500 Follower Giveaway!

Giveaway closed. Winner announced soon.


Edit: I've reached 600, which means the prize has moved to two books. Whether that means two people get one book or one person gets two books... we'll see. 


I can't believe I've reached 500 followers! So you know what this means... I'm going to giveaway a book... and hopefully some fun swag!


I am planning on going to a big book signing with five amazing authors: Kirsten Miller author of THE ETERNAL ONES, Brenna Yovanoff, author of THE REPLACEMENT, Andrea Cremer author of NIGHTSHADE, Ally Condie author of MATCHED, and Beth Revis author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE.


I want to get a book for one lucky winner. Winners choice! And more than that, I'll have the book signed and personalized for you. Note: The signing is 6 hours away. I can't promise that I'll make it what with it being the season for snow, but I'm going to do my best.

Contest Closed.


To enter:
1. You must follow this blog.
2. You must be 13 or older.
3. You must fill out this form.


Giveaway is international!


Signing is on February 25, so the contest will end on February 18th at midnight, to allow me to contact the winner and get information before the signing.


To sweeten the deal, if I reach 600 followers, I'll add a second book. If I reach 700... you get the idea. So be sure to tell your friends.

New Year's Reading Resolution Giveaway Winners

The winner of WITCH CHILD and SORCERESS by Celia Ress is Tiffany A from Louisiana. Congrats! I will get them in the mail by Saturday!

Book Review: Angelic and Counterfeit Magic

ANGELIC by Kelley Armstrong released a year ago. It was released through Subterranean Press and limited to 2000 copies. Considering 3000 were pre-ordered, if you got one, you were lucky. I pre-ordered mine nine months in advance. There was no way I was going to miss it. As of a few days ago, Kelley announced that ANGELIC was now available for the Kindle and a few other eBook devices. So if you missed it last year, now's your chance to read it.

I love Eve's character. She's tough and smart and she'll kick your ass if you look at her the wrong way. And what made this story even better, my favorite woman of the otherworld had a short role.

Synopsis:

As a half-demon master of the dark arts, Eve Levine isn’t what anyone would call angelic. That’s exactly why the Fates chose her for the job. She’s their secret weapon against the forces of evil. However after five years, Eve is tired of being the designated rebel of the angel corps, expected to break the rules, then penalized for it. When the leaderless djinn stage an uprising, Eve sees the perfect chance to get herself fired. As she plunges deeper into the demon world, though, she realizes she’s in danger of losing a lot more than her job.

***

COUNTERFEIT MAGIC is the second novella that Kelley Armstrong has done in conjunction with Subterranean Press. It's twice as long as ANGELIC and more copies were made. There are some left, but only through Subterranean Press' website. So if you want a hard copy, order it ASAP. Otherwise, you can order it for your Kindle or other eBook device.

I read this one last night, and I couldn't put it down. I love Paige and Savannah, but I love Lucas even more. The inclusion of all three of these wonderful characters made this book un-put-down-able. One thing I love about Kelley's writing is the fact that her books are unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen next. And just when you think you've figured it out, you're wrong. She takes supernaturals, of all races, and puts them in situations that we can relate to, despite the fact that we can't raise the dead or turn into a wolf, and there is always a mystery involved. All of these elements makes for an entertaining read. 

Synopsis: 

Return to the world of Kelley Armstrong's best-selling novels Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic for a long original novella.

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.

When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business.

Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.

As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose.

New Year's Reading Resolution Giveaway

Contest Closed

As part of the New Year's Reading Resolution Giveaway (hosted by Reading Angel, Pure Imagination, and Candace's Book Blog), I am giving away two books that I love: WITCH CHILD and SORCERESS by Celia Rees. When I first became absolutely addicted to reading, as an adult, I stuck with adult urban fantasy for the most part. Although, I had read the available Harry Potter books. But then I discovered these two books, which led to picking up more YA and eventually reading YA almost exclusively.


They have recently been republished with new covers, however, the copies I have are the covers shown below.

WITCH CHILD synopsis:


Welcome to the world of young Mary Newbury, a world where simply being different can cost a person her life. Hidden until now in the pages of her diary, Mary’s startling story begins in 1659, the year herbeloved grandmother is hanged in the public square as a witch. Mary narrowly escapes a similar fate, only to face intolerance and new danger among the Puritans in the New World. How long can she hide her true identity? Will she ever find a place where her healing powers will not be feared?


SORCERESS synopsis:


It came to Agnes unbidden: a vision of Mary Newbury, a young woman driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It is an image of a life about to change radically, as Mary defies all accepted norms — embracing independence, love, and loyalty to a Native American community that accepts her as one of their own. The two women’s lives are separated by almost four hundred years, but they are linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers — powers that Mary seeks to ensure that the rest of her story is told.


To enter:
1. You must follow this blog.
2. You must live in the US or Canada.
3. You must be 13 or older.
4. You must fill out this form.


This contest ends on January 9 at 11:59 PM. Winner will be announced the following day. Be sure to check out the other blogs in this contest!

January 2011 Reads

I've been getting a lot of requests recently to read and review books, which is very exciting to me. And I'm trying to reach my 100 books in a year goal, which I've successfully completed the past two years. So I'm trying to plan my reads out a bit to fit in books I've been asked to review.

I'm still trying to finish ASH by Malinda Lo. I've been reading it for a while now. Which is sad, because it's really an amazing book. I just need to make time for reading. And I'm really looking forward to HUNTRESS coming this Spring.

I also need to finish House of Night book 7, BURNED by PC and Kristin Cast. I seem to finish each book, just as the next one comes out.

One of the first books I'll be reading in January is by my favorite author. COUNTERFEIT MAGIC is the second novella Kelley Armstrong has done with Subterranean Press. This one features Paige. They may run out at any time, as it's limited, so order yours now.

The fourth book to one of my favorite series recently hit shelves. MY SOUL TO STEAL by Rachel Vincent looks to be fantastic. I love her use of lore with the bean sidhe. If you haven't read them, check out MY SOUL TO TAKE first.

A book that I was asked to review is called LOGIC OF DEMONS: THE QUEST FOR NADINE'S SOUL by H A Goodman. It's gotten good reviews, so I'm excited.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE is a classic tale I hope to read this month. I read the first of Lewis Carroll's Alice stories last month.

Another book I've been asked to review is SOLID by Shelley Workinger. This looks to be an interesting read. It's paranormal YA, but seems very different from anything I've read. Hopefully, I can figure out how to download this to my new iPad.

THE IRON DAUGHTER by Julie Kagawa is on my list of books to read in January. I started it before a signing with Julie, but didn't get very far. I miss my Puck.

THE POISON EATERS by Holly Black has been on my shelf since it's release. It is literally the only thing of hers that I have not read. So I want to get that done this month. I miss her writing and needs something to tide me over until RED GLOVE.

The last book I hope to get to is NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer. I feel like it's a crime that I haven't read this since I got an ARC months before it came out.

And for my book club, I need to read HALO by Alexandra Adorenetto. I got this one for Christmas!

I also hope to pick xxxHOLiC back up. I read the first five manga, and have the next nine on my shelf. I need to reread and then keep going. So if I get all of those books read, I'll be 10% of the way to my goal, and that's not counting the manga. Wish me luck!

Darkest Mercy Contest Winner!

Congrats to...

Andy Mendoza!!!

Book Review: Luna

If you have yet to read LUNA by Julie Anne Peters, you need to grab this one asap. It is one of the best books I've read in 2010. And the sad thing... it sat on my shelf for a few years. I decided to pick it up when a friend of mine started reading it.

It's about a brother and sister, Liam and Regan. Only... Liam isn't a boy. Not really. Her name is Luna, and she was born in a boy's body. Transgender. And this is the story about her coming out and becoming her true self. Though it is told from the sister, Regan's POV, I still got a good sense of Liam/Luna's situation, feelings, wants, needs, etc...

This story was beautifully told with a good mix of comedy that kept me from crying the entire time. Underneath Luna's "coming out" is Regan, trying to live a normal life, despite her families dysfunctions. She falls for a boy, and their romance is enjoyable, heartwarming, and quite funny. That intersperses with Liam's difficulties at becoming Luna and flashbacks which clearly show Luna for who she is even at a young age.

I have a friend who is going through the same thing as Liam/Luna and another friend with a different situation but has similar difficulties. Reading this book has helped me see a bit better what they have to go through. And I can honestly say that it isn't fair. The fact that it is almost 2011 and there are still people who are not tolerable of those who are different. I really hope that this book will open eyes to those who can't accept others' differences because the person inside is more than just what you see.

I really can't tell you how much I like this book without fangirling, so go pick it up and see for yourself.

Synopsis:


Regan's brother Liam can't stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister's clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam's family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen's struggle for self-identity and acceptance.