In My Mailbox #15

Idea hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie

For Review

Tuck by Stephen R Lawhead, Published by Atom on 4 February 2010

From Carolyn @ Book Chick City

Secrets at St Judes Drama Girl by Carmen Reid

Bought

The Boyfriend List by Emily Lockhart

Screwed by Joanna Kendrick

A Bad Boy can be good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre

Hope you all had a wicked week, and happy reading :-)

UK ARC Tour - 13 to Life by Shannon Delany

So, as many of you know, I have read 13 to Life and it is an amazing novel, I love the characters and the storyline is so original and a fresh rake on the werewolf lore. I can't really say much more, in case of spoilers, as the book isn't released until June.

This is where the fun happens guys, because I have been speaking with Shannon a lot recently about how to promote the book in the UK, and also for other UK bloggers to have a chance of reading the book. After reading it, I was even more excited about what June will hold, and being able to share the werewolf love with my UK blogger buddies.

Okay, if you want to be involved in the Uk blog tour I have arranged with Shannon, either shoot me an email with your name and blog url, or just post a comment right here. You just need to have an active blog. This is a fab idea right?! and a great big massive THANK YOU to Shannon for helping to arrange this!

Here is a little bit about the book for you all:

Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.

Here is a little more information about the amazing author Shannon Delany

13 to Life - A Werewolf Tale Blog

Shannon's Website

Follow Shannon on Twitter here

Hope you all get involved and love the book just as much as I did! :-)

Waiting on Wednesday - Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published by Egmont USA
Published on 11 May 2010
Pre-Order on Amazon here

Pack life is about order, but Bryn is about to push all the limits, with hair-raising results.  At the age of four, Bryn watched a rabid werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by Callum, the alpha of his pack. Now fifteen, Bryn's been raised as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule (mostly). Little fazes her.

But the pack's been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum's orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her mom and dad come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It's Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

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I don't think I actually need to describe just how excited I am for this book, and you probably all know why.  Wolves, they are like cake and coffee, they never fail to make me feel good.  I will never tire of them and I wish all my favourite authors would write books about wolves, because I would just explode from happiness.  This book looks brilliant.  Hell, Melissa Marr has said on Goodread's this is the best werewolf YA book she has ever read, and that is an endorsement you cannot ignore, even if you don't like wolves, which in my eyes is pure blasphemy.  May, can you please come real soon, ta very kindly.

Review - Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Published on 12 November 2009
Published by Dutton
Order on Amazon here

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

Hold Still is one of those books, you know, the one's that you absolutely adore but you struggle to put such amazingness into words.  It deals with suicide in such a way that you feel some connection to Ingrid, even though you hear about her from the memories of Caitlin.  You kind of feel through Catlins words and actions what it must feel like to loose someone as close to you as a sister, especially at such a tender age.

I only stared reading realistic fiction a few months ago, and this book makes me real glad that I gave it a try.  It's so so much about teen suicide, it's more about the effects it has one the loved ones you leave behind.  I will admit, at the beginning of the book I didn't like Ingrid, because I saw what the consequences of her actions were, how they affected someone so profoundly.  But as the book progressed, I sympathised with her, realising that things must have been extremely difficult for her to take her on life.

Also, this is one of the best character driven books I have read in a long time, the book relied heavily on character development and interaction.  I loved how you saw Caitlin progress through the different stages of grief, and how it was portrayed in a way that made it seem real.  You could see just how worried her parents were at her erratic behaviour following Ingrid's.  The interactions between her and the other characters was quite difficult and you could see how much she struggled to get back into normalcy.  

My favourite part was the journal entires by Ingrid which are incorporated into the design of the book.  They made her all that more real, and you could see the pain in the pictures she drew and the words she wrote.  It really upset me to see how depressed she was with her life and the hand she had been dealt.  It was really interesting to see how much Caitlin struggled with the truth laid out in the journal; that Ingrid had been sick and depressed for a long long time, and how her memories were now seen in a different light, because she presumed Ingrid wasn't unwell or had problems.

If you haven't read this book or maybe read to escape normal life, then you are missing out.  I would recommend this one to anyone who loves to read.  I promise, you will not be sorry.

In My Mailbox #14

Idea hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and hosted by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie

Review

Lex Trent Versus the Gods by Alex Bell

Gift from Jenny

Killing God by Kevin Brooks

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Magic under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

The Traitors Game by B.R.Collins

Betrayals by Lili St Crow

Bought

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Vamped by Lucienne Diver

The Boys Next Door  by Jennifer Echols

Eternal Kiss Anthology by Various

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Broken Soup by Jennifer Valentine

Percy Jackson and the Titan Curse by Rick Riordan

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you by Ally Carter

Received from Author

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Hope you all had a wicked week just like me :-) Happy Reading Mon Pip's xoxo p.s I love you Dia, yours truly, UK Rebel

UK ARC Tour - Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Hey everyone!! I am helping organise a UK tour for Jennifer Murgia's debut novel, Angel Star. Here's a little bit about the book for you all to have a nosy at:

 

Published on 18 May 2010

Published by Lands Atlantic Publishing

Seventeen-year-old Teagan McNeel falls for captivating Garreth Adams and soon discovers that her crush has an eight-point star etched into the palm of his right hand-the mark of an angel.

But where there is light, dark follows, and she and Garreth suddenly find themselves vulnerable to a dark angel's malicious plan that could threaten not only her life, but the lives of everyone she knows.

Divinely woven together, Angel Star takes readers on a reflective journey when one angel's sacrifice collides with another angel's vicious ambition in a way that is sure to have readers searching for their own willpower.

Sounds fab right? So, hey all you UK bloggers, do you want to read this lovely before everyone else?? Yeah, I thought so, so here's what you have to do.  You can either leave your name and blog url in the comments (please, no email addresses due to privacy, any left will be at your own risk), or you can shoot me an email to 1lovessam(at)gmail(dot)com with your name and blog url.   The stipulation is you need to have to be based in the UK and have an active blog.  To keep the waiting time down for everyone involved, we are limiting the number of people involved to ten, to make it fair.

If you want to get to know the author, Jennifer a little bit more you can visit her website right here and also follow her on twitter here.

And thanks everyone, hope all you Brit's will get involved in this :-)  And, thank you to Jennifer for arranging this, you rock!!

Review - Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Published on 4 January 2010
Published by Griffin US
Order on Amazon here

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard - falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High...until vicious rumours about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been 'frozen out' and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumours are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend...if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first. Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion.

Being the designated sucks royally and being the only sober one out of a group of annihilated friends sounds like a riot.  That's why Regina hates it, the parties are never fun to begin with, even if you down as many drinks as you can.  But trying to find your drunk friends and get them home safely doesn't sound like something dangerous, or does it? 

Regina finds her best friend Anna, the most popular girl in school, passed out drunk in the basement.  Anna's boyfriend is there, Donnie, but even though he is as drunk as Anna, he can hold his own.  Things start to go horribly wrong when he forces himself on Regina and this sets in motion the events that destroy Regina's so called friendships and spirit.  Instead of calling the cops, Regina goes to the only persons house who didn't go to the party; Kara.  They decide to keep it a secret because Regina wants to stay friends with Anna, so the attempted rape goes unreported.  Well, you see, Kara decides Regina doesn't deserve her place by Anna's side.  Monday morning comes as a shock to Regina, she's been frozen out.  The Fearsome Fivesome is now the Fearsome Foursome. Can someone who has destroyed lives of others in relentless tirade of attacks, survive senior year in one piece alone, if she is the target?

I have never read a book about bullying, it's not something I have thankfully ever experienced nor witnessed, so I was a but dubious to read this one.  Yeah, I've watched movies about the most popular clique in school coming down hard on everyone who gets in their way.  I just presumed this was something that was hyped up to be more than it actually was.  Yes, I realise bullying is a big issue, I just never really realised how bad bullying can get, how the emotional bullying can hurt just as much as the physical.  How one human being can make the lives of others seem worthwhile and not worth living.

This book is a no holds barred tale about severe bullying, how the social structure in high schools can really damage some people, maybe irrevocably.  Even though some of the scenes were hard to read, I couldn't look away.  I can't stop thinking about this book, it's left a mark on me that only I can see.  What I want to know is this, how can people get away with treating others so badly, how can they not realise what they are doing is morally wrong, do they realise that high school is just that.  School; a place you go to learn, get yourself ready for the real world, make some life long friends.  Not destroy people until you kill their spirit.

And this is where Courtney Summers skill lies; making the characters so lifelike and believeable, you'll be shouting at the pages in horror.  The horrors of the extreme lengths some people go to just keep on unfolding, and the only question I asked myself is, why? Regina is a bitch, there's no denying it, and yet I loved her.  Does this make me a bad person, or someone who can sympathise with someone who has made mistakes, and realises the damage she may have caused.  I'm thinking it's the latter.  Even though she continues to plot revenge on her ex-friends and even though she makes some uncalled for moves, I was always certain that she was sorry, actually sorry.  

I loved how her friendship with Micheal developed, you could tell from the word choices and dialogue used, just how much he resented her for who she was and what she used to stand for.  It was almost subtle how you could see his hatred for her develop into empathy, even though she brought this on herself.

Kara; I can't write this review without saying just a little something about her.  I hate this girl.  I hate her with all abandon.  It's an all consuming thing.  I want to drag her out of the pages and kick the crap out of her.  I want to knock some sense into her stupid little head.  I want to scream at her until my throat hurts.  Maybe this makes me as bad as Regina, or maybe as bad as Anna, but seriously, this chick is a bitch with a great big massive capital b.

This is a book that is so complex and a true reflection of what some teens go through every day.  Everyone should read this book, in fact, this would be perfect for high school students to read, because maybe they would realise that being mean doesn't get you nowhere, but being kind can carry you where ever you want to go. I am a fully fledged Courtney Summers fan girl, now, where's my pom poms.

Waiting on Wednesday - Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Idea is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Published on 6 April 2010

Published by Dutton Books

Pre-Order on Amazon here

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

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Okay, so this sounds amazing.  If I haven't already told you, I am going to marry John Green, and I haven't even read any of his books yet, though I do own them.  He is v-logs on youtube crack me up and I just love him, it's all consuming.  And plus, David is like a legend, right? I started reading his book Love is the Higher Law and his writing is beautiful.  This book sounds like it's going to be EPIC

Review - Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Published on 17 July 2008

Published by Hodders Children's Books

Order on Amazon here

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!,” a break-up song that's so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi. Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

When Audrey breaks up with her wanna be rock star boyfriend, little does she realise that later on that night, at a performance in front of an A&R gut, he hits the big time with a song about her.  Not about how nice she is, or what an awesome girlfriend she was, no, he sings about their break up and how she broke his heart.  The song rockets to number one in the charts and soon Audrey's life is turned upside down.  Her outfits are scrutinised and copied, her love life hits the headlines, but all she wants to be is a normal teenage girl.  A girl who can go out on a date without being photographed, a girl who can listen to music so loud and dance so hard without worrying about it being caught on film.

Obviously, this causes problems for Audrey.  How does she deal with her new found crush on James, the quirky music minded guy who works with her at the Scooper-Dooper, or her celebrity obsessed best friend Victoria? As a nation who is obsessed with the lives of the rich and famous, gossip magazines fly off our shelves with total abandon.  So, it goes without saying that when rumors spread about Audrey, her crush James, and her ex Evan…….things go off with a bang.

First off, Robin Benway has amazing taste in music, and her passion and zest for it shines out of the pages.  You can tell just how much she loves music by the way it's expressed by Audrey.  She really shows you how much music can influence peoples lives, and how important music actually is to some people.  Being a massive music fan myself, I really connected to Audrey.  She was witty and one step ahead of everyone in the cool stakes.   Her voice really stood out and thought to myself not once, I would love to have this girl as my friend.  She made me laugh out loud, giggle like a teenager and become so engrossed in her tale.

It really tells the tale of what being an unwanted celebrity must feel like; one minute your a normal girl with boy problems, the next your "that" girl who broke someones heart, your while life on display for all to see.  I think this was a really unique tale because in todays society people would do literally anything to get famous, and get famous fast.  You see what becoming a reluctant star can do to you and how it can affect your mundane lives.

I loved reading about Audrey's problems, the hilarious moments where I just could see miles away what was happening, but Audrey had her head in the clouds, or her ears jammed with earphones.  I am so glad that the UK rights for this book sold, and I hope more people pick this up off the self, I haven't laughed so much when reading a book in such a long time.  This is easily one of the best YA books I have read in a long time.

In My Mailbox #13

Idea is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie

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Review 

13 to Life by Shannon Delany - Published on 20 June 2010

Suspicion by Kate Brian - Published on 4 February 2010

Everwild by Neal Shusterman - Published on 4 February 2010

Bought

Once Dead Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Love Aubrey by Suzanne LeFleur

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Mentions

The Awesome Shannon Delany

The 13 to Life Blog

Book Rock Star Jenny @ Wondrous Reads

HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY JENNY

Hope you all had a fabulous week of books, books and books :-)

Review - Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Published by Puffin (UK)
Published 4 February 2010 (UK)
Pre-Order on Amazon here

In Ethan Wate’s hometown there lies the darkest of secrets . . . There is a girl. Slowly, she pulled the hood from her head. Green eyes, black hair. Lena Duchannes. There is a curse. On the Sixteenth Moon, the Sixteenth Year, the Book will take what it’s been promised. And no one can stop it. In the end, there is a grave. Lena and Ethan become bound together by a deep, powerful love. But Lena is cursed and on her sixteenth birthday, her fate will be decided. Ethan never even saw it coming.

My love affair with this book began last September, when the lovely publicists at Puffin sent me a review copy.  However, I first became aware of the book after a recommendation from Cassie Clare, during one of her author chats.  To say I was hooked is an understatement, I was so intrigued and very nearly put off by the fact it had two authors.  I mean, how can two people write one book? Is that even plausible? Yes, I can hear you shouting at me, there are loads of good books with two authors, and Beautiful Creatures is no exception.

Ethan Wate lives in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina, where nothing of interest ever happens. He isn’t sure what he wants to do with his life, but one thing he does know, he wants to leave Gatlin as soon as he can. Even with a box full of college brochures under his bed, he doesn’t know what college he wants to go to, only that it is as far away from Gatlin as possible. Yes, Ethan is the protagonist, which really surprised me, but boy did it do wonders for the story.  
Over the summer Ethan has been having recurring nightmares about a strange girl calling his name, pleading for him to help her. Ethan, trying to help her, but always the same, the girl slips out of his hands and falls into the darkness. His dream lingers, leaving the faint scent of rosemary and lemons behind. Who is this girl? And why does he feel such a profound loss when she falls out of his reach?  
Ethan prepares for another dull year at high school, the same classes and basketball practice, with his best friend Link. But Ethan is in for a shock, because a new girl has moved into town, living with the reclusive Macon Ravenwood at Ravenwood Manor, the town ghost house. Her name is Lena Duchannes, and with a flash of recognition, Ethan realises it’s that girl. The girl who has been in his nightmares, the one he always tries to save but can never keep a strong enough hold onto her.
Lena and Ethan are drawn to each other, but mystery surrounds Lena wherever she goes. Soon Ethan is dragged into Lena’s world, where danger and magic have set up a permanent residence. Their love story is one so profound, I found myself envious of their relationship. Kami and Margaret kept the pace of the romantic scenes at a perfect level, with just enough satisfaction to see you through to the next.  
The characters were so well formed, it was like they were there with me, telling me their story, not through words, but with images and snapshots. Their writing style is truly breathtaking and the praise they have received is well deserved. Even the dialogue and characters behaviour stayed true to the books Deep South setting. Even the secondary characters were memorable. Link, Ethan’s best friend has got to be my favourite. I loved how much he cared about his friends, how he was willing to sacrifice what all teenagers want; acceptance, to stay true to his friendship. I’m telling you, the world would be a much better place if everyone was a little more like Link.  
A story richly woven with mystery, magic and love, this book will have a special place on my bookshelf when I buy my shiny finished copy. The main thing I took from this book is how the choices we make can change the future of not only our lives, but the lives of those we love. I am in awe of the way they brought this story to life, especially for their debut novel.

Waiting on Wednesday - Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison

Published by Sleuth Razorbill
Published on 18 March 2010
Pre-Order on Amazon here

Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.  When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty. When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek? The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

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I think the cover to this book is absolutely stunning, though it does look more like an adult novel than a YA one, but maybe thats just me.  Plus, the storyline sounds so intriguing, who is Derek and what secrets is he hiding? I will say it's a bit cliched for the girl to meet a hot guy, and have her best friend profess his love for her, but this is a storyline that is a guaranteed hook.  Nothing like a love triangle to get things going.  I'm really looking forward to reading this one.

Review - My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

Published - 4 January 2010
Published by Bloomsbury
Order on Amazon here

The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.

Vampires; mythological creatures who "live" by feeding on the life essence (aka blood) of living creatures (humans for most, animals for the sparkly kind).  I think we all need to thank Bram Stoker for bringing these mythical creatures into our lives, because like them or hate them, they are most certainly here to stay.  So, even if I prefer wolves, I can't resist the lure that vampire books present.  But, for those of you dubious about vampire books, this one will suprise you, because for me the vampires in the book didn't take centre stage, the human did.

Solange and Lucy are best friends, however, they couldn't be more different. Solange is fast approaching her sixteenth birthday, but she has more on her mind than planning her sweet sixteenth.  Any normal fifteen year old would be worrying about what her crush thinks of her, of if her new sweater goes with that cute skirt she already has, but not Solange, she has to worry about her transformation into a vampire.  It doesn't help that she's the first female born vampire in 800 years, or that there is a prophecy that she will be the future vampire queen.  None of this actually matters because the vampire hunters the Helios-Ra and the followers of the current queen are hunting Solange, who has a hefty bounty on her head.

I read this book in one sitting, its the perfect length and the writing is really simple.  The story is more about the characters than the plot line, which was quite predictable, but also quite satisfying.  The story is told from the joint perspectives of both Lucy and Solange; even though they are best friends in the book, they are so completely different.  I didn't care so much for Solange as a character, I never connected with her as a character, and felt not much time had been put into the development of her character and the motivations behind her actions.  Lucy however was the star of the show, even though she is the only human character.  Also, Solange's family were a nice addition, though I found myself forgetting who was who when it came to her brothers, the only one that stood out was Nicholas, but thats because he plays a pivotal role in the story.

Vampire fans will love this book, the characters are kooky and sometimes even funny.  I would have liked for more background knowledge of the family, and more references to their early roots.  The fact that Solange is in the midst of a prophecy, she belongs to one of the oldest vampire families in the world, and may overthrow the queen is skimmed over in a matter of a few paragraphs. Because we start the story with Solange being a teenager, she is already aware of the prophecy and the events that followed, however, us as readers never witnessed this.  I do feel it would have made the actions of all the characters more understandable if these events were covered at the beginning of the novel, setting the scene for everything that followed.  And like any other vampire YA novel on the market, a love story is a given, though I won't go into any detail in case of spoilers.

The political issues the vampires are dealing with in the book are well thought out, and are a welcome addition to the story.  I did enjoy this book, but its not a book I would recommend to fans who are not really into vampire stories.  I do think it will quensh the first of die hard vampire fans, but its a little too lack lustre to people who are skeptical about this particular genre.

In My Mailbox Hiatus

So, most of you will know from y previous post that I went to the seaside this weekend for my Grandaddy's 60th birthday. I honestly do not even know how I am still in one piece because I have never laughed so hard in all my life. My Nanna and Grandaddy rolled upto the joint in what I can only say are the best outfits I have ever seen; they wore fancy dress outfits!!! It wasn't even a fancy dress party, but they thought it would be funny to dress up. And guess what they dressed up as?? Cleopatra, the one and only Queen of the Nile and him, as a Confederate Solider with a sword!! Once the camera has been found and the pictures uploaded, I will show you the beauty of OAP's in fancy dress; your lives will never be the same again!

So, this brings me to the IMM hiatus, because its 9pm and I only just got home, so it looks like I don't have time to post it this Sunday. But oh well, because this means next week I have loads of goodies to show you.  I leave you with this photo, because this perfectly encapsulates how I feel at the moment!

Seaside Giggles

So, I am going to the beach this weekend with the whole family.  It's my Grandaddy's 60th birthday and we're throwing him a surprise birthday party this Saturday night.  I expect it will be fun and more than a little embarrassing.  Family and alcohol are both wonderful things, but when you mix them together, it forms a recipe that not even Gordon Ramsey could tackle.

I am showing you a glimpse into my inner nerd, because I got asked a question today and that question is; "Your not taking any books with you, are you?" to which my response is:-

I dare you not to laugh! I dare you, because when people ask silly questions, I laugh at them.  Remember this should you ever want to ask me a silly question.

Oh, and the books I'm taking are Everlost and Neal Shusterman, because it's game for a fun time, just like moi.

To Write or Not to Write

So, a lot of you may not know, some of you may.........I've wrote a book.  Well, it can't really be classed as a book yet because even though I have it all saved on MacBook Sammy, it probably won't see the light of day for a long long time.  Mainly because its really not that good at this point in time, but, hopefully, this will be the year that I tear it to pieces and maybe make some good progress.  I've got past the hard part, I've got the story all written out, I know where I want my characters to end up and I know how they get there. 

So thinking about writing got me thinking about all the other aspiring authors or not yet published authors out there in the blog world.  There are lots of sites and blogs I visit on a regular basis, mainly for writing advice and reviews.  Some of them are under appreciated, even though the content they post is so exceptional, I want people to stand on the top of the highest mountain and shout just how good the advice and reviews they are posting really are.  I wanted to share a few blogs that people need to visit more often, because, really, you will thank me in the long run.

My first writing blog, which I visit every time a new post is published is a blog run by my very good friend Danielle.  Yeah, i've not met Danielle in person, we're as good as friends can be that are separated by an ocean or two.  BUT, we email all the time, and if my novel is ever upto the point where I want to share it with others for the criticisim and advice, she is the one girl I know I could trust would give me a honest and valuable response.  Her blog is

www.redandyellowsocks.com

She publishes posts around 3 times a week, and they are always well thought out and always spot on.  You should check out some of her flash fiction and short stories, they are amazing and she will be a brilliant author one day.  She has a degree, hence she is very clever, plus, she spends time between Chicago and Australia, which is as awesome as hot dogs.  This is what Danielle says about writing:

"Writing is the constant character in my life. Writing pursues me. During high school, I wrote with teenage angst, treading on darkness and despair. During college I fell in love with short stories.  Now, I'm writing novel length manuscripts as well as short stories to keep my brain from shriveling up.  When I've considered giving writing up (in my self-loathing moments), writing reminded me that I write now with dreams of publication but with the desire to create something that changes me."

Go visit her blog, seriously, this chick is crazy good.

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Okay, so here is the part where I admit what a blog stalker I am, yeah, I go to her blog every single day.  She is represented by Curtis Brown and is currently writing a YA trilogy, the first of which is called Lharmell.  She posts well thought out posts about how to deal with submitting your work to an agent, how to deal with waiting back from an agent and how to cope when you do have an agent.  Her posts are always thoughtful and I always take something away from them.  She is going to be one of Australia's biggest authors, you can tell from the writing styles she uses on her blog and the time she puts into her posts, that her novel is going to be amazing.  I can't wait for it to get snapped up and to be laying on bookshelves across the globe.  Plus, she writes reviews for books too and is a massive dystopia fan (yay!).  Check her out right here

http://rhiannon-hart.blogspot.com

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Another writer you need to keep you eye on is the one and only Liz De Jager, who is a fake Brit, but we'll let her off with that.  And guess what, she has a short story which will be published this year in The Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romance, under the psedonym of Liz Muir, for all adult published fiction.  Liz also has a wicked cool book review site, which is one of the best book review sites to come out of the UK.   She runs the blog with her husband Mark, and they host lots of good competitions and review lots of books from the YA genre.  You can find Liz right here, where she talks about writing and stayed motivated

www.lizdejager.co.uk

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If you do not know who Karen Mahoney is then shame on you.......you know Eternal Kiss the Anthology......well you know Moth....yeah?? well!!! she created her.  Plus, she has a book being published next year called The Iron Witch and it's sequel The Wood Queen, which sold to Flux.  If you have never checked out her blog, then you need to do it right away.  Her posts are always witty funny and informative and I can't wait to read her debut novel next year.  Plus, if her LJ icon is anything to go by, then I suspect she may be Wonder Woman......and you can expect a tattoo post very soon, or so i've heard...

http://kaz-mahoney.livejournal.com

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And last but no means least we have the lovely Chelsea from Page Flipper.  For those of you who didn't know, Chelsea has wrote a book, a real book which has a tenative release date for fall 2010 going by the title Rae.  Chelsea is big in the book blogging community, and her posts are always funny and the discussion posts are always fab to join in with.....the Team Peeta / Team Gale post and the Labyrinth vs Twilight posts are my personal favourites.  If you haven't check our her book blog, please do and also the website which her book will be published for as well.....

www.louderthanwordsbooks.com

http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com

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Okay, so thats it from me, just spreading the book/writing blog love, because these blogs deserve to be visited by everyone, and if not, then you are commiting a crime, a crime against the book gods.  Do you want that on your consicience? No?? me neither, so what you waiting for?



EDIT - I am working on my writing goals....I pinky promise