Book Tour: Whispering Woods Series by Brinda Berry (Playlist + Giveaway)

 

Whispering Woods Series

Author: Brinda Berry
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

The Waiting Booth (Book 1)

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A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal... Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him…

Whisper of Memory (Book 2)

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Weapons training and winter formals...a deadly combination.

All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard. Mia's brother disappeared over a year ago, and agents from the IIA began policing people's movements through dimensions. She'd trusted Dr. Bleeker from the local university when he'd told her the IIA were the bad guys. But even a girl with an extraordinary ability to sense things can make mistakes.

Now two people are dead, and as a portal gatekeeper for the IIA, Mia needs to find Dr. Bleeker before he hurts anyone else. And her boyfriend Regulus, an Agent for the IIA, carries secrets of his own. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?

Watcher of Worlds (Book 3)

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Senior year should bring fun, friends, and happiness. Not portals, treachery, and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Mia Taylor, gatekeeper to an interdimensional portal, wants nothing more than to heal from her romance gone wrong. Illegally falling for her co-worker Regulus had been a huge mistake. But when Regulus goes rogue to hunt down a murderer, Mia must forget her broken heart and use her unique abilities to save him. Traveling across dimensions, she enters a strange and hostile world where a rebel faction holds the key to their escape. Her gift of synesthesia is in high demand, and a secret organization of the otherworldly kind has her in their sights. But sabotage and murder may be the least of her worries. Her ex-boyfriend wants a relationship. Her dad wants her to act normal. Her friends want her to stop moping. Who knew faking happy would be the easiest part of senior year?

Whispering Woods Playlist

Book Tour: Transformed by E.V. Fairfall

Transformed
Author: E.V. Fairfall
Publication: January 1st 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance
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Overview

Since the beginning, two entities have had complete, unquestioned control over Thea: the Earth and God.

But when Thea suddenly figures out that the Earth has trapped her within a forest, she discovers that the only way to set herself free is to break God’s one rule; she must forsake her animal form and become human.

The result is nothing she could ever have expected. Lost within the torrent of human emotions, Thea starts to lose who she is and even begins to fall in love with the one thing she always hated: a hunter.

As her act against God proves more problematic than anticipated, it is only a matter of time before her punishment may prove to be worse than Earth’s entrapment.

Q & A with E.V. Fairfall 

What makes Transformed a unique story? 
Well, let me first ask you this: how often have you read a book in which God and Mother Earth are siblings? Or a book in which Earth itself is an entity of its own, and prevents God from doing anything he wants? How often have you read a book in which Mother Earth is able to take any form except for that of a human because it is forbidden? Though Transformed is a story about finding one's self, it also explores the foibles of being human and the value of all life. It is about making mistakes and finding a solution, even if that solution isn’t what was originally intended.  

Where does the story take place? 
Transformed takes place in a small mountain town in Colorado. This fictitious town resides next to a forest and is green and lush (Colorado can get very dry), and because of its high elevation, it has strange weather patterns.  

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on the way they sound or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend? 
Names! Names are so important to me, mostly because I can’t actually write a character without first knowing their name. I can have the perfect scene in my head but until I find a name that I know fits the character, I just can’t write them in. I don’t pick names based on the sounds, but sometimes I pick a name because of its meaning. Mostly I just know when a name works for my character. As for resources, I tend to use lots of baby naming websites.  

Who is your favorite character from Transformed and why? 
Oh gosh, I’m going to say Cricket. I love Chamber of course, but Cricket is just so fun. Cricket is a girl who Thea turned into a squirrel because she needed to borrow her apartment while she was human. Even though Cricket is now a squirrel, she insists on taking special care of the clothes that she reluctantly let Thea borrow—more like take. Thea, who doesn’t understand why Cricket cares about the clothes, tends to leave them wherever she might drop them. Here is a quick excerpt from the book:  

"You have a squirrel in your sweater." Brice cocked his head to the side. "Actually, I think it’s stealing it." 
Thea looked over her shoulder to see the little squirrel dragging the sweater across the floor toward the closet. If Brice saw a squirrel put a sweater on a hanger, she would never hear the end of it. She shook her head toward the squirrel, causing the ball of fur to stop and glare before continuing to drag the sweater out of sight. If Thea didn’t start hanging up the squirrel’s clothes, she had a feeling the little rodent would attempt to kick her out."  

Give us some insight into your main character. What does she do that is so special? 
Thea is God's sister and has spent her life filling the role of Mother Earth, creating the plants and animals and serving as their guardian. Alongside her brother God, the two siblings used their light to create for hundreds of years. She doesn’t understand humans, and she likes them even less. It isn’t until she takes a human form that she begins to understand what she has been missing out on, and ultimately she gains a deeper understanding of her brother and what it means to be a part of a family.

Did you have a specific song or playlist that you listened to when you were writing Transformed? 
I actually can’t listen to music when I write. I wish I could. Sometimes a song will inspire me or motivate me, but while writing I need quiet. Of course, that never really happens because I live in an apartment with paper thin walls—but that is part of the adventure.  

What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors? 
Never give up, and go to writers conferences! I wish I had gone to a writers conference earlier. They open your mind to a side of book writing that you normally wouldn't consider. You can meet people who love what you love, and it is a great chance to break out of your shell and read some of your work out loud. Not only that but you will meet other writers who will help you through the hard times.  

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful? 
Reviews! Social media posts on Facebook, Tumblr, Goodreads and so on. Word of mouth is huge for any author. There are so many great books in the world that people haven't discovered, but they only need to be pointed in the right direction.  

E.V. Fairfall
I love to write just as much as I love to read. I try to read a book per week, which doesn't always work out, but it's the thought that counts. Aside from all that I am a huge animal person.

Transformed is my first novel, but it isn't my first publication; I've had several short stories published over the last two years. My main goal as a writer is to explore humanity and to give people something fun to read.

Author links:

Facebook / Goodreads 

Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Publisher: Disney Hyperion, 2014
Genre: YA Aliens
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Overview 

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

Book Tour: Resistance by Jena Leigh (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Resistance
(The Variant Series #2)

Author: Jena Leigh 

Publication: February 11th 2014
Genres: YA Paranormal

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Overview

Alexandra Parker might be the most powerful Variant the world has ever seen—but even that won’t get her out of finishing her junior year of high school.

The challenge of keeping her abilities under wraps during class is daunting enough, but throw one surly, sandy-haired Jumper into the mix, and things can get downright complicated.

Declan’s new job? Watch over Alex while she’s at school and do everything in his power to keep her from losing control. But as sparks of every kind begin flying between Alex and her new bodyguard, she's left feeling more unstable than ever.

When avoiding her abilities results in a surprise visit from her parents’ killer, Alex’s worlds collide with a bang that nearly levels Bay View High.

With her freedom now squarely in the Agency’s crosshairs, Alex will be faced with the fight of her life... and a decision that could forever alter the course of her destiny.

Excerpt

Kenzie drummed her fingers idly on the top of her desk. Slouched in her seat, she stared unblinking at the black hands of the clock mounted to the wall above the whiteboard. All around the room, students waited in small groups for the bell to release them and their weekend to begin.

Three minutes until the final bell.

Three minutes, and she’d be free.

Three minutes, thought Kenzie, and I’ll be on my way toward my next coffee fix.

That bell really needed to hurry itself up.

She had places to be.

Kenzie sighed. The longer she went without a fix, the harder it was to silence the thoughts emanating from the sea of humanity around her.

Caffeine meant focus.

Focus meant an easier time of keeping the walls up and the voices out.

She wondered, briefly, what telepaths did before the discovery of caffeinated beverages. The thought made her shudder. Control without stimulants in the bloodstream was possible, of course. But it was far from a pleasant way to go. Especially in populated areas.

Wham!

Kenzie jolted upright, the sudden movement causing her desk to bang into the back of the seat in front of her.

Something had just slammed into her mental walls with enough force to send a stab of pain through her temple.

What the crap was that?

Around the room, the steady flow of conversation dried up.

It wasn’t just Kenzie. That pulse had hit everyone.

Even the norms.

Kenzie got slowly to her feet.

A funny thing happens when norms experience Variant abilities firsthand. Instead of seeing the supernatural for what it is, nine times out of ten, they will translate their experience into something that better fits the rules of their reality.

The brilliant light of a jumper’s teleport becomes a camera flash, the telekinetic movement of objects through the air gets blamed on a strong gust of wind, and mental assaults are automatically translated into something external.

“Did you hear that?” asked a freckle-faced blonde from across the aisle. “Sounded like a sonic boom, or something.”

“Yeah! I heard it, too!” said another. “Wonder what it was?”

She supposed the better question was not what was it, but who was it?

The wave came again, this time with twice the strength behind it. Kenzie grabbed for the back of her seat to keep from losing her balance.

Fear.

The wave wasn’t a thought, it was a distilled emotion. Someone, somewhere, was absolutely terrified.

Judging from the nervous expressions on the faces of the students around her, that fear was not only being broadcast to the rest of the school, it was also creeping its way into their subconscious.

Kenzie sifted through the residue of the psychic onslaught in an attempt to identify the source.

The second she caught a glimpse of that all too familiar thought signature, she cursed—loudly, to the surprise of the students standing stock-still beside her—before sprinting toward the door.

Halfway down the locker-lined hall the ground began to shudder, the floor practically roiling beneath her feet.

Earthquake? she wondered.

But this was Florida. Florida didn’t have earthquakes.

Declan appeared at the other end of the hall, running in her direction.

“Where is she?” called Kenzie.

Her brother ducked through a swinging door just ahead of her.

The girl’s bathroom?

Kenzie followed him in.

“Oh my god.”

Alex was on her knees in a shallow sea of water, dripping wet, her hands clutching the sides of her head.

Water flooded the room. The porcelain sinks lining the wall lay shattered and in pieces on the ground. A large, spherical indentation was blasted into the wall behind Alex and what could only be burn marks scorched onto the ceiling above.

As Kenzie watched in amazement, strands of water began swirling around her friend, encasing her in a glittering sphere of liquid before losing form and crashing back down around her.

A shimmer of light rippled across Alex’s body, distorting her appearance like a mirage on desert sand.

“I can’t…” Alex was sobbing. “There are too many, Declan. I can’t make them stop!”

Declan edged as close to Alex as he dared, his expression grim.

Alex finally lifted her head to look at them.

Kenzie took an involuntary step backward. She had seen the way a jumper’s eyes changed color, the brilliant violet light causing their eyes to glow brightly in the moments before and after they teleported, but Alex’s normally gray eyes were now shifting colors with every beat of her heart.

Jade.

Violet.

Ruby.

Azure.

Black.

Alex collapsed.

The rumbling in the floor intensified, sending Declan into action. He sloshed through the water, reaching down to grip Alex under her arms.

“Get the door,” he called over his shoulder.

Kenzie held the door for Declan as he dragged Alex into the deserted hallway.

“Take my arm,” he ordered, maintaining his hold on Alex. “Let’s go, Kenzie.”

Terrified of being this close to Alex during a meltdown, but knowing her brother would leave her behind if she didn’t act fast, Kenzie lurched forward and grabbed Declan’s upper arm.

They jumped with the sound of the final bell ringing in their ears.

Jena Leigh is the author of the Variant Series novels REVIVAL and RESISTANCE. Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, she spent ten years in the mountains of North Carolina before returning home to the lightning capital of North America. A shameless geek, she loves coffee, loud music, bad sci-fi movies, Skittles, and shenanigan-filled road trips to faraway concerts.
            

Author Links:

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Book Tour: The Star Catcher by Stephanie Keyes (Book Trailer)

Star Catcher Book Trailer from Brain Fry Productions on Vimeo.

The Star Catcher

(The Star Child #3)

Author: Stephanie Keyes

Publication: November 10th 2013

Genres: YA Paranormal Romance

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Love Quotes in YA

~A Clockwork Romance~

I am catastrophically in love with you.

― Clockwork Princess

I love you now more desperately, this moment, than I have ever loved you before, and in an hour I will love you more than that.

― Clockwork Princess

I could not tell you if I loved you the first moment I saw you, or if it was the second or third or fourth. But I remember the first moment I looked at you walking toward me and realized that somehow the rest of the world seemed to vanish when I was with you. 

― Clockwork Prince

It’s all right to love someone who doesn’t love you back, as long as they’re worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it.
―Clockwork Angel

~Defining Love~

Love is such a wild and reckless creature. It cannot be planned or threaded. It cannot be controlled. Love can coexist with Fate, or it can undo it. Love is the only thing more powerful than Fate.
― Elixir by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Love is like gravity?” I was still puzzling out the concept. “It sounds violent.” 

He laughed and nodded. “But in a good way.” 

― Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That’s what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side. 

―Delirium by Lauren Oliver

~Without you there is nothing~

I’ve spent a lifetime waiting for you. Before I saw you, I hadn’t cared for anyone for…well, for the good part of a century, and it felt like my heart had been permanently disconnected. I wasn’t even looking anymore. And without expecting anything…without any hope at all, suddenly you were here. […] Now that you are here—now that we’re together—I can’t imagine going back to the life I had before. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you now. I love you too much. 

― Until I Die by Amy Plum

“You stupid idiot!” she says, smacking me again. “I don’t want the new planet without you!”
― A Million Suns by Beth Revis

~I love ALL of you~

“It wouldn’t change how I feel. Damn it, look at me.” He wrapped his hands around my upper arms and pulled me toward him. My eyes flew open. “I love you—broken in pieces, whole, however. No matter what the future brings. No matter what was in the past.”  

― Hourglass by Myra McEntire

I love you—all of you. Your stubbornness and your prickliness and your witchery and your bravery. 

― Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

“This thing with us is the only real thing I’ve had in a long time. You’re the only real thing.” He raised our hands and kissed my knuckles. “And I’m done pretending I don’t want you.” 

― Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

~Too Cute~

"You are my whole heart, Scarlet. And this is breaking it."
My heart cracked open and clear dropped out of me. My mouth opened, and I looked round me and stamped my foot. “Does this look like a good time to tell me that, you damn stupid boy?”
― Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

“I might be in love with you.” He smiles a little. “I’m waiting until I’m sure to tell you, though.” 

―Divergent by Veronica Roth

“There’s an us?”

“As far as I’m concerned…” He leaned forward, his mouth inches from mine, and my pulse spiked. “There’s nothing but us.”  

―If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Did you like the quotes? Share some of your favorites! ;)

Book Tour: The Star Catcher by Stephanie Keyes (Excerpt + Giveaway)

The Star Catcher
(The Star Child #3)
Author: Stephanie Keyes
Publication: November 10th 2013
Genres: YA Paranormal Romance
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

Magick and destiny intertwine as he fights to save his kingdom and the goddess he loves.

Her kiss…the feel of her skin…the beat of her heart…For seventeen-year-old Kellen St. James, each memory is marred by a single sentence on a lone strip of paper.

Cali has been taken…

Armed with an amulet that channels the ultimate power of Faerie, Kellen searches for his love. However, control of the amulet’s energy comes with a price, and Kellen soon learns that Cali’s captor has plans for the stone. With the threat of the Star Catcher’s evil looming above Kellen and his kingdom, he’ll have to free the Heart of Faerie and break the curse the binds the Children of Danu to the darkness. But before that, he has to find his real father, the king. No pressure, right?

Kellen and Cali will battle bewitched armies and unknown foes as they fight to stay together. Will Kellen embrace his immortal destiny? Or will his world, and the man he is fated to become, be destroyed by The Star Catcher?

Excerpt

“Right.” Automatically, I turned to go right, my usual default.

Don’t use your brain, K. Cast out your senses and search for your father that way. Logic won’t find him.

“You have a point.” Mortal folklore and beliefs had gotten us this far, but from here on out, I’d need to use my gut. Closing my eyes, I focused on the hallway where I stood, reaching out. My mind crept like a thief, snaking into each open space. Yet no one was there. Otherwise, I would have sensed something. Changing tactics, I shifted my attention to the corridor on my left. Immediately, I received an emotion back—complete and utter happiness—a sensation of fulfillment that went   far beyond what most people experience. Soundlessly, I moved down the hallway, drawn toward the sensation of contentment.

What is it?

Someone’s happy, I answered with my mind, not wanting to speak the words out loud and give myself away. I could sense the close proximity of the feelings I’d picked up on.

Be careful. It could be a trap.

But as I wandered forward, I got the feeling it wasn’t. I needed to walk this corridor. I’d been waiting my entire life for it. The closer I came to the happiness, filling up the place like a cloud, the more I considered never leaving, staying in this place forever. What could the outside world possibly have to offer? What? Wait a minute. What was that I’d been thinking? Cali was waiting for me. I had to get back to Cali. I pushed forward.

“Willock, is that you?”

I froze. That voice. It was my father’s voice,   not the evil tone I’d become used to over the years with the fake Stephen. Instead, this voice sounded pleasant, welcoming. I had just reached the doorframe when I paused. I had two more steps to take, and I would see my father.

Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she's still doing the same thing, except now she gets to share those ideas with readers!

When she's not writing, Stephanie is also a graphic designer, international speaker, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she's best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years.

Mrs. Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University and a M.Ed. from Duquesne University. She is a member of the Society For Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as well as a featured author in the global group of writers, Love a Happy Ending.com.

Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child (September 2012) and The Fallen Stars (April 2013), both released by Inkspell Publishing. She is currently hard at work on the third book in the trilogy, The Star Catcher.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review: Spintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered
Author: A.G. Howard
Publisher: Amulet Books, 2013
Genre: YA Fairy Tale
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Overview 

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Review: Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Apollyon
(Covenant 4)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press, 2013
Genre: YA Mythology
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Overview

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

Review: The Collector by Victoria Scott

The Collector
(Dante Walker 1)
Author: Victoria Scott
Publisher: Entangled Teen, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
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Overview 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet
(Lunar Chronicles 2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends, 2013
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Fairy Tale
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Overview

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell
(Bloodlines 3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
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Overview

 In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Opal
(Lux 3)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
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Overview

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess
(The Infernal Devices 3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2013
Genre: YA Steampunk
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview 

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Guest Post: Character Advice Column by Sherry Soule

Author Sherry Soule provides today’s post. She’s celebrating the release of her new novel, IMMORTAL ECLIPSE. If you like supernatural suspense mingled with a dash of chick-lit and a healthy dose of paranormal romance, then this is the book for you!

Sherry asked her snarky heroine, Skylar Blackwell to stop by. She has recently started her own advice column: “Dear Skylar.”

Since several people have asked Skylar for help with some very strange topics, she’s generously taken time away from her shopping cardio to answer them. Pasted below are some of the questions sent to her.


Question 1:
Q. Dear Skylar,
     My boyfriend is in college and he likes to wear socks with sandals. When I complained about it, he just says his feet get cold. It’s so embarrassing! I refuse to go on dates with him until he buys a real pair of shoes. Any advice on getting him to stop?
    Thanx,
    Fashion-Clueless-BF

A. Dear Fashion-Clueless-BF,
    Wearing socks with sandals has been a fashion faux pas forever, but that doesn't stop people (generally men) from doing it. Unless you are walking outside to pick up the newspaper, socks with sandals are a big fashion no-no! First off, you don’t have to alert the fashion police—just throw out those sandals yourself! Then buy him some nicer shoes to wear. He’ll have new shoes, and you’ll have a fashionable guy—problem solved.

Early Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure
(Blood of Eden 2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2013
Genre: YA Post-Apocaliptic
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview 

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Catastrophic History of You and Me

Author: Jess Rothenberg

Publisher: Dial Books (Penguin), 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.
 

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.
  

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Valentine's Day and YA Crushes

Happy Valentine's Day! 

I hope everyone will have a wonderful day filled with love, hearts, joy, and goodness! In this day of love and romance, I couldn't help but think that YA fictional boyfriends are everywhere. There are those that make you smile, those that make you want to slap and then kiss them at the same time, and those that make you swoon and reach for the nearest fan. These are my top 5 YA crushes EVER.

Adrian Ivashkov from Bloodlines

Tod Hudson from Soul Screamers

Daemon Black from the Lux Series

Tristan Archer from The Archers of Avalon

Jace Wayland from The Mortal Instruments

Special Non-YA Mention~

R from Warm Bodies 

Who is your top YA crush? :)

YA Books That Make Me SWOON

In the spirit of the upcoming Valentine's Day, here is my list of YA books that make me swoon. Click the covers to go to their Goodreads page and add them to your TBR list! ;)

Which YA books make YOU swoon?