Blooded (Jessica McClain .5) by Amanda Carlson

Goodreads Summary:

Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she’s no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at nineteen the only way she can-in the ring.

When she’s brutally attached right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer…

My Review:

I loved this novella. The author packed such an awesome story into just 66 pages and I’m very excited to get my hands on the full length book, Full Blooded, next month!!

Blooded has werewolves, action, and an awesome lead character, Jess. She really just wants to be left alone. But that’s not likely to happen since she’s the only human female living among male wolves…male wolves who think she should be killed.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Note: According to Goodreads the full length novel, Full Blooded, has not released yet BUT Amazon and Barnes & Noble are shipping the paperbacks out early! Yay!

PAYA (Bringing YA to PA) Wrap up

I know, I know, I missed yet another Shelf Candy Saturday post BUT I swear I have a good reason for it! A reason that may benefit you. Curious?! Read on.

Krista of Krista's Dust Jacket and I went to PAYA (Bringing YA to PA) which was an awesome book signing with about 30 young adult authors! The goal of the event was to spread the love of reading as well as raise money for Pennsylvania libraries.

The authors that attended were Susan Shaw, Victoria Schwab, K.M. Walton, Margie Gelbwasser, Charlotte Bennardo, Jackie Kessler, Amalie Howard, Ellen Jensen Abbott, Jennifer Hubbard, Jennifer Murgia, J.R. Wagner, Shannon Delany, Beth Kephart, Brigid Kemmerer, Jaclyn Dolamore, A.S. King, Jessica Spotswood, Jeri Smith-Ready, Maria V. Snyder, Cyn Balog, Josh Berk, Cesya MaRae Cuono, Gwendolyn Heasley, Dianne Salerni, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Christine Norris, Alissa Grosso, Wendy Higgins, Amy Holder, Elisa Ludwig, and Tiffany Schmidt.

The books I had signed...

Jessica Spotswood, Krista's bag, and Krista's blurry hands :)

Jennifer L. Armentrout and Wendy Higgins.

As much as I hate having my picture taken, I made an exception for Maria V. Snyder.

(Left to right: Me, Maria, and Krista)

You can see a pic of Krista and I with JLA on Krista's post.

They also had boxes of mystery grab bags where you donate and get to pick a grab bag. Well imagine my surprise when I open the bags and see some fantastic arcs!!

Jennifer L. Armentrout and Victoria Schwab posted/tweeted about a limited number of goodies that they would give out on a first come first serve basis. Krista and I naturally stalked around the signing waiting for them and attacked on first sight ;). Our efforts were rewarded with a signed Shadows poster from JLA and an Archived sticker and signed bookmark from Victoria Schwab.

There were also raffles and I was lucky enough to win the below and some swag.

Here's how my book tote looks after PAYA.

Krista also decided to start a signature tote and it looks great already!

Are you wondering how all of this benefits you?! Let's just say my Sunday Swag Bag giveaway will be extra special this coming weekend!! I'll be giving away TWO signed books from PAYA authors, THREE arcs, and a lot of swag! These things will be split up between four winners so make sure you stop back on Sunday, September 2nd for your chance to win.

Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers #1) by J.Lynn

Goodreads Summary:

Madison Daniels has worshipped her brother’s best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can’t stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother’s wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they’re forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of “accidents” as the family tries to prove their “spark” can be used for more than fighting. That is, if they don’t strangle each other first…

My Review:

This is a shorter book, great to read over a couple lunch breaks. It’s about two people who should be together but can’t get over themselves long enough to realize it…or long enough to stop being at each other’s throats constantly. All hell breaks loose when they are stuck rooming together for a few days. Will they get all hot and sweaty or cold and glacial?! You’ll have to read it to find out…

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

The Army of Ten

Have you heard the buzz about the Army of Ten?

Gretchen McNeil is recruiting bloggers to spread the word about her upcoming book Ten (<=linked to Goodreads) which is due to release September 18th. She has some great incentives for her army!  Check out http://armyoften.blogspot.com/ to learn more.

Cover Reveal: Vampire Bride Books 1 & 2 by Rhiannon Frater

The covers of Rhiannon Frater's Vampire Bride series are being revamped and I have the pleasure of being a part of the cover reveal.

The Tale of the Vampire Bride

(Vampire Bride #1) 

The old cover...

And the new cover...

Summary from Goodreads

All Lady Glynic Wright ever wanted was the freedom to live her life as she pleased. Unfortunately, her aristocratic parents want her to marry well and settle into a life of luxury.

When her family becomes guests to one of the most fearsome and powerful vampires of all time, Glynis finds her fate is far more terrible than an arranged marriage. Trapped in the power of her new master, she fights for freedom, revenge against her creator, and the chance to be with the one she truly loves.

Bloody, horrific, romantic and rich in gothic atmosphere, The Tale of the Vampire Bride is sure to thrill fans of the terrible, yet romantic vampires of literary past.

The Tale of the Vampire Bride on Amazon

The Tale of the Vampire Bride on Barnes & Noble



The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride

(Vampire Bride #2) 

The old cover...

And the new cover...

Summary from Goodreads

In The Tale of the Vampire Bride, Lady Glynis suffered great horrors at the hands of her evil vampire master, Count Vlad Dracula, and vowed she would one day escape him.

In The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride, Blynis learns to embrace the title of Countess Dracula as she sets into motion her plans to seek revenge on those who betrayed Glynis and her family to Dracula and to reunite with the man she loves.

Despite her ambitions, it soon becomes quite apparent that her life continues to be overshadowed by the ominous presence of Vlad Dracula.

Set in the 1820s against the lush gothic backdrop of Buda, Hungary, the tale of one vampire bride's quest for love, revenge, and the right to determine her own way in life is a sweeping saga that will enthrall any reader who loves the beautiful, deadly vampires of old.

The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride on Amazon

The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride on Barnes & Noble

The Lament of the Vampire Bride

(Vampire Bride #3) 

The third book is due to release in 2013

Places to find Rhiannon:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

Credits for the Photos:

Photographer: Helena Cruz
Model: Megan Young

Cover Artwork: Claudia McKinney

Typography: Ashley of The Bookish Brunette Designs

Jennifer L. Armentrout Summer Blog Tour - Giveaway

As part of the Jennifer L. Armentrout Summer Blog Tour I've decided to do a giveaway for 

signed copies of Half Blood and Pure.

The first place winner will get the choice of which book they want.

Second place winner will get the remaining book.

Contest is open internationally.

Contest is open for entries until September 10th at 11:59pm (EST)



In Honor by Jessi Kirby

Goodreads Summary:

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever – not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s best judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory – but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

My Review:

This book is so sweet…yet so incredibly sad at the same time. I guess the appropriate term would be bittersweet. Honor is trying to figure out how to live without her brother. She decides to take a road trip in his honor only Rusty manages to tag along. There’s bound to be tension between the two. Will they end up falling for each other? Or killing each other? It’s a little predictable but that really didn’t bother me and I was still able to enjoy the story.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Shelf Candy Saturday (18): The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Shelf Candy Saturday is hosted by A Night's Dream of Books.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. No da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous - it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enought, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

Victoria Schwab's Blog

The Archive on Goodreads

The Archive on Amazon
The Archive on Barnes & Noble

What an intriguing book cover and description!  I love blue covers and this book is yet another example of why. The smoke whisps and the key create such a mysterious feel. Who is this girl and does she hold the key to some big mystery? I can't wait to find out! I also love that the author is using bookish terms and twisting the meanings around.

Bared to You (Crossfire #1) by Sylvia Day

 **OVER 18 REVIEW**

Goodreads Summary:

Our journey began in fire…Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning into the darkness- beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we could become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn’t tear us apart…

My Review:

I like Gideon’s and Eva’s characters but them together is just disturbing. They both have dark pasts that could easily destroy their present before it even begins. They want to be together but how can they be happy when being together creates volatile situations? Can they work together to get beyond the past?

I really enjoyed this book, it’s well written and you easily get caught up in the story and wonder what can possibly happen next. I mean how can two people be so right for each other and be so wrong for each other at the same time!? I know I’m stuck on their relationship but there is more to the book than that. I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes the story.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Winners - Sunday Swag Bag

It's time for some Sunday Swag Bag WINNERS!!

The first winner is EVIE! You have won the below swag. 

Congrats!!

The next winner is WENDY H! Congrats, you've won the below swag!!

EMMALEE you've won the below swag! Congrats!

And last but certainly not least...

TERRI DION, you've won the below swag. Congrats!!

Check back next month for another swag giveaway :)

Talk Me Down (Tumbler Creek #1) by Victoria Dahl

Goodreads Summary:

Molly Jennings has one naughty little secret: her job as a bestselling erotic fiction author. Until her inspiration runs dry – thanks to a creepy ex – and it’s time to skip town and move back to tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado.

One look at former high school hunk chief of police Ben Lawson and Molly is back in business. The town gossip is buzzing at her door and, worse still, a stalker seems to be watching her every move. Thankfully, her very own lawman has taken to coming over, often. The only problem now is that Molly may have to let the cat out of the bag about her chosen profession, and straight laced Ben will definitely not approve…

My Review:

If I had to describe this book in one sentence it would be ‘This book is part contemporary romance, part mystery/suspense, part sexy, part funny, and all together awesome’.

Molly definitely has her issues and makes some dumb decisions but I like that she knows what who she wants and isn’t afraid to strap on some sexy heels in order to get it him. She also has a secret profession that not even her family or friends know about.

And Ben, who doesn’t love a good, strong, and sexy police officer? The catch is that he’s determined to find out what Molly does for a living. How far will he go to find out and how will he react when/if he discovers the truth?

           

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Siege (As the World Dies #3) by Rhiannon Frater

Just a warning: I wouldn’t suggest reading this review if you haven’t read The First Days and Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #’s 1 & 2). There will be spoilers since I’m reviewing the third book in the series. To read my reviews of books 1 & 2 just click the titles above.

  

Goodreads Summary:

As the survivors continue to seek stability in their lives, forces both inside and outside the fort walls move them toward a final, climactic conflict between the living and the dead. Jenni, Katie and the others discover that they are not alone, that there is another enclave of survivors whose leaders plan to take over the fort.

Faced with a series of difficult decisions, each choice they make could lead to the deaths of those they love or, if not careful, their own demise.

Meanwhile, an army of the dead is descending on the fort. Soon, the living will face their ultimate fear…

…a siege by the dead.

But they will fight to the end to survive…

As the world dies.

My Review:

This is the last book in the As the World Dies series and I was so excited to read it but at the same time I was putting it off for a little just because I didn’t want the series to end.

In the first two books you grow to know and love the characters and in Siege you see them continuing to fight for their lives and you learn their fates. Will everyone survive? Will they lose control of the fort? So much happens in this book that you’ll be biting your nails in anticipation. Rhiannon will break your heart, mend it, and break it all over again. She will surprise you with twists and turns and she will keep you wanting more.

Here’s hoping that Rhiannon Frater will go back and write more about the Fort in the future *fingers crossed*

           

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Ya Fest in Easton, PA

This past Saturday Krista, from The Dust JACK-et, and I went to Ya Fest in Easton, PA.

We had a great time working our way through the 35 ya authors chatting, getting books signed, and collecting more swag then we knew what to do with! We also scoped out the used book sale and entered a bunch of awesome book raffles.

All of the authors were so nice! A few that I most enjoyed seeing were Maria V. Snyder, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Jonathan Maberry, Shannon Delaney, Michelle Zink, Cyn Balog, Anne Greenwood Brown, and Brigid Kemmerer.

A very blurry picture of the authors

The books I had signed

My book tote has soooo many new signatures!

Front

And back

And some miscellaneous things

-Anne Greenwood Brown was giving away Lies Beneath shirts so I snatched one up!

-The pile of books on the left are ones that I won in the raffle; 5 of the 8 books are signed which is awesome.

-And the books on the right are ones I found at the used book sale; can’t beat .25 for paperbacks and .50 for hardbacks.

I'm already looking forward to going next year!!

Just a side note- I added a lot of swag, from YaFest, to my swag bag giveaway which I post on the first Sunday of every month. Check out this month’s here.

Sunday Swag Bag (4)

It's time again for my Sunday Swag Bag giveaway!!

I have a lot of swag that I've been wanting to pass along. Some of it is duplicates from what's in my personal collection and some of it's from books or genre's that I don't think I'll read. So I've been trying to think of a way to give it to other swag lovers. That's where Sunday Swag Bag comes in.

I will post a contest on the first Sunday of every month until the swag bag is empty. Each contest will be open for a week. Then I will do a post on the second Sunday of every month where I announce the winner and I will blindly grab anywhere from 4-5 pieces out of my swag bag. It's luck of the draw for the winner but there's a lot of really awesome swag so don't miss out!

Are you curious what's at stake? Well here's an updated picture of the swag in the swag bag. Most of it is not signed but there's about 5 pieces that are.

This month I will be picking three winners!!

 Sorry for the small pictures! My memory card reader decided to pick today to stop working so I had to use my cell phone.

This week's contest is open until Saturday, August 11th at 11:59 pm (EST).

Contest is open internationally.

To enter just fill out your name/email in the form below.

Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2) by Rhiannon Frater

Just a warning: I wouldn’t suggest reading this review if you haven’t read The First Days (As the World Dies #1) because there will be spoilers since I’m reviewing the second book in the series. You can read my review of The First Days here.

Goodreads Summary:

Katie and Jenni have found new lives with the survivors of their makeshift fort, but danger still lurks. Nothing is easy in the new world where the dead walk and every day is a struggle to keep safe. As the elements, bandits, and the zombie horde threaten their safe haven, Jenni and Katie join the other survivors in fighting to survive as the world dies.

My Review:

Just like The First Days, Fighting to Survive is a dark tale about survival. Zombies continue to be a problem for the survivors but now they have other problems to deal with as well. An unknown vigilante is taking matters into their own hands, prezombie criminals are looting and killing, and there’s the issue of who’s really in charge of the fort.

Rhiannon Frater definitely does not skirt around issues in her writing, rather she tends to dive in head first. There are parts of this book that may make you uncomfortable, angry, or nauseous. And of course you still have the blood and gore aspect that I loved so much from the first book!

If you haven’t read this series I definitely recommend starting it!

           

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5