(Un)Cover: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, 5) by Patricia Briggs

Urban Fantasy

Ace Hardcover (March 30, 2010)

ISBN: 978-0441018192

320 pages

March!!!!! Such torture :(

Review: Seduced by His Touch by Tracy Anne Warren

Seduced by His Touch by Tracy Anne Warren

Historical Romance

Avon (August 25, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0061673412

384 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

He Had to Marry Her

Everyone in London agrees the Byrons are just as "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" as their poetic non-relation. But Lord Jack Byron is facing a predicament that is scandalous . . . even for him!

Marry a young woman because he lost a bet? Unreformed rake Lord Jack Byron would do anything to get out of it. But the rich merchant who holds his debt insists Jack lead his on-the-shelf daughter to the altar . . . and make her believe it's a love match. With no options, Jack agrees, thinking he'll be shackled to a closed-in spinster.

Read more after the jump »

In My Mailbox (13)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren

Here's what I got this last week!

Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

Historical Fiction

Harper (September 8, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0061774027

352 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Spring 1938. After nearly two years in prison for the crime of stealing his own grain, Ukrainian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko is a free man. While he was gone, his wife, Maria; their five children; and his sister, Anna, struggled to survive on the harsh northern Canadian prairie, but now Teodor—a man who has overcome drought, starvation, and Stalin's purges—is determined to make a better life for them. As he tirelessly clears the untamed land, Teodor begins to heal himself and his children. But the family's hopes and newfound happiness are short-lived. Anna's rogue husband, the arrogant and scheming Stefan, unexpectedly returns, stirring up rancor and discord that will end in violence and tragedy.

Under This Unbroken Sky is a mesmerizing tale of love and greed, pride and desperation, that will resonate long after the last page is turned. Shandi Mitchell has woven an unbearably suspenseful story, written in a language of luminous beauty and clarity. Rich with fiery conflict and culminating in a gut-wrenching climax, this is an unforgettably powerful novel from a passionate new voice in contemporary literature.

Everything Sucks: Losing My Mind and Finding Myself in a High School Quest for Cool by Hannah Friedman

Young Adult Non-Fiction

HCI Teens (August 3, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0757307751

256 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

When everything sucks,
change everything . . .

And that's exactly what Hannah Friedman set out to do in an ambitious attempt to bust out of a life of obscurity and absurdity and into an alternate world of glamour, wealth, and popularity.

Being dubbed 'That Monkey Girl' by middle school bullies and being pulled out of sixth grade to live on a tour bus with her agoraphobic mother, her smelly little brother, and her father's hippie band mates convinces Hannah that she is destined for a life of freakdom.

But when she enters one of the country's most prestigious boarding schools on scholarship, Hannah transforms herself into everything she is not: cool. By senior year, she has a perfect millionaire boyfriend, a perfect GPA, a perfect designer wardrobe, and is part of the most popular clique in school, but somehow everything begins to suck far worse than when she first started. Her newfound costly drug habit, eating disorder, identity crisis, and Queen-Bee attitude lead to the unraveling of Hannah's very unusual life.

Putting her life back together will take more than a few clicks of her heels, or the perfect fit of a glass slipper, in this not-so-fairy tale of going from rock bottom to head of the class and back again.

Malice by Chris Wooding

Young Adult Graphic Novel - Horror

Scholastic (October 1, 2009)

ISBN: 978-1407103945

384 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Everyone's heard of it, but nobody's read it...Seth and Kady have heard all the stories about MALICE - a secret comic about a strange and awful world full of traps and tricks, overseen by a sinister master of ceremonies, Tall Jake. But if rumours are to be believed, the children in this comic are real...

The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley

Historical Fiction

Bloomsbury USA (Sept 1, 2009)

ISBN: 978-1596917033

304 pages

From Amazon.com:

An electrifying epic, based on the incredible true story of a Chinese princess turned spy.

Peking, 1914. When the eight-year-old princess Eastern Jewel is caught spying on her father’s liaison with a servant girl, she is banished from the palace, sent to live with a powerful family in Japan. Renamed Yoshiko Kawashima, she quickly falls in love with her adoptive country, where she earns a scandalous reputation, taking fencing lessons, smoking opium, and entertaining numerous lovers. Sent to Mongolia to become an obedient wife, Yoshiko mounts a daring escape and eventually finds her way back to Peking high society—this time with orders from the Japanese secret service.

Based on the true story of a rebellious woman who earned a controversial place in history, The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel is a vibrant reimagining of a thrilling life—a rich historical epic of palace intrigue, sexual manipulation, and international espionage.

Swimming by Nicola Keegan

Literary Fiction

Knopf (July 14, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0307269973

320 pages

From Amazon.com:

A spectacular debut about the rise of an Olympic champion—a novel about competition, obsession, the hunger for victory, and a young girl with an unsinkable spirit struggling to stay afloat in the only way she can.

When we first meet Pip, the extraordinary heroine of Nicola Keegan’s first novel, she is landlocked in a small town in the center of Kansas, literally swimming for her life. Pip is tall and flat and smart and funny and supernaturally buoyant. On land, she has her share of troubles: an agoraphobic mother, a lost father, a drug-addled sister, and a Catholic education dominated by a group of high-energy nuns. But in the water, Pip is unstoppable. In the water, her suffering and rage are transmuted into grace and speed and beauty.

Swimming is the story of Pip’s journey from a small Midwestern swim team to her first state meet, her brutal professional training, and the final, record-breaking swims that lead to her dizzying ascent to the Olympic podium in Barcelona. It’s the story of a girl who discovers, in the loneliness of adolescence, in the family tragedies that threaten to engulf her, the resilience of the human spirit and the spectacular power of her own body.

Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante

Commercial Fiction/Women's Fiction

Grand Central Publishing (Sept 25, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0446581622

352 pages

From Amazon.com:

Victor and Jaqueline Torres imagined moving to the U.S. would bring happiness and prosperity-instead they found a world of frustration. While Victor put long hours into his restaurant business, Jaqui devoted her life to her daughters, until they grew up and moved on. Even their eldest, Victoria, is torn trying to reconcile being the perfect Argentine daughter and an independent American woman. Antonio and Lucia Orteli face the same realities, especially when their only son Eric leaves their close-knit Argentine community in pursuit of his own dreams. When Eric unexpectedly shows up at the Argentine Club-the heart of the Argentine community in southern California-he starts a series of events that will bring these two families closer than ever. New relationships are formed and old ones are put to the test, as everyone must learn how to balance different cultures-and different dreams-without hurting those they love.

Create A Cover

Kristi at The Story Siren has this fun little thing posted and I thought I'd try my hand at it

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

The name that appears is your author name.

2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or click

http://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml

The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.

3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php

Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.

5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

I'm no graphic designer but I like it

Review: The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Young Adult Paranormal Suspense/Romance

Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 8, 2009)

ISBN: 978-035736909

528 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Can love last beyond the grave?

Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Read more after the jump »

Friday Feature: The September Issue

Who: Anna Wintour and her minions at Vogue

What: The September Issue

Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine for twenty years, is the most powerful and polarizing figure in fashion. Hidden behind her trademark bob and sunglasses, she has never allowed anyone to scrutinize the inner workings of her magazine. Until now. With unprecedented access, filmmaker R.J. Cutler's new film The September Issue does for fashion what he did for politics in The War Room, taking the viewer inside a world they only think they know.

Every August a record-breaking number of people can't wait to get their hands on the September issue of Vogue. The 2007 issue was and remains the biggest ever, weighing over four pounds, selling thirteen million copies, and impacting the $300-billion global fashion industry more than any other single publication. An intimate, funny and surprising look at Anna Wintour and her team of larger-than-life editors as they eate this must-have Bible of fashion, Cutler explores the untouchable glamour of Wintour's Vogue to reveal the extraordinarily passionate people at its heart. He takes us behind the scenes at Fashion Week, to Europe, on shoots and reshoots, and into closed-door staff meetings, bearing witness to an arduous, entertaining, and sometimes emotionally demanding process.

At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Wintour and Grace Coddington, incomparable Creative Director and fashion genius. They are perfectly matched for the age-old conflict between eator and curator. Through them, we see close-up the delicate eative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the ever-changing fashion field.

When: It is officially released today in New York and it's supposed to hit L.A. and select cities on September 11th.

Why: Duh! Because it's Anna Wintour and I'm a bit obsessed. Besides the fact that she's a fashion genius and as the reigning queen, she's a bit of an enigma too. I find her endlessly fascinating - I recommend the unofficial biography, Front Row -Anna Wintour: What Lies Beneath the Chic Exterior of Vogue's Editor in Chief, for all of those who feel the same. Plus, I love fashion and have been a faithful Vogue junkie since I was 13.

Entertainment Weekly gave it an A!!

Trailer:

Clip: Sienna's Wig

Clip: André Leon Talley's Tennis Fashion

Clip: Texture Shoot

Rookie Wednesday: Jessica Verday

This week's newbie author is Jessica Verday, author of The Hollow which is officially released August 29th!

What's one random tidbit about yourself?

In the town that I was born in (Beaufort, SC), there is a historical home named for John Mark Verdier. It's a family museum of sorts, and my middle name is Verdier in his honor.

What were you doing the moment you found out that The Hollow had sold?

Waiting anxiously by the phone for news.

What's the best book that you've read over the past six months?

Carrie by Stephen King.

Read more after the jump »

Review: Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

 Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, 2) by Patricia Briggs

Urban Fantasy

Ace (August 25, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0441017386

304 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Mated to werewolf Charles Cornick, the son—and enforcer—of the leader of the North American werewolves, Anna Latham now knows how dangerous being a werewolf is, especially when a werewolf opposes Charles and his father is struck down. Charles’s reputation makes him the prime suspect, and the penalty for the crime is execution. Now Anna and Charles must combine their talents to hunt down the real killer—or Charles will take the fall.

This series just keeps getting better!

Read more after the jump »

Review: Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson, 2) by Molly Harper

Paranormal Romance

Pocket Star (August 25, 2009)

ISBN: 978-1416589433

400 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Once a devoted children's librarian, Jane Jameson now works at a rundown occult bookstore. Once a regular gal, she's now a vampire. And instead of a bride, she's an eternal bridesmaid -- which leads her to question where exactly her relationship with her irresistibly sexy sire, Gabriel, is headed. Mercurial, enigmatic, apparently commitment-phobic vampires are nothing if not hard to read. While Jane is trying to master undead dating, she is also donning the ugliest bridesmaid's dress in history at her best friend Zeb's Titanic-themed wedding. Between a freaked-out groom-to-be, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and Zeb's mother, hell-bent on seeing Jane walk the aisle with Zeb, Jane's got the feeling she's just rearranging the proverbial deck chairs.

Read more after the jump »

Review: Meridian by Amber Kizer

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy

Delacorte Books for Young Readers (August 11, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0385736688

320 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain.

Read more after the jump »

Review: Ruined by Paula Morris

Ruined by Paula Morris

Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy

Point (August 1, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0545012154

304 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost. A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle. As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend - and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey-she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

Read more after the jump »

Interview & Giveaway: Janet Lee Carey, author of Stealing Death

The lovely Janet Lee Carey, author of the upcoming Stealing Death, has kindly answered a few questions for me. Stealing Death officially hits bookstore shelves on September 8th!

What got you interested/started in writing?

Great books opened the world to me when I was a child. I dreamed of opening new worlds for others but since I wasn’t ready to write novels at age thirteen my friend, Martha, inspired me to keep a journal. I scribbled poetry, dreams, songs, and stories and was immediately hooked on writing. I now have roughly eighty journals in my bulging bookshelves. Writing in a blank book is like an actor’s rehearsal time or, as Madeleine L’Engle used to say, writing practice is like a musician practicing her scales. The journal gives me the privacy I need to communicate with my Dream Mind -- a place to explore, make mistakes, and let my story voice play on the page.

Read more after the jump »

Winners: Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley

And the winners of a signed copy of Victoria Hanley's Violet Wings . . .

Rachel and Paradox!!!

Congrats you guys!

(Winners, check your email)

Results determined by List Randomizer at Random.org

Review: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

How It Ends by Laura Wiess

Young Adult Commercial Fiction

MTV Books (August 4, 2009)

ISBN: 978-1416546634

368 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Laura Wiess, the acclaimed author who once brought us "a girl to walk alongside Harper Lee's Scout and J. D. Salinger's Phoebe" (Luanne Rice), brings us another memorable young woman, this one at the center of an extraordinary novel of how love ends, how it begins, and what it's worth to protect it...

Read more after the jump »

Winners: Dark Time by Dakota Banks

And the winners of a signed copy of Dakota Banks's Dark Time are . . .

Belinda M and Alexia561!!!

Congrats you guys!

P.S. Alexia - You didn't post an email address so please email me at jax@eclecticbooklover.com

Results determined by List Randomizer at Random.org

Bear with me...

Hey everyone!

Sorry about the lack of posts as of late - I've been dealing with some personal and family emergencies and the blog stuff has fallen behind.

I'm working on catching up and I should have a bunch of stuff posted by this evening - including a few winners for some of my giveaways.

Review: Babydoll by Allyson Roy

Babydoll (Saylor Oz Mystery, 2) by Allyson Roy

Mystery/Suspense

Berkley Trade (August 4, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0425225509

400 pages

Synopsis from AllysonRoy.com:

Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s waterfront neighborhood known as DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), the height-challenged and warmhearted oddball, Brooklyn sex therapist Saylor Oz, who bore the horrendous high school nickname, The Munchkin, keeps finding herself knee deep in danger. BABYDOLL is a crime adventure filled with urban characters and wacky, over the top humor.

Three fashion models shot in the head execution style. A burned out porn actress with a grudge. A pretty boy Irish illegal who’s good with a knife. A high-powered defense attorney with a mean streak. And a young Nuyorican artist doing time at Rikers for a murder he didn’t commit.

In the last three months, three models have been found dead around New York City, each with a lock of hair missing. It would be just another tabloid headline to Saylor Oz -- except that her best friend Benita’s brother stands accused. Saylor is convinced someone is reenacting the events of an old movie called Bad, Bad Babydoll. But no one else thinks so -- not even the sexy P.I. on the case. Undeterred, Saylor and Benita must infiltrate the modeling world and put themselves in harm’s way.

Leave it to Saylor to connect the dots leading to the real killer . . . but not before she becomes the next target.

Before I received this one for review, I was well aware that it was the second in the series. So, I made sure to pick up Aphrodisiac, the previous installment, prior to reading Babydoll. As a stand-alone novel, Babydoll fares well and I found that it wasn't entirely necessary to be familiar with the series before picking it up. That said, who wants to read a series out of order? Beyond establishing the Saylor, her friends, and their world, Aphrodisiac is just an all-around enjoyable mystery and it's not to be missed.

You may find that this novel is labeled a romantic suspense novel in bookstores but I think that's misleading. While there are romantic elements found in the story, Babydoll (and it's predecessor) is more mystery than anything else. You won't find that the plot revolves around a bunch of overblown love scenes. Instead, the focus is on Saylor and her pal Benita's attempts at solving the mystery.

I love a good crime novel and I find that often my favorites are the ones where the lead character bumbles around a bit. As a sex therapist, Saylor is anything but an experienced sleuth. Yes, in this story she has one solved murder under her belt, but she and Benita are still finding themselves in hot water - often due to their own machinations.

This story is sexy, action-packed, and - thanks to the well-drawn and very entertaining characters - pretty funny too. The plot's fashion industry element adds an air of whimsy to the suspense of it all. If your a fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, you'll probably really enjoy this budding series. For a departure from the super-serious hard-boiled crime novels, check out Babydoll and, if you haven't already, Aphrodisiac.

Grade: B+

Read the first chapter of Babydoll

Learn more about the husband and wife team behind Babydoll

Review: Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton

Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton

Paranormal Romance

Berkley Trade (August 4, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0425227527

352 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Knit shop owner and sorcerer’s daughter Chloe Hobbs felt the Fates finally got it right when she met Luke MacKenzie. And no one could have convinced her otherwise—including the trolls, selkies, or spirits who also call Sugar Maple, Vermont, home. But then out of nowhere Luke’s ex-wife suddenly shows up, claiming to see the spirit of their daughter, Steffie—a daughter Chloe knows nothing about.

Steffie’s spirit is being held hostage by a certain Fae leader. And if Chloe weaves a spell to free her spirit, her nemesis will also be free—free to destroy her yarn shop and all of Sugar Maple. But if she doesn’t, Steffie won’t be the only one spending eternity in hell. Chloe’ll be joining her, cursed with a broken heart.

You've probably heard me say before that I hate picking up a sequel without having read the prior book. That said, if you haven't read the previous title, Casting Spells, you will still probably enjoy this story. Bretton is good here at smoothly incorporating the necessary background info for first time readers, which is no easy feat. I still wish that I had read Casting Spells first, and I definitely intend to pick it up soon.

My one minor issue with this novel is the constant switches in the point-of-view between the three main characters Chloe, Luke, and Karen. However, it was not so much of an annoyance that I wanted to put the book down.

Laced with Magic is a fast-paced story and Chloe's antics and mishaps make for a consistently fun story. The supernatural characters also up the entertainment quotient. While this book is labeled a paranormal romance, it reads more like paranormal chick-lit. Maybe that's because it's a continuation of the romance from a prior novel. Whatever the reason, it makes for a pleasant and refreshing read with a plot unique in this genre.

Beware the end: there's quite a cliffhanger there. If you hate cliffhangers, you should still pick this one up though you might want to wait until the next installment is released.

Grade: B

Visit Barbara's site

Read the first two chapters of both Casting Spells and Laced with Magic

Friday Feature: Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Who: Debut author Melanie Benjamin

What: Her first novel

Alice I Have Been

Historical Fiction/Adaptation

Delacorte Press

ISBN: 978-0385344135

304 pages

List Price: $25.00

Synopsis from RandomHouse.com:

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

"But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?"

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

When: Depends on who you listen to. The release date is December 29, 2009 according to Amazon and it's listed as January 12, 2010 on Random House's site.

Why: I recently featured the upcoming Tim Burton film take on Alice in Wonderland. Needless to say, when I saw this book listed for giveaways on Goodreads' First Reads and LibraryThing's Early Reviewers it caught my eye. Everyone loves Alice - it's so classic.

(Un)Cover: Revamped Liar Cover

The much discussed, controversial Liar cover has been completely changed in time for the October release of Justine Larbalestier's book! This time around, Justine was involved in the development process and it now more accurately reflects the ethnicity of the main character.

Original Cover

New Cover

I'm loving it!

Interview & Giveaway: Victoria Hanley, author of Violet Wings

The lovely Victoria Hanley, author of the upcoming Violet Wings, was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me. Violet Wings officially hits bookstore shelves on August 25th!

What got you interested/started in writing?

Misery. Really, I know that might sound strange, but one of the wonderful things about writing is that you can turn a bad year into a good book. And although I’d always been a writer, I didn’t exert myself to finish a whole novel until I went through a terrible year. I wrote my way through those hard times. (Waiting for misery to hit is not something I recommend, btw, before getting serious about writing—but for me it was quite a motivator.)

What have you learned about yourself since you began to seriously pursue writing?

I’ve learned and re-learned that imagination is a true friend I can count on.

Read more after the jump »

Review: Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy

Delacorte Books for Young Readers (June 23, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0385737067

256 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Read more after the jump »

Rookie Wednesday: Cyn Balog

This week's newbie author is Cyn Balog, author of Fairy Tale which was released June 23, 2009.


What's one random tidbit about yourself?

I like to make pies from scratch. It's the only kind of cooking I enjoy doing... I hate to cook.

What were you doing before you sold Fairy Tale?

The minute before? I was in my office, working, probably depressed because I was thinking that Fairy Tale would never sell. It had only been on submission 6 weeks but I am a total pessimist.

Over the past six months, what has been the best book that you've read?

CATCHING FIRE, without a doubt! It has such a masterful, twisty-turny plot that it makes me wonder why I even bother trying.

Read more after the jump »

Waiting on Wednesday: Family Affair by Caprice Crane

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we post future releases that we can't wait to get our hands on.

Family Affair by Caprice Crane

Commercial Fiction

Bantam (Sept 29, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0553386233

368 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

When Layla Brennan married her high school sweetheart, Brett Foster, she finally got the big, loving family she’d always wanted: his. Now she’s closer to Brett’s parents than he is, partners with his sister in a successful pet-photography business, and confidant to his younger brother. She couldn’t be more of a Foster if she’d been born one. There’s just one problem: Brett wants a divorce. Stunned and heartbroken, Layla turns to the Fosters for comfort, only to realize that losing Brett means losing them as well. What else can she do but sue him for the most valuable thing he’s got–namely, his family. Breaking up may be hard to do, but for Layla and Brett it’s even harder to undo.

Caprice Crane is great at creating hip, lighthearted, and funny novels. I enjoyed her books Stupid and Contagious and Forget About It.

Teaser Tuesday: Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley

Teaser Tuesday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading

The Rules:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm currently reading Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley. I'll be posting the review and an interview with the author this Thursday, August 6th, so check back!

"She was offering me what I wanted most. How tempting it was, to stop fighting her, let her do as she wished." ~p. 179

Interview: Maggie Stiefvater, author of Shiver

Today I'm lucky to be able to share with you an interview with the great Maggie Stiefavter. Maggie's latest novel, Shiver, was just released and I can't say enough good things about it!

Hi Maggie, let's start off with you telling us one random tidbit about yourself?

I don't eat the ends of hot dogs. I don't like doing it, and I'm not a fan of doing things I don't like to do. So I don't eat the ends of hot dogs. Well, I guess I eat the first end. But I won't eat the last bite.

What is the best book that you've read over the last six months?

Mmmm, choices, choices. I'm going to go with STITCHES, which I just read this weekend. It's a graphic novel memoir that is utterly brilliant. For regular novels, though, I guess . . . mmm, I loved JELLICOE ROAD. The interpersonal relationship were brilliant.

Read more after the jump »

Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, 1) by Chloe Neill

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

NAL Trade (April 7, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0451226259

352 pages

From Amazon.com:

First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student’s introduction into a society of vampires.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

Hands down, this is one of the best urban fantasy/paranormal romance novels that I've ever read. What makes this even more remarkable is that this is not only the first in a series, and therefore has to spend more time on laying the groundwork, but it's also a debut novel for author Neill. As far as heroines go, Merit is very well-flushed out. She's intelligent, down-to-earth, emotionally and physically strong, as well as driven. Unlike too many females who befall similar circumstances in other novels, she realistically struggles with her new vampiric lifestyle without wasting too much time moaning about it. Instead she faces the decision that she must make between braving it alone or joining with her new vamp brothers and sisters by learning as much as she can and making the most of her new abilities.

Merit isn't the only draw, however. The plot is very nicely paced and well thought out. Neill has obviously put a lot of effort into world-building and the pacing of the story over the next few novels. She's created a unique vampire tale in a genre that's flush with look-a-likes. The house system and inclusion of other supernatural races promises future intrigue.

The secondary characters are, without a doubt, what pushes this novel to the top of the heap. Merit's best friend Mallory is everything that a best friend should be without being a caricature. Best of all, Mallory finds herself also thrust into this new supernatural world right alongside Merit. Other peripheral characters include Catcher, Mallory's love interest and Merit's personal Yoda, Merit's ever-disapproving father and her supportive Grandpa, who holds the key to a few revelations for Merit. Combine these with two complex and sexy love interests, one of whom is Ethan, Merit's new Master and primary antagonist. There's also a great villain, who shall remain nameless here.

Altogether, I found this novel to be consuming - I tried putting off sleep to finish it. The next installment, Friday Night Bites, is due for release October 6th. Check out Chloe's wonderful website for more info on the books and Merit. You can also read the first chapter there.

Grade: A+

In My Mailbox (12)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren

For review:

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Harlequin Teen (September 1, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0373210022

448 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.

One can raise the dead.

One can tell the future.

And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now they're causing him all kinds of trouble. Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.

He's so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, as long as he's near her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late....

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own, and a vampire princess Aden can't resist.

Two romances, both forbidden. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger but not everyone will come out alive....

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, 1) by Rachel Vincent

Young Adult Fantasy

Harlequin Teen (August 1, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0373210035

384 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

She doesn't see dead people, but…

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton

Paranormal Romance

Berkley Trade (August 4, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0425227527

352 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Knit shop owner and sorcerer’s daughter Chloe Hobbs felt the Fates finally got it right when she met Luke MacKenzie. And no one could have convinced her otherwise—including the trolls, selkies, or spirits who also call Sugar Maple, Vermont, home. But then out of nowhere Luke’s ex-wife suddenly shows up, claiming to see the spirit of their daughter, Steffie—a daughter Chloe knows nothing about.

Steffie’s spirit is being held hostage by a certain Fae leader. And if Chloe weaves a spell to free her spirit, her nemesis will also be free—free to destroy her yarn shop and all of Sugar Maple. But if she doesn’t, Steffie won’t be the only one spending eternity in hell. Chloe’ll be joining her, cursed with a broken heart.

Barely Bewitched (Southern Witch, 2) by Kimberly Frost

Paranormal Romance

Berkley Trade (Sept 1, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0425229613

320 pages

From Amazon.com:

Tammy Jo’s misfiring magic has attracted the unwanted attention of WAM, the World Association of Magic. Now, a wand-wielding wizard and a menacing fire warlock have come to Duvall to train her for a dangerous mandatory challenge. But is there more to their arrival than they claim?

When a curse leads to a toxic spill of pixie dust, the town comes unglued and the doors between the human and faery worlds begin to open. To rescue the town and to face the impossible magical test, Tammy needs the help of incredibly handsome Bryn Lyons, but WAM has declared him totally off-limits. To avoid deadly consequences, Tammy probably ought to follow the rules this time.

On the other hand, rebellion is an old Texas tradition

A Fortunate Age by Joanna Smith Rakoff

Literary Fiction

Scribner (April 7, 2009)

ISBN: 978-1416590774

416 pages

From Amazon.com:

Like The Group, Mary McCarthy's classic tale about coming of age in New York, Joanna Smith Rakoff 's richly drawn and immensely satisfying first novel details the lives of a group of Oberlin graduates whose ambitions and friendships threaten to unravel as they chase their dreams, shed their youth, and build their lives in Brooklyn during the late 1990s and the turn of the twenty-first century.

There's Lil, a would-be scholar whose marriage to an egotistical writer initially brings the group back together (and ultimately drives it apart); Beth, who struggles to let go of her old beau Dave, a onetime piano prodigy trapped by his own insecurity; Emily, an actor perpetually on the verge of success -- and starvation -- who grapples with her jealousy of Tal, whose acting career has taken off. At the center of their orbit is wry, charismatic Sadie Peregrine, who coolly observes her friends' mistakes but can't quite manage to avoid making her own. As they begin their careers, marry, and have children, they must navigate the shifting dynamics of their friendships and of the world around them.

Set against the backdrop of the vast economic and political changes of the era -- from the decadent age of dot-com millionaires to the sobering post-September 2001 landscape -- Smith Rakoff's deeply affecting characters and incisive social commentary are reminiscent of the great Victorian novels. This brilliant and ambitious debut captures a generation and heralds the arrival of a bold and important new writer.

Purchased:

Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, 4) by Jeaniene Frost

Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, 2) by Richelle Mead

Four Dukes and a Devil (Anthology) by Cathy Maxwell, Elaine Fox, Sophia Nash, Tracy Anne Warren, Jeaniene Frost

Winner: Prophecy of the Sisters ARC

And the winner is . . .

WilowRaven!!!

Congrats! The winner has been emailed and your book will be sent as soon after I receive your mailing address.

Results determined by List Randomizer at Random.org