News: Download My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey for Free!

To celebrate the publication of Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey on Monday 5th July, Bloomsbury is giving away the first book in the series!

My Love Lies Bleeding will be available to download FOR FREE for 24 hours starting at midday on Monday 5th July. You can access the download here.

Don’t forget to sign up to the Facebook fan page for all the latest Drake Chronicles news.

My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey - The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer. From Amazon UK

Read my review of My Love Lies Bleeding.

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey - It has been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for two hundred years. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks... From Amazon UK

Continue reading News: Download My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey for Free!

News: Trailers and Author Videos

I have various bits of news to pass on to you guys.

Firstly, there is a new trailer for Fallen by Lauren Kate from RHCB. I absolutely loved this book, and if I hadn't read it already, this trailer would definitely make me pick it up!



The trailer was exclusively released on Fiercebook, RHCB's Facebook teen fan page, at 5pm yesterday. The trailer will be running in UK cinemas from 9th July at screenings of Eclipse, reaching 1.2 million Twilight fans. Check out my review of Fallen. The paperback will be released in the UK on 1st July 2010.

EDIT: I've just noticed this trailer for Torment, the sequel to Fallen, on Fallen Facebook group. How awesome does it look? The release date mentioned in the trailer is for the US. UK release date is 30th September 2010.




There is also a trailer from Bloomsbury about Mary Hooper's new novel, Fallen Grace. Unfortunately, there is no option to embed, so you're going to have to follow the link. You can also read the first chapter on the Bloomsbury website.

Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing. Having given birth to an illegitimate child, she has travelled to the famed Brookwood Cemetery to place her small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can think of to give something at least to the little baby who died at birth, and to avoid the ignominy of a pauper's grave. Distraught and weeping, Grace meets two people at the cemetery: Mrs Emmeline Unwin and Mr James Solent. These two characters will have a profound affect upon Grace's life. But Grace doesn't know that yet. For now, she has to suppress her grief and get on with the business of living: scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food; looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself; thwarting the manipulative and conscience-free Unwin family, who are as capable of running a lucrative funeral business as they are of defrauding a young woman of her fortune. A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister. From Amazon UK

Fallen Grace came out on 7th June 2010.

Here's a video from HarperCollins of Lauren Laverne talking about her novel, Candy Pop - Candy and the Broken Biscuits.

Join fabulously funny (undiscovered) rock chick, Candy Caine on a rollercoaster ride to the world's biggest music festival. A sharp, comic teen series from uber-cool presenter Lauren Laverne. Misunderstood musical genius Candy Caine - age fifteen - knows she's destined for a bigger life beyond her small-town existence. And now Mum is marrying The World's Dullest ManTM it's time to put plans into action and achieve world domination with her band, The Broken Biscuits. Oh - and find her real dad, who will most definitely be cool and, of course, will verify her own super specialness. With a battered old guitar and some supernatural assistance, can Candy get her life on track and her new band on the road to greatness? Candy Caine is the hilarious new creation of debut author Lauren Laverne - a writer who's been there, done that and customised the T-shirt. From Amazon UK

Candy Pop - Candy and the Broken Biscuits came out 27th May 2010.

Continue reading News: Trailers and Author Videos

In My Mailbox (39)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

I received a fair few this weeek, most for BI&SP Month. I'm pretty happy!

For Review:

Trash by Andy Mulligan - no image currently available.

Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael's world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It's a bag of clues. It's a bag of hope. It's a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking, fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man's mission to put right a terrible wrong. It's three street-boys against the world... From Amazon UK

The Dark Devine by Bree Despain

A prodigal son. A dangerous love. Haunted yearning...Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood. Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother. As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul. From Amazon UK

Zelah Green by Vanessa Curtis

My Name is Zelah Green and I'm a cleanaholic. I spend most of my life running away from germs, dirt, and people. And I'm just about doing ok and then my stepmother packs me off to some kind of hospital to live with a load of strangers. It's stuck in the middle of nowhere. Great. There's Alice who's anorexic. Caro who cuts herself. Silent Sol who has the cutest smile. And then there's me. From Amazon UK

Zelah Green: One More Little Problem by Vanessa Curtis

Warm, winning and real, Zelah Green is back! My name is Zelah Green and I'm a Cleanaholic. It's the summer hols and I'm on major Flirt Alert. I've joined mysortaspace.com and ever since I've been getting emails from loads of boys. Boys are Dirt Alert AND Germ Alert. Don't even talk to me about kissing...The rest of my life's a bit rubbish too. That's because: my dad is moping about the house missing his girlfriend; my ex-best friend still isn't speaking to me; my grumpy weirdo Satanist friend has turned up to stay; my cleaning rituals are are taking up way too much time; and, most importantly, the guy I really like, Sol, has disappeared off the face of the earth... From Amazon UK

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Hanover Falls hasn't had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. But when people suddenly start dying in Claire Benoit's town, panic spreads fast. At Claire's sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. Claire, however, is more interested in the fact that the gorgeous Matthew Engle keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf. As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever... From Amazon UK

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Like everyone born after The Shift, sixteen year-old Aura can see and talk to ghosts. Persistent, and often angry, some even on the verge of becoming Shades, these violet-hued spirits are constantly talking to her, following her, and demanding her help to make amends for their untimely deaths. Aura has always found this mysterious ability annoying and wished she could find a way to reverse it. She'd much rather the ghosts left her alone so she could spend time with her boyfriend, Logan. But when Logan dies suddenly and unexpectedly, Aura is forced to reconsider her connections with the dead...and, the living. Surely a violet-hued spirit Logan is better than no Logan at all, isn't it? And things are complicated further when new exchange student, Zachary, is paired with Aura for a class project researching the 'Shift phenomenon'. Zach is so understanding - and so very alive. His support and friendship means more to Aura than she cares to admit. And, as Aura's relationships with both the dead, and the living, become more complicated, so do her feelings for both Logon and Zach. Each holds a piece of her heart...and clues to the secret of the shift. From Amazon UK

Bought:

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler - For BI&SP Month.

Virginia Shreves has a "larger-than-average" body and a medium-sized inferiority complex. Her mum is an exercise fiend, her dad whistles at skinny women, and her siblings are gorgeous, clever, and impossible to live up to. They're all people Virginia thinks the world of. In fact, Virginia thinks the world of everyone but herself. Then, a phone call changes everything... From Amazon UK

Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison

Sometimes only love can save you.

Leesie Hunt's Unbreakable Rules: No Kissing (at least not of the French variety)...No Sex (hah! Not even close to happening anyway)...No Dating Outside the Mormon Faith (what would be the point?)...ABSOLUTELY No Falling in Love with the Wrong Boy (would ruin everything).

Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out: get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael--a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.

Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace? Or is she just falling in love?

But if Leesie gives in to temptation, who is going to save her? From Amazon US

Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning - Bought to replace my charity shop copy (I didn't realise something was spilt on it when I bought it) for the Chicklish event

Some girls are born to be bad...Isabel is one of them. Her friends are terrified of her, her teachers can't get through to her...her family doesn't understand her. And that's just the way she likes it. See, when no one can get near you, no one will know what keeps you awake at night, what you're afraid of, what has broken your heart...But then Isabel meets the enigmatic Smith, who can see right through her act. Bit by bit he chips away at her armour, and though she fights hard to keep hold of her cool, and her secrets, Isabel's falling for him, and coming apart at the seams when she does...A poignant, sometimes dark, and utterly heart-breaking novel, told with all the author's trademark wit and sharp observation... From Amazon UK

Gifted for BI&SP Month:

Purge by Sarah Darer Littman - Signed, thank you! Similar cover, but not the same.

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward. From Amazon US

Fairest of Them All by Jan Blazanin - Signed and came with a bookmark, thank you!

Oribella Bettencourt has the world at her feet. She's won the Crowning Glory pageant title, due in part to her lustrous blonde mane of hair, and has just snagged a role in an upcoming movie opposite a hot young star. Sure, she doesn't really have any friends at school, but that's okay - she has her mother, a frustrated beauty queen herself, and she has her brilliant pageant and acting career. She doesn't need anything, or anyone, else. At least, that's what she tells herself. Then clumps of her beautiful blonde hair start falling out every time she brushes. Or showers. Or does just about anything. The horrifying word comes down: she has alopecia, a rare condition resulting in hair loss. She loses her movie role. The Crowning Glory title is taken away from her. And her mother can barely bear to look at her. Now, outcast and alone, all Oribella has is herself - and that simply isn't enough. When, to her surprise, she begins to develop an unlikely friendship with a tomboy classmate, she realizes that for the first time in her life she may just figure out who Oribella Bettencourt really is without her crown - and what truly matters in the end. From Amazon UK

Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going - Backlist copy from Random House.

When Troy (a hugely overweight social leper) befriends Curt (a skinny homeless punk guitar genius), they both get much more than they bargained for. Troy's macho brother and ex-Marine father think Curt is just a junkie loser - but as Curt stopped Troy's suicide attempt, Troy can't just forget him. Curt recruits Troy as the new drummer in his punk band - but Troy has never played the drums in his life. When Curt's around, though, almost anything seems possible. An outstanding, heart-warming, funny, edgy, debut novel. From Amazon UK

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter - Signed and came with a bookmark, thank you!

It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future--and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory--and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes. In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Sydney Salter delivers a story about broadening your horizons, accepting yourself, and finding love right under your nose. From Amazon US

Huge by Sasha Paley - backlist copy from Simon & Schuster UK.

Sixteen-year-olds Wilhelmina and April meet at Wellness Springs, a posh fat camp in California. Wil is not happy to be there - her parents own a chain of gyms and see their overweight daughter as a PR disaster - so she plans not to lose a pound all summer in order to get back at them. April, on the other hand, can't believe her luck. She's been saving for a whole year to come to Wellness Springs after she saw it featured in Teen Vogue. She can't wait to work off her excess weight, and then bring on the guys! Assigned to be room mates and work-out partners, the girls hate each other from the start. And things get worse when they both go after the same guy. Can Wil make it through the summer, and finally be accepted by her parents? Will April ever find someone willing to be a real boyfriend, even though she may never be skinny? A funny and poignant novel about friendship and self-acceptance. From Amazon UK

How did you do?

Continue reading In My Mailbox (39)

In My Mailbox (38)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

I few good ones this week!

For Review:

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Séance for a Vampire by Fred Saberhagen - will be guest reviewed by my cousin.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's timeless creation returns in a new series of handsomely designed, long out-of-print detective stories. From the earliest days of Holmes' career to his astonishing encounters with Martian invaders, the "Further Adventures" series encapsulates the most varied and thrilling cases of the world's greatest detective. When two suspect psychics offer Ambrose Altamont and his wife the opportunity to contact their recently deceased daughter, the wealthy British aristocrat wastes no time in hiring Sherlock Holmes to expose their hoax. He arranges for the celebrated detective and Dr Watson to attend the family's next seance, confident in Holmes' rationalist outlook on the situation. But what starts as cruel mockery becomes deadly reality when young, beautiful Louisa Altamont appears to her parents in the flesh as one of the nosferatu - a vampire! The resulting chaos leaves one of the fraudulent spiritualists dead, Sherlock Holmes missing and Dr Watson alone and mystified. With time running out, Watson has no choice but to summon the only one who might be able to help - Holmes' vampire cousin, Prince Dracula. Alternately narrated by Watson and the charismatic Dracula himself, Seance for a Vampire demonstrates that heroes are sometimes found in the most unlikely places. Saberhagen has recast Bram Stoker's paragon of evil into a noble, witty and chillingly powerful character. From Amazon UK

Gifts for BI&SP Month:

Queen of Teen Anthology - From Luisa Plaja.

Meg Cabot • Cathy Cassidy • Lisa Clark • Cathy Hopkins • Sarra Manning • Karen McCombie • Joanna Nadin • Louise Rennison • Jacqueline Wilson

Nine stories by top authors, in aid of the charity Kids Company. Discover nine fabulous short stories from the finalists of the Queen of Teen Award, selected by their readers and their fans. It’s an irresistible chance to read something new by these alltime favourite authors – or discover an amazing writer you’ve
been missing up to now!

All the stories focus on the realities of being a teenager and gaining independence. From PiccadillyPress.co.uk

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell - Backlist novel from Bloomsbury Publishing.

When Riley's Dad gets a new girlfriend, life turns upside down for Riley. She doesn't like Norma and Norma doesn't like her. But it is not until Riley finds herself shipped off to 'camp' that she realises just how bad things have become. Determined to continue on her path of bad behaviour and general obnoxiousness, Riley Rose is sure that she can turn this 'spiritual camp' upside down. And when she meets Dylan Luck, recent paraplegic, she thinks she has found a fellow troublemaker. What follows is a very surprising week for Riley. Truths are told and secrets revealed, and sex, cigarettes and booze prove to be a potent cocktail, but in the end Riley has learnt quite a lot about herself, Dylan and exactly why she appeared hell-bent on self-destruction. From Amazon UK

So yup, happy girl! :D

Continue reading In My Mailbox (38)

Buttons for BI&SP Month!

Body Image & Self Perception Month now has buttons! If you would like to promote the deature, or would like something to along with your own posts for the month, the awesome Bella has designed some buttons for us!





You can also find the first one in the side bar. I've also created an about page, which the buttons link to. If you're interested, check it out - though you may know about it all anyway.

Continue reading Buttons for BI&SP Month!

UK Blog to Check Out - This Fleeting Dream

I found out today that a UK blogger - who I wrongly thought was a US blogger, sorry - has very little blog readers. This is just wrong, especially considering the blog has been up and running since 2008! So I'm asking you to help fix that!

Julianne runs book review blog This Fleeting Dream, where she "reviews and shares links for literature, writing guidebooks and magazines, television programmes about writing, software and internet sites and programmes aimed at writers." Julianne has "a particular interest in/habit of reading/addiction to teen and YA fiction," so there are plenty of YA reviews on her blog!

Julianne is a fan of Sex in Teen Lit Month which I ran last year, and is taking part in Body Image & Self-Perception Month this year, so you will be seeing more links to her blog in the next few weeks, but it would be awesome if you could go over and check her blog out now. So please pop over, check out her reviews, and say hi! Thanks.

Continue reading UK Blog to Check Out - This Fleeting Dream

Chicklish Birthday Event and More!

Firstly, I need to apologise for being a bit slack with news posts. Things have been a little hectic away from the internet over the last few weeks, a lot has been happening. But here is one post with all the news bits I need to share with you all.

CHICKLISH BIRTHDAY EVENT

Chicklish, the wonderful book blog edited by awesome YA author Luisa Plaja, is turning four this year! To celebrate, there is going to be a Birthday Event!

Tales on Moon Lane and Southwark Libraries would like to invite you to spend an evening with teen authors Luisa Plaja, Sarra Manning, Keris Stainton and Simmone Howell at Dulwich Library on Monday 28th June at 5.45pm.

The authors will be discussing their writing from 6.15 followed by an opportunity to get books signed. Drinks will be served. There is no charge for tickets but places are limited, If you would like to book a place please call Tales on Moon Lane on 0207 274 5759, email us on info@talesonmoonlane.co.uk or pop into the shop or Dulwich Library.

I am SO excited! I have booked my place, and I'm really looking forward to it - as long as my new job hasn't started before then! Not only am I going to meet some seriously awesome authors and have a good time with some fellow book bloggers - there is at least one I know of who's planning on going - but I will also finally get to meet the awesome Luisa! After the help and support she has given me over the last year, it'll be awesome to meet her and thank her properly.

Fellow UK book bloggers - how about another UK bloggers meet up? I think there are at least a few of us who would be eager to go to this event, so how about it?

BLOOMSBURY AUTHOR VIDEOS

I received an email from Bloomsbury with some links videos to share with you all.

Take a look at Celia Rees talking about her Shakespeare inspired novel The Fool’s Girl at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Lucy Jago takes us on a tour of the National Trust property Montacute House, and explains why she chose to set her book of the same name in this beautiful house.

Ian Beck’s thrilling trailer for Pastworld will have you on the edge of your seat.

The chilling trailer for Mortlock by Jon Mayhew will send shivers down your spine.

TORMENT EXTRACT

I was emailed by Random House Children's Books with news that Random House US had released a Torment extract! I am sooo excited for this book you have no idea. Get clicking and get reading! Feel free to discuss here if you like!

MELVIN BURGESS

On Saturday 5th June, I went with Becky of The Bookette, Caroline of Portrait of a Woman and Non of Catnip Publishing to a Melvin Burgess talk and signing! It was just awesome! Becky has written an awesome event summary, go check it out!

BI&SP MONTH UPDATE & REQUEST FOR HELP

As I said at the beginning of this post, life has been a bit hectic for me lately. This means I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked with my BI&SP Month reading. I'm still working my way through the books I want to read, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get through them all in time, unfortunately. I had no idea I would be so busy, or I would have managed my time a little better. What does this mean? There might not be quite as many posts as I would like on my blog for this month.

With this in mind, if there is anyone who would be willing to help me out, either by reading a book on the topic (check out the list here) and writing a guest review, or writing a guest post on the topic, I would really appreciate it. If you're interested at all, please email me at joannestapley[at]googlemail[dot]com. Thank you so much!

Continue reading Chicklish Birthday Event and More!

In My Mailbox (37)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

I got a fair few things this week! :)

For Review:

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.
Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else… From Amazon US

Manifest by Artist Arthur

“We’re not that different, you know. Most kids have the same problems, just different circumstances.”

Fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley is royally miffed. Why her mom had to divorce her dad and drag her from New York City to the middle-of-nowhere Connecticut is beyond her. She’s never lived outside of The City and doesn’t know what to expect. But there’s one thing she never could have expected: the cute dead boy standing in her bedroom asking for help.

As she juggles being the new girl, resisting the requests of Ricky, the transparent dead boy, to find his killer, and dodging the demands of every other ghost on the planet, she can barely find time to hate her mother’s new husband.

When she begins to think it’s all too much, she finds comfort in a bizarre friendship with Sasha, a disappearing socialite and Jake, the telekinetic boy from the wrong side of the tracks. They both bear the same M shaped birthmark as her and the alliance of their powers seems to have a history that dates back to the 1700s.

But what are their powers for? Can they be used to get themselves out of the dangerous mess they’re currently in, or will they prove to be more dangerous than anything they’ve ever imagined? From Amazon US

Shades of Grey by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge - for Ink and Paper

When Jet and Iridium - best friends turned enemies - came together to bring down a supervillain, they inadvertently destroyed the secret Corp-Co transmitter, whose frequency kept the New Chicago's heroes of in-line - and sane. Now the city is plunged into chaos as these heroes are suddenly the biggest threat. Corp-Co brings in a new Squadron from India - but when heroes are tied into a system of sponsorship, only money, and not a sense of duty, can persuade them to save the day. As they haggle, Everyman sets out to destroy the powers with a group of enhanced super-soldiers, and the mysterious villain Doctor Hypnotic is lulling heroes and supervillains alike into his seductive web - a dream-world where everything is perfect, but nothing is real. Once again Jet and Iridium are forced to set aside their hatred of each other to do what they were born to do: save the world. From Amazon UK

Gift:

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man - David Martin - makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Then David receives the offer of a lifetime: he is to write a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home... From Amazon UK

Blog Tour:

Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything. From Amazon US

Bought:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by the riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. From Amazon UK

Won:

I won the following bookmarks from Monica of The Bibliophilic Book Blog in her Bookmark Day contests. They're from Urban Design. Aren't they gorgeous?


Click image for a larger view

I'm a happy girl!

Continue reading In My Mailbox (37)

Book News: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins UK Cover

I received some news today from Scholastic - the UK cover for Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, released 25th August 2010, has been released!

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the
bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should
pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either.
Not Katniss’s family, not her friends Peeta and Gale, not the people of District 12.

Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final instalment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games
trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. From press release.

How awesome is that cover? And how great does this book sound?! I am SO excited! Sorry about the size, that's the size I was sent. But still, awesome!

Continue reading Book News: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins UK Cover

Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead - WARNING! I cannot review Spirit Bound without spoiling the other novels in the series. Do not read any further if you plan on reading the previous novels and don’t want to be spoiled.

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. And she made the wrong one… After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s Academy — and to her best friend, Lissa. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere. She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true— Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him… forever. From Amazon UK

You all probably know by now how big a fan I am of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series, so when Sophie of So Many Books, So Little Time announced that she had a spare copy if anyone wanted one, I jumped at the chance (thank you)! I was so excited to read it, and I wasn’t disappointed!

It’s going to be so difficult to write this review, because I can’t talk about anything really without spoiling it. If you’ve read up to the last book, Blood Promise, you’ll have questions. Well, most, if not all, of those get answered in one way or another. However, more questions arise; things happen in Spirit Bound that you wouldn’t believe, and things are just so much more dangerous for Rose, in ways you wouldn’t even consider.

I have to say, while reading the book, I felt like not a lot happened. Thinking back on it, a fair bit did actually happen, things that were monumental, but Spirit Bound wasn’t as action packed as some of the other books in the series. This doesn’t make the book bad at all, it just has a slightly different focus. What is this focus? Rose’s emotional state. I’m not going to say whether she’s happy, sad, angry, scared, whatever, it would seriously give too much away. Nor will I tell you how I reacted to it, but I will say Richelle’s writing is just amazing! I love it! However, when there is action, my god is it amazing! Again, I can’t tell you much about it, but it’s just so good! Rose really dose know how to kick butt!

If I had my way, there would have been more Christian, more Adrian, and more Dimitri. Bad or good, I do love those guys! Especially Adrian, he is such a sweetie – in his cocky, devil-may-care way. He’s just awesome! As are all the guys.

This book is absolutely incredible! Was it my favourite of the series? No, but then I couldn’t pick my favourite, it’s all one story to me. But I absolutely loved it! I really can’t wait to read Last Scarifice, the sixth and final book in the Vampire Academy series, which will be released 7th December 2010 – yet, I can wait, I don’t want this series to end! A warning to others; do not read the synopsis for Last Sacrifice until you’ve read this book! It will seriously spoil it!

Published: 18th May 2010
Publisher: Puffin
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on Amazon US
Richelle Mead’s Website

Reviews of the Vampire Academy:
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Book 1)
Frostbite (Vampire Academy Book 2)
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy Book 3)
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy Book 4)

Other reviews:
So Many Books, So Little Time

Continue reading Review: Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

In My Mailbox (36)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.


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A few good ones this week!

Gifted/For Review:

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - signed and personalised! See below! Thanks to Nina!

In 1943 Max Carver's father - a watchmaker and inventor - decides to move his family to a small town on the Atlantic coast. They move into a house built for a prestigious surgeon, Dr Richard Fleischmann and his wife but abandoned when their son drowned in a tragic accident. Behind the house Max spies an overgrown garden surrounded by a metal fence topped with a six-pointed star. When he goes to investigate, Max finds statues like troupe fill the garden. In the centre is the large statue of a clown set in another six-pointed star. Max has the curious sensation that the statue is beckoning to him. As the family grows increasingly uneasy when they discover a box of old films belonging to the Fleischmanns, his sister Alicia has unsettling dreams while little Irina hears voices whispering to her from an old wardrobe. But Max spends most of his time with his new friend Roland, who takes him diving to the wreck of a boat that sank close to the coast in a terrible storm. Everyone on board perished except for one man - an engineer who built the lighthouse at the end of the beach. During the dive, Max sees something that leaves him cold - on the mast floats a tattered flag and on it is the symbol of the circle and six-pointed star. As they learn more about the wreck, the chilling story of a legendary figure called the Prince of Mist begins to emerge... From Amazon UK

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The Alchemist and the Angel by Joanne Owen - Thanks again to Nina!

Everything changes for orphaned Jan when his beloved uncle, Gustav - anatomist, natural scientist and aspiring alchemist - enlists his help in a quest to create a life-generating serum. To test the serum, they must follow a set of ancient instructions and play a dangerous game of bringing the inanimate to life... When Gustav dies suddenly, it's up to Jan to continue his work - little does he know that his beautiful, calculating aunt dreams of using the serum for her own purposes - eternal life. Under the facade of her grief, she convinces Jan they must move from Vienna to Prague, and when she mysteriously disappears, Jan searches for her. In the plague-ridden ghettos and the court of the mad Emperor Rudolf, he must pit his wits against an extraordinary cast of characters and events. His only ally is Zuzana, a girl with secrets of her own. Set against the vivid backdrop of 16th century Prague and the equally breathtaking Vienna, a magical, historical adventure from a talented author. From Amazon UK

Nicholas Dane by Melvin Burgess

When Nick's mother dies suddenly, the fourteen-year-old is sent straight into a boys' home, where he finds institutional intimidation and violence keep order. After countless fights and punishments, Nick thinks life can't get any worse - but the professionally respected deputy head, Mr Creal, who has been grooming him with sweets and solace, has something much more sinister in mind. The scarring, shaming experience he suffers at the hands of Mr Creal can never quite be suppressed, and when the old hatred surfaces, bloody murder and revenge lead to an unforgettable climax. From Amazon UK

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey

It has been centuries since Anais St. Croix survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who turned her into a vampire and left her buried for two hundred years. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks... From Amazon UK

Won:

The Vampirates Series by Justin Somper, all five books - from Bitten By Books

The jacket image and summary below are of first book, Demons of the Ocean.

The year is 2505. The oceans have risen. A new era of piracy is dawning.

A vicious storm separates twins Connor and Grace Tempest, destroying their boat and leaving them fighting for their lives in the cruel, cold water.

Picked up one of the more notorious pirate ships, Connor soon finds himself wielding a cutlass. But does he have the stomach to be a pirate?

Grace finds herself aboard a more mysterious ship. Kept under lock and key she’s assured no harm will come to her, just as long as she follows the enigmatic captain’s rules… From Vampirates.co.uk

The following won from Kate at Read This Book:

Privilege: Beautiful Disaster by Kate Brian

She's Back....

After wasting away in a mental institution for a year and a half, Ariana Osgood is finally back where she belongs. She has a new look, a new name, and a new life -- all thanks to her former friend Briana Leigh Covington.

Now enrolled as a junior at the exclusive Atherton-Pryce boarding school just outside of D.C., Ariana sleeps in Frette sheets, flirts with the captain of the crew team, and gossips with the most beautiful girls on campus. She killed to get back her life of privilege. Just how far will she go to keep it?

From the author of the bestselling Private novels comes a series about the dark world of wealth, secrets, and privilege. From Amazon US

Handbags and Homicide by Dorothy Howell

HANDBAGS AND HOMICIDE, set in L.A.'s Garment District, is the first book in an exciting new series featuring the hilarious and irresisitible Haley Randolph.

When Haley says she’d ‘kill for’ the latest fashions, she doesn’t actually mean it. Of course, she’d quite happily stamp on feet, pull hair and elbow rivals out of the way to get to a new designer bag. But when her boss at Holt’s department store is discovered dead in the store room fingers are pointed firmly at her! If Haley’s going to escape jail (not to mention the orange prison jumpsuits) she must find the murderer and prove her innocence. At least the hunky Ty Cameron seems to be on her side... From Amazon UK

And a whole lot of bookmarks, postcards and business cards! The signed ones are:

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer bookmark - says "Love & Lattes" and name.
The Dark Devine by Bree Despain promo card - just name.
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus bookmark - just name.
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White bookmark - says "Pansies for thoughts of you!" and name.
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker bookmark - just name.
Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards postcard - just name.


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I'm a happy girl! :)

Continue reading In My Mailbox (36)

Blog Tour: Jackson Pearce on the Paranormal and Fairytales

I am lucky enough to be the fourth stop on YA author Jackson Pearce's UK blog tour! Author of Sisters Red, Jackson is here to talk about how she came up with the idea for combining the paranormal with fairytales!

I have to admit something. And I don’t want any of you to be mad at me about it, but I feel like it’s time to come clean.

I’m kind of tired of reading about vampires.

And hey, I love me some vampire books. THE SILVER KISS? Classic. I read the TWILIGHT series just like everyone else on the planet. I get the appeal, and I’m all for some bad-boy-could-eat-your-face-but-chooses-not-to romance. I like the danger, the suspense, the tenderness that comes with a star-crossed romance. But still…I got kind of tired of reading about friendly vampires—and friendly monsters in general.

I was a little afraid when I started SISTERS RED that making my werewolves hardcore, face-eating monsters wouldn’t go over well; not just with potential readers, but with me. Friendly monsters were so normal that it seemed wrong somehow to make one of Jacob Black’s brethren a sadistic, rampaging killer. But the more I wrote, the more things started to fall into place. The easier it became—for, I suspect, one main reason:

Werewolves are monsters. Or at least, in their original incarnations, they’re monsters. No matter what we’ve read recently, our first introduction to werewolves (and just about every other monster) was through fairytales when we were too young to even read the books ourselves.

I don’t think I realized the power fairytales—and books we read as children—have over us until I started writing SISTERS RED. Making the werewolves the monster again made me see why the stories where werewolves/vampires/zombies are nice, good looking guys are so popular: because they feel wildly different, because they tear apart what is totally engrained in our heads. Even though most people haven’t read a fairytale since they were little, the stories are strong enough to last for years, if not a lifetime.

When I finished writing SISTERS RED, I felt a little nostalgic—it was the fairytale I knew as a child, yet not. SISTERS RED doesn’t re-envision the villain, it doesn’t have cuddle, sexy werewolves, but rather is meant to play on the memories you have of the original stories—and reinvent them via your memories. And while I suspect that there will always be a place in the world (and in my heart) for star-crossed, romantic monsters, I hope that there’s also room for some old school, nostalgic, face-eating creatures too.

Thank you, Jackson, for such a great post, and thank you to Hodder for inviting me to take part in the blog tour! I'm actually going to cheat here and ask some questions the publicist at Hodder brought up about Jackson's post: Can women only write romantic horror? Does the gore fest remain a masculine domain?

Sisters Red will be released in the UK tomorrow, 3rd June, and can be bought on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Don't forget to check out Jackson's website, and The Sweet Bonjour tomorrow to find out what Jackson's favourite re-tellings of fairytales and myths are.

Continue reading Blog Tour: Jackson Pearce on the Paranormal and Fairytales

Hush, Hush Contest Winners!

The Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick paperback contest is now closed! There were 194 entries, Randomizer.org did it's thing and the winners are:

Faiza
Sharon
Andrew
Mary
Julie

Congratulations! I have contacted the winners, and your details have been passed on to my contact at Simon & Schuster. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Continue reading Hush, Hush Contest Winners!