Monday 27 February 2012

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

ISBN: 9780373210459
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 296

Kate Winters has won immortality. 

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it. 

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 


As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 


Henry’s first wife, Persephone


I received this book for review from Netgalley. Although it took me quite a while to read Goddess Interrupted I really enjoyed it! As much as I loved reading The Goddess Test, I preferred this book to the previous one as it seemed as though there was actually more going on within the story. I think I also liked Goddess Interrupted more because Kate became a stronger character, as she came into her powers and learnt more about herself and her "family". My favourite character was Kate, because she evolved from the weak, naive girl that she was in The Goddess Test to the strong, determined woman that she is in Goddess Interrupted, despite attempts by others to undermine her progress. I really like the cover of Goddess Interrupted as it is beautiful whilst remaining inkeeping not only with the Greek mythology theme within the series, but also with the previous books in the series.


Available at Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk.

Friday 24 February 2012

Shadowland by Alyson Noel

ISBN: 9780312590444
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Pages: 339

Ever and Damen have gone through countless lives and fought off the world’s darkest enemies so they could be together.  But just when an everlasting future is finally within their reach, Damen is struck down by a curse - a dark spell separating him and Ever for eternity.  Now sharing so much as a single touch could bring about Damen’s death…and send him plummeting into the Shadowland, an eternal abyss for lost souls. Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses her herself in magick. And in her quest, she gets help from an unexpected source...a surfer named Jude.
Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar. Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past. She’s always believed Damen to be her soulmate and one true love - and she still believes it to be true. But as Damen pulls away to save them from the darkness inhabiting his soul, Ever’s connection with Jude grows stronger - and tests her love for Damen like never before…

I enjoyed reading this book more than the previous one, even though I sometimes found it repetitive and dark. Some aspects of the story seem quite obvious throughout the Shadowland. I didn't really have a favourite character from this book as Damen remains distant and elusive whilst Ever seems distracted by Jude, amongst other things. I like the cover of this book as it represents aspects of the book within well.

Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Thursday 23 February 2012

Flawless by Sara Shepard

ISBN: 9781907410888
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 274

In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars--Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna--have been very bad girls. . . .

Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya . . . as much more than a friend. And Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives.

And someone named "A" is threatening to do just that.

At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago . . . but then Alison turned up dead. So could A be Melissa, Spencer's ultracompetitive sister? Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself? What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?

One thing's for certain: A's got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, there didn't seem to be as much happening as there was in the previous book. It was quite sad really in parts because someone (who wasn't one of the main characters) dies, which brings Spencer, Emily, Hanna and Aria together - if only for a short while. My favourite character was Spencer, despite all of her other commitments and the time they had spent apart she still tries to reach out (and sometimes protect) her old friends, whatever the consequences. I really like the cover of Flawless, it represents Aria perfectly, from the girl in the actual image to the purples and pinks surrounding the image.

Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

ISBN: 9781606841730
Publisher: Egmont
Pages: 272


Izzie loves Mark, and why shouldn’t she? As the captain of the basketball team, he is kind and loving and he’s everything she’s ever wanted in a boyfriend. Her BFF loves . . . somebody, but she won’t say who. So when a hot new guy, Tristan, shows up at school, who better for Izzie to fix up her friend with? And what better way to do it than with a love philtre? 

But even the best of magic has a way of going awry - and Izzie finds she’s accidentally fallen in love with Tristan herself. And that’s a problem. First of all, there’s Mark. Second, Tristan comes with baggage - like the supernatural creatures that keep attacking whenever he’s with Izzie, and the fact that he comes from the place where Izzie’s father was killed, years ago, by an enormous, evil serpent that’s still around - and it knows Izzie is out there. 



I received this book for review from Netgalley. Although I don't normally enjoy reading romantic books, I really enjoyed reading Tris & Izzie! I just wish it had been longer. I felt that it was more of a novella than an actual stand alone book. I loved reading about the magical aspects that were within this book. My favourite character was Izzie, even though at times I found her quite irritating and immature. I really like the cover of Tris & Izzie, even though it doesn't totally correspond with the event it is depicting from the book.


Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Author Interview: Carolyn Chambers Clark

Carolyn Chambers Clark has written My Summer As An Au Pair.

1. What is your name and where do you call home?
My name is Carolyn Chambers Clark and I live in Florida.

2. Do you have a pen name?
No.

3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My Summer As An Au Pair concerns an eighteen year old who ends up being an au pair and pretending to be married so she can pay board and room at school.

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
Just finishing up Ghost Story, about a girl who helps the undead cross over. Hope it will be a series.

5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
Been writing since I was 13. My mother gave me my first diary and I was a goner.

6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
Yes!

7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I designed the cover.

8. Which is your favourite cover of all the books you have written?
I think I like the cover for Jane Eyre, Beware the best.

9. Is there anything you would change about your book covers?
Not so far. But since I'm an Indie Publisher, I can change them whenever I want.

10. How did you come up with the title for your book?
It started out as D.A.P. (Designated Au Pair), decided My Summer As An Au Pair worked.

11. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
I respond to reader/reviewer critiques; for Candy, Murder & Me, a reviewer suggested listing the recipes at the end of the book , so they'd be easy to find; I redid the e-book and added the list.

12. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
Not for this book. Yet. I've made one for Dark Forces and posted it on youtube. It's fun to make them. I just have to find the time to do more.

13. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
Slowly learning to prefer e-books. Save A Tree is a great motivator.

14. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
Yes, so far, although I plan to send Ghost Story through traditional channels for publication. Also working on a steampunk mystery that will also be queried through the agent process.

15. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
I've read every one of Ross MacDonald's mysteries numerous times. He's the one who got me interested in writing mysteries.

16. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
Pride And Prejudice, Kindle.

17. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
Practice your craft, read and join a critique group.

18. Where can your readers follow you?









Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Monday 20 February 2012

Through My Letterbox! 20/02/12


What came through my letterbox this week:

 

A Million Suns by Beth Revis (paperback)
I won a signed copy of this book from A. E. Martin on her blog!

Cover Reveal: Surrender by Aimee Laine

Surrender is the second book in the Mimics Of Rune series and will be released on the 3rd of September 2012.

Face the past or look to the future? Both will hurt. One could kill her.

All her life, Lily Crane has supressed her childhood memories, masking the signs of abuse with a variety of looks. From brunette to blonde, tall to short — as a Mimic, changing shape is her gift. Her right. Her achilles heel. 

It’s Lily’s latest likeness, chosen simply by accident, which threatens to repeat a history she’s desperate to forget. Worse, she must do so without the one man who takes all her pain away: Cael Aldridge.

Cael has no intention of leaving Lily on her own. He never has. Now, with the woman he loves in the hands of a predator who wants Lily for her genetics, Cael will do everything he can to bring her home.

Alive.

He can only pray he isn’t too late.

My Opinion:
I really like this cover, however I would have liked it even more if the shapeshifter aspect of the book had been reflected within the cover image (as I would never have guessed without reading the blurb that it was a paranormal book, let alone one with shapeshifters - which are my favourite genre of books!). I love the drastic, contrasting colours in the cover image, and think that it suits the book well.

Like the sound of Surrender? Add it to your wishlist on Goodreads!

Friday 17 February 2012

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

ISBN: 9780062009548
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 286


Three years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since. Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief. Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known. Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world. When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in. Are they being betrayed by some one in their circle? Worse yet: Is Alison back?


I only came across the Pretty Little Liars books because of the TV series, but I'm glad I did. I absolutely loved reading this book! My favourite character was Aria Montgomery, because despite being the one most affected by the anonymous texts from A, (as she not only had her own secrets to keep but those of her family as well), she remained determined not to let A win. I loved reading the witty, sarcastic messages from the mysterious A! I like the cover that is associated with the TV series as well (even though it strays abit from the actual book).


Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Thursday 16 February 2012

Author Interview: Julianna Baggott

Julianna Baggott has written Pure.

1. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say? 
PURE is a post-apocalyptic dystopian thriller, film rights have sold to Fox2000 -- a YA-adult crossover about haves and have-nots and the endurance of love.

2. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
It's a trilogy. FUSE, the second book in the trilogy, will be published this time next year.

3. Would you have different book covers for different countries? 
There are thirteen foreign editions of PURE. Not all will have the same cover. 

4. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
I'm drawn to artful book trailers -- but only if they are compelling in and of themselves. I was hugely relieved when I saw the trailer for PURE -- done by a studio in the UK. They captured the book in tone. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknTMhd9RL0


5. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks? 
I don't mind a book that's so old and beat-up that it falls apart in your hands as you read it.

6. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? 
I'm reading old medical texts that I couldn't easily find in print so I'm reading them on google books.

7. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? 
Protect your relationship with the page. Don't focus on the publishing industry until you've put years into the craft. Read the books you love to take leaps. Learn to listen to criticism keenly. Keep sitting down and writing.

8. Where can your readers follow you?

Web site: http://pure-book.com/






Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Cover Reveal: Reign Of Blood by Alexia Purdy

Reign Of Blood by Alexia Purdy will be released on the 31st of March 2012.
"Never tease anything that wants to eat you. I am April Tate and my blood is the new gold. Vampires and hybrids over run my world, once vibrant with life, now a graveyard of death shrouded in shadows. I fight to survive, I fight for my mother and brother. The journey is full of turns that I am quite unprepared for. I'm just hoping to make it to the next sunrise..."

In the post-apocalyptic world, after a viral epidemic has wiped out most of the earth’s population, leaving few humans, feral vampires and a hybrid type of vampire that defies all definitions of what being human and what being vampire is. April is a seventeen year old girl who lives in this world one year after the event. She has become a ferocious vampire hunter and killer and comes upon these hybrid vampires one day in search of her mother and younger brother. Unsure who she can trust, she finds that her new ideals of the world are not as black and white as she thought. Bending the rules to find her family will either save them all or destroy everything.



My Opinion:
Although it isn't the most attractive cover I have come across, I think it suits the story within well. The colours on the cover are quite dull and dreary, which to be honest would deter me from buying Reign Of Blood if it was on a shelf at my local book store. I really like the font and image used on the cover, I just wish that the colours had been brighter or more contrasting.


Like the sound of Reign Of Blood? Add it to your wishlist on Goodreads!

Tuesday 14 February 2012

You Are So Undead To Me by Stacey Jay

ISBN: 9781595142252
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 263

Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth. All Megan wants is to be normal and go to homecoming. 
Unfortunately, it's a little difficult when your dates keep getting interrupted by a bunch of slobbering Undead. 
Things are about to get even more complicated for Megan. Someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party. The bloody kind. 
Megan must stop the Zombie apocalypse descending on Carol, Arkansas. Her life and more importantly, homecoming depends on it.



I thoroughly enjoyed reading this modern, quirky twist on the traditional zombie tale! My favourite character was Megan. Despite her amazing abilities to control (and help) the dead, she remains determined to have a "normal" life outside of her Zombie Settler duties. I really like the cover of this book as it reflects the story within, without being too cliché.


Available at Amazon.co.uk.

Author Interview: Emily Goodwin

Emily Goodwin has written Unbound.

1. What is your name and where do you call home?
My name is Emily Goodwin and northwest Indiana is the place I call home.

2. Do you have a pen name?
Nope, I write under my ‘real’ name.

3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say?
My most recent book is Contagious, the first book in The Contagium Trilogy. Only 20 words? I’ll try lol: Badass main character fighting against zombies to save the people she loves

4. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
I have outlines for seven more books. I’m currently working on Deathly Contagious, the second book in the Contagium Trilogy. Reaper, the second book in the Guardian Legacies, is also done. I’m not happy with the ending though, so rewriting it is my next project.

5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
I don’t think I can pick out just one thing or person who inspired me to write. I’ve always been very imaginative and loved getting lost in books. For as long as I can remember, I’ve made up elaborate stories in my head and that’s where they stayed for years. When I was a teenager I started writing fanfiction and silly movie scripts with my friends. I really enjoyed it but never thought I had what it took to write a ‘real’ book. Then one day I just sat down and did it. I have a lot of crazy dreams. Beyond the Sea and the Contagium Trilogy were both born from dreams I had.

6. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews?
Yes.

7. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book?
I came up with the idea for the cover by wanting a picture of something that is important to the book. A lot of the action takes place in the woods in Unbound, and I wanted something that looks magical and mysterious without giving too much away about the book. I’m lucky to have a very talented artist for a friend, and she did the cover.

8. Which is your favourite cover of all the books you have written?
The cover that I have for Beyond the Sea (a YA paranormal romance about mermaids) is the prettiest, in my opinion. That book isn’t yet available though. The MS is still with the editor. I’m hoping to have it up and running within a month.

9. Is there anything you would change about your book covers?
There are trends with book covers, so I am always wanting to ‘update’ covers to go with the look that is considered ‘in’.

10. Would you have different book covers for different countries?
Only if the publisher wanted to; I would prefer them all the be the same.

11. How did you come up with the title for your book?
Coming up with titles is very hard for me. I want the title to have some reflection of the story while being interesting and enticing to read. I usually throw words around until I come up with something I like, then run it by friends to see what they think before making it ‘offical’. Unbound will fits with the story because of something important that happens in the book. Yes, I’m being ambiguous so I don’t give away any spoilers!

12. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why?
Almost every time I read one of my books, I find something I’d like to change. Once books are edited, I try not to read through them so I don’t get tempted to change something.

13. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers?
I am working on a book trailer for Unbound. I think they are a good way to bring in readers, especially people who don’t usually read. I feel a lot of people in today’s society are so visually driven since they are used to seeing everything on TV or the internet that they need to see what a book is about in order to want to read it.

14. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
I love the convenience of e-books, but nothing can replace printed books. I don’t have a preference of hardcover or paperback.

15. Are you a self-published / Indie author?
Yes.

16. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
Yes. I’ve read the Harry Potter books multiple times.

17. Have you ever bought a specific edition of a book because of it’s cover? (For example a UK, US or Canadian version)
Nope. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for pretty covers, but it is not the selling point of a book for me.

18. Have you ever read a book just based on it’s cover?
The covers make me pick up a book. If I like the blurb, then I’ll read it, but I don’t read a book solely based on the cover.

19. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it?
Yes, though I try really hard not to judge a book by the cover, since often the authors don’t get much say in their covers.

20. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
I’m reading Dead Witch Walking in paperback.

21. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
Don’t give up and don’t doubt yourself. You’re more likely to regret not writing than writing something you don’t like. You and edit and revise as much as you need to. And don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back. I remember reading that JK Rowling got rejected about 40 times.

22. Where can your readers follow you?




Twitter: 0emilygoodwin

Barnes and Noble:




Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

Monday 13 February 2012

Author Interview: J.E. Hopkins

J.E. Hopkins has written We Shall Rise.

1. What is your name and where do you call home?  
J.E. Hopkins. Home is New York City.

2. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say? 
We Shall Rise, Misfits of the Lore Series (Book#2). Two vampires finding love in the midst of an immortal race war that threatens to destroy all supernatural creatures.

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series? 
I am working on Book #3 in the series.

4. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? 
I have always loved to write as a hobby. I found it cathartic in so many ways. I decided to pursue it seriously in 2006 and after writing my first book, The Broken, I decided to continue writing in 2010.

5. Do you gift books to readers for book reviews? 
Absolutely.

6. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book? 
The cover was designed by Kim Killion of hotdamndesigns.com.

7. Which is your favourite cover of all the books you have written? 
We Shall Rise is my favorite cover. It captures the hero and heroine perfectly.

8. Is there anything you would change about your book covers? 
I was not crazy about the book cover for my first novel, The Broken. I would love to change that one at some point, but for now, it works.

9. Would you have different book covers for different countries? 
Someday I hope to have books in different languages and different covers so that they fit well within the culture of the country.

10. How did you come up with the title for your book? 
We Shall Rise is a theme in this series. It’s the mantra of the lesser immortals (witches, sages, hybrids, shifters, demons, etc.) who have waged war against the pureblood vampires and lycans. After years of oppression, the enslaved are rising against their former masters. We Shall Rise is the battle cry of this war.

11. Is there anything you would change about your book? And why? 
No. I could make myself crazy changing things and second guessing myself, but at some point you have to let go and trust your instincts. There’s no room for regrets and doubts.

12. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers? 
I did a book trailer for my first book in this series, Lover’s Betrayal. I liked it, but I didn’t feel it was worth the effort. It’s a nice to have, but I would rather spend more time writing then trying to create a book trailer.

13. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks? 
As an avid reader, I am addicted to my Kindle so I prefer e-books. I never thought I would love e-books as much as I do, but the convenience of it makes it so much more appealing to me.

14. Are you a self-published / Indie author? 
Yes.

15. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? 
A few times. I love the Scarlet Letter and I have read that countless times. I also have read Lover Awakened and A Hunger Like No Other multiple times. I love both those books. I actually have them as paperbacks and e-books.

16. Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? 
A cover draws me in first and then I read the back cover blurb to see if it interests me. A strong cover definitely gets my attention.

17. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it? 
Not the cover art, but if the description does not sound appealing on the back cover, I will not purchase the book.

18. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? 
I am about to start Lothaire by Kresley Cole. It’s an e-book.

19. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? 
As an author you have to be true to yourself. Write from your heart. You can’t write for other people. As much as we want everyone to love what we produce, you can’t please everyone. First and foremost, you have to feel good about what you do and you have to commit to your vision. Hopefully, others will enjoy your work as much as you enjoy producing it, but if you don’t feel 100% good about what you’ve created, others will not as well.

20. Where can your readers follow you?








Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!