My Absence

I've been a little unresponsive the last few days because I've been really ill. I'm hoping to pick back up reading and blogging soon after I've kicked The Plague from my system. I'll also be announcing the winners to all of my contests in a few days.

FCSS Week 4: Waiting on Wedneaday (22): Spirit Storm by E.J. Stevens

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to.

This is a wonderful chance for blogger to show off what's coming out soon that they are excited about! Every week my wishlist balloons thanks to this awesome meme.

Spirit Storm by E.J. Stevens

"Let the spirits guide you, but never let them take you."

Spirits of the Dead are coming...

Yuki is about to face an army of lost souls on Samhain, the night of Halloween, when the spirits of the dead roam free. Yuki will need all the help she can get from her friends. But will Calvin be there for her when she needs him the most?

She Smells the Dead has been on my wishlist for a long time and is still one that I plan on purchasing in the near future. I loved the first novel's cover but this one is even better. I can't wait for Spirit Storm to be released!

Spirit Storm is released in 2011.

Did you do a sequel for your Wow? Post it up here (as well as the other place of course. This is just for points all week)

FCSS Week 4: TEAser Tuesdays (19): Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

" At the mention of the devil's angels, the hairs on my arms rose.

He snapped his head back towards the forest, straining his neck. "The angel!" he whispered in a panic. "The angel is coming!"

His mouth twisted into distorted shapes and it looked like he was fighting for control of his own body. "

--Pg. 84-85 of "Crescendo" by Becca Fitzpatrick

So what's your teaser?

If you did a teaser for the sequel you are reading, please link up here too!

FCSS: Fantasy Casting for Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Week 4: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

This is the last week to get into the action! So here goes nothing!

Nora- Brown curly hair, smart, tends to be a pushover when it comes to Patch. An average girl.

Emma Stone- Funny, smart and beautiful, I think Stone would add an extra umph to this character that would really bring her to life. Nora feel a little flat for me on the page but Stone has the on screen charm to make her work.

Nina Dobrev- I've always liked her starting from her days on Degrassi. She was also so vibrant on t.v. and she proved that by making a role for herself after her Degrassi debut. Now Elena in The Vampire Diaries, I think Dobrev would be a great choice for Nora though I'm not sure if I'd love to see her play this role since she's already Elena.

Patch- Dark hair, tanned skin, tall, muscular usually in black clothing.

Zac Efron- He played a pretty troubled guy in Charlie St. Cloud and was REALLY good at it. I think he'd be a great choice for Patch and I'd like to see him expand his "good guy" persona for something a bit more dark.

Ian Somerhalder- He plays the smokin' Damon on Vampire Diaries and I think he's be a good choice for Patch because the characters aren't to dissimilar. He was the vampire we all loved to hate at the beginning and now he's in the running for Elena's heart.











Vee-Blonde hair, curvy figure, loud and very loyal

Hilary Duff- Why not? I think she'd be a great person for this role. She likable and she's grown into a her curvy figure. I say she'd be great for the role!

In My Mailbox (18)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren that encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!

This week is the special Christmas edition and man do I have a mailbox this month.Be prepared for my largest edition yet. I don't usually go crazy and buy a ton of books every week. But for Christmas, I get to break lose. So here's what was under my tree!

Books for gifts:

• Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
• Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block
• The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
• The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
• The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
• Rosebush by Michele Jaffee
• Undead Much? By Stacy Jey
• Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
• The Hollow by Jesscia Verday
• Crusade by Nancy Holder

I'm also a movie buff so I got a bunch of movies. Here are a few...

Add up all this plus a bunch of clothes and lotion and I'd say I made out like a bandit. I can't thank my family and friends enough.

So what did you get on this special edition of in my mailbox?

FCSS: Week 4: Book Intro "Crescendo" by Becca Fitzpatrick

Welcome to everyone who is joining in for this month of sequel excitement! This is the last week to read your sequels for this month so hang in there! The last sequel off my shelf is Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Summary from Amazon.com:

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.


The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?



Crescendo is the sequel to Hush,Hush.


What are you reading for the final week?

FCSS Week 3: Book Review: Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

Ascendant (Rampant #2) by Diana Peterfreund

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006140024
ISBN-13: 978-0061490026
Source: Bought at Books-A-Million
Cover: This cover looks amazing with the first and I really like it. The serene look on the model's face, the fact that she looks like Astrid is described and the addition of the sword for emphasis on her warrior roots all work great together. I also really like the light pink lettering because it goes well with her pale skin, light eyes and fair hair.
First Sentence: "In ancient times, royalty hunted unicorn for sport."

The Mini-Review: This novel is not for the faint-hearted.

Book Summary:

Astrid Llewelyn is now a fully trained unicorn hunter, but she can't solve all her problems with just a bow and arrow. Her boyfriend, Giovanni, has decided to leave Rome, the Cloisters is in dire financial straits, her best friend's powers seem to be mysteriously disintegrating, and Astrid can't help but feel that school, home and her hopes of becoming a scientist are nothing more than impossible dreams.

So when she's given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and put her skills to use as part of a scientific quest to discover the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants-- or can she? At Gordian headquarters, deep in the French countryside, Astrid begins to question everything she thought she believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and--most of all--her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns or saving the unicorns from the world?

The Review:

I've been sitting on this one because my feelings about this novel are very, very complex. After this paragraph, I'm going to be going in depth and spoiling things so for those of you who don't want anything spoiled here's what you should know. I enjoyed every last page of this novel, the writing was excellent and I had my same wonderful characters from the first novel and a few new ones to love or despise. However, I felt really unsatisfied with where this novel went because it felt like it erased what happened in the previous installment and I didn't feel it had a resolution. So I personally wish I stopped at the first one.

Astrid's back and her situation isn't any brighter than the last time we saw her. The thing I loved about Rampant was that no one side was actually "right". I cringed while Astrid learned to hunt because she was killing an animal that was just hunting itself out of instinct and wasn't innately evil. Yet, if she didn't innocent people would die. So what was she to do? On top of that, I wanted her cloister to continue on and prosper and as we find out in this next installment, it hasn't. Out of money and out of options the cloister is falling apart at the seams. This is one of the things that makes Peterfreund such an exceptional writer. She doesn't give herself an easy plot solution. There is no "right" way to go and she never pretends there is. It's usually choosing between the lesser of two extremely unfair situations and sticking with it. This novel is no different.

Astrid is still a strong hunter at the beginning of this novel but without any real direction now that the company funding the cloister is gone, she's sort of stuck in this role. So she is able to get out. I really enjoyed her growth through the beginning of this novel. Her viewpoint wavers and she finally starts to truly sympathize with Phil's work. She also realizes that Phil's campaign will cost humans their lives and can't  turn her head. But it isn't an easy decision. She even has to start to wrestle with the price science makes the animals pay as she is put in charge of a group of einhorns (best described as the a typical white unicorn) and starts to know each one personally. This growth was extraordinary and it was nice to see Astrid flourish in many levels. However, Astrid's growth is stunted completely when she becomes irreversibly brain damaged.

So let's get this part over with then. It was a gutsy and very risky move to give the heroine of this novel (known for her brains and for being a very strong kick ass female character) brain damage, effectively taking away the things I personally loved about Astrid 75 percent of the way through the novel. As far as tastes go, I really didn't like this development because it robbed me of this character I loved and I felt the ending didn't do a good enough job of at least making me feel satisfied (I'll go into this in a few paragraphs). BUT I understand some of the reasons why Peterfruend did this and I respect the decision. After all, this is not my novel to write and nobody knows where the character's journey should take them accept the author. As for the reasons, I decided that Astrid's path has always been a complicated one and there wasn't going to be a much happier ending for her. Not only this, but in taking away her ability to really reason, the reader really gets to see how the transformation she made in the past 75 percent of the novel really shook her to her core. She was changed so much that even when she was no longer working "right" she still made the best decision she could based on what she learned in this novel. That's quite a statement.

I liked that we got to see where the rest of the characters went too. Cory was always wonderful and while her journey was never tied up, I was glad she found happiness. Phil was just as hard working as ever but I was sad to see her light dulling as the responsibilities began to overwhelm her. Astrid's mother was quite a surprise. Not only did she go right back to being the worst mother in the world, she took the title even further in this novel which I did not think was possible. So hats off to her. I was glad to meet Isabeau who embraced Astrid for who she was. Though Isabeau did some bad things, I don't think she was any more or less of a villain than everyone else in the novel. To make her the villain, you must make everyone else a villain too. 

I think the thing that really bothered me about this novel was it seemed to take everything that happened in the first novel and throw it out. We lose Giovanni after working so hard to stay with him, Mom goes right back to the same, we find The Remedy but can do nothing to recreate it and even Astrid's evolution of becoming a hunter is moot after she's brain damaged. It sort of felt like to me that there was no point in even having a first novel if we everything is reversed in this second one. I guess, I'd have felt more satisfied if some things had coincided with the first novel.  The ending left me worried about Astrid. I truly felt that she wouldn't be alright on her own and so to close the novel and abandon her, like everyone else in her life, just felt wrong to me. 

So to sum this up, it has to be a good novel to have evoked such a long-winded review and intense feelings for me. The writing was smooth, Astrid's voice was strong and I had no idea where the story was going. However, because it felt like the entire first novel was erased and because of where the novel went, I was left feeling unsatisfied. I am wholly on the fence. There were things I saw in this one that I loved in the first and things I really didn't like as well. But sometimes, that's how it has to be to stick with you. I'd say, read at your own caution.

Rating: 

FCSS Week 3: Playlist for "Ascedant" by Diana Peterfruend

1) Unbreakable by Fireflight- This is Astrid's theme song. Everyone in this book betrayed her but she is a warrior. She relies on herself to live and nothing can bring her down when she finally sees her own strength. This song absolutely represents her

Here are the lyrics:

Where are the people that accused me?
The ones who beat me down and bruised me
They hide just out of sight, can?t face me in the light
They'll return but I'll be stronger

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Sometimes it's hard to just keep going
But faith is moving without knowing
Can I trust what I can't see to reach my destiny?
I want to take control but I know better

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Forget the fear it's just a crutch
That tries to hold you back
And turn your dreams to dust
All you need to do is just trust

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

God I want to dream again, take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time I'm not scared
Now I am unbreakable, it's unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

2. I Don't Think That I Love You Anymore by Hoobastank- It stinks but first loves sometimes come to an end. I feel like this song fits Astrid's mind frame perfectly.




3. Moving To Seattle by The Material- This is another one that really fits the lessons Astrid learns in this novel. When everyone else disappoints you, you can still turn inward to find strength.





The Lyrics:
I can smell it on the pavement, 
it's about to rain.
And you can feed me all the pills you want, 
but you cannot stop the pain.

Am I forcing my hand to write this down? 
Today is the day I finally realized 
That I can't rely on anyone except myself.

So you think you understand me... 
You're so anxious to evaluate.
Maybe I'm well, maybe I'm fine, maybe I'm in love...

Am I forcing my hand to write this down?
Today is the day I finally realized 
That I can't rely on anyone except myself.

Don't just stand there, it's about to rain. 
You were never one to worry. 
Maybe my dreams are just more interesting than my reality. 
All this time... See it through my eyes


Am I forcing my hand?
Am I forcing my hand?

4. Privilege by Incubus- This is definitely a fitting song for all the hunters towards the rest of the world. Most people don't have the burden of fighting unicorns and can give themselves fully to those they love. For the hunters, and Astrid in particular, there really is no choice. It's his or let people die.





The Lyrics:
Isn´t it strange that a gift could be an enemy?
Isn´t it weird that a privilege could feel like a chore?
Maybe it´s me but this line isn´t going anywhere,
maybe if we looked hard enough, we could find a backdoor.
(find yourself a backdoor).

I see you in line, dragging your feet
you have my sympathy.
The day you were born, you were born free.
That is your privilege.

Isn´t it strange that the man standing in front of me
doesn´t have a clue why he´s waiting, or what he is waiting for?
Maybe it´s me, but i´m sick of wasting energy.
Maybe if i look in my heart I could find a backdoor.
(Find yourself a backdoor).

I see you in line, dragging your feet
you have my sympathy.
The day you were born, you were born free.
That is your
That is your privilege.

(Find yourself a backdoor).

I see you in line, dragging your feet
you have my sympathy.
The day you were born, you were born free.
That is your privilege.

I see you in line, dragging your feet
you have my sympathy.
The day you were born, you were born free.
That is your privilege.


5. Again by Flyleaf- This is the part in the end where Astrid has to start over. She has to make the tough decisions. This is her theme song.





The Lyrics:
I love the way that your heart break.
With every injustice and deadly fate.
Praying it only be new.
Living like it all depends on you.

Here you are down on your knees again.
Trying to find air to breathe again.
Only surrender will help you now.
I love you please see and believe again.

I love that youre never satisfied.
With face value, wisdom, and happy lies.
You take what they say go back and cry.
You were so close to me that you nearly died.

Here you are down on your knees again.
Trying to find air to breathe again
Only surrender will help you now
I love you please see and believe again

They dont have to understand you
Be still
Wait and know i understand you
Be still
Be still

Here you are down on your knees again
Trying to find air to breathe again
Only surrender will help you now
The Flood gates are breaking and falling out

Here you are down on your knees
Trying to find air to breathe
right were I want you to be again I love you please see and believe
Here you are down on your knees again
Trying to find air to breathe again
Right where I want you to be again
See and believe.


So hears my soundtrack to Ascendant after reading it. What do you think? What are your picks?

Matched Giveaway (US Only)

Today's the last day to enter my giveaway for Matched by Ally Condie! Don't forget!

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa Giveaway

This is a series I'm getting for Christmas so I want you to join in the fun! The Iron Daughter is the second in The Iron Fey series.This is US/Canada only. Winners will be drawn by a random number generator.

Rules:

• Fill out the form below
• You may only enter once
• Must be 13 years or older
• Must be a follower
• This is a US/Canada only
• Giveaway ends January 7th

Create-A-Sequel Challenge Giveaway over at Book Infinity

For part of First Come, Second Served Month, Ava over at Book Infinity is hosting super a giveaway challenge. All you have to do is create a sequel for one of your favorite books! The winner gets to choose from a huge list of books! Definitely take a second to check it out!

FCSS Week 3: Waiting on Wedneaday (21): Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to.

This is a wonderful chance for blogger to show off what's coming out soon that they are excited about! Every week my wishlist balloons thanks to this awesome meme.

Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers

When secrets and old histories come to light, Frannie realizes that nobody is who she thought they were. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Some are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell's grasp.

And not everyone will get out of it alive.

I love this new cover and the first novel really intrigued me. It's in my TBR pile right now and I know without a doubt that I'll be getting the sequel.

Original Sin is out July 5, 2011.

Did you do a sequel for your Wow? Post it up here (as well as the other place of course. This is just for points all week)

Time for a quick thank you...

Might seem a little backwards but it's Christmas time and I'm thinking about what I am thankful for. The list is pretty endless but I'll do my best to include as much as I can think of...

My cats-

That's one of my cats on top of my head while I'm blogging

I'm thankful for my cats because they always love me, no matter how I look or feel. They are constant companions who can always make my day brighter.

My family-

My husband, me, my mom and my little brother

My dad and stepmom

My family-in-law

I'm thankful for my family. Without them I wouldn't have strength.

My (almost) health- Without it, I wouldn't be going anywhere. I've learned that very well these past few days of being sick with a cold.

My Job- It came when I most needed it and I love it and all the people that I work with.

My writing- Though I've been on hiatus trying to adjust to my new job, it's still my first love. I can't wait to start back up in the new year with a brand new story!

My blog- And that means all of you followers! This has been one of the most interesting adventures I've ever taken and I've met so many wonderful people along the way. From the publishers to the commenters, I couldn't have done it without you all!

The Authors- Thanks to the ones I've read, the ones I've interviewed, the ones I've looked to for inspiration, the ones wrapped tightly under my Christmas tree and all the ones I haven't discovered yet. It is because of you that my passion might someday turn into a real novel in my hands. All of you paved the way and let me into your imaginations to discover worlds and people I never even dreamed about. That is quite a gift!

But most of all, I'm thankful for...

My husband

His junior prom, my sophomore year. The time when it all began.

Our wedding, almost a year ago

Because he is my heart and soul. It's been a wonderful year of marriage and almost 8 happy years together. Without you, I am nothing!

So what are your gifts this Christmas?

Interview with Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder & Desires of the Dead

Interview with Kimberly Derting


I was lucky enough to snag an interview with Kimberly Derting. Her novel The Body Finder has gotten excellent reviews on Goodreads and the upcoming sequel Desires of the Dead is a highly anticipated read of 2011. Not only is all that great, but she's such a pleasure to interview!

1) Did you originally plan for The Body Finder to have a sequel?

                  

I did! I even had Desires of the Dead partially written when The Body Finder sold, so thankfully my publisher agreed.  

2) What do you think are some of the drawbacks (if any) of having a series? Reversely, what are some of the positives?

I suppose the drawbacks of a series are that not everything always gets resolved in a single book.  The positives are that you have much more time to spend with all of the characters.  Also, it’s kind of fun to look forward to the next book to see what happens.

   

3) What are some of your favorite YA series?

I don’t know if this is one of my favorite series yet, but I just finished City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (I know, what took me so long?) and I can’t imagine that I won’t love the rest as much as the first.  Also, the Wicked Lovely series and Beautiful Creatures.  I haven’t read Crescendo yet, but I loved Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.  And The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. 

Wow! This was a loaded question, I could seriously go on and on and on…

4) How did you choose the names Violet and Jay for your main characters? Is there a story or special meaning there?

Not for Violet and Jay, but I did use my friends’ and family’s first and last names (never together, though) throughout both books.  At the launch party for TBF, many of them wore The Body Finder shirts with their names or character descriptions on the back.  For example, one of them had the word “Floater” on the back of her shirt (I’ll let you figure out which character *coughdeadbodycough* she was!).  So fun! 

5) Was there anything cut during the editing process of The Body Finder that you were sad to see go? Was there anything added to the novel that you love?

There wasn’t anything cut that I didn’t (eventually) agree with, but I was thrilled when my editor asked for more of the killer’s POV chapters.  My twisted mind jumped all over that request! 

6) Is there a certain song or band that represents The Body Finder to you? What about for Desires of the Dead (if you can answer this)?

For the overall feel of the series, I really like Evanescence. They have this kind of haunting, melodic vibe that just feels like TBF and DotD to me.  But, there’s one song in particular ( Possum Kingdom by The Toadies) that I always associate with the killer from The Body Finder.  It feels very creepy, killer-y.

7) Many people have had a great emotional response to Violet and Jay's relationship. What are the important parts to you when writing a relationship and what makes Violet and Jay's so strong?

I think it’s important to take the time to develop characters so the readers can truly appreciate why they do the things they do.  Without that, I think it’s hard for a reader to feel connected to the characters.  For Violet and Jay, I really wanted the reader to see their strong friendship before anything happened between them.       

8) Can you tell us anything to expect about Desires of the Dead?

Drum roll please….

S o m e o n e    w i l l     d i e! 

Oh, and Jay & Violet’s relationship will develop.  HA! ;)

    

9) Anything else you'd like to say about The Body Finder, Desires of the Dead or about writing series?

Just that you rock!  Oh, and thanks for having me on your blog! 

Read some sequels and enter your review on the linky at the end of the week for your chance to win a pre-order of Desires of the Dead!