Monday Must Reads...TOUCH!

Monday Must Reads! is a feature I created to showcase books that I think you, well, Must Read! (ha!).

By the time you read this post, I will have finished reading today's selection. But even as I'm writing this, I am in love with this book! The two main characters are so well-written and fun and great, that all I wanna do is stop toiling away at the day job and read! If you haven't already, be sure to add to your TBR lists today's pick...



TOUCH
by Jus Accardo

product description from goodreads.com



When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.



Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.



Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.



A secret Kale will kill to protect.



Except, there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.



Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting the “Afflicted” and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Afflicted hell bent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.



A secret Kale will kill to protect.




Seriously folks, you want to read this book, trust me. Great action, cool plot, awesome characters. Winner! And the best news? It comes out tomorrow!! So be sure to pick up a copy, you'll be glad you did!

TGIF over at GReads!

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!

This Friday's Question:

Spooktacular Reads:

Which books do you consider
festive Halloween reads?
Which stories have chilled you
to the bone?

Excellent question, G! And how fitting that it's the Friday before Halloween. Did you plan that, G? ;) So, a list of scary, spooky, bone-chilling books? Why, my pleasure.

The first on my list is one that really scared me the first time I read it. And when I saw the movie? Forget it. It still freaks me out. It's none other than...

IT
by Stephen King

(I used the movie image because the clown creeps. me. out.)

Okay, so this book is a must for horror fans. It's creepy and scary and creepy and scary and...yeah, you get the idea. To this day, I don't particularly care for clowns. I trace that origin back to this book.







The Scariest Stories You've Ever Heard
by Mark Mills & Richard Kriegler

I know most of you probably have never heard of this book, or the sequels, but when I was a kid, this one scared the crap out of me! It's a collection of scary, creepy short stories all compiled for your reading pleasure. And I can remember being a bit freaked out at some of them!











Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley

This is right up there with To Kill A Mockingbird as one of my favorite books. It was required reading in high school, but I didn't mind, because it is such a great book! I know some people would classify it as horror, but to me it's just a great read with some scariness thrown in!








Like all of you, this list could have gone on for days and days. But none of us have time for that, right? What about you? Any books that scared the mess out of you?

Oh, and Happy Halloween!

Waiting on Wednesday: SPELLCASTER

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 choice is a sequel to a YA book that came out this past summer, and I cannot wait to read it! I love the cover, and the way it ties in to the first one, and the synopsis sounds so good! Please check out...



Spellcaster
by Cara Lynn Shultz
pub date 3/27/2012

product description from goodreads.com


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.



Agh! I can't wait to read more about Emma and Brendan! Hurry up 2012, hurry up!

Tune in Tuesday (10)...Soundtrack Edition!!

Today it is once again time for Tune in Tuesdays, a really cool meme created by my friend Ginger (or "G" as I like to call her!) over at GReads! This is a super fun meme that is filled with all sorts of music sure to give you a boost of energy and make you smile.

And G has gone one step further for the month of October, creating the Tune in Tuesdays: Soundtrack Edition!. I'm so excited about this, because songs only enhance movies in my opinion, and there are countless soundtracks that I love! Oh, and I'm like Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy...I think life would be so much more fun if it came with a soundtrack! :)

The soundtrack I picked for this week is one of my favorites--as is the movie it came from. It's one of those coming-of-age, angsty teen movies that for some reason I just loved. It really had no plot other than showcasing a group of teen coworkers through the course of their day, but something about it just inspired me. And the music is awesome!

Empire Records Motion Picture Soundtrack

And of course the most famous song from the movie (famous if you've seen the movie, probably not so much if you haven't), performed (in the movie only) by a familiar face...

Yes, it may be cheesy or ridiculous, but in this movie?

It rocked!

TGIF over at GReads!

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!

This Friday's Question:

Book Blogs That Make You Smile:

Pick 5 Book Blogs
you visit often
and think others should, too.

These types of questions are always so hard for me to answer, because there are so many blogs I visit daily! But, to narrow down to five book blogs...

Confessions of a Bookaholic - This blog is loaded with author interviews, book reviews/recommendations and some pretty awesome giveaways. If you are one of the few who haven't visited before, then hurry over and check it out. It's great!

Cari's Book Blog - I was lucky enough to meet Cari at ALA in New Orleans a few months ago, and she is super nice. And her blog is chock full of book reviews and recommendations that are sure to fill your TBR pile (cause, you know, that pile isn't big enough already!).

Wicked Awesome Books - This book blog is filled with outstanding reviews, IMM posts, author videos and teasers from books I'm dying to read. If there's a book you're curious about, odds are it's mentioned here.

GReads! - There's absolutely no way I can do a post about fave book blogs and not mention you, G! Seriously, Greads! is top-notch when it comes to book reviews and recommendations. I've read many a book based on Ginger's review (or her constant pressuring me to pick it up!) and I'm so glad she won my giveaway all those months ago, because I truly consider her a friend!








Mundie Moms - This blog was created as a tribute to The Mortal Instruments series, but has turned into a great place to find great books. The Moms are all about showcasing/reviewing/recommending YA books that I have come to love....so thanks for that, ladies!



So there's my pick of 5 Book Blogs that I visit often (mostly every day!), and that I think you should check out, too. And to all my friends who were not featured, you know I love ya! (I was trying to stick to only book blogs, not writer blogs, so Pam, Quita & Mandie...you know you ladies rock in my book!!)

Review: Going too Far/Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Going Too Far
by Jennifer Echols
release date 3/17/09

product description from goodreads.com

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

Forget You

by Jennifer Echols

release date 7/20/10

product description from goodreads.com

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them?

Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her.

Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

My Review:

I figured that since I read these two books back-to-back, I would review them the same way (yeah, I'm creative like that). So please excuse the length of this post...but I wanted to include the descriptions for each book so you all can read them and run out and pick up a copy like I did!

So, let's begin with Going Too Far, the first book by Jennifer Echols that I have ever read. GTF tells the story of Meg, an out-of-place girl stuck in a small southern town. Her only dream? To leave (I can relate!). But then, as tends to happen, she meets one of the best male leads in YA: Officer After. He's 19. He's gorgeous. And he's fallen for Meg big time. And Meg's fallen for him. Of course, neither will admit it at first. Which makes for really good reading for all of us!

With quirky writing and some steamy scenes (that I'm not going to reveal here, you'll just have to read the book!), Going Too Far was a fun read that kept me hooked until the very end. And after I turned the last page, I found myself thinking about what Meg and Officer After might be doing now...a true sign of a great book!

I happily give Going Too Far 4 stars. If you're a YA contemp lover who wants to go on a journey with great characters and great writing, I urge you to pick this book up today!

Forget You is another great Echols novel that I literally read right after Going Too Far (as in, I finished GTF and picked up FY five minutes later). It tells the story of Zoey, a teenager who fights to be perfect in an imperfect life. After surviving a car crash, Zoey's memory goes AWOL, and Zoey is left to try to piece together what happened. And we are left enjoying Zoey and her suddenly new-found romance with Doug (a contender for Best Male Lead in YA against Officer After, in my opinion!).

The story that unfolds is funny and touching and beautifully written, and like Going Too Far, it keeps you glued to the pages until the very end. And once again, I was dreaming of Meg and Doug after it was over, wishing for more!

I also am happy to give Forget You 4 stars, and have already bought three more Jennifer Echols books that I can't wait to dive into...come join the fun!

Waiting on Wednesday: BECOME!

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 that I just can't wait to read. I've chatted with the author on Twitter and she's so nice, which is icing for what sounds like an awesome read! My WoW pick is...


Become
by Ali Cross
pub date 11/11/11

product description from goodreads.com



Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.



When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—from something she’s never had before—a friend.



What she Becomes is neither light nor dark.



Neither good nor evil.



Something neither Heaven nor Hell expected.



Doesn't that just sound cool? And I love the name Desolation--awesome! Come on 11/11/11...hurry up!

Tune in Tuesday (9)...Soundtrack Edition!!

Today it is once again time for Tune in Tuesdays, a really cool meme created by my friend Ginger (or "G" as I like to call her!) over at GReads! This is a super fun meme that is filled with all sorts of music sure to give you a boost of energy and make you smile.

And G has gone one step further for the month of October, creating the Tune in Tuesdays: Soundtrack Edition!. I'm so excited about this, because songs only enhance movies in my opinion, and there are countless soundtracks that I love! Oh, and I'm like Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy...I think life would be so much more fun if it came with a soundtrack! :)

This week's choice is a bit old school I guess you could say. It's horror (well, horror to some. To me, it was just a really cool movie--that happened to redefine a genre), and was considered edgy in its time. And I'm sure you've all heard of it (or at least the movie). It's none other than...

Scream Motion Picture Soundtrack

Such a great movie that really did sort of reinvent the horror genre. Before, it was all about gore and scary monsters stalking people in woods or in dreams (holla to Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street!). But Scream brought forth the slasher flicks centered around hormonal, drinking teens who are really too dumb to survive a real-life killing. But hey, they had cool music. Like this song:

Youth of America - Birdbrain

This is one of many great songs from this soundtrack that every time I hear it I am instantly jamming...love it!

Monday Must Reads...SHATTER ME!

Monday Must Reads! is a feature I created to showcase books that I think you, well, Must Read! (ha!).

Today's selection is another one that came from a friend (that seems to be happening a lot lately!), so I think it's perfect to pass the love along even more. It doesn't actually come out until next month, so technically it could be my Monday Must Read and my Waiting on Wednesday! (but I won't do that to you...I'm not mean like that. Ignore that voice telling you I'm lying. I'm not mean.)

Today I recommend you all read...



Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi

product description from goodreads.com



Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.



The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.



Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.



In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.




I plan on doing a review for this book later, so be sure to keep an eye out for that. And when November 15th rolls around, make it a point to go pick up a copy of this book!

TGIF over at GReads!

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!

This Friday's Question:

Show & Tell:

Where do you grab a book
and get lost in it?
Show us your favorite spot
you like to read.

Honestly, I don't really have a favorite spot to read. Not really. I mean, I can read anywhere: lying in bed, sitting in a chair, lying on the floor, my car...it doesn't matter to me!

But I suppose that if I had to pick a place, it would have to be outside. But only twice per year--Fall and Spring. Nothing is better than sitting in the shade of a tree with a cool breeze blowing through and your mind lost in the pages of a book. I can literally sit there for hours (if people let me, which rarely happens).

If you've never tried it, please do. You'll love it!



not an actual tree I sit under, but you get the idea

Review: With or Without You by Brian Farrey

With or Without You
by Brian Farrey
Release Date: 5/24/2011
page count: 368

product description from goodreads.com


Eighteen year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik--whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year.



Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status. Davis is swept up in the excitement, but Evan is caught between his loyalty to Davis and his love for Erik. Evan’s lied to keep his two worlds separate. Now his lies are about to implode…and destroy the very relationships he’s been trying to protect.



My Review:



With or Without You is, simply put, astounding. It tells the story of Evan, a gay teen who is trying to find where he fits in the world, while dealing with some very emotional and life-changing events.

From page one, Farrey's writing grips you like a tool shed vice, squeezing and squeezing on your emotional self until you reach the popping point. Beautiful prose is blended masterfully with realistic, almost four-dimensional characters that I desperately wanted to see rounding the corner in real life. Evan, the MC, reminded me so much of my younger self in that he is a "peacekeeper" of sorts, trying not to ruffle the delicate feathers of his perfectly-proportioned life (I was so like that when I was a teen!). But nothing can stay as is, Evan learns, and the two parallel paths of his life come crashing into each other in a beautiful and heartfelt and painful way that almost had me in tears. My heart was lunging page after page, anticipating/dreading what I just knew was coming. Farrey hooked me, no doubt about it.

With our Without You is also filled with an intense cast of supporting characters. From Shan, Evan's somewhat controlling sister, to Davis, his broken and mad-as-hell best friend, this book isn't wanting in the flawed character department. But the one who stole the show, in my opinion, is Erik, Evan's seemingly perfect boyfriend, who takes Evan on a journey of self-discovery that reminded me of a car accident on the freeway: you don't want to watch, but you just can't look away.

Many times throughout this book, I was scared for these two and their future. Evan's concealment of Erik from the rest of his family and friends blows up big time, and Erik doesn't take it lightly. And the drama and tension and conversations between these two is so realistic I felt like I was eavesdropping on their relationship. Well done, Mr. Farrey, well done.

My Rating:

Only because it's the highest number I use am I giving With or Without You 5 stars. But believe me, this book far surpasses that. If you're a fan of authentic, flawed, pained characters forced to make decisions that could potentially destroy the life they've built, then you need to read this book!

Waiting on Wednesday: BREATHE!

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.

Today's choice comes from a Twitter friend of mine, who's amazing astounding cover was just revealed a few days ago to rave reviews. And the synopsis for the book only makes me wanna read it more. So please, rush over to Goodreads and add this to your list:



BREATHE
by Melanie McCullough
pub date 11/11/11

product description from goodreads.com




Life's hard. People make it harder. They tether you to them. Make it difficult to breathe, and damn-near impossible to leave...



Seventeen year-old Abby Rhoades knows this all too well. Born to a mother who could never love her and who vacillates between a sloppy drunk and a suicidal maniac, Abby's never had it easy. But Abby can swim. And Abby has a plan--win the state championship, earn a free ride to Penn State, and leave her small town and suffocating mother behind.



But then the body of Tom Ford, her mother's latest boyfriend and a man Abby adored, washes up along the shore of the Susquehanna River. His injuries suggest murder and suspicion quickly falls on Abby then on her best friend Garrett Scott, both of whom saw Tom the night he died.



They both know what happened that night, but neither one is talking. There's too much at stake and the truth could tear them apart.



Doesn't that just sound awesome? And HOLY COVERS, BATMAN!! This one seriously rocks. I could just sit and stare at it all day! I'm so, so thankful that the wait isn't a long one for this book!

Tune in Tuesday (8)...Soundtrack Edition!!

Today it is once again time for Tune in Tuesdays, a really cool meme created by my friend Ginger (or "G" as I like to call her!) over at GReads! This is a super fun meme that is filled with all sorts of music sure to give you a boost of energy and make you smile.

And G has gone one step further for the month of October, creating the Tune in Tuesdays: Soundtrack Edition!. I'm so excited about this, because songs only enhance movies in my opinion, and there are countless soundtracks that I love! Oh, and I'm like Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy...I think life would be so much more fun if it came with a soundtrack! :)

For Week 2, I've gone a bit darker than my choice last week. This week's selection is from a movie that came out a few years ago--back before the whole YA explosion (though it's totally YA, so I kind of consider it the start of it all!). It's none other than...

The Craft - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

This soundtrack is truly awesome. So many great choices of angsty, emotion-filled songs that just rock. Here's my fave:

Tomorrow Never Knows - Our Lady Peace

Isn't that awesome? I'm so thankful for the Soundtrack Edition, G, because I had almost forgotten about this song! Now I have one more I can listen to to help keep my mind in that angsty, teenage mode!

Monday Must Reads...WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!

Monday Must Reads! is a feature I created to showcase books that I think you, well, Must Read! (ha!).

Today's Must Read is one that my good friend @MandieBaxter recommended to me (and loaned out to me) and I couldn't be happier that she did. This book, simply put, ROCKS. Here's the synopsis so you'll know what it's about...



With or Without You
by Brian Farrey

product description from goodreads.com



Eighteen year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik--whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year.



Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status. Davis is swept up in the excitement, but Evan is caught between his loyalty to Davis and his love for Erik. Evan’s lied to keep his two worlds separate. Now his lies are about to implode…and destroy the very relationships he’s been trying to protect.



Trust me when I say that you want to read this book. Superb writing and heartfelt characters are just the beginning. Hurry and snag a copy today, and get lost (like I did) in the pages of Brian Farrey's gritty world!

TGIF over at GReads!

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!

This Friday's Question:

To Be Read:

How big is your TBR pile?
Which book keeps getting pushed
down the stack, but you keep
meaning to read it?

Thanks for putting us all on the spot, G! haha.

But seriously, if you're a book lover (I suppose if you're reading this you most likely are, which is awesome!) then you know all about the ever-rising TBR pile. If you're not a book lover, TBR means To Be Read (and also...why don't you love books? I mean look at them, they're so pretty and smell great and have awesome adventures and romance and horror and angst inside!). And I'm sure that like each of you it's insanely ridiculous how many books you have yet to read.

Currently my TBR list on Goodreads is 361.

361?! Come on, if I read a book a day it would take me more than a year to finish it. Oy. I mean, my TBR pile is so tall I had to install one of those flashing lights to warn aircraft. Yeah, it's massive.

And I'm also sure that like most of you, books do tend to get moved down the list (and to be fair, some get bumped up the list, right?) from time to time. I know that when I discovered The Hunger Games I had to move several books down the list, because I just had to read the next two books immediately. And that has happened countless times over the years.



So I don't know if I can pinpoint one book that keeps getting bumped down to the bottom of the pile, studiously working its way back to the top only to be bumped down again (that sounds like Book Abuse, which should totally be illegal--but I'm so glad it's not because I'd be in jail). One that comes to mind right now is Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, which I've had for a while now but I just haven't brought it out to read. I'm not sure why, since so many people rave about how great it is. But alas, I haven't read it.

And judging by some great books I've discovered lately that seem to have jumped right to the top of the pile, it may be a while before I actually do!*


*my apologies to Anna, Etienne and Stephanie, who I'm sure are all great.

Waiting on Wednesday: UNNATURAL

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 choice is one that is already out, but is currently on its way to me via Barnes & Noble...so I really am Waiting on Wednesday! lol

It's YA (naturally!), it's paranormal (dur), and it sounds really good! If you've never heard of it, please check out my WoW pick...



UNNATURAL
by Michael Griffo
pub date 2/22/2011

product description from goodreads.com



In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it’s a place filled with secrets. Just like its students…



For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he’s ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran’s enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he’s ever known.



But Michael’s only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire—part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy’s confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here—and a danger more powerful than he can imagine…


Vampires outcasting vampires? Oh yeah, awesome! Like I said this book (and the 2nd in the series) is already out and on it's way to me, so I can't wait to start reading it!

Tune in Tuesday (7)...Soundtrack Edition!!

Today it is once again time for Tune in Tuesdays, a really cool meme created by my friend Ginger (or "G" as I like to call her!) over at GReads! This is a super fun meme that is filled with all sorts of music sure to give you a boost of energy and make you smile.

And G has gone one step further for the month of October, creating the Tune in Tuesdays: Soundtrack Edition!. I'm so excited about this, because songs only enhance movies in my opinion, and there are countless soundtracks that I love! Oh, and I'm like Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy...I think life would be so much more fun if it came with a soundtrack! :)

To kick off G's Tune in Tuesdays: Soundtrack Edition!, I had to pull out the one that kick-started my writing career (well, the book did actually, but the soundtrack definitely helped!). Now, if you know me--or have read my bio on here--then you know that a certain book made me get off my rear and start trying to become published. And I am not ashamed to say that I love said book. And I am also not ashamed to say that I love the soundtrack that goes along with it!

So my choice soundtrack for today is none other than...

Twilight - The Motion Picture Soundtrack

If you've never listened to it, you should. It really does have some great music! And as a feature, I've chosen my favorite song from the album. It's very very popular amongst Twilight aficionados, but non-Twilighters like it, too! It is...

Decode - Paramore

I love this song, this video, the mood it creates...basically all of it! I hope you enjoy!

Monday Must Reads...TIGER'S CURSE!

Monday Must Reads! is a feature I created to showcase books that I think you, well, Must Read! (ha!).

I've only just begun today's selection, but I have to add it to the Monday Must Reads! list. The writing is excellent and pulls you in from the very first page and only gets better from there. With exciting characters and prose, I hope you'll enjoy...


Tiger's Curse
by Colleen Houck

product description from goodreads.com

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Face-to-face with dark forces, spell- binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

“. . . a sweet romance and heart-pounding adventure. I found myself cheering, squealing, and biting my nails — all within a few pages. In short, Tiger’s Curse is magical." -Becca Fitzpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of Hush, Hush

For fantasy, Tiger's Curse is one of the best. Go see for yourself!