Author Insight Introductions

Author Insight Round 7 begins tomorrow, and we have yet another great group of authors. Here's who'll be sharing their insights on reading, writing and publishing this time around... 

Elizabeth Eulberg, author of Take a Bow, Prom & Prejudice, and The Lonely Hearts Club. 

Huntley Fitzpatrick, author of My Life Next Door.

Barry Lyga, author of I Hunt Killers and The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl.

Sarah Maas, author of Throne of Glass.  

C.J. Redwine, author of Defiance. 

Margo Lanagan, author of The Brides of Rollrock Island and Tender Morsels.

Dan Krokos, author of False Memory. 

Jennifer Hubbard, author of Try Not to Breathe and The Secret Year.

Joy Preble, author of Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted, and Anastasia Forever.  

Cyn Balog, author of Touched, Starstruck, Sleepless, and Fairy Tale.

Kirsten Hubbard, author of  Wanderlove and Like Mandarin.

Cara Lynn Shultz, author of Spellbound and Spellcaster. 

Lauren Morrill, author of Meant to Be. 

James Preller, author of Before You Go. 

Katie McGarry, author of Pushing the Limits. 

Sarah Tregay, author of Love & Leftovers.

Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow and Bone. 

Martha Brockenbrough,  author of Devine Intervention. 

Janette Rallison (AKA C.J. Hill), author of My Fair Godmother, My Unfair Godmother, and Erasing Time. 

Lissa Price, author of Starters. 

Jessi Kirby, author of In Honor and Moonglass. 

Greg Leitich Smith, author of Chronal Engine.

Dayna Lorentz, author of No Safety in Numbers. 

I hope you're all as excited as I am about reading what the author's have to say. Make sure you stop by tomorrow to catch the first installment!

June ARC Giveaway

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Henry Holt and Co., 6/5/12

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
St. Martin's Griffin, 6/19/12

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

For Darkness Shows the Stars
by Diana Peterfreund
Balzer + Bray, 6/12/12



Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Struck Winner

Lily S.

Congratulations! I have forwarded your information along to the publisher who will send your copy of Struck out ASAP. Thanks to Macmillan for donating this prize and to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more giveaways.

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: April 2, 2011
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Series: Covenant #2
Pages: 320
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

As a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout, naturally I pre-ordered the paperback copy of Pure to go with my collection but when I found out that that it was going to be released early, I will admit to downloading a kindle copy on release day as I couldn’t contain my excitement!!!  Just to remind you about what’s happened so far, remember Alex’s mother who got turned into a daimon? Well, she might be gone but Alex is haunted by recent events, made worse by the fact that the attacks on Pure’s and Half Blood’s continue and this time, they’ve perpetrated the Covenants.  Everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.  In the midst of all of this, Alex is hauled up before the council to explain what happened and she’d better behave herself or she’ll have worse things than daimons to worry about!

 I’m going to start by saying that if Half Blood was Alex and Aiden’s book, I think that Pure is definitely Seth’s book.  If you weren’t in love with him before, you sure will be now!  He may be arrogant and cheeky but he does have a particular charm and don’t try to tell me that he just has an agenda, he DOES care about Alex otherwise he wouldn’t have held her hair for her whilst she barfed down the toilet or stayed with her for days when she was upset.  So there.  I have to say at this point that the swimming pool scene and the Orchid Brew scenes were two of my favourites from the book and it was AMAZING to read them from the guy’s point of view in other short stories released by Jennifer so go search them out!

That’s not to say that Aiden isn’t around of course but he’s backed off out of a sense of duty and responsibility towards Alex as he doesn’t want to see her hauled into servitude or worse.  Oh Aiden, what am I going to do with you?!  As Alex is training with both Aiden and Seth, spending time with them both ratchets up the tension levels a few notches and my oh my, I love a bit of angst.  Let’s not forget about the cryptic clues from the oracle about being with the one you love or the one you’re fated to be with.  Are they even the same? What’s a girl to do? 

Pure is an action packed sequel that does not disappoint and will leave you gasping for more, especially the ending with surprises you didn’t see coming and there WILL be consequences.  Overall, Pure was a very worthy sequel and I loved every minute of it. We’ll just have to wait for the next book to find out what happens! ARGH!

Torn by Amanda Hocking

US Cover

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
(UK: March 1, 2012)
Publisher: St. Matin's Griffin (UK: Tor)
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: UK Publisher
Series: Trylle #2
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story…

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.

As a special gift to readers, this book contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, “One Day, Three Ways,” set in the magical world of the Trylle.

UK Cover

Obviously, it goes without saying that if you have not yet read Switched (the first book in the Trylle series) which I reviewed here then do not go any further as you may encounter potential spoilers.

Torn is of course the eagerly awaited sequel to Switched and I devoured it just as quickly as I did the first book.  It’s just pure entertainment value and easy reading - and I mean that as a compliment.  Never in my life did I think I would enjoy a book about trolls! 

You may recall at the end of Switched that Wendy ran back home with her tail between her legs but guess what?!  SHE CAN’T STAY THERE and I’m sure that will come as a big shock to you all *rolls eyes*.  What I liked most about Torn I think is Wendy’s character development.  She starts accepting who and what she is more and more, even relishing in the role on occasion.  She develops a sense of duty as she comes to understand that the Trylle need a leader, a queen.  Speaking of duty, let’s talk about frustrating yet dutiful Finn who starts pushing Wendy away because he has nothing to offer her but banishment.  I get this, I do but ANGSTY ANGST, ARGH! You know? 

In the midst of it all, we have Loki, a young Markis from VIttra who tries to kidnap Wendy and bring her to the king whose interest in her is beyond political.  Amanda? THANK YOU for Loki.  I love a bad boy with a cheeky chappy sense of humour and he certainly fits the bill.  Loki and Wendy enjoy some flirtatious banter and this of course sets up a potential love triangle between Wendy, Finn and Loki but we’ll see about that ;)

Torn delves deeper into the world of the Trylle and I enjoyed learning that whilst we tend to think of the VIttra as the bad guys, let’s just say that it’s a little bit more complicated than that.

Torn is a very enjoyable sequel and I’m looking forward to Ascend (Trylle #3) which is out now! 

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine 

that highlights eagerly anticipated books.

---

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Release Date: September 25, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Author Website: http://www.genashowalter.com/

Pre-order: Amazon / IndieBound / Barnes & Noble

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.

I'd tell my sister no.

I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.

I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.

Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.

I'd tell them I love them.

I wish... Yeah, I wish.

Why can't I wait?
As a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland, when I heard Alice in Zombieland mentioned and Gena Showalter's name attached to it, I knew it was a must read. Plus, the White Rabbit Chronicles? Awesome series title!