouch was a humanoid character whose head was striped and vaguely shaped like a top hat. He also sported a long cat-like striped tail. He was a “pacifist assassin”, which meant that his shadow twin, Mav, completed all of the missions. Mouch’s friend, Sherman, was added for comic relief. A few years back, I decided I wanted to write a novel and felt that these characters would be fun to write about. Granted I had to make some changes for the story to work in a novel format, but not as many as you might think. Mouch is now a human teenager and many of the other characters, particularly Teqi, have undergone even more dramatic transformations. I had been toying with various story lines and had been fleshing out the characters in my mind for awhile and I just knew I wanted to do something more with this group. Since I had never read anything similar to what I was envisioning in my head, I wanted to try my hand at storytelling on a grander scale, i.e., a novel.

I would say my biggest struggle with the writing of this book revolved around the fact that it was my first attempt at this format. Yes, I had plenty of experience writing comics. However, writing a novel is quite different. I realized that there were things I just didn’t know so I set out to do some research. Also, with a comic, I know that I’m writing a story that must be fleshed out and wrapped up in the space of twenty-two pages. I have illustrations that work together with the writing to tell a complete story. It’s entirely different when it comes to novels. They say a picture is worth a thousand words; you’d better believe it! I had to adjust my writing style, making sure that my words alone helped the reader to visualize exactly what was going on in the story. Plus, the novel can be as long or as short as necessary in order to tell the complete story. I had to adjust the pace of my storytelling so I didn’t reveal too much at once, but at the same time, told enough of a story to keep the reader interested.

I’m always asked about authors that have inspired me and my answer to that question is that I have not really drawn a lot of my inspiration from any particular author. However, when I was kid, my grandfather used to tell the most amazing bedtime stories. Listening to those always fired my creativeness; my mind journeyed into worlds that simply didn’t exist outside of my imagination. Many of the writers I enjoyed when I initially started writing were comic book writers, particularly Stan Lee and Jim Starlin.

Currently, I have three other books under contract as well as a movie script that I’m working on with an independent film maker who already has a deal for the movie with the Dish Network. It’s an urban drama and I’m really enjoying working on that, even though it is a completely new experience for me. I have also recently finished the second and third books in the Mouch and Company series.

My webpage is http://www.authorbobdixon.weebly.com/

Dark parties - Review

2012-01-08T15:44:00.000Z

Dark parties by Sara Grant

Available now

Indigo

What's it's about?

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...
Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

My review
3.5/5
I don't know if my expectations had been heightened after waiting so long for this book or because I'd already heard how great it was but by the time I started it for myself I just get as much as I'd been expecting and unfortunately found myself slighlty disappointed by the end.
The story itself was an interesting one and the world created was intriguing, I could see why Neva felt stifled, living in, quite literally, a bubble with her future decided but I didn't feel it like I think I should've. I couldn't quite feel Nevas frustration, maybe that was from a character disconnect? I don't know. I will say there were things Neva did that I didn't agree with and maybe that's why I couldn't connect with her.
I also found the love story completely unbelievable, Neva goes from not liking a boy and not wanting him at her party to falling in love with him when they've barely spoken two words to each other, she's in lust with him because it's 'forbidden' but she doesn't know him at all, I think that's what made the rest of the book not as enjoyable to me as it should have been, had more work gone into the romance the rest of the book would have been better, for me anyway. I know other people have and will like the book more than I did.
I did like the idea of the missing and the theories on what's happened to them and some of the twists that happened later were shocking and picked the book back up for me in the end.
I also liked fun, naive best friend Sanna buut I'm afriad I did not, however, like Braydon, but I can't tell you why without spoilers.
Although there were parts of this book I didn't like, the writing was easy to get into and I found myself fly through the book quickly and I'd definitely read more by this author in the future including the sequel as I am interested enough to see where Neva's journey takes her next.

My thoughts on the cover
Ahh it was love at first sight with this cover, I love the contrast of the red dress on the grey background and I love the snow, it's just stunning.

Favourite quotes

"Once you know something you can never un-know it."

'The paper and pen are snatched from me. The lights go out. But I am not afraid anymore.'

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