Cover Reveal: Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

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COMMENTS

Okay, so I really, *really* like this cover. I also really like the cover to Lullaby's predecessor, Wake (cover is below), although when I talked about the cover of Wake to other friends of mine, they didn't seem to share my like for it (most seemed to actually really dislike it). I'm interested in hearing what your thoughts are on both the cover for Lullaby and Wake. 


And that's the cover for Wake. What's the verdict? Do you like them? 

Interview with Susan Dennard & More!

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Hi, everyone! Recently I've had the amazing opportunity to interview the incredibly awesome Susan Dennard, and have her talk about her debut novel, Something Strange and Deadly (which is released July 24th! Click on the "Preorder" link below to preorder it from the Book Depository, or the links at the bottom of the post to preorder it from various websites!)




Something Strange & Deadly
Susan Dennard 
Series: Something Strange & Deadly, #1
Release Date: July 24th, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen


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The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…


Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—


The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.


And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.


Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.


_____________________________________________________________________

Interview with Susan Dennard


Q: What is the inspiration behind Something Strange & Deadly?

I'm a little embarrassed to admit since it's so cliche, but the idea for SS&D came from a dream. Yep, that's right. I had a dream about a girl whose brother went missing and the only people who could help her were a ragtime team of outcasts. So, I took that premise and fleshed it out. I settled on Victorian times for a setting because who doesn't like the latter half of the 19th century? And I also thought it would add a nice dose of conflict (all the social restrictions--not to mention the clothes). Then I settled on Philadelphia because of the World's Fair (a.k.a. Centennial Exhibition). I thought that would be a stellar backdrop. Finally, I picked walking dead because there is absolutely nothing that creeps me out more than zombies and ghosts. Oy, I'm getting chills just thinking about them...

Review: After Ever by Jillian Eaton

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After Ever
Jillian Eaton
Series: None that I am aware of
Release Date: June 12th, 2012
Publisher: Bay Horse
Number of Pages: Unknown
Source: Jillian Eaton
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

For sixteen-year-old Winnie Coleman, dying is the least of her worries. Between coming to terms with her mother’s unexpected death, trying to think up new and inventive ways to break up her father and Girlfriend #3, and keeping her brother from chewing off his fingers, she has her hands full. Courtesy of a thin patch of ice and failed swimming lessons, all of that changes in the blink of an eye. 


In death Winnie will find the answers that eluded her in life, and a whole slew of other questions she never thought to ask. Like why is she stuck with Sam for a guide? Sure, he’s funny and cute in a geeky sort of way, but he wears sweater vests… and loafers. For a girl who has tattoos on her face and glue in her hair, it’s not exactly the best match up.

But when Sam is taken and his very existence threatened, Winnie must make the ultimate choice between cowardice and courage. Faithlessness and loyalty. Family... and love.

Suspenseful and action packed, After Ever is a must read for anyone who ever wondered: what happens next?

I'm not sure as to what I should be writing in this review, because I have conflicted feelings when it comes to After Ever, but I suppose I'll start with the things I really liked when reading After Ever, the things I thought were okay when reading After Ever, and then the not so good.

The (Really) Good

Honestly, I think the good outweighs the bad and the okay, if ever so slightly. The plot is somewhat original, the banter between the characters is witty and entertaining, and the After is an incredibly interesting world. Eaton provided us with a wonderful villain in After Ever, who is very creepy, and each and every one of the action scenes in After Ever were extremely well done. I'm at a loss trying to put my feelings of the world Eaton created in After Ever, but some of the things she incorporated were very original, making up for the somewhat original plot (girl dies, tries for redemption, etc). The concept of the doors that you conjure out of nowhere that can transport you to where ever you desire was cool, as was the concept of levels in the After. I think that's it for The Good in After Ever, and while it may seem like a little, trust me, the things I've mentioned above take up a very large part in this book, and the things that are good in After Ever are really good.

Review: Evermore by Alyson Noël

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Evermore
Alyson Noël
Series: The Immortals, #1
Release Date: February 3rd, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Number of Pages: 306
Source: Amazon
Rating: 1 of 5 stars

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch.   Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste . . . 

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition.  He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets.  Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.  She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.  Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.


THE EVERMORE DRINKING GAME

It looks like you’ve picked up the Evermore Drinking Game, for whichever reason (but if it’s because you have an interest in reading Evermore I strongly advise against it, for your sanity’s sake). However, if you’re still not convinced to stay the hell away from this book, the Evermore Drinking Game is here to make your reading experience as enjoyable as possible (because trust me, you won’t find anything enjoyable in this book without it).

The rules for the Evermore Drinking Game are simple: when you read any of the instances mentioned below when reading Evermore, you take a swig of anything. It could be alcohol (for the best results!); it could be water (sadly, with this option, you’ll still actually have some grasp of the story), coffee (but you’ll be as hyper as you’ve ever been before at the end of the game), or really any other beverage in your reach.

Let’s begin the game, shall we? Once again, when you read any of the following instances, take a swig. And go!

- Whenever you roll your eyes, take a swig

- Whenever you feel like taking a hammer to Evermore, take a swig (and maybe that hammer)

Easy so far? Don’t worry – you won’t be saying that after long.

Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

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A Discovery of Witches
Deborah Harkness
Series: All Souls Trilogy, #1
Release Date: February 8th, 2011
Publisher: Viking Adult
Number of Pages: 579
Source: Amazon
Rating: 2 of 5 stars

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.


Eight of my friends gave this book five stars.
Ten gave it four stars.
Three gave it three stars.
No one gave it less than three stars.

Then there's me, giving this book two stars. The only explanation? I'm weird. There's not much I can say about this book, not in fear of spoiling something (honestly, I don't think there's much to spoil), but because nothing really happened, and I suppose that is my reason enough for not liking this book as I had hoped I would.

Like Hereafter, A Discovery of Witches is, in all honesty, a series of obstacles placed upon Diana and Matthew only to add stress to their relationship. And what a relationship it is! /end sarcasm\ I'm not sure I understand where you're coming from, Diana... At first, you try to avoid Matthew at all costs. Then, on the next page, you're flirting with him. Then (view spoiler)[you're married and are pregnant with his child. How long have you guys known each other? Just wondering... (hide spoiler)] As you may have noticed, I've placed this book on my shelf entitled, "take-your-insta-love-and-leave", because, in a sense, their relationship was insta-love (something I'm not very fond of).

Another Cover Reveal!

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Yeah, I notice I just did a cover reveal post, and I could just add this book onto that list, but I don't want to! This cover is so gorgeous it deserves its own Cover Reveal post.
Everbound
Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath, #2
Release Date: January 22nd, 2013
Publisher: Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

Goodreads | Preorder



Two months ago, the Tunnels of the underworld came for Nikki Beckett. That night, Nikki's boyfriend, Jack, made the ultimate sacrifice. All Nikki wants is to save Jack before it's too late. All Cole wants is to find his queen - and he thinks Nikki is the one. Both determined, both desperate, Nikki and Cole form a tense alliance, leading them on a dangerous journey to The Heart of The Everneath.




Is that not so incredibly gorgeous? And wait until you check out the cover to its predecessor, Everneath! 


Everneath
Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath, #1
Release Date: January 24th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins


Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her friends—before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s...


Look at them! Just look at 'em! *sigh* So gorgeous, and I am absolutely in love with the smoke effect. I really need to read Everneath!

Cover Reveals!

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Hidden 
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night, #10
Release Date: October 16th, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

GoodreadsPreorder


Neferet’s true nature has been revealed to the Vampyre High Council, so Zoey and the gang might finally get some help in defending themselves and their beloved school against a gathering evil that grows stronger every day. And they’ll need it, because Neferet’s not going down without a fight. Chaos reigns at the House of Night.


Taken
Erin Bowman
Series: Taken, #1
Release Date: April 16th, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen


There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends...and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. 

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?


Breaking Point
Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5, #2
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Publisher: TorTeen


No synopsis available.

Recent eBook Deals!

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Anna Dressed in Blood 
Kendare Blake

Price: $2.99 


Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Crave
Melissa Darnell

Price: $4.99


Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.
For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

Hourglass
Myra McEntire

Price: $1.59


One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Hereafter
Tara Hudson

Price: $0.99


Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no memories of her past life, she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. But everything changes when she tries to rescue a boy from drowning in the river. Because even though she can't do anything to help, Amelia somehow wills him to survive. And when he wakes up, Joshua can see her.

Together, Joshua and Amelia begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death, and the secrets of the dark river that has held her captive. But even as they grow ever closer, there are those in both worlds—the living and the dead—determined to tear them apart. . . .


Glow
Amy Kathleen Ryan

Price: $2.99

AmazonB&N 

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

666 Park Avenue
Gabriella Pierce

Price: $0.99


What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch . . . literally?

Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York.

But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world—and herself—is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them.

Inhale
Kendall Grey

Price: $0.99


Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and some violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face.

Eve
Anna Carey

Price: $2.99


Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

After a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth's population, the world is a terrifying place.

Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a bright future in The New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school's real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she's ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. But when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.


Evermore
Alyson Noël

Price: $2.99

AmazonB&N

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch.   Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste . . .

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition.  He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets.  Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.  She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.  Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

Marked
P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Price: $2.99


Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed.

One minute, sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird is a normal teenager dealing with everyday high school stress: her cute boyfriend Heath, the school’s star quarterback who suddenly seems more interested in partying than playing ball; her nosy frenemy Kayla, who’s way too concerned with how things are going with Heath; her uber-tough geometry test tomorrow. The next, she’s Marked as a fledgling vampyre, forcing her to leave her ordinary life behind and join the House of Night, a boarding school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change—and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint with Heath, who just doesn’t know how to take “no” for an answer. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: when she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny—with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Hush, Hush
Becca Fitzpatrick

Price: $4.99

AmazonB&N 

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.