Spellcaster Blog Tour!!

I am super excited that today I am a stop on the SPELLCASTER Blog Tour! A huge thanks to Cara Lynn Shultz and Kismet Book Touring for letting me be a part of it, and share with my followers the second installment in a great YA series!

First up, a bit of info about the book: From Goodreads

Finding your eternal soulmate - easy. 

Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…

After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....

But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.

Purchase SPELLCASTER on Amazon B&N Indiebound

And a bit about the author herself:

Cara Lynn Shultz’s love of supernatural writing began when she was 7 and wrote a play about ghosts, which she and her friends acted out on her grandparents’ porch. Since then, her work has appeared in Teen People, Alternative Press, Stuff, InStyle, Us Weekly, The Guardian UK and countless posts on Facebook and Twitter. She is a proud graduate of Fordham University and is currently a senior editor at PEOPLE.com. Cara lives in her native New York City with her husband, tuxedo cat and 8 million other people. Spellbound is her first novel.

Find more on Cara at her Website Goodreads Facebook Twitter

And now, as a special treat for my lovely followers (that's you!), a guest post from the male lead in the SPELLBOUND series, Brendan Salinger!

Hey Jamie! Thanks for having me back—so I guess I'm picking a theme song for Angelique, huh? This is kind of tough, I won't lie. I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever Angelique picked for me is something really offensive, like Ludacris's "Area Codes" or LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It." I know what she thinks of me. It's something even worse, isn't it? Can't someone give me a hint what she picked for me? Is it Bieber? If it's Bieber just…cut my ears off. Please.

Even though I'd love to pick something funny, I promised myself that I wouldn't go with a song that Angelique would find offensive. It would make Emma unhappy—and that wouldn't exactly be the most respectful thing I could do. So I'm not even going to pick something pop because I’d never hear the end of it. Although, you have to admit, how funny would it be if I made Angelique's theme song something by Britney Spears? Or Ke¢ha?

So, I'm going to remember that Angelique is one of my girlfriend's closest friends and even though she and I aren't exactly about to hang out or share inside jokes, we've reached something of an uneasy truce. Truthfully, the animosity has always been more on her side than on mine. I honestly thought it was cool that she rose above the whole social caste system at Vince A. And then she started making my life difficult.

So I'm going with a song that I think Angelique can relate to. It's not from The Nightmare Before Christmas, even though I'm sure she'd probably love it and already knows all the words. (Come on, Jamie. You know she does.) I don't think she listens to a lot of punk rock—but she should. She prides herself on being anti-establishment, anti-conformity—hell, she goes to extra trouble to make sure that she doesn't fit in. So, I thought she would like this song, and relate to the music.

"Role Model" by H20. This is from their 2001 album, Go. A lot of people complained about this being on a major label but this was an awesome album. Anyway, it's all about feeling discontented by the world around you, so you resolve to make your own way, kind of cut your own path through life. I figured Angelique would appreciate the sentiment. She does her own thing, and I respect that. And if she hates it, sorry Angelique. Maybe I should have picked a Britney song instead.

Haha! I laughed out loud several times, Brendan...nicely done! Brendan is the best, really. I had the pleasure of doing a live chat with him for the SPELLBOUND tour last year, and he is a real riot. You can view that post here if you'd like!

And here's the video for the awesome Role Model by H20!

Now, on to the good stuff--the giveaways!

Cara has been super kind in offering the followers of each tour stop the chance to win not one but two prizes! (she's too sweet!)

Simply follow the rafflecopter at the bottom of this post for a chance to win a final copy of SPELLCASTER! (a copy is being given away at each tour stop, so visit them all!)

Cara is also offering up the coolest prize EVER--an iPod Nano, complete with a wicked cool SPELLCASTER skin! Look at it...

Isn't that awesome?! Man, I wish I could win it! At the end of the tour a Rafflecopter will be up at the tour stops where you have to enter a question concerning one character of SPELLCASTER. Follow the Tour and you'll be able to answer the question easily!

Tour Dates:

Tour kick off - Harlequin, Paranormal Blog

Monday  March, 19th - My Cute Bookshelf 

Wednesday, March, 21st - Mundie Mom's

Friday, March, 23rd -  VerbVixen

Monday, March 26th - Book and A Latte

Tuesday, March 27th -Book Birthday! - a href="http://readmebookmarkmeloveme.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Read Me, Bookmark Me, Love Me 

Wednesday, March 28th - Miss Page Turner's City of Books

Friday, March 30th - writers write, right? 

Monday April 2nd - Alice Marvel's

Wednesday, April 4th- Paranormal Wastelands

Friday, April 6th - Fiktshun

Visit the SPELLCASTER Tour Page at Kismet Book Touring for more info.

It's YA Scavenger Hunt Time!

I am so so SO excited to be a part of the YA Scavenger Hunt hosted by Colleen Houck! I stumbled across the hunt last year and had a blast running through the long list of blogs, and am so happy that I get to be one of those blogs! And this time, it's bigger and better than ever!


Due to its popularity, the YA Scavenger Hunt has been split into three parts: RED, YELLOW and BLUE. Each part is a team consisting of 20 authors--which means that you could win 60 books! How cool is that?!

And I am on the RED TEAM! Remember...if you get lost at any time scouring through the hunt or a link isn't working, you can click here to keep going.


Today for my part of the hunt, I'm hosting the awesome Leigh Fallon, author of CARRIER OF THE MARK. I have some really cool exclusive content for you guys from the author herself, but first, a little about Leigh.


About Leigh: I was born in South Africa and grew up in Ireland. I worked in banking and finance for many  moons, and traveled all over europe in the process. I've now set up camp with my husband and four kids in the US where I write books about magical happenings in Ireland, and other fun stuff.

About CARRIER OF THE MARK: 

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.
You can purchase CARRIER OF THE MARK here!

And now, Leigh's secret content...the reveal of the title for BOOK TWO in the CARRIER series!!

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE TITLE AND SYNOPSIS

OF BOOK TWO!!

To continue with the Scavenger Hunt, go to Cindy Hogan's blog, where you'll find another amazing author with more exclusive content!

Oh, and you'll need this letter to help you unscramble the phrase to ENTER TO WIN the 20 books on the RED LOOP of the YA Scavenger Hunt. 

The secret letter: N

So go forth, meet new authors, find new books, view exclusive content, gather all the letters and enter to win! And be on the lookout for my exclusive content--a scene from my upcoming debut, BLOOD BORN!

And as a SPECIAL BONUS...if you simply comment on this post about how exciting this YA Scavenger Hunt is, I'll choose a winner and send you some exclusive BLOOD BORN swag (I have lots!)! So comment away, and I'll announce a winner on Tuesday!

HAPPY HUNTING!

Three Line Thursdays...Week 4!

Since I have officially passed the two month mark until the release of my very first novel (holy crap, it's less than 2 months!!), I thought that a really neat idea would be to give a few teases to you guys from said novel. Fun, huh?! Hold applause. (side note: it's now less than a month till release day--OMG!!)


So, I created Three-line Thursdays!


It's simple, really. Every Thursday between now and the release of BLOOD BORN, I'm going to tease you guys with three random lines from the book! I'll treat this just like Teaser Tuesdays, by turning to random pages and selecting three lines (take that, two-line Tuesdays!).

Chance kept my hand locked tightly in his, and as we headed out the doors and sprinted across campus, my mind drifted away from the lurking vampire and went to the tiny current of warm electricity I was feeling from him. Did all guys feel this way? I had no clue since I couldn't remember ever touching one before, but somehow I doubted it.

Waiting on Wednesday...SURRENDER!

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week's WoW pick is a sort of sequel/companion novel to a really cool dystopian that I thoroughly enjoyed (not to mention that it's written by a really cool author!) . It's full of tech stuff and action and young love...all the fixins! Please, if you haven't already, add to your TBR lists...

SURRENDER 
by Elana Johnson
pub date 6/5/2012


product description from goodreads.com


Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control… 

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque....

Doesn't that sound great? And I know that it's gonna be just as entertaining as POSSESSION! Hurry up June!

Tune in Tuesday: Book Playlists Edition #4!

Tune in Tuesday is a very cool feature created by the awesome blogger Ginger (or G, as I like to call her!) over at GReads!. It's rather pretty simple: Each Tuesday, post a favorite song/video for others to enjoy!


For the month of March, G has decided to tie the worlds of music and books together (like we all do constantly, right?!) by creating Tune in Tuesday: Book Playlists Edition (how cool is that?). So, for the next four weeks, choose a song from either a book's playlist (or maybe your own if you're a writer) or from your own playlist that happens to remind you of a certain book or book scene. Easy, peasy!
I decided that since a certain book comes out in a month from today (yes, it's mine. yes, I'm freaking out.), I'm going to take the month of March (and G's awesome book tie-in to Tune in Tuesday!) and showcase a few of the songs that inspired BLOOD BORN. Hope you enjoy!

Time is Running Out - Muse

Since this is the last week in the Book Playlist Edition of Tune in Tuesdays, I thought it fitting to showcase the song that inspired the leading lady in BLOOD BORN, Avaline Blue. Ava was the first character to come to me, and this song was attached to her. The title alone could explain Ava's situation and the feelings of urgency she has, but the words of the song really help tell her story. Plus, it's one of my all-time favorite Muse tunes!


A huge thanks to G for making March so much fun!

The OLDSOUL Blog Tour begins today!!

Hi guys! Just wanted to do a quick Sunday post to tell you all to check out the blog tour for my pal Dan Haring's debut YA novel, OLDSOUL! And that the ebook version releases TODAY--right here!!


The lovely Krista at Cubicle Blindness is hosting the event, and it's gonna be filled with guest posts from Dan, interviews and of course giveaways!


In case you haven't heard of it, here's a bit about OLDSOUL from goodreads.




Jason Gouvas doesn’t want to believe he has special abilities or that he's an Oldsoul-- a vessel for the souls of people who have passed away, but the dead girl in his mind can be very persuasive.

Her name is Erin, and through her Jason is able to access the knowledge and skills of the souls within him. And with a group of power-hungry immortals bent on destroying the Oldsouls and overthrowing humanity, he's going to need them all.



So please, head over to Cubicle Blindness and start following the tour!!

I'll be in the YA Scavenger Hunt!

I'm so excited that this year I get to be a part of the YA Scavenger Hunt hosted by Colleen Houck! For all the info you'll need to follow this awesome hunt, which begins March 29th, please visit the Scavenger Hunt Post on Colleen's website here!

Three Line Thursdays...Week 3!

Since I have officially passed the two month mark until the release of my very first novel (holy crap, it's less than 2 months!!), I thought that a really neat idea would be to give a few teases to you guys from said novel. Fun, huh?! Hold applause.


So, I created Three-line Thursdays!


It's simple, really. Every Thursday between now and the release of BLOOD BORN, I'm going to tease you guys with three random lines from the book! I'll treat this just like Teaser Tuesdays, by turning to random pages and selecting three lines (take that, two-line Tuesdays!).

The vampire was on top of her, his fangs inches from her neck and dripping deadly venom. She was doing her best to hold him off, but I could see through the haze of my concussion that he was inching closer and closer to her, and she was rapidly growing tired from trying to fight him. It would only be seconds before his teeth made contact with her skin.

Lucky 7: Peek at my current WIP!

Thanks to my friend Kate Avelynn, I was tagged in this cool new "game", Lucky 7! The rules? Very simple: 
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences, and post 
    them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 other victims--er, authors. ;P


Now, I suppose I could "cheat" a little and give you 7 lines from my upcoming debut BLOOD BORN (which comes out April 24th. Ebook out now! Yes, I plugged.). But I won't. I'm gonna play fair, and give you 7 lines from my current WIP (well, one of them), Book Two in The Blood Prophecy Trilogy...enjoy!


“Not yet,” he said, finally turning to face me. Even several feet away, and in the hazy dusk of the cemetery, I could see the pain on his face. “I can’t leave yet.” He lowered his head and just stood there, motionless. My heart went out to him as I’m sure waves of anger and rage and guilt swallowed him from the inside out. And there was nothing I could do to help him, no way for me to take that pain away. I was useless.


I hope you enjoyed that little teaser! And as for the other "victims"...here's two (I know it's supposed to be 7. Sue me!)

Mandie Baxter

Jessica Leake

Waiting on Wednesday...PRETTY AMY!

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on. 


This week's selection is a YA contemporary that I cannot WAIT to read! I love the cover, and the synopsis only makes it better. I've chatted a bit with the author via Twitter, and she's super sweet. And I know that her book is going to be a hit! So please, rush over to Goodreads and add to your TBR lists...

PRETTY AMY
by Lisa Burstein
pub date 5/15/2012


product description from goodreads.com

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

Doesn't that sound great? I'm so excited for May 15th!

Tune in Tuesday: Book Playlist Edition #3

Tune in Tuesday is a very cool feature created by the awesome blogger Ginger (or G, as I like to call her!) over at GReads!. It's rather pretty simple: Each Tuesday, post a favorite song/video for others to enjoy!


For the month of March, G has decided to tie the worlds of music and books together (like we all do constantly, right?!) by creating Tune in Tuesday: Book Playlists Edition (how cool is that?). So, for the next four weeks, choose a song from either a book's playlist (or maybe your own if you're a writer) or from your own playlist that happens to remind you of a certain book or book scene. Easy, peasy!
I decided that since a certain book comes out in a little over a month (yes, it's mine. yes, I'm freaking out.), I'm going to take the month of March (and G's awesome book tie-in to Tune in Tuesday!) and showcase a few of the songs that inspired BLOOD BORN. Hope you enjoy!

Bring Me To Life - Evanescence

For those of you who have read BLOOD BORN, you know how important Chance is. He's one of my favorite characters, and in the next two books, he really gets put through the wringer. But even before the story begins, Chance's life has been less than perfect. This song is sort of Chance's anthem, one he's kept to himself until Ava comes along. He feels an instant connection to her, and he wants her to bring him to life.

Review: WARD AGAINST DEATH

WARD AGAINST DEATH
Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer
by Melanie Card
pub date 8/2/2011


product description from goodreads.com


Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is.

But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.

However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…

My Review:

WARD AGAINST DEATH was quite a surprise read to me. I had seen the cover and read the description on the Entangled Publishing website a few months back and thought "Eh, doesn't sound like a book for me." (I typically don't read "historicals"). But then a friend on Twitter told me I should read it (she was insistent, actually, lol), so I picked up a copy. And I'm so glad I did!

WARD tells the story of a fourth-generation necromancer named Edward de'Ath (he goes by Ward. And incidentally, how cool is that last name?) who has the ability to wake the dead. He makes his living at wakes, giving families a final visit with the departed. He also does something else, but since it's such a huge part of the story I won't reveal it here. On a particular "job", Ward wakes Celia, who immediately denies being dead, but proceeds to take him on a journey through the streets and sewers of Brawenal City in search of her murderer. Over the next several days, both Ward's and Celia's lives are forever changed.

Ward is such an awesome character! He's funny and awkward and blindly naive when it comes to the way things work--which serves for some excellent storytelling. He constantly surprises both himself and Celia with some of the chances he takes throughout this book, and he even manages to come through for her on more than one occasion. He's sweet and a bit noble, and I found myself rooting for him to make it from the very beginning.

Celia is another great character, full of spunk and wit and some tougher-than-tough attitude, and she and Ward clash constantly--which also serves for some excellent storytelling! The romantic tension between them is obvious, but not in an annoying or overpowering way. You truly never know if they're going to end up together in the end, but you never give up hope.

My Rating

WARD AGAINST DEATH is a fun, exciting, suspenseful read that kept me turning the pages to the very end (I read it in a day). I happily give it 5 stars (as I've said before, Entangled produces nothing less!), and urge you all to pick up a copy and get to know Ward today!

TGIF at GReads!

First up: Don't forget that the Kindle version of my book BLOOD BORN is now on sale! You can get a copy right here! :)
The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her!) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in the fun!

This Friday's Question:

Social Networking:

Do you use Twitter or Facebook

to promote your blog?

How has it benefited
your book blogging experience?

This is a two-sided question for me. I absolutely use Twitter to promote my blog, but not so much on Facebook (I know I should be, though!). 

However, I use both Twitter and Facebook to promote my book (which debuts April 24th. You know, just in case you're interested. ;-P)

I firmly believe in social media as a way to reach out to not only other readers and bloggers, but also writers, publishers, agents and general celebrities (both in and out of the publishing world). Often times I think about how things were when I was a kid and teenager, when I would become obsessive over a book and its author (hello, R L Stine). I didn't have the option of signing onto a forum such as Twitter and stalking following said author; I simply had to imagine their lives through their books. On one hand, it was torture! lol

But on the other, it sort of helped fuel the mystery that surrounded them. I could imagine that an author spent their days toiling away at a typewriter (yes, I went there), churning out masterpieces on their first try. Now, thanks to the Social Media World, I know that couldn't be farther from the case. (I also happen to know this from first-hand experience, but that's a different post altogether.) 

Peeking into even the tiniest sliver of those people's lives has been both enlightening and encouraging, and I am a proud supporter of Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs!

Care to follow me? Find me on Twitter @byjamiemanning And on Facebook here!

And thanks to each of you who follows along on my blog! :)

Three Line Thursdays!

Since I have officially passed the two month mark until the release of my very first novel (holy crap, it's less than 2 months!!), I thought that a really neat idea would be to give a few teases to you guys from said novel. Fun, huh?! Hold applause.


So, I created Three-line Thursdays!


It's simple, really. Every Thursday between now and the release of BLOOD BORN, I'm going to tease you guys with three random lines from the book! I'll treat this just like Teaser Tuesdays, by turning to random pages and selecting three lines (take that, two-line Tuesdays!).

"Forever," he whispered. "I promise you that, Ava." Then he smiled at me, that perfectly charming smile that somehow always made me feel better."

Waiting on Wednesday...OLDSOUL!

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on. 


This week's selection is one I've already read, but I'm excited for it to be released so everyone else gets a chance to read it! It's written by a friend of mine (and fellow Pendrell Publishing author), but even without that connection, I'd still be pimping this book. It's well-written, humorous, exciting...you get the idea. So please, if you haven't already, be sure to add to your TBR lists...

OLDSOUL
by Dan Haring
pub date 4/24/2012


product description from goodreads.com


Jason Gouvas doesn’t want to believe he has special abilities or that he's an Oldsoul-- a vessel for the souls of people who have passed away, but the dead girl in his mind can be very persuasive.

Her name is Erin, and through her Jason is able to access the knowledge and skills of the souls within him. And with a group of power-hungry immortals bent on destroying the Oldsouls and overthrowing humanity, he's going to need them all.

I really enjoyed this book, and urge you all to pick up a copy when it releases on April 24th. And while you're book buying...check out a certain someone's debut that day, too! 

Tune in Tuesday: Book Playlists Edition #2!

Tune in Tuesday is a very cool feature created by the awesome blogger Ginger (or G, as I like to call her!) over at GReads!. It's rather pretty simple: Each Tuesday, post a favorite song/video for others to enjoy!


For the month of March, G has decided to tie the worlds of music and books together (like we all do constantly, right?!) by creating Tune in Tuesday: Book Playlists Edition (how cool is that?). So, for the next four weeks, choose a song from either a book's playlist (or maybe your own if you're a writer) or from your own playlist that happens to remind you of a certain book or book scene. Easy, peasy!


I decided that since a certain book comes out in a little over a month (yes, it's mine. yes, I'm freaking out.), I'm going to take the month of March (and G's awesome book tie-in to Tune in Tuesday!) and showcase a few of the songs that inspired BLOOD BORN. Hope you enjoy!

Do You Realize? - The Flaming Lips

This is one of my favorite songs, both for the music and the lyrics, and when the character of Aldric came to me, this was the song I heard. So much of it fits his personality and thought process, and showcases some of the pain and trauma he's had to deal with in his thousand plus years. Every time I hear it, he comes to mind.

Blood Born Trailer!

Check out the trailer for my debut novel, BLOOD BORN!

Review: PANDEMONIUM by Lauren Oliver

PANDEMONIUM
by Lauren Oliver
pub date 2/28/2012

product description from goodreads.com

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My Review:

Okay, I have to start by saying that I truly did enjoy this book. It was a nice follow-up to DELIRIUM, and I'm just as eager to read REQUIEM as I was this one. PANDEMONIUM is filled with excellent characters, creative plot lines and deep emotion.

But, there are a couple of things I actually didn't like about it. (I know, I know...please don't stone me to death!)

First off, no Alex. :(

That's right. The soulful, brilliant, charming Alex from DELIRIUM is all but non-existent throughout 99.9% of PANDEMONIUM. I understand the reason--a reason expertly shown through Lena's pain and heartbreak over her loss--but it didn't make Alex's absence hurt any less. One of the best things about DELIRIUM was the building relationship between Lena and Alex, and it was by far the thing I was looking forward to most in the sequel. So to say I was disappointed with this aspect is putting it mildly.

Second...the jump between THEN and NOW.

Don't get me wrong, I love when chapters alternate between characters or settings. And sometimes, even jumping from one time to another can be fun. But I was excited for the story to pick up right where it left off. Normally I don't even blink when the second book in a series jumps ahead (I do that myself in my own writing, so I completely get it) to move the plot to a more stable point for book two. But that final, heart-pounding, almost seizure-inducing scene in DELIRIUM was so intense and frantic and totally out of left field, I was desperate to find out what happened next. Unfortunately, we never got to "see". We were told through Lena's memories and pain (beautifully done, btw) of that fateful night, but the action and emotion I felt when I finished the last page of book one wasn't there. And I missed it!

Also, there was a time gap from THEN to NOW, which took some of the tension (IMO) from the THEN chapters. Kind of like when the main character begins telling their story with "This is about the night I almost died"or something similar. On page one, I know how the story ends...so why read it? (note: that did not happen with this book--I enjoyed every page!)

My Rating:

I know you're probably thinking that after such a downtrodden review, his rating is going to stink! Well you can rest easy...I happily give PANDEMONIUM 4 stars. Though a tad different in its style, PANDEMONIUM is still a beautifully written novel full of all the things that make fiction great. And as I said at the beginning of this review, I'm just as excited to read REQUIEM. Particularly after that final page! ;P

In which I make a pretty cool announcement!

I have been waiting for weeks for today's post. Mainly because I'm horrible at keeping secrets--even worse when those secrets pertain to me, lol. So to say I'm excited today is finally here is a MAJOR understatement.

I had completely planned on dragging this out by filling this post with junk just so you'd have to wait for my announcement.

But as I said in that first mini-paragraph, I'm horrible at keeping secrets. 

So I'll just come right out and say it.

I just signed a contract with Pendrell Publishing for my second series!!!! (you can read the press release by clicking on Pendrell's name above)

Look how excited I am!!

I seriously can't believe it. I'm just so happy that I get to share yet another story near and dear to me with all of you!

I can't say too much yet (publication is far off, so details are under lock and key, lol), but I can tell you that it is a planned trilogy. And I can tell you that it is YA dystopian. And I can tell you that the first book, GENERATION Z, is scheduled for release Spring 2014. 

There's also a tiny bit of info as to the plot in the press release, so be sure to click on Pendrell Publishing above to read it! (maybe I shouldn't put an exclamation point there, since it's a really short blurb.) (okay, it's one line. It's a one-line blurb...see, horrible at keeping secrets!)

Three Line Thursdays!

Since I have officially passed the two month mark until the release of my very first novel (holy crap, it's less than 2 months!!), I thought that a really neat idea would be to give a few teases to you guys from said novel. Fun, huh?! Hold applause.


So, I created Three-line Thursdays!


It's simple, really. Every Thursday between now and the release of BLOOD BORN, I'm going to tease you guys with three random lines from the book! I'll treat this just like Teaser Tuesdays, by turning to random pages and selecting three lines (take that, two-line Tuesdays!). 

Feeling his body wrapped around mine made my head swim. We stood like statues in the middle of the grassy knoll, kids walking around us, conversations about upcoming tests and weekend plans flowing in and out of my mind. I could feel Chance's heart beating deep in his chest, pumping blood through his veins.

Waiting on Wednesday..UNTOUCHED!

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.


Okay, so if you happen to visit my blog on Wednesdays, then you'll surely notice that today's selection has been a WoW pick before. But I just had to pick it this week because the author just posted the blurb and I got all giddy and excited again! So, as before, if you haven't already, please add to your TBR lists...

UNTOUCHED 
by Jus Accardo
pub date 3/26/2012


product decription from author blog


Until he met Dez, Kale’s days were filled with violence and death. He was used as a weapon of destruction by the power hungry men of Denazen. He’s a Six. A person with an abnormal ability. Some people call them gifts, but not Kale. Kale’s touch means instant death.

But now there’s Dez, the girl he can touch, and they’re hunting down Sixes and warning them about Denazen. Kale is learning about the world outside captivity and trying to put his dark past behind him. But they underestimated how badly Denazen wanted him back.

When Dez sacrifices herself to save the new Six they’d rescued from falling into the corp’s hands, Kale is lost. Denazen has brought out its best to get the job done. Samsen, a nightmare from Kale’s past—the only person he’s ever truly feared—has come for them, and it soon becomes obvious he has his own twisted agenda.

Kale will need all his training to get Dez back and ensure they make it out, free—and alive. But will it be enough?

Seriously you guys, if you haven't read TOUCH (the first Denazen novel), you MUST! It's such an awesome, well-written read full of excitement and Kale and danger and Kale...ahem. Go forth, mark UNTOUCHED as "to-read", and pick it up on 3/26!