Its Monday! What are you Reading? (6)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Head on over if you'd like to participate! It is an awesome way to meet new bloggers, and add fabulous books to that ever growing pile, of "to be read" books. 

YAY! Monday is here! Lets see what I have to read for this week, lol. HA! Like I have a lack of books, I have two piles of books to read so I think there might be TOO much choice. OH! And HAPPY ALL HALLOWS EVE! to everyone.

Last Week:
"Need" by Carrie Jones (excellent first book in the series!)

This Week:

"Bloodfever" by Karen Marie Moning

"I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . ."
 
"In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous. For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them."

"Juliet Immortal" by Stacey Jay

"The most tragic love story in history . . ."

"Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love."

The Toss Up:

I can never see indefinitely what my second book I want to read this upcoming week is going to be, SO I have decided that I am going to do a "Toss Up" section of this meme. I have two books that I'm craving to read but I cannot decide which one I am going to get too. Therefore, I'll just post my two choices and we'll see next week which one I choose. Now of course comments are always wanted, so if you have a "sway" to one or the other please do tell me! It may help with my hard decision that lies ahead, lol.

"Fury" by Elizabeth Miles

"It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems..."

"Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend. On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed. In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay."

"Em and Chase have been chosen."

"Delirium" by Lauren Oliver

"Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy."

"But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love."

100+ "likes" Facebook Giveaway !!

Its here! The blogs very first giveaway! 

Although it is not due to having 100+ followers on here, no it is for the 100+ "likes"we have accumulated on our Facebook fan page! So if you would like to participate click on the link below and it will direct you to the Facebook Page and you can enter there to win.

The Hardcover Harlequin: Facebook Page

Rules:

1) You must comment on the giveaway photo with your choice of book you'd like to win (must be already published); 
2) You already have to "like" the page (obviously); 
3) You can only comment ONCE a day - if you comment more than once it will be deleted. 
4) The Giveaway will run from Monday Oct. 31-Friday Nov. 4 (closing at midnight Eastern Canadian time)
5) The Book Depository is where I will be ordering the books from and mailing them out - please make sure they mail to your area. (I have heard they mail everywhere though so it shouldn't be a problem). 

Winners will be chosen at random.org through a number generator that is why I am allowing you to comment ONCE a day with your top choice. Each time you comment you may choose a different book although whatever number the generator picks that is the corresponding book you will win. (IE: If the number is 33 and the person's book of choice is "Fury" by Elizabeth Miles - that is the book you will win).

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any lost or stolen deliveries of prizes won throughout the contest.

Meet & Greet: Elizabeth Miles & Becca Fitzpatrick

So this pass Thursday (October 27) myself and my significant other drove to Brampton Ontario to the Chapters/Indigo store where they were hosting the two fabulous authors: Elizabeth Miles (author of "Fury") and Becca Fitzpatrick (author of the "Hush Hush" saga). This was my first time going to this type of event so I wasn't sure what to expect; I was blown away. It was spectacular!! I loved the Q&A portion of the entire event, we got to see such an insight into their story development, their writing process, how they developed their characters, and even their favourite music to listen too while writing (Elizabeth Miles: songs from the sound track of Les Mis, and Becca Fitzpatrick: songs from Phantom of the Opera). Now I wasn't able to get everything down, I only had my iphone with the "notes" option and I can only text type so quickly, so I will try and decipher my notes as best as I can. The only thing that I was disappointed on is that at SOME of the book signings, there were half naked men in wings, and at Brampton's there were none, I dare say I would have thoroughly enjoyed a photo or two with them, hehehe. 

Becca Fitzpatrick: 

Many of the questions revolved around their personal life, their writing process and character development. One question that really had sparked my interest was how did Becca and Elizabeth get into writing; with Becca she says that it was a toss up between a writing workshop or a cooking workshop her husband had put together for her. She had chosen the writing workshop for many reasons, although she had warned the instructor that she was not going to write anything. Surprisingly, that was not the case at all - she began to write from a journal entry she remembered from her High School past; about herself sitting in biology class and was called upon to describe what she found attractive in a "mate" - sound familiar? It turned into one chapter, then two chapters, then she was a roll 300 pages later. Although she could not find a publisher right off the bat, apparently you have to send more than a couple chapters (although at the time she did not know this, hehe). But finally someone took an interest in the seductive Hush Hush, and from there here we are with three very successful books, and a fourth next year. 

Another question that really peeked my interest was: How did she come up with Patch? (*swoon* ugh, Patch, lol). According to Becca Patch is based on a boy she use to know back home in High School. He was everything that Patch is, the bad boy, mysterious although also alluring and sexy. She looked him up on Facebook to check him out see if he is still the same boy, and of course he wasn't there. And of course she makes the point of saying that Patch wouldn't be there either. Nora was not even in the first draft of Hush Hush, although Vee was, and a lot of people wanted Becca to get rid of Vee, but she refused, and I think Vee worked out very well for the entire story and character development. 

Some more questions did pop up throughout the crowd which I would like to point out, because I think some bonus content is in order. One curious teen asked the question we've all been wondering, will Nora and Patch ever sleep with one another? - Well without giving too much away Becca just hinted at a maybe (hehe - here's one person that hopes a little romantic development will happen with those two). Another audience member asked if Hush Hush would be turned into a movie? - Becca has had a lot of offers but has currently said no. The reasoning behind it is that she does not want a movie to warp her readers perception of the books (good point, a lot of movies do that for books). And third bonus content which I am very happy to announce is (drum roll please): A portion of "Silence" Becca has written from Patch's point of view! YAY! She had said that it was very hard to write from Patch's point of view because he is still a mystery to her. But as she progresses the fourth book (which is almost done) there might be more point of views from Patch. 

Becca is such a fabulous speaker, and was such a fantastic person to meet! It was like meeting one of my idols. 

Elizabeth Miles:

Elizabeth Miles, had been given some if not most of the same questions that Becca Fitzpatrick had been asked, and Elizabeth also touched on some of the same points as well. Elizabeth had a different way of getting into writing fiction. Already a writing for a newspaper in her home town of Maine, her good friend Lauren Oliver (author of "Delirium - how cool is that!) had suggested that Elizabeth try out writing fiction. It turns out that Elizabeth had a knack for writing semi-horror based novels, mixed in with some Young Adult paranormal romance. She attributes her likes of writing in a horror-esk, or "fear" driven way to her father, who on every halloween in Maine insisted on Elizabeth facing her fear by scaring her half to bits with the other parents. Elizabeth says that this had played a roll in writing her book, "Fury" - which for those of you who do not know, is about the immortal beings called "furies". 

These beings are defined as (in Roman Mythology): the godess of vengeance; hey are equivalent to the Greek Erinyes. The Furies, who are usually characterized as three sisters (Alecto, Tisiphone, and Magaera) - Greek poets saw them as pursuing sinners on Earth. 

Of course another question that always peeks interest in the hearts of those swooning, is how she came up with one of her swoon-worthy guys, Chase. Elizabeth claims her charming Chase is an amalgamation of several people she knew in High School. A big part of Chase's life is his poverty, and Elizabeth goes into detail about how poverty affects his entire life down to his particular way he reacts to situations, emotions, etc. After I heard Elizabeth talk so proudly of Chase, I cannot wait to sink into this fantastic read; the characters seem to be phenomenal. 

Unfortunately we were given only a short period for questions and not a lot of people in the crowd had a lot of questions specifically for Elizabeth, although once the topic of movie offers had been asked, Elizabeth had some exciting news to share with all the fans! She had announced that "Fury" has been opted to be made into a film, and there is a chance that it will definitely be in theatres! So all of us "Fury" fans should keep our eye's open for any more news regarding that. 

I must say although Elizabeth is new to the scene of the book world, she was a wonderful pleasure to talk to and to listen too about her fabulous debut novel. Her second book is already to her editor, and I think she has a gorgeous hit book on her hands!

Writing Tips: 

The last and final part of the chat before the signing began was a favorite of mine and all aspiring writers out in the crowd. Tips on how they write, and their process. I must admit as much as it sounds scholarly of me, a lot of what they had to say about writing can be related back on how you write an essay! 

Elizabeth Suggests: Don't stare at a blank page for too long; read passages out loud - for punctuation, over use of words, sentence syntax etc. She suggest to get out into the community, see how people interact with one another, and absorb nature in all its beauty including how the word sounds. Also, editing - DO NOT be afraid to throw out things. And the most important part - an outline (it can honestly do wonders for you).

Becca Suggests:  Es-drop on everyone's conversation - really see how people talk, how sentences are formed and how conversations carry on. Keep a journal - as you can see this has really helped Becca write an entire series of books; she had taken from her own experiences and made them someone else's. Form a critique group - a couple authors including herself has formed one of these groups, and she says it helps her a lot. 

For more information please check out Becca & Elizabeth's website's:

Becca Fitzpatrick

Elizabeth Miles

They both have Facebook Pages as well:

Becca Fitzpatrick

Elizabeth Miles

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by "Breaking the Spine" were bloggers can post their anticipated upcoming publications!

"The Golden Lily"  by Richelle Mead

Publication Date: June 19th 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

"Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought."

"Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher."

Come now, who doesn't want more Adrian in their life?? hehe!

Teaser Tuesday (9)

Teaser Tuesdays is a bookish meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

the Teaser:

"Zara?" His voice breaks through the darkness.

"Nick, Jesus. You scared the hell out of me," I stay kneeling down on the floor and trying to find the flashlight [...] "You're naked."

"Really, I couldn't tell," he jokes weakly. 

"Need" Carrie Jones

Page 172

And here I thought men never knew they were naked half the time, lol! Fantastic book so far! Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a unique paranormal-romance-mystery book.

Its Monday! What are you Reading? (5)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Head on over if you'd like to participate! It is an awesome way to meet new bloggers, and add fabulous books to that ever growing pile, of "to be read" books.

This week I am not too over pack with school reading and assignments soooo I hope to get through a couple books I've been dying to dive right in to.

LAST WEEK:

"My Soul to Take" by Rachel Vincent

"Darkfever" by Karen Marie Moning

THIS WEEK:

"Need" by Carrie Jones

"Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now. She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara."

The Toss Up:

I can never see indefinitely what my second book I want to read this upcoming week is going to be, SO I have decided that I am going to do a "Toss Up" section of this meme. I have two books that I'm craving to read but I cannot decide which one I am going to get too. Therefore, I'll just post my two choices and we'll see next week which one I choose. Now of course comments are always wanted, so if you have a "sway" to one or the other please do tell me! It may help with my hard decision that lies ahead, lol.

"Blue Bloods" by Melissa de la Cruz

"When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society." 

"The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping."

"Bloodfever" by Karen Marie Moning

"In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous. For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them."

In My Mailbox (11)

"In my Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by the fantastic Kristi "the Story Siren". Bloggers are able to post what new books they've received either by buying, borrowing, or on loan from the library throughout the past week. 

So seeing as last week I honestly didn't get any new books, and this week my life went to hell in a handbasket. Basically my judgement was a bit flawed annnnnddd I definitely bough far too many books, lol. Although I did make me feel 100% better about everything happening in my life, so it was worth it :)

"Darkfever" Karen Marie Moning

"Bloodfever" Karen Marie Moning

"Faefever" Karen Marie Moning

"Dreamfever" Karen Marie Moning

"Shadowfever" Karen Marie Moning

"My Soul to Save" Rachel Vincent

"My Soul to Keep" Rachel Vincent

"My Soul to Steal" Rache Vincent

"Need" Carrie Jones

"Juliet Immortal" Stacey Jay

(I'm sorry about the quality of this post. Blogger just was not having anything to do with what I wanted to do with my photo's today. They just did not want to post properly, or go where I wanted. UGH! Sometimes I think it has a mind of its own, lol. So I apologize for the format of the post.)

"Zoctornyia" by Beth Wright (An E-Book)

"My life has always been normal.  Well you know what i mean by normal; shopping, chatting on my cell, hanging out with family and friends, reading great books stuff like that. I am now an eighteen year old girl with a never ending supply of boredom. Nothing exciting or unusual has ever happened to me.  That is until now."

Vultars Heart, Body and Soul Mates, part 1 through 4 take place on an alien or alternate world. Elizabeth a normal human teenage girl is taken abruptly from her home one stormy night. She finds herself in Part 1of the story locked in a dungeon with Vultar, and his band of alien kin. Elizabeth already scared of her wits doesn’t know what to think or do, once she comes face to face with Vultar, his strong arms, built body, and golden eye’s all allure to her in a distinct way, something she has never felt or experienced before. His smile it does something to her every time she see’s it, and feels strength in his voice to get her out of this dungeon. Of course, after getting out of the dungeon she does realize this is definitely not Earth anymore; everything is intensified, the plants, animals even the creatures that live there are different – they of course can hear her every thought. Which with a teenager and her hormones is never a good scenario for anyone especially Elizabeth who cannot seem to control her “wants and needs”. The first part of the books helps explain all the terms, species, and the world Beth Wright has created for her characters. It is a beautifully developed story, with few to none syntax errors, that doesn’t hinder the story at all.

Part 2, 3 and 4 take place with the span of a few weeks it seems, and within that time Elizabeth now known as Setiana to her kin and the love of her life Vultar. Within this world she has already learnt so much from them all, how their ceremonies are different from back at home, weddings are different, public displays of affection are different, births are different, and of course Setiana has more than one “love of her life” (but we will get back to that soon enough). The second part takes place with the conception of Vultar’s and Setiana’s child, and also turbulence through the village about how a human is no fit for a grand leader such as Vultar. Before Setiana came into the pictures, Vultar’s culture deemed having many wives to be normal, of course until Vultar found the one he was destined to be with, which would be Elizabeth/Setiana. So to say there is some hardship among the other women would be an understatement.

Parts 3 and 4 which for me seemed to fly by while reading, describe the birth of Setiana’s four glorious sons, and the introduction of her other loves, which are all allied with Vultures village and are all different creatures. Some look like dark angels, others like serpent creatures, but all have those same glorious eyes and melting smile, which is exactly what draws Setiana to them in a romantic way. In Part 3, the story solely concentrates around Setiana’s children – they are unlike any other she has ever encountered. In a span of mere hours her boys grow into adults instantly. She is sad almost that it happened so quickly, and she felt like she had missed their entire life; nothing like a human babies life at all. Problems start to occur, Setiana’s emotions are heightened and she begins to feel utterly alone in a world unknown to her. Enter jealous ex-wife, she tries to attack and kill Setiana for “stealing” her Vultar from her.  Of course Setiana cannot defend herself from most if not any of these creatures and she hides herself from her awaiting the rescue of her sons and husband.

Finally within Part 4 her other husbands start to arrive. They are fantastical creatures, and throughout the entire arrangement of meeting them, each individual brings joy to Setiana’s heart, it is like she is finally completed. There is some training scenes that occur through the story, but mostly this part is about Setiana connecting and falling in love with each of her suitors. It is highly romantic and being a die-hard romance nut, I absolutely loved it! At times it was slightly confusing but with some editing this final part of the story will absolutely tug at your heartstrings.

Overall, this short story begins with a peculiar teenage girl stuck at home reading a romance novel, but as the night and weeks progress she becomes part of her own romance. The e-book is written in short parts 1 through 4 and by doing so helps divide up everything that happens in such a short period of time. I absolutely love the creativeness that surrounds this entire story. I have to admit I was never a huge fan of “alien-esk” storylines I always thought my imagination was never strong enough to create that sort of world, but with Wright’s writing style and unique perspective on her characters I absolutely adored this genre! I give the entire story as a whole 4 out of 5 stars, it is a must read for every fantasy romance fan, or anyone looking for a fast paced, Young Adult new upcoming author. Beth Wright delivers everything that the fantasy genre needs in a Y.A. novel, including a stellar cast of characters, a fantastical world full of wonder, desire and among all imagination. 

Beth Wright is an independent, new and upcoming author. 

Contact Info: Facebook Page

If you are interested in reading the first part for free, it can be found at:

www.smashwords.com 

(link takes you directly to the page)

My Book Boyfriend (3): Nash Hudson

"Boys in books are just better. Right? lol" ... The meme, Book Boyfriend is brought to us by the fabulous author of "The Unread Reader" Missie. This meme is just for fun! Likeness represented are all fictional fantasies. This meme happens every Wednesday although today is a special edition for Thursday, lol. I'm earning my bragging rights for this weeks Boyfriend, how about you? ENJOY!

Nash Hudson: Rachel Vincent, the author of the "Soul Screamers" series, has woven an authentic tale of Banshees, Grim Reapers and everything Netherworld creature that goes bump in the night. Although with all those ghouls running ramped through Kaylee's high school, one or two things are always worth it. Meet Nash Hudson, star athlete (baseball and football), and as Kaylee describes upon first meeting him, “too bright to look at, too hot too touch, and at the center of his own solar system”. Although as we get to know him better through the eyes of Kaylee, we find out that he has a soft, sensitive side especially for Kaylee. As we know from the many make out scenes that happen throughout the book, he is tall, lean, and has thick dark hair, barely covering his hazel/green eye's. My Favourite thing about Nash is his eye's. Being a bean sidhe their emotions play out in their eye's when he is aroused the green swirls are intensely green, reflecting lights of emerald, and jade; they becoming intoxicating to other bean sidhe's like Kaylee. Another definite personality trait I must list is his "white knight" attitude. He is always there from the beginning to end with Kaylee. Helping her understand who and what she is, helping her get through her "panic attacks" and assuring her that she is perfect in her own way no matter how different she is. He becomes her personal white knight, protective, loving, sensitive, and forever hers as long as she'll have him.

Stats:

• Hazel eye's with swirls of green
• Full lustful lips; playful smile
• Thick dark hair, long enough to drag his hands through when frustrated or vulnerable
• Lean build due to playing Football and Baseball
• Protective, loving, white knight personality
• Own personal bean sidhe song for Kaylee

NOTE: the actor I have chosen for my fantasy Nash Hudson is none other than the delicious Alex Pettyfer. Now I know in most of the photo's he is blonde, but you have to admit he has the most gorgeous eye's you'll ever see, and honestly Nash's fantasy actor needs to have those eyes. SO just picture him with darker hair. ;)

Quotes:

Kaylee: "My gazed settled on the most hypnotic set of hazel eye's I'd ever seen, and for several seconds I could only stare, lost in the most amazing swirls of deep brown and vivid green, which seemed to churn in time with my own heartbeat -"

"My Soul to Take"; Page 10

Kaylee: "I tripped over a loose board in the pier, but when Nash took my hand, I let him Keep it, and the silence between us was comfortable. How could it not be, when he'd now seen every shadow in my soul and every corner in my mind, and hadn't once called me crazy -"

"My Soul to Take"; Page 43

Kaylee: "You sure you not trying to get laid?"

Nash: His grin that time was real as he pulled me close and pressed me gently against the old wooden railing, his lips inches from my nose. "You offering?"

"My Soul to Take"; Page 44

Fav. quote ever:
Nash: "What I do know is that you need to relax. Think about something over than death" ...
Kaylee: "What should I be thinking about?"My own voice came out lower, my words so soft I could barely hear them.
Nash: "Me," he whispered back, leaning so that his lips brushed my ear as he spoke. His scent enveloped me, and his cheek felt scratchy against mine. "You should be thinking about  me." His fingers intertwined with mine in my lap, and he pulled away from my ear slowly, his lips skimming my cheek, deliciously soft in contrast to the sharp stubble. He dropped a trail of smal kisses along my jaw, and my heart beat harder with every single one. When he reached my chin, the kisses trailed up until his mouth met mine, gently sucking my lower lip between his. Teasing without making full contact. My chest rose and fell quickly, my breaths shallow, my pulse racing.
Kaylee: More ... 
"My Soul to Take"; Page 60

Kaylee: "What do you want to talk about?"
Nash: He raised one eyebrow, and his voice came out hoarse. "Who says I want to talk?" ... I let him kiss me - until my dad tapped on the window at my back.
"My Soul to Take"; Page 278

"My Soul to Take" by Rachel Vincent

"She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally."

"Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next." 

A fabulous fast read. Rachel Vincent brings an old concept of "Banshees" into a paranormal world full of romance, mystery, and 21st century technology. Where things are never what they seem, even if you're the only one screaming in a room full of strangers. Kaylee is a refreshing and delightfully smart heroine, who with the never ending support of her bodacious best friend Emma, and mysteriously dreamy new boyfriend Nash, she is able to unravel the mystery that has shrouded her life for 16 years.

“My Soul to Take” starts off in the thick of things where Emma and Kaylee get snuck into a club. There, Kaylee draws the attention of Nash (her soon to be boyfriend). Nash as described by Kaylee is “too bright to look at, too hot too touch, and at the center of his own solar system” which is how all popular kids look like in High School at one point or another. Although I was surprised Nash was introduced so quickly into Kaylee’s life, I adored his attitude, and how he has these eye’s Kaylee could not get enough of; hazel with swirls of deep green, just the thought makes my heart do a little pitter patter. Kaylee quickly draws even more attention to herself when one of her “panic attacks” occurs. It was an odd sensation reading what Vincent was trying to describe; black shadows surrounded and followed one of the drunk girls in the club, Kaylee couldn’t breath couldn’t move, all she could do was scream and that would draw too much attention to her. Luckily, Nash with his “white knight” personality steps in and carries Kaylee out the back and starts to calm her down, by singing to her! (Ugh can we say a keeper? Definitely!)

These “panic attacks” as Kaylee describes them brings Nash and her closer as they try and figure out why she has them, although Nash already knows. The story line is definitely fast paced for a first book in a series. The reader and Kaylee are soon thrown into the thick of things when young beautiful girls start dropping dead all over down, and somehow it is all connected to Kaylee and her mysterious new “life”. Now the story does have its problems, such as not explaining everything too much in detail; I would have liked to know more about Nash and his family, or even his social standing, but Vincent’s development of the characters really does make up for the lack of knowledge she arms her readers with.

If its one thing Vincent knows how to do though, is draw the attention to just the right characters at just the perfect time to really hook a girl. I applaud her at introducing Nash as quickly as she did, with him by Kaylee’s side throughout her first “panic attack” of the book, it was much easier and comforting when their relationship blossomed into something more. There was no awkward dates, or backstory of why a guy like Nash would like a simple girl like Kaylee. We can obviously deduce from the beginning that he knows much more about Kaylee than she does, and it draws the reader into how he knows, and why.

Kaylee and Nash’s relationship is one of my favourites out of many I’ve been reading about currently. I am a huge character person. I love everything the author does to make them unique and how they interact with one another, and with Kaylee and Nash it has teen love written all over it. One quote in particular does stand out to describe probably every popular boy in High School; Kaylee tells Nash “rumor has it you’ve conquered more territory than Genghis Khan,” that quote there caused a few seconds a laughter, although brought me back to thinking yeah high school is exactly like that in one way or another. But love does conquer Kaylee’s paranoia of Nash’s mysterious background (we still no hardly anything about) once she finds out what she is and what Nash is as well. Their relationship becomes electrified and I absolutely love the development that happens. It leaves their relationship open for anything to happen to them, but also leaves them vulnerable to each other’s problems, pain and more so Nash’s history with other girls.

Another relationship that I am looking forward to knowing more about in the second book is Kaylee and Aiden (her father). Gone for about 16 years of her life due to a tragic accident earlier in their lives, Kaylee’s father moves to Ireland leaving her with his brother and his brother’s wife. We don’t get a lot about her father, he is introduced about ¾ of the way through the book, but what we do find out is heartbreaking, I cried a little bit. Without going into too much detail, her father loves Kaylee very much and is exactly like her in so many ways, including being supernatural. He is proud of Kaylee, and of Nash’s ability to help her through the truth of what she is, and how to use her “powers”. You can tell that Kaylee and Aiden’s relationship is going to flourish through the next couple of books; there is much to learn there.

Vincent delivers everything this paranormal romance promised with never ending options to come in the other 3 books in the Soul Screamer series. Rachel has introduced the Young Adult world to Irish lore. Banshees, Grim Reapers, and unknown creatures lure the reader in, and does not let them go! Mixed in with the characters personality, development and the fact their all still in High School, and you get a fast paced, lust filled, paranormal read. I cannot wait to find out what is in store for Nash, Kaylee, and the unknown that is her life.

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by "Breaking the Spine" were bloggers can post their anticipated upcoming publications!

Hard decisions these "Waiting on Wednesdays" are becoming. I honestly can say that todays post I could not decide on a book, I felt like I was either running out of books to put up for discusion OR I just wasn't anticipating anymore books (but that couldn't be it, lol). But I have found the perfect tool to aid me in my decisions, and to add more books to my TBR pile. "Listopia" on Goodreads.com is a fabulous tool! I didn't even know it existed till recently, lol. So here is a definite book I want to get my hands on as soon as it comes out :)

"Arcadia Awakens" by Kai Meyer

Publication date: February 14, 2012

Publisher: Balzer & Bray (Harper Collins Canada)

"To Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic and wholly unknown. But when her life in Brooklyn begins to fall apart, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where centuries of family secrets await her."

"Once there, Rosa falls head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both fascinate and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem."

"Hidden caves, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a history of familial bloodlust mean that Rosa can’t trust anyone. Torn between loyalty to her family and love for their mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love…or run as far and as fast as she can."

Top Ten Tuesday (1): Books I Bought Because of their Covers

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme started at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they have a specific topic for a top ten list. Link up, visit some new blogs and add to your ever growing TBR list. For future Top Ten Tuesday topics through February, go here!

This week its everything about judging a book by a cover! Which books have you bought just because of their spectacular covers??

Here's my list:

 

 

  

 

"The Girl in the Steel Corset" Kady Cross

"My Soul to Take" Rachel Vincent

"Nightshade" Andrea Cremer

"Eon" Alison Goodman

"A Great and Terrible Beauty" Libba Bray

"Juliet Immortal" Stacey Jay

"City of Bones" Cassandra Clare

"Fury" Elizabeth Miles 

(and she's going to be in Brampton at a book signing with Becca Fitzpatrick)

"Shiver" Maggie Stiefvater

"Halo" Alexandra Adornetto