Thank You Secret Santa and a Happy New Year

This year I took part in the UK Secret Santa which was hosted by the lovely Lynsey Newton from Narratively Speaking. I received my present a week before Christmas and kept it wrapped under the tree until Christmas Day - which was one of the hardest things I ever done! My parcel had five lovely wrapped gifts inside it but no name of my mysterious gift giver. So I thought I would write a post to thank the lovely person who wishes to remain anonymous.

Who ever my Secret Santa was, I get the impression they know me very well as they couldn't have picked better presents if they had been blindfolded.

 

When Santa Fell To Earth by Cornelia Funke - I love Cornelia Funke and was lucky enough to meet her earlier this year. I honestly didn't know that she had written a Christmas book, so I was over the moon to receive this book.

 

A Waste of Good Paper by Sean Taylor is a completely new book to me. I hadn't heard of it and whoever my Secret Santa was knew that I didn't review for Frances Lincoln Children's Books. This book is in diary format which I love, so I cam really looking forward to reading it.

 

Breathe by Abbi Glines - wow, my Secret Santa took a gamble with this one but they gambled well. This is one of the Abbi Glines books I don't have and I am presently devouring them quicker than the Christmas chocolates.

 

Let It Snow - three festive holiday romance stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. I have been after this book for awhile so I was very excited to receive it.

 

My Secret Santa also knows that I am writing at the moment as they sent me a creativity charm just for writers.

 

Who ever you are my lovely Secret Santa I want to give you a huge hug and say a big thank you. You obviously took a lot of time to choose my gifts and I am extremely grateful. I will definitely be taking part in the Secret Santa swap again next year.

 

I will be taking a couple of days break again as I have a new PC and I am still trying to get the hang of Windows 8, so each blog post is taking a lot longer than normal to write. I will be back on the New Years Day with a new post.

Happy New Year everyone.

On The Day I Died by Candice Fleming

Reviewed by Caroline Hodges (@musingdragon)

Pages - 208

Published by Corgi Books in September 2012

It was after midnight and Mike Kowlaski was driving fast – too fast – down County Line Road. He glanced at the dashboard clock and groaned.

He was late.

Again.

His phone rang. It didn’t take ESP to know it was his mother. “She probably wants to get a jump start on her griping,” Mike muttered to himself. Earlier that evening, she’d told him to be in by midnight “or else.”

Mike didn’t even want to think about what “or else” meant.

Ignoring the call, he mashed down the accelerator. Maybe if he was only a little late...

That was when the girl appeared in his headlights.

Goodreads Summary

Set in White Cemetery, an actual graveyard outside Chicago, each story takes place during a different time period from the 1860's to the present, and ends with the narrator's death. Some teens die heroically, others ironically, but all due to supernatural causes. Readers will meet walking corpses and witness demonic posession, all against the backdrop of Chicago's rich history—the Great Depression, the World's Fair, Al Capone and his fellow gangsters.

******

My younger sister and I were pretty fascinated with the macabre growing up. All I could think about was how much we would have loved this collection of short stories by Candace Fleming back then. Sadly, as an older reader, the stories didn’t really creep me out, but, I can certainly remember a time when they genuinely would have had me sleep with the light on after putting down my book for the night. And this ultimately, is the age group the book is aimed at; teen readers who like a good scary story.

Mike is on his way home when he has a ghostly encounter with a long dead girl. The night twists and turns until he finds himself at the graveside of the girl. There he meets a variety of child ghosts, all wanting to share their stories, and so the novel is split into these stories but held together with Mike’s storyline.

I think what I enjoyed most was the varying age of those in the graveyard; it meant that each story was set in a different time period of Chicago history and so the events and manner in which each ghost tells their story is reflective of that. We visit the famous Chicago World Fair with Evelyn and her twin sister, experience a deadly act of revenge for the gangster-accented Johnnie, and of course, there’s a visit to an abandoned insane asylum. Believe it or not, there’s even a clever story involving an old flame of Al Capone’s.

The stories are each unique and believable with the exception of one which borrows, as if to cover all bases, heavily from the sci-fi genre. But actually, ultimately this story just didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the collection. Whereas the others touch on real history which adds to their credibility, this one story just wasn’t believable in the way the others were. And I tend to think if a scary story can seem believable, it adds that extra element of fear!

My favourite tale was Edgar’s; a boy born with a strange ability which he cannot control and is shunned for it, inevitably leading to tragedy. The terror in this is subtle, not the outright “things that go bump in the night” horror, but the fear of oneself.

It’s a small book at just over 200 pages, but I found it and the stories within it the perfect length. Short and scary; perfect for camp-fire re-telling, or reading to younger siblings.

Happy Christmas!

Hello my lovelies,

Just a quick note to tell you that the blog will be taking a mini break so that I can spend time with my family over the Christmas period. I will be back on the 27th of December with more reviews and news. 

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to stop by my blog this year and leave such wonderful comments. I promise to be a much better blogger next year and visit lots more blogs.

Thank you to my four amazing reviewers, Georgina, Caroline, KM Lockwood and author Sophie Duffy, who have helped to make this process a whole lot easier.

I hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas and I look forward to seeing you all in a few days.

From Photobucket

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Published by Harper Collins in February 2013

Pages - 304

Charlie Strong liked his customers-you don't run a pub for twenty-one years if you don't like your customers - but there was something about the quiet in the morning that pleased him to no end. 

Goodreads Summary

When madness stalks the streets of London, no one is safe…

There’s a creepy new terror haunting modern-day London. Fresh from defeating a Jack the Ripper killer, Rory must put her new-found hunting skills to the test before all hell breaks loose…

But enemies are not always who you expect them to be and crazy times call for crazy solutions. A thrilling teen mystery.
*******
I have to be honest and say I was a little disappointed with this book. I absolutely adored the first book in the series, The Name of  the Star, which had a Jack the Ripper storyline that kept me completely intrigued. The ghosts were also in abundance, where as in this second book I hardly got a glimpse or a whiff of a spirit. I felt this book really suffered from 'second book syndrome' which occurs quite often in series where not a lot seems to happen in between the first and third books. 
I found the story really slow to get going. In the first half of the book we spent a lot of time with Rory getting her life back to normal. I felt that there was a lot of recapping about the first book and unfortunately not enough action taking the story forward. Now don't get me wrong, the writing was good and I do think Maureen Johnson is an extremely talented writer; what I found  lacking in this story was the plot. 
Perhaps my expectations were too high; I had imagined the plot would be intricately linked to another piece of fascinating English history; unfortunately it wasn't. The plot actually carries on from the previous book and the 'madness' referred to was due to the crack in the Earth's surface that occurred in the last book. 
The story has a very conversational style of writing. A lot of the action occurred via the character's speech and I didn't feel as though we witnessed a lot actually happening. 
However the second half of the book did make up for for the first half and the story began to unfold and improve greatly. New characters to the story brought their own surprises and shocking events near the end left me gasping to find out what happened next. I enjoyed the relationship developments which I hadn't seen coming and the camaraderie between the ghost fighters. 
The story does end on a huge cliff hanger, so be prepared to have to wait until the next book to find out more. Not my favourite Maureen Johnson book, but I will still be standing in line for the next instalment. 

Muddle and Win – the battle for Sally Jones by John Dickinson

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

240 pages

Published by Random House Children's Publishers UK (David Fickling Books)

Published  on the 30 August 2012

RULES FOR STAYING ALIVE IN PANDEMONIUM

1. Don’t ever go there. Don’t even think of going there. Look, you really, really don’t want to know. The people aren’t friendly at all. In fact, it’s stretching a point to call them ‘people’

Summary from The Hive Network

Goodreads Summary

Everyone has a Lifetime Deed Counter (LDC).

It works like this:

You offer to help with the housework: Lifetime Good Deeds +1.

You steal your little brother's sweets: Lifetime Bad Deeds +1. Looks straightforward, huh? But what if your every thought was disputed by opposing forces of good and evil - by an angel wearing ray bans (called Windleberry) and a demon in the form of a wart (called Muddlespot)? And within your mind they were fighting a fierce battle over your actions, a battle dictated by a game of poker?

When Muddlespot is promoted from a devil's janitor to special agent, the pressure is on for him to infiltrate Sally Jones and make her Bad. If he doesn't, it will be Very Bad for him. But as his mission leads him down Sally's ear and into the deepest recesses of her mind,

all becomes unclear. Just what does it mean to be good? And can it be good to be bad?

*******

As can be seen from the summary, there’s a good deal of devilish comedy in this story from John Dickinson. Ideal for bright readers from 9 upwards with a wicked sense of humour and an interest in fairness, this book deals with some big concepts in a light-hearted way.

It is not for the very squeamish – though I should say any violence is of a cartoon, slapstick style and unlikely to cause nightmares for most children. It’s fast-moving and moves around a fair deal in location. Sometimes you are in the outer world, sometimes inside Sally’s head. Just occasionally this is a bit tricky. You do need your wits about you but it makes for a lively read.

Notions of right and wrong, fairness and blame are central to the story – but because of the family-based humour and the antics of the demons and angels, it doesn’t preach or get ‘heavy’. You get to see the heroine develop very closely and it’s great fun. The book could work well as a discussion text in PSHE for teachers – though the kids might laugh too much!

There are some great moments set in Sally’s school, and do watch out for Mrs Bunnidy – I won’t spoil her for you.

I found the experiments with different typefaces and other graphics effective and entertaining. I am reviewing from a book proof so I don’t know if the publishers have used any illustrations in the paperback. I think this could work really well with doodles and comments in the margins from Muddlespot and Windleberry.

All-in-all great fun with some thoughtful points made - it will make the right reader laugh out loud at times – and think hard at others.

Cover Reveal: Acid by Emma Pass

I am so happy to be part of a group of UK book bloggers who are all revealing this AMAZING book cover today. This is the final version of ACID by the wonderful Emma Pass. ACID will be published by Corgi/Random House Children's Books in April 2013. Isn't it stunning. 

Here is the blurb from Amazon, to get you drooling.

A fast and furious thriller featuring the coolest, toughest bad girl since Lisbeth Salander. Meet Jenna Strong.

In Jenna’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule with an iron fist. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

But Jenna’s violent prison has taught her a thing or two about survival. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead.

A gripping futuristic debut that will hook you from the very first page.

To celebrate the final cover reveal, Emma is giving away an ARC copy of the book, so head over to Emma's blog to enter now. 

Most Anticipated Books by Authors I Love - 2013

This is the final post of anticipated books for 2013 and this list will consist of books by authors I  have loved over the last couple of years. I have added the Goodreads Summary so that you can get an idea what the books are about. 

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher. 

Her first book, My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece had me in tears! Published by Indigo in January. 

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.

A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton

This should have been on the list last week with books in series that I love but I totally forgot! As I love Ruth's writing, I can sneak the third book in the series on here. Published in February by Hodder Books

Where do you go when your heart has been ripped out?
For Anna there is only one answer; into her past, where the truth about her mother, her power, and her real identity lie hidden.
But as Anna delves deeper into her history, she begins to fear that the truth about what set her mother running may be darker than she ever suspected. With the witches of the world on the brink of war, Seth gone, and her friend Abe wanting more from her than she can possibly give, Anna is in crisis.
As the clouds around her gather, Anna is torn between friends, family and rival tribes of witches and – at the last – between love and magic.

North  of Nowhere by Liz Kessler.

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this as I absolutely loved it! It will be published in January by Orion Children's Books. 

When Mia's grandfather disappears, Mia and her mother immediately rush down to stay with her grandmother and offer support. With no friends and no internet access in the little seaside village where her grandparents live, Mia is bored and lonely--until she makes friends with Dee, the daughter of a fisherman from a nearby island, and Peter, who is on holiday with his parents. But Mia's grandad is still missing, and actually meeting face to face with Dee is proving surprisingly difficult. Mia becomes determined to find out what's going on, but the truth is much more mysterious than she ever imagined...

Undone by Cat Clarke

I love everything Cat writes as it is normally so unusual and unique. This will be published by Quercus in January. 

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it. 

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down. 

Dead Romantic by CJ Skuse

I loved Rockaholic when I read it and can't wait to see what this author has in store for us next. Published by Chicken House Books in February.

Camille wants to find the perfect boy, with an athlete's body and a poet's brain. But when she's mocked at a college party, she knows there isn't a boy alive who'll ever measure up. Enter Zoe, her brilliant but strange best friend, who takes biology homework to a whole new level. She can create Camille's dream boy, Frankenstein-stylee. But can she make him love her?

One Seriously Messed-Up Week-end in the otherwise Un-messed-up Life of Jack Samsonite by Tom Clempson.

I just have to know what happens next to Jack. If you love the Inbetweeners then you will love Jack. He really could have played a part in the show. 

Jack Samsonite's Foolish Plan for Being Amazing at Everything

(including getting a life, getting into Film School, and getting into a girl's knickers)

1.Make an amazing(ly bad) short film about zombies . . . or maybe superheroes . . . or just three idiot friends. It has to be deep and meaningful and (most importantly) has to have a scene where I kiss a girl on the mouth.

2.Write the world's best university application ever! (Or at least one that doesn't make me seem like a nob).

3.Don't get expelled trying to complete 1 & 2.

It can't possibly fail... right?

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

I feel like I have been waiting for this one for ages! Completely different from her last book. This will be published by Hyperion in January. 

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

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

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

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

*****

The following people have new novels coming out too next year but as of yet there are no covers to reveal. So here is just a special mention to them and their forthcoming books.

The Sound by Sarah Alderson

The Night Itself by Zoe Marriott

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Cruel Summer by James Dawson

Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman
Waiting For Gonzo by Dave Cousins
Heroic by Phil Earle

Life As We Know It: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.. Not!

I haven't done one of these posts in ages but the Grinch is rippling under my skin at the moment and I need to vent my adverse feelings towards Christmas. 

I know I should love it and embrace it;enjoying spending quality time with my loved ones, and once Christmas arrives I honestly do, but quite frankly the lead up to Christmas Day leaves me more stressed than the Royal Mail. Those Christmas adverts they are showing  on television this month which have caused so many women to moan, well that's me! I do run around like that! My husband works really long hours and I am at home, so the buck stops with me.  I make Christmas! 

I suppose I shouldn't mind as it is only for one month of the year, but I do like to whinge and moan because it takes me away from my writing. The most I've written this month is a  To Do list!

In November, the uneasy feeling in my stomach develops,  as I avoid everyone who informs me that they already have all their presents bought and wrapped. These people make me nervous! I feel like the Festive race has begun and I haven't even tied my shoelaces. 

December 1st arrives and I can normally be found going into a major meltdown because I haven't done anything yet. Why I get so stressed by this, I don't know, I mean I have 24 days left to do everything. Right? Yet still the jaw clenching arrives as panic takes control. Hubby normally has a stack of paper bags at the ready  to alleviate the hyperventilating that inevitably occurs. 

The lists begin. And when I say lists, I don't mean a couple, no I mean a whole ruddy notebook full. From what we will eat on Christmas Day to what needs to be cleaned before the visitors descend. Every conversation I have involves comparing lists of jobs with others. This year I have taken a bold move and boycotted sending out any Christmas cards. I like to think I'm doing it for the environment, but I just don't have time to write and post the damn things. However my boycott is crumbling with every new card that arrives, handed over by various elderly neighbours, designed especially by their three year old grand child; my guilt runneth over!

I now have to make  a list of the presents my family may want for Christmas, because somewhere in my past I was elected and employed without my knowing as the Gift Oracle - I am supposed to know what everyone wants! Hold on a second, while I consult my crystal ball. I also have to wrap everything which would be fine if I hadn't given birth to twins a week before Christmas. My dining room table becomes a production line as I wrap, divide and separate presents according to occasion and child. 

Ideally Christmas for me would be full of endless days eating hot chestnuts and drinking mulled cider as I laze in front of a roaring fire with an excellent Christmas book. It would not involve eating the remains of my freezer so I can refill it and sticking my head in the oven, hoping I won't choke on Mr Muscle as I clean it. I want to be attending Christmas parties and singing carols around the Christmas tree not fighting with the sellotape and searching for the elusive last present I know I  put in a safe place. 

It's fine, honestly I'm calm, just ignore the twitch in my eye.  I know it will all be over soon. Come Christmas Day, the turkey will be burning nicely and my cheeks will be ruddy from way too much champagne before midday. The kids will have swept through the presents like piranhas and a collection will lay on the stairs waiting to either be returned or repaired and life will return to normal. I just need to get to the point  and soon. So for now I'm constantly repeating the following mantra' Christmas is not for life, it's just for Christmas.' Say it with me ladies! 

Photo from Photobucket

Happy blooming Christmas everyone!

The British Book Challenge 2013

I am definitely signing up for this challenge but rather than attempt to put it in my words, here is Sarah's description of the challenge. Sarah runs the very successful blog Feeling Fictional and is one of my lovely blogging friends - she will be taking over the baton from Kirsty and hosting the challenge this year. 

 The BBC is a reading challenge that was created by Becky from The Bookette in 2011 as a way to encourage people to read more books by British authors. The challenge was taken over by Kirsty at The Overflowing Library for 2012 and this year it's my turn.

The books can be in print or out. Old or new titles. They can be from any genre and for any age range. Becky and Kirsty's blogs both focus on YA books but I read a mixture of adult and YA so you can expect to see reviews of both on my blog. Obviously it's entirely up to you if you want to read adult, YA or children's novels - or a mixture of all three!

If you sign up for the Challenge you will be aiming to read at least 12 books by British Authors (which works out to one a month). For every book you review each month you will get an entry into the draw to win a monthly prize pack. Therefore the more you read the more entries you will rack up. Towards the end of the year I hope to do some kind of special prize draw for those who have gone to the most effort over the year managing to read 50 or more British Books. As prize packs are mainly being sponsored by British publishers I'm afraid that some of the prizes will only be available for UK participants but I hope that international bloggers will still take part. I will try to host a couple of international giveaways throughout the year but it will depend on finances and whether I can afford postage costs for sending out the books.

*******

Doesn't it sound brilliant! 

Here are a few of the books I aim to read this year by UK authors:

Undone by Cat Clarke

Night School Legacy by CJ Daugherty

A Witch Alone by Ruth Warburton

Infinite Sky by CJ. Flood.

And many many more.

This will be my post link page for the challenge and will be added to my side bar. 

If you would like to take part in this challenge too, then please click here. 

My reviews for this challenge.

1) Broken by A.E. Rought
2) Black Spring by Alison Croggon
3) Ketchup Clouds by Annabelle Pitcher

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Pages - 317

Published by Usborne Books in January 2013

I'll sleep when I'm dead. I used to say it a lot. When my dad suggested I turn off the torch I thought I so expertly hid under my covers. That time youth pastor Joe told us to pipe down at the church lock-in. The balmy summer night I convinced Autumn to sneak out after midnight so we could dance in Nidda Park., arms outstretched to the stars. But then I died.

Goodreads Summary

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighbouring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the centre of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

*******

I have been waiting to read this book for ages. Lenore is a well known book blogger  from Presenting Lenore who has managed to cross the divide and become a published author and I am very much in awe of her ability. When I read the blurb, I had a feeling this book would be good and it most definitely was. It can only be described as a heavenly version of The Matrix, only better. 

I loved the memory chambers, the idea of being able to relive whichever memories you want really appealed to me. As well as being able to relive other people's memories. Ingenious and unique - you will all be wishing that heaven was really like this. 

I love the detail and description used to portray such a clear picture of how heaven might operate. Or should I say the in between place where you evaluate you life by experiencing again everything you went through  on Earth. I felt the author presented an excellent visual of something no one has ever seen, only guessed at. This has to be the first after life book that has really captured my attention.

I loved Julian, even though on looking back over the book, I felt I really shouldn't. He was trouble and brought about the downfall of Felicia. His arrival on Level 2 changed everything again. Every little detail she had grown to believe about her very existence was instantly shattered by Julian. As the book progresses, his words and actions make her question her own sanity as well as her past memories. He had a manipulative way about him, yet you instantly understand that his actions were purely led by his love for Felicia. As a lead character Felicia kicked butt. She was very quick to come to terms with the changes occurring around her and she really shone bravely by the end. 

As the story progresses, you are shocked and surprised by the information revealed, leaving you to believe that everything is questionable. Even from the first chapter, I was shocked by the ending, because I had already been led to believe rather quickly that events like that were impossible. The ending was definitely a surprise for me, yet again I was stunned by what was revealed. 

On the whole this book was an excellent, fast moving thriller through the heavenly plains. I thought the plot was ingenious and well paced, with lots of surprises to keep me reading more. An excellent debut. 

Keep an eye out for the blog tour for Level 2 in January because there just might be an international giveaway of a copy of this book! *taps nose*

Beyond by Graham McNamee

Published by Hodder Children's Books in January 2013

Pages - 268

I remember dying.

After I got injured my heart stopped and I flatlined.

I was  done and gone. But I wasn't alone.

Goodreads Summary

Jane is not your typical teen. She and her best friend Lexi call themselves the Creep Sisters.

Only Lexi knows why Jane is different from anyone else: Her own shadow seems to pull her into near-fatal accidents. Jane is determined to find out why these terrifying things happen, and to overcome her shadow enemy.

But her sleuthing with Lexi connects her own horrors to the secret history of a serial killer ...

******

If you are an 80's girlie like me and grew up watching Flatliners over and over again (huge fan of Kevin Bacon!) then you will really enjoy this book as it takes the idea behind that film, gives it legs and runs with it.

As soon as you get to know  the main charactere, Jane, better, you want to wrap her up in cotton wool and chain her to her bed. This girl's life is in serious danger and there is nothing she can do to stop it. To most people she comes across as a crazy individual hellbent on suicide, but in reality she is fighting something she cannot see, something that wants her so badly it will stop at nothing to get to her. Her fear will grip you. 

Lexi makes the ideal friend for Jane as she can see right past the weirdness that everyone else  visualises. She will do anything to protect Jane and go to great lengths to keep her safe. 

The story is very  dark and terrifying at times. The truth rather compelling and frightening making it very easy to see how this author has been compared to Stephen King. There are some difficult subjects dealt with in the book and I felt the author dealt with them compassionately. 

My only niggle with this book is that I felt it was too short, it needed more of a build up in tension to the final showdown which I felt happened to quickly. It felt rushed in places and when I'm reading horror, I like my fear to be long and drawn out. 

Having said that, I really did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it. Flatlining is an interesting topic that I don't really feel has been covered that much in YA. Though I could be wrong and find I just haven't read the right books. 

A fantastically terrifying read to keep you up late at night. 

Guest Post from Suzanne Johnson

Today I am really happy to have Suzanne Johnson back on the blog. The second book in her Sentinels of New Orleans series, River Road was published at the end of November and I personally can't wait to read it.

Twisting Myths: Loup-Garou, Weregators, and Merpeople,Oh My

I remember hearing the term loup-garou not long after moving to Louisiana. It’s French for “werewolf,” of course, and South Louisiana once belonged to France. So the legends of the loup-garou (also called “rougarou” or “roux-ga-roux”) date back to the land’s settlement.

Much of my fiction is heavily tied to South Louisiana culture, so I’ve had fun playing around with the loup-garou legends, as well as the general were-creature and shapeshifter lore. In Louisiana, sometimes the loup-garou only partially shifts, and has the body of a man but the head of a wolf or dog. While the loup-garou is used to threaten kids to behave, his nature isn’t clear—in some versions of the legend he’s evil; in others, he might show up as a warning or a benign creature.

For my Sentinels of New Orleans series, I decided to twist the loup-garou legend to tie it even more firmly to Louisiana culture. I didn’t want my garou to be an ordinary, garden-variety werewolf. How dull is that?

So I had my loup-garou coming to Louisiana with the Acadians when they were driven out of Canada by the English in the 1700s, settling in the remote French colony of Louisiane. He (or she) carries a virus that is a demon’s curse and can be easily passed to a human through an open wound. My loup-garou is, like a werewolf, affected by the moon cycles, but shifts more easily. He has less control over his wolf, is a rogue that avoids packs and social structures, is always an alpha, and is bigger than your average wolf. He has a deep red coat and golden eyes.

How evil is my version of the loup-garou? He’s not innately bad, but he’s very other. Which means anyone who comes across his path at the wrong time, or angers him, or makes him lose control…well, that person might be in trouble. (Um…did I mention that one of my major series characters is a loup-garou, and a newly turned one at that? He’s not handling it well and it’s something he and my other characters are going to have to deal with for quite a while, which means lots of interesting twists and turns ahead.)

In my world, a shapeshifter differs from a werecreature. For one thing, shifters are not affected by silver or by moon cycles. They can shift at will via magical force. They’re born, not made, although the shifter gene can skip generations and then suddenly show up almost at random. The animal they shift into is also an inherited trait.

One of the things I most love about writing paranormal fiction is the ability to take a common mythology and twist it to create a fresh look at an old convention. In River Road, I introduced a couple of new species of weres and shifters. Weregators are, as you might guess (in a horrified kind of way), people who live in the Louisiana swamps who can shift into alligators. They’re only mentioned in River Road (although there’s a free short story on my blog, “Chenoire,” that features weregators).

Merpeople, on the other hand, are aquatic shapeshifters in my world. They can shift at will, are born and not made, and can shift partially into the classic merman and mermaid form—or shift fully into

really huge fish. They’re also heavily mainstreamed into the South Louisiana fishing industry which, when you think about it, is kind of…cannibalistic.

What’s the most unusual shifter or were-critter you’ve come across in your reading?

River Road was published by Headline in the UK on the 22nd of November.

To find out more about Suzanne Johnson:

Blog: http://www.suzanne-johnson.com/p/blog.html

Twitter@Suzanne_Johnson

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Johnson.author

Letterbox Love (18)

Britain at it's best, bringing you it's own version of IMM! All the books that came through my letterbox thanks to publishers and Royal Mail!  Also all the books I have bought this week - as if I didn't have enough.

For Review 

Wake and Lullaby by Amanda Hocking both published by Tor Books which is part of Pan Macmillan.Wake was published in August and Lullaby is published later this month. These are the first two books in the Watersong series. Thank you Tor Books.

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff is the third book by this author and will be published in January by Simon and Schuster. I feel like I have waited for ages for this book.

Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz is the second book in the Dark Legacy series and will be published by Piatkus in January. I haven't read the first book but I get the impression it can be read as stand alone. Thank you Piatkus.

Irresistible by Liz Bankes is a debut novel by a fantastic book blogger. The ebook is published now but the paperback version will be published in April. 

I also received Requiem by Lauren Oliver which I had forgotten all about! Eeep. This will be published by Hodder Books in March. 

Bought

The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines was published for 99p for the Kindle this week. This is the uncut version and I quickly rushed to buy it. 

Thank you to all the lovely publishers who sent me fantastic books to review. *hugs them all*

Chuck a Book with Tammy February from The Book Fairy's Haven

Today on Chuck a Book, I have Tammy February from The Book Fairy's Haven. 

1. The best book you have ever read. 

This one is a tough one to answer. There’ve been so many fantastic ones that I’ve read throughout the years, but I guess the two (and yes, there are two) that have stuck with me the most are The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (I’ll elaborate a little more on this one later as it is the book that also took me out of my comfort zone).

For me, The Sky is Everywhere is one of those books where the personality of the characters in the book, especially Lennie, are so wonderful and so big, there’s not enough room to describe the effect they have, even if you provided me with the space in which to do so. Lennie’s grief, the raw emotion and the beautiful, poetic writing makes this one book that I keep coming back to whenever I find myself in either a: 1. Reading slump or, 2. In need of a pick-me-up. The Sky is Everywhere is a book that is heartbreak, hope and happiness all rolled up into one.

2. A book you loved from your childhood 

Without a doubt, The Jungle Book – although I have to confess to first watching the movie before reading the book. Luckily I loved both, and to this day, it still happens to be one of my favourite childhood reads. 

3. A book that made you laugh 

Strangely enough, I often seem to go for the more angsty reads, but I’ve recently read a YA Paranormal Fantasy novel, Flying Blind, which was one of the most surprising and most entertaining fantasy reads I’ve read in a while. The novel is hysterically funny. Zoe, the main protagonist of the story, is one kick-ass heroine and is deadpan, snarky and incredibly witty. She has this wonderful, ironic and self-deprecating-without-feeling-sorry-for-herself vibe going on and easily had me laughing at her endearing, clumsy and action-filled antics. She’s definitely one of the funniest heroines I’ve come across, and reading her story is such a fun treat. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a fun, light-hearted take on dragon lore!

4. A book you could not finish

Matched by Ally Condie. Oh gosh, I tried. I really did. I even put it down in the hopes of getting back to it, because I thought just maybe I wasn’t in the right mood frame for it, but alas. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into the story.

I think Ally is a phenomenal writer, and her prose is certainly beautiful, but I just felt as if I couldn’t connect with any of the characters or bring myself to care enough to see what happens to them.
I really, really hate giving up on books, and it usually takes a lot for me to do so, but there was nothing about Cassia or Ky that made me want to stick around to see how their story unfolds. Having said that, because I love Ally’s writing, I’ll definitely read more of her books… just not her Matched trilogy.

5. A book that made you swoon 

Ooh, but you ask tough questions. You mean I have to choose just one? *wails* OK, if I had to choose, I’d go for The Body Finder.

Three words: Violet and Jay. Do I need to say more? (I didn’t think so either) 

6. A book you can’t wait to read

OK, this is probably going to come out of left field, and also because I tend not to go for the obvious and hyped up reads first, but the book I really can’t wait to read next is Greta and the Goblin King. Being a fan of David Bowie and Labyrinth, this book pretty much had me at Goblin King. Heather, reviewer on Goodreads has described this, and I quote: as “Hansel and Gretel meets Alice in Wonderland and Labyrinth”. Now tell me you aren’t intrigued? Better yet, here’s the link to the book summary. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13260802-greta-and-the-goblin-king

Go on. You know you want to. :)

7. A series you have read and loved 

The Mortal Instruments. I haven’t finished the entire series yet, but I’ve loved every book I’ve read in this series so far.

 8. A book that made you cry

On the Jellicoe Road. Oh gosh, I can’t even begin to tell you how much this book wrecked me and it surprised me because based on the synopsis, I thought it would just be another slightly sad contemp read. You know the ones I’m talking about. The make-you-sniff-but-not-sob-out-loud ones. I thought it was going to be one of those. Boy was I in for a surprise. On the Jellicoe Road is a book that packs an emotional punch big time. I never got what all the fuss was about until I read it, and it’s not something I can fully describe,

except to tell you that you should experience it. If you experience it, you’ll understand why it’s so impossible to put an incoherent thought about this gut-wrenching read to paper.

9. Your guilty pleasure book.

It’s definitely Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. And yes, it’s all because of Patch. Not gonna lie about that one. 

10. A book that took you out of your comfort zone.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. Ah yes, the book that not only tackles incest, but consensual incest at that. The thing about this book, is that even though I had my own definite set of viewpoints regarding the subject of incest, Tabitha portrayed Maya and Lochan’s story in such a sensitive, unflinching and gut-wrenching manner, that I found myself rooting for Maya and Lochan in spite of my beliefs. To this day, it’s still one of those books that will vividly stay with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you Tammy for taking part. If you would like to be featured on Chuck a Book, please send me an email at vivienne_dacosta@hotmail.com.

Most Anticipated Books in a Series - 2013

I hope you enjoyed my post last week showcasing my personally most anticipated Books by a debut author for the first six months of 2013. Today I am going to showcase the most anticipated books in a series that I have enjoyed. There are some amazing series out there at the moment and so many that I still need to start, so this post only includes ones I am already in the middle of reading. 

If I Should Die by Amy Plum 

Oh how I love this series and Book 2 ended on such a huge cliffhanger, I must find out what happens next. I can't believe I have to wait until May!

Previous titles in series - Die For Me and Until I Die

Goddess by Josephine Angelini

I love this series too. The Greek Mythology has really caught my interest. This will be published in June. 

Previous titles in the series - Starcrossed and Dreamless

Enders by Lissa Price.

This isn't the final cover as I get the impression it hasn't been revealed yet. But it will be published around March time. There are only two books in this series and the first one was majorly explosive. So I can't wait to see what happens next.

Previous title in series: Starters

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin. 

The second book in the Birthright series with a rather plucky main character. A Godfather inspired thriller set in futuristic New York with excellent world building. 

Previous title in series: All These Things I've Done

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs 

I only read the first book in this series last week but I am already eagerly anticipating the sequel with the amazing Medusa girls. This will be published by Templar Books. 

Previous book in this series: Sweet Venom

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

OK so this isn't technically a series and this isn't the UK cover, but hey it's my blog and I do as I darn well like. This is the story from the point of view of Travis, so it is more of a companion book. The UK cover will be revealed next year and the book will be published by Simon and Schuster in April.

Previous title: Beautiful Disaster

Night School Legacy by C.J. Daugherty.

Has it really been a year since I read this debut novel?? Set in an academy, this is an ace super sleuth novel of mystery and suspense - teenage style!

Out January with Atom. 

Previous title: Night School

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo.

I'm not sure if this will be the title for the UK book as the first one was changed. This is the sequel to The Gathering Dark which I loved this year. It is the second book in the series and the UK one will have a totally different cover. 

Previous title: The Gathering Dark

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.

I couldn't forget this now could I! This will be the third instalment in The Infernal Devices series set in Victorian Steampunk London.

Previous titles: Clockwork Angel  and Clockwork Prince

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

I have really enjoyed this Friday Harbour series and I will be sad to see the end of it. I have one more to read and hope to get it finished by the time this final book hits the shelves. It will be published by Piatkus in February 2013.

Previous titles in the series: Christmas Eve At Friday Harbour, Rainshadow Road and Dream Lake

There are other books in series but they are missing covers at the moment. So I'm guessing I will be doing another post just like this in the summer. Let me know if you have read and enjoyed any of these series too. 

Debut Author Challenge 2013

If you would like to take part in this challenge to, then please click here. 

My goal is twelve debut books in 2013. This is where I will keep track of how well I am doing for this challenge.

 

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Pages - 360

Published by Templar Books in September 2012

Hydras have a distinctive odour. It's somewhere between the acid tang of burning hair and a boat full of rotting fish. You can smell them from miles away.

Well, you can't. But I can.

Goodreads Summary

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates.

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it's also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters. . . 

******

There I was quite happily enjoying the Forgive My Fins series by this author, when Templar waved Sweet Venom under my nose. This book lured me in with it's sweet promise of kick ass girls and full on monster hunting and didn't disappoint. I was completely hooked in the story from Chapter 1 and now I have to wait rather impatiently for the second book.

OK, so this book left  quite a few questions unanswered and normally that would annoy the hell out of me, but it really didn't with this book. I honestly felt like it was setting the scene for the rest of the series and I was more than happy with that, because I'm seriously hoping for a long series here. 

This book brings together three girls who were all adopted into very different families at birth, but it turns out they are triplets. If that isn't amazing enough, they are also descendants of Medusa. I kid you not! I loved this aspect of the story - I really enjoy all books that embrace Greek Mythology and Medusa hasn't turned up in any of them yet. The sisters are each unique in their taste and style and yet they come together when they are needed to. I loved how individual they were, standing out from each other, even though they are identical. 

This book is set in San Francisco and I felt the author really brought the place alive. It's one of those places that I have always wanted to visit, so I enjoyed visually creating the image with the wonderful descriptions the author provided. 

This book was a fast paced, thrilling ride as the sisters quickly handled their new found information and skills in order to combat the growing number of monsters appearing in San Francisco. They each have their strengths and weaknesses which fit perfectly together like the missing pieces in a jigsaw.  The plot was brilliant and completely engaging. The characters were unique to each other and extremely entertaining, I almost hated leaving one sister's point of view to move onto another, as I would become completely absorbed in their story. 

These sisters are the best female trio to come along since The Charmed sisters and Charlie's Angels. I love them and can't wait to read more. In fact, someone please make this book into a TV series!