Friday, 1 February 2013

Teaser Trailer (13): Etiquette & Espionage

Trailer Teaser is a meme that is inspired by Teaser Tuesdays but instead
than teasers from the book, i'm using trailers.


About the book:


Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)
by Gail Carriger
Pages: 320
Publisher: Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: February 5th 2013


Synopsis:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.


Sunday, 27 January 2013

Letterbox Love (11)


LETTERBOX LOVE is a meme by Narratively Speaking.
LETTERBOX LOVE is a way for bloggers to share what books or
ebooks they got this week that we: borrowed or begged for.

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (37): ACID



WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.




ACID by Emma Pass
Pages: 431
Publisher: Corgi Children's Books/Random House Children's Publishing (UK) and Delacorte (US)
Pub date: April 25th 2013 (UK) and out 2014 (US)

Synopsis:

ACID - the most brutal police force in history.
They rule with an iron fist.
They see everything. They know everything.
They locked me away for life.

My crime?
They say I murdered my parents.
I was fifteen years old.

My name is Jenna Strong.



Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking



Wake (Watersong #1)
by Amanda Hocking
Pages: 309
Publisher: St. Martin's press
Pub date: August 7th 2011

Synopsis:

Beautiful. Fearless. Dangerous.
The kind of girls you envy. The kind you want to hate.

Strangers are in town for summer, Penn, Thea and Lexi have caught everyone's attention, even the eye of practical Harper. But it's her sister, Gemma, they have chosen. Sixteen-year-old. Gemma seems to have it all - carefree, pretty and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion is the water. She craves solitary late-night swims under the stars, where she can belong to the sea. But lately sshe had company.

Pen, Thea and Lexi spend their nights dancing and partying on the cover, and one night Gemma joins them. She wakes, groggy, on the beach next morning and knows something has changed. Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster and more beautiful than ever. And as she discovers her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced t choose the between staying with those she loves - or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.



Monday, 7 January 2013

Manga Mondays (1): SKip Beat


This is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read. Manga is the Japanese comics with a unique story line and style. It has a variety of genres and it is read from left-right.



Skip Beat
Author: Nakamura Yoshiki
Artist:  Nakamura Yoshiki
Year of Release: 2012
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of life
Status: ongoing and it also has a anime adaption that is finished.

Synopsis:

 Kyoko Mogami is the childhood friend of superstar Sho Fuwa. Kyoko was so mindlessly in love with Sho that she followed him to the city on his quest to become a famous singer. But she soon realizes Sho was only using her as his personal maid to take care of household chores and pay the rent. Heartbroken, Kyoko won't suffer in silence--she's going to get her sweet revenge by beating Sho in show biz!

A funny and entertaining romance story of a "diamond in the rough" trying to find her place in showbiz, and the people around her.



Friday, 4 January 2013

2013 Reading Challenges

I know i won't read many books so i've decided to participate in some reading challenges and those are: 

2013 Standalone Reading Challenge

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Saturday, 22 December 2012

Promo Blitz + Giveaway: Fang Girl Helen Keeble


Today i have another great book to share: Fang Girl by Helen Keeble. It sounds like a really fun and great read. Head below to read a fun guest post by the author herself and don't forget the chance to participate in the giveaway! ;)




Fang Girl by Helen Keeble
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub date: September 11th 2012

Synopsis:

You know somethings seriously wrong when you wake up in a coffin...

Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin:

1) A twelve-year-old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie.
2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires.
3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead.
4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets.(Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you many friends.)
5) A psychotic vampire creator who’s using her to carry out a plan for world domination.

And finally:
6) A seriously ripped vampire hunter who either wants to stake her or make out with her. Not sure which.

Being an undead, eternally pasty fifteen-year-old isn’t quite the sexy, brooding, angst-fest Jane always imagined....

Helen Keeble’s riotous debut novel combines the humor of Vladimir Tod with Ally Carter’s spot-on teen voice. With a one-of-a-kind vampire mythology and an irresistibly relatable undead heroine, this uproarious page-turner will leave readers bloodthirsty for more.



Find Fang Girl on: Goodreads I Shelfari I Amazon US I Barnes & Noble 

Guest Post by Helen Keelen:

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace


Super excited to share this book with you! Excerpt and giveaway (INT) below! :)


Snow White Sorrow
by Cameron Jace
Pages: 384
Publisher: Akmal Eldin Farouk Ali Shebl
Pub date: February 2013

Synopsis:


What if all you knew about fairy tales was wrong?

Sixteen year old Loki Blackstar is no Prince Charming. His mother is a ghost. His only friend is a red Cadillac that talks to him through the radio. He looks like an Angel but acts like jerk. No wonder he has been banned from Heaven, which is the least of his troubles. Loki needs a job to pay for school and support himself.

Still, Loki has a rare gift: He is a Dreamhunter. One of the few in the world who can hunt and kill immortal demons in their dreams so they never wake up again.

When Loki is sent to kill a sixteen-year-old vampire girl the locals call Snow White Sorrow, he is pulled into a magical but dangerous world. The locals believe the monster to be Snow White.

The real Snow White... living in the ruins of an ancient castle in a small town. She is described as horribly beautiful, terrifyingly enchanting, and wickedly lovely.

What he finds instead is a beautiful monster girl filled with rage and hurt, who has an epic untold story to tell of things such like why the Brothers Grimm altered the fairy tale, who the Evil Queen really is, where the mirror came from, and who possessed it.

Snow White has killed every person who has dared come near the castle where she once lived with the queen. Mysteriously, she lets Loki live, and whispers two words in his ears; two words that will change his life forever.

.................................................................................................

Excerpt:


 
Dear Wilhelm Carl Grimm,



She is not that giddy, naïve, and helpless princess she pretends to be. Please don’t let her fool you with her innocence if you see her sing to the birds in the forest. Resist her charm from bringing joyful tears to your eyes, and shield yourself from her devious beauty before she deceives you into wanting to kiss her awake. It'll  be a kiss of death. Your death. That’s how she fooled the Huntsman, Prince Charming, and me, her birth mother.

I still remember the original script of the fairy tale, the one you wrote in 1812. It clearly stated that she was my own flesh and blood daughter. I don’t have the slightest idea why you altered it fifty years later.

What was the point of turning me into an evil, narcissistic, and heartless stepmother, blinded by jealousy and envy of the young princess?

For years, I have been looking forward to telling you the truth about her, but you were impossible to reach.

I am glad I found your brother, Jacob. He told me that you wanted to tone the stories down so children could sleep better at night, instead of having nightmares about the Queen who sought to eat her daughter’s heart and liver.

Shame on you, Wilhelm.

You, of all authors, knew why I wanted to kill her. My actions were justified. I was trying to save my kingdom from her wrath, before everything we loved was destined to an end. The same way you had to rewrite the true fairytales after cursing us, so the War of Sorrows would end forever after.

Night after night, and year after year, parents fed their children false bedtime stories, until your lies grew into inescapable memories. Your happily ever after lies, Wilhelm, shaped the so called fairy tale world.

I wondered why you didn’t burn the original scripts, instead of rewriting them. You must have figured out that sooner or later someone would dig up the truth and expose you. Altering it was the smarter solution. You let children believe that the bites were resurrecting kisses, and that torturing glass coffins were made for sleeping beauties, waiting for a prince to come and kiss them awake.

A wise man once said that the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he was someone else. You did the same with us, Wilhelm. You turned us into pastiches of the immortals that we really are, and made it harder for us if wanted to persuade the world otherwise.

I know that you did it to save us from her. And I appreciate how you concealed our real names, or we would have ended up like Rumpelstiltskin, tortured by those who knew of his real name.

But sometimes, I can’t help but wonder why no one ever questioned why I was called the Evil Queen, and why I was never given a real name in the books.

Was I so superficial to the world, so stereotypical and mundane? Why was I treated as if I were the monster of the week?

You know what I think? I think that the world never got the time to hate me. It just wanted to hate me long before it met me.

If I tell those who detest me about the true nature of their little princess, would they ever care about me half as much as they care about her?

I know that deep inside, they adore me. They like the way I talk, walk, dress, and even the way I kill.

They are just afraid to admit how much they love me. I am the Snow White Queen, strong enough that I don’t need anyone’s pity or love, because I am loved by the greatest and most majestic heart in the world:

Mine.
 


Find Snow White Sorrow at: Goodreads


Wonderlander, Neverlander, Unicorn-chaser, enchanter, musician, survived a coma, & totally awesome. Sometimes I tell stories. Always luv the little monsters I write young adult paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and science fiction mostly. The Grimm Diaries series is a seven book saga that deals with retellings of fairy tales from a young adult POV - it connects most of the fairy tales together and claims to be the truth about fairy tales. I live in San Fransisco and seriously think circles are way cooler than triangles.







The Grimm Diaries prequels (Goodreads) :
This Grimm Diaries Prequels are a number of short books in the form of epistolary diary entries. The diaries are more of teasers for the upcoming series: The Grimm Diaries, allowing you to get a glimpse of what to expect of the series. The 6 diaries are told by The Evil Queen, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, the Devil, Prince Charming, and Alice Grimm

Author Warning: these Grimm Prequels are snap shots of a magical land you're about to visit soon. I like to think of them as poisoned apples. Once you taste them, you will never see fairy tales in the same light again.

***Until December 13th, the prequel pack (all 6) for Kindle is only 0.99c! Purchase HERE.


Giveaway!

One (1) person will win one (1) prequel pack that includes all six prequels (as pictured above). This is only available on Kindle format, but can be read through any Kindle app available free (here) for Macs, PCs, iPads, and iPhones.

Must be 13 years old
Open internationally
Giveaway ends on 30th December
I will email the winer, if you do not reply in 48 hours i will choose another winner.
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (36)


WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Maid of Secrets by Jenifer McGown
Pages: 416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pub date: May 7th 2013

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril.

For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.

A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…



Why i'm waiting:

This is exactly my kin of book. I've always, for some reason, loved where there are secrets around the Queen and this is exactly it. Further more, it's set in the Elizabethan era. Double yeah!



What are you waiting on?

Sunday, 18 November 2012

Letterbox love (11)


LETTERBOX LOVE is a meme by Narratively Speaking.
LETTERBOX LOVE is a way for bloggers to share what books or
ebooks they got this week that we: borrowed or begged for.

For review:



Doppelganger by Milda Harris - Sounds like a fun read. I mean, who wouldn't think its is if you see yourself already in school, in your class and sitting on your chair.

Prophecy of the Most Beautiful by Diantha Jones - Gorgeous cover! All i have to say are these two words: Greek mythology. 

Borrowed:



Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - Since everyone has been praising this every where i go and the movie is coming out soon, i thought it was a great opportunity to read it.


What did you get this week?

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Book Blitz: Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman

BB Book Tours

I'm so happy today to participate in this Book Blitz by Bookish Brunette Book Tour of Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman, because i think it sounds great. And i've also got an excerpt for you, so, enjoy! :)


Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorokman
Pages: 288
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pub date: November 13th 2012

Synopsis:
Meet Erin. Smart student, great daughter, better friend. Secretly the mastermind behind the popular advice blog Miss Fortune Cookie. Totally unaware that her carefully constructed life is about to get crazy.

It all begins when her ex-best friend sends a letter to her blog—and then acts on her advice. Erin’s efforts to undo the mess will plunge her into adventure, minor felonies, and possibly her very first romance.

What’s a likely fortune for someone no longer completely in control of her fate? Hopefully nothing like: You will become a crispy noodle in the salad of life.


Find Miss Fortune Cookie on: Goodreads/ Shelfari/ Amazon UK/ Amazon US/ Barnes & Noble


Miss Fortune Cookie excerpt:



You will have much luck and little hardship.
Or the other way around.

CHAPTER 1

My friends and I were riding home from school on Muni, clinging to an assortment of slippery handholds, when Linny almost blew my secret identity. Intentionally.
“Listen to this one,” she said, reading off her iPhone, a faint but smirky glint in her eyes. “‘Dear Miss Fortune Cookie. My cousin thinks I’m chasing her boyfriend. Her boyfriend and I never flirt, but sometimes we text. What can I do to make her believe me? Just Friends.’”
In fact, I—Erin Kavanagh, alias Miss Fortune Cookie—had posted this very letter on my anonymous advice blog, and Linny happened to be the only person in San Francisco to know that, the only person in the whole world, except for some random administrator at WordPress. She takes every opportunity to harass me about keeping my blog a secret. “What advice would you give, Erin?” she asked, winking this time.
I kept my face as neutral as possible. Luckily Darren and Mei were only paying attention each other. As usual.
Personally speaking, I think nano-deceptions are a good thing. I regularly use them to protect my friends from unpleasant truths. Should I tell Linny that her favorite knit hat makes her head look like a furry meatball? Or nudge Mei whenever Darren winces at her hyena laugh? Should I have cautioned Darren that taking AP physics would wreck his grade-point average? Absolutely not. Sincere lies keep everyone happy.
I blew the hair out of my eyes. “The cousin will never stop suspecting the two of them,” I said to Linny, “so Just Friends has to stop the texting. She could get her own boyfriend. Or move to somewhere far away like Moldavia.”
Muni, a sort of bus powered by electric wires overhead, jerked to a halt. A seat opened up, and Linny took it. “Exactly!” She had the happiest smile ever, so big it barely fit on her face. Metaphorically speaking. “Mei, don’t you think Erin is a natural at giving advice?”
“Hmm?” Mei said. She was somewhat entwined with Darren and therefore distracted.
“Nothing.” I jabbed Linny in the ribs to get her to stop talking. Gently of course. The three of us—Mei, Linny, and me—made an enviable friendship trio. I was the lesser third, maybe because Mei and Linny were gorgeously Chinese-American, while I was just Boring-American. A Person of Irish.


About the author:


I am the author of two YA novels, My Invented Life and Miss Fortune Cookie. I also contributed a short story to the anthology Their First Time. Though I grew up on a sail boat and loved traveling the world as a kid, I'm still afraid of the ocean. I much prefer other modes of transportation these days--plane, train, or car. Walking is best. I love books with multi-faceted, intriguing characters. The best one make me laugh, cry, and turn the pages long past my bed time. When I'm not reading or writing, I spend time with family and friends, talking about everything under the sun. Add in some good food to the mix, top it off with chocolate, and I'm truly happy.

Find more about Lauren Bjorkman at: Goodreads/ Her blog/ Her website/ Twitter/ Facebook

Friday, 16 November 2012

Blog tour + Giveaway: Blood Debt by Nancy Straight

 
Today i'm here with a blog tour of Blood Debt by Nancy Straight hosted by Supa Gurl tour. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to participate in the giveaway. :)



Blood Debt by Nancy Straight
Pages: 194
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pub date: July 15th 2012

Synopsis:

Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately wants.




Review:

Camille has ways wanted to meet her father and now she finally gets the chance when her mother tells her, on her death bed. She arrives at South Carolina without knowing that she is a centaur. Camille was is too emotional; she tears up on like everything, At the same time, she's very strong and brave. Drake was a nice character but i wasn't a big fan of him. I was happy that they didn't rush and get together instantly. The plot on the other was was page turning. Romance with Greek mythology is one thing i love! Furthermore, I've never read a YA on the Centaurs so it was very interesting. And don't worry it's still full of juicy bits to hang on to, so you won't get bored.

Over all, Blood Debt was a book that i surely did enjoy. If you ever get the chance read it and also add it to your TBR pile! You don't want to miss this one.


Find more about Nancy Straight at: Goodreads/ Her blog/ Twitter/ Facebook

Giveaway!


Must be 13 years old
Open internationally
I will email the winer, if you do not reply in 48 hours i will choose another winner.
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Waitin on Wednesday (36)


WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
Pages: 256
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pub date: 13th November 2012


Synopsis:
Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Why i'm waiting:

The main reason why i'm eagerly waiting for this is because it's set in London; not many YAs are set in London. And i have always loved to read these kind of books. It sounds like a fun and quick read.


What are you waiting on?

Are you planning to read Meant to Be? Or, have you read it already?

Friday, 2 November 2012

Trailer Teaser (12): Eve & Adam

Trailer Teaser is a meme that is inspired by Teaser Tuesdays. However, instead of words i was going for the opposite. Pictures. When i started this meme i saw some really wonderful trailers and i really wanted to share them, so, i ended up making this meme. Hope you enjoy!

About the book:



by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Pages: 291
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pub date: October 2nd 2012

Synopsis:

And girl created boy…

In the beginning, there was an apple—

And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.

Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.

Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?




The Trailer:



What do you think of the trailer?

Have you already read Eve & Adam? Are you planning to?

Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (35)


WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
by April Genevieve Toucholke
Pages: 368
Publisher:
Pub date: August 15thh 2013

Synopsis:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.


Why i'm waiting:  

What better day to chose this as my waiting on Wednesday. The fact that it has a devil who " takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back ", of course 'll read it.  


You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand… " *Shiver* 



What are you waiting on?

Monday, 29 October 2012

ARC review: After Dark by Emi Gayle


After Dark (The 19th year #1)
by Emi Gayle
Pages: 247
Publisher: J. Taylor Publishing
Expected publication: October 31st 2012

Synopsis:

What eighteen year old Mac Thorne doesn’t know will probably kill her.

In exactly eight months, five days, three hours and thirteen minutes, Mac has to choose what she’ll be for the rest of her life.

She has no choice but to pick. As a Changeling, it’s her birthright. To Mac, it’s a birthchore. Like going to school with humans, interacting with humans, and pretending to be human during the pesky daylight hours.

Once darkness descends, Mac can change into any supernatural form that exists—which makes her as happy as she can be. That is, until Winn Thomas, the biggest geek in her senior class figures out there’s more to what hides in the dark than most are willing to acknowledge.

In this first of the 19th Year Trilogy, Winn might know more about Mac than even she does, and that knowledge could end their lives, unless Mac ensures the powers-that-be have no choice but to keep him around.


Review: 

*A big thank you to J. Taylor Publishing for providing me this ARC.

I read After Dark with no expectations and let me tell you, by the end of it i was already dying to read the next installment in the series. I loved everything in the book, especially, the characters. 

Mac (Mackenzie) Thorne is a Changeling and when she turns 19 she needs to chose what she wants to be. She's got a whole list to chose from; a dragon, a fae, a werewolf, a ghost, a vampire and many more. But the the problem is she doesn't know what she wants to be. As the time goes by she's being pressured by the Council. Then, when she meets Winn she might get her answer. He has got a book about the Changeling the Council and magical creatures.

As i said before, i loved the characters! Mac was a great protagonist. Along the way she was also funny . Winn was a great character as well. A nerd who's hot? Yes, please! *dies* and he's sooo cute! *dies*... again. They were so cute when they were together and when they were having their moments. I loved all of the secondary characters too. Though, i have to say Alina was my favourite. I loved her personality; she was a fun character and when Mac needed her she was there.

The story itself was also fantastic. There was enough mystery to keep me hanging and romance that made me go all gooey, particularly, with Winn , he was just so adorable! The pace, however, for me went downwards towards the end. The ending was a big surprise, but for some reason it felt like there was something missing. Despite this i still loved Emi Gayle's writing. I loved how i could feel as if i was actually Mac as a magical creature; it felt very realistic.

All in all, i really loved reading After Dark. The characters were all amazing and fun to read about. If you haven't added this to your TBR pile, then you need to, especially the paranormal readers. I can't wait to see what happens in Day After (The 19th Year, #2).


Find more about Emi Gayle at: Goodreads/ Her blog/ Her website/ Twitter/ Facebook

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Blog tour + giveaway: Flesh by Khanh Ha


Flesh by Khanh Ha
Pages: 368
Publisher: Black Heron
Pub date: June 15th 2012

Synopsis:
The setting is Tonkin (northern Vietnam) at the turn of the 20th century. A boy, Tai, witnesses the beheading of his father, a notorious bandit, and sets out to recover his head and then to find the man who betrayed his father to the authorities. On this quest, Tai's entire world will shift. FLESH takes the reader into dark and delightful places in the human condition, places where allies are not always your friends, true love hurts, and your worst enemy may bring you the most comfort. In that emotionally harrowing world, Tai must learn to deal with new responsibilities in his life while at the same time acknowledge his bond, and his resemblance, to a man he barely knew-his father. Through this story of revenge is woven a another story, one of love, but love purchased with the blood of murders Tai commits. A coming-of-age story, but also a love story, the sensuality of the author's writing style belies the sometimes brutal world he depicts.


Review:

A copy was provided by the author for a honest review.

A come to age of story set in Vietnam mixed with reality and love. Not everything is going well for Tai. He sees his father being beheaded and soon after his brother is dead, because of smallpox. From the first two chapters i was sucked in by Khanh Ha's writing but soon after i began to lose my interest. The book was mixed with third person and first person narrative. Although i did love seeing through different people's POVs it was confusing. While, i didn't love the writing i enjoyed the plot. It was fresh, unique and original.

Overall, Flesh was a pleasant read. It was unique and refreshing read.


Find Flesh on: Goodreads/ Shelfari/ Amazon/ Barnes & Noble.


About the author:

Khanh Ha was born in Hue, the former capital of Vietnam. During his teen years he began writing short stories which won him several awards in the Vietnamese adolescent magazines. He graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. He is at work on a new novel. Connect with Khanh on his website, blog, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.


  Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of Flesh?
  1. Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Flesh tour page.
  2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above.


  3. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (34)


WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
Pages: 245
Publisher: Blazer & Bray
Pub date: 2013

Synopsis:

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Born of Illusion is the first book in a new series. Each book in the series will introduce a new historical figure, whose legend is shrouded in magic, along with the young woman whose fate is irrevocably tied to his. The through line in each of the books will be The Ghost Club, the real life secret society that was founded in 1862 by the likes of Charles Dickens, Sir Conan Doyle, and W. B. Yeats to advance mankind’s knowledge of the paranormal. The first three books in the series will deal with Houdini, Aleister Crowley and Rasputin.


Why I'm waiting:

I love illusions and history. I've always found them interesting.

What are your waiting on?

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (33)


WAITING ON WEDNESDAY is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Nameless: A Tale of Beauty and Madness 
(Tales of Beauty and Madness #1)
by Lili St. Crow
Pages: 304
Pubisher: Razorbill
Pub date: April 4th 2013

Synopsis:

A dark and eerie retelling of Snow White from Lili St. Crow,
New York Times bestselling author of the Strange Angels
series.

Sixteen-year-old Camille doesn’t remember her life before she was adopted by the powerful Vultusino family—the missing childhood years that left her scarred and silent. Now she lives a life
of luxury, protected by the supernatural Mafia Vultusinos, specially Nico, her adopted brother.

But Cami knows that she is not really Family. She is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until a mysterious boy approaches her and reveals scars of his own that Cami begins
to uncover the secrets of her past . . . to find out where she comes from and what danger she now finds herself in.




Why i'm waiting:

You may have heard of Lili St. Crow before because she's the author of the Strange Angels series; the series sounds really interesting. I haven't read any of her works, so, i thought i would read this. And even if hadn't heard of Lili St. Crow before i would have still planned to read it because i love fairytale re-tellings. And it's a series! ^^ Cover love, as well!

Monday, 15 October 2012

Finding Summerland by Paige Bleu Blog Tour + Guest post + Giveaway!



Today, i'm starting the week with a blog tour! I hope you enjoy the guest post by Paige Bleu and enter the giveaway at the end!

Finding Summerland by Paige Bleu
Pages:
Publisher:
Pub date: January 1st 2012

Synopsis:
After his brothers recent disapearance Wesley Rochester wished he could just fade into obscurity. Searching for closure, he's haunted by visons. Consumed with decoding the messages, he begins turning dangerously deeper inward. Enter an intriguing, 'not quite' human stranger, who mysteriously arrives just as he feels all hope is lost. Together they begin to realize that their destinies are intricately tangled in a drama reaching far beyond the realms of the wold they know. Discovering the secrets plaguing wesley since childhood are no coincidence, and everything he believes is shattered. Captivated by her, he must decide between the life he has and the one he'd forgotten.

'Finding Summerland' is like 'Twilight' in the sense that it is a supernatural, coming of age romance—but has a genre bending, metaphysical element and a much deeper rabbit hole. Follow the journey of two star crossed souls as they explore who they are and the ties that bind them. Enter a world intentionally forgotten. A place buried by history, where only the chosen are aware of its existence. A place covenants are made and broken, where myth leads to truth and forbidden love threatens to destroy or be destroyed, becoming just another casualty in their shadow war. 


Guest Post by Paige Bleu:

Why that cover?

Choosing a cover is a tricky thing. I had lots of ideas of what I wanted my cover to look like, but unfortunately I'm a broke indie- author, so I couldn't afford to step up to the cover I dreamed about! I was in a situation where I had to make the cover myself and it became a project in and of itself. There were a few concepts I played with, symbols and abstract art. Then I tried a couple premade covers I found for free, but decided against that because I didn't want the same cover as another book.

I always knew in my minds eye exactly what Olivia looked like and I know an aspiring model who looks almost identical, so it seemed a 'no brainer'. She was thrilled to be involved in the project. She had just gotten done doing a swimsuit magazine shoot, and was eager to do something noteworthy to get more in her portfolio. A professional photographer shot a set of lovely pics that she gave me to use at my disposal. Cover creator did the rest.

The covers for the entire series will all be featuring her, because although she isn't the protagonist of the story, she is the focal point of most of the plot and plays a pivotal role throughout. They may not be the fanciest covers, may not even reflect the supernatural aspects...but they are simple and understated. And for now, I'm happy with that.


Giveaway! 

Rules:

-Open Internationally
- Must be 13 or older
- Ends 22nd of October
-The winner will be emailed. You will have 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen.

Enter using the RaffleCopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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