Great Opportunity to Become Part of Entangled's List

Calling all bloggers!

Entangled needs you! 

This is a great opportunity for Book Bloggers to gain early access to some of Entangled's amazing titles!!! Visit here to see their amazing imprints and titles!

Got your attention? Great, now ask yourself these questions:

Do you have a blog?

Do you love to review books?

Do you want access to books before they release?

If your answer is HECK YEAH then you're the right blogger for the job! There are some requirements though:

Go to KATE'S BLOG here, (full instructions and rules can be found there) and where you will be required to do the following:

1. Add Til Death to your Goodreads TBR pile:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16129271-til-death

and

2. Leave the following in the comments section:

a. Your Name

b. Your Blog URL

c. Your Goodreads Name

d. Your Email Address

Best of luck to everyone and hope we all get to make "THE LIST"!

And hey! Don't forget to check out Kate's upcoming release, Til Death which comes out in June 2013 from Entangled Teen!!!

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

When Selena dreams a new boy will come to her small town, she is right, as usual. Only a few people know of her ability to dream the future, and she wants to keep it that way. What she doesn't dream about is his immediate hatred towards her… despite the crazy chemistry that sparks every time they accidentally touch. When Selena finds herself confronted with a creepy situation she quickly learns that there is much more to Dillan than she first thought. And the more she learns about his past—and his present—the more she discovers about her own abilities and how they might be connected much more closely than she had ever imagined.

Happy Reading!!!

ARC Review: Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Touch of Death
by: Kelly Hashway
Release Date: January 15/13.
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Source: ARC received from publisher
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

My Thoughts:

Really enjoyed this Zombiefest!

I was unsure first going into Touch of Death, at moments I kind of wanted to scream at Alex to just explain to Jodi what was going on, every time he'd say "we'll talk later" I was like NO, We'll talk now! haha, but once he revealed the truth behind her "ability" I couldn't put this one down. 

Hashway has put a unique spin on the popular Zombie genre by incorporating the myth of the 13th sign of the Zodiac (although I must admit I'm not very familiar with the myth of Medusa), I was none-the-less entertained with Hashway's use of it.

I really appreciated the unpredictability of Hashway's debut, I never knew where she was going to take us with each chapter, which helped to create moments of suspense throughout the story. There were a few scenes in this book that fans of THE WALKING DEAD would really love.

My heart went out to poor Matt, I was really sad with what happened with this character. But I really liked the build-up Hashway wrote, between Alex and Jodi, the sexual tension was spot on- and it doesn't hurt that they're both Ophi, so they don't have to worry about killing each other with each kiss (that really would put a damper in things). 

There's an element of mystery within the walls of the mansion that Alex whisks (yes I wrote whisks) Jodi to, to help her learn more about her "abilities". Someone's summoning souls to start a war, but who and why? Well you'll just have to read to find out! :)

If you enjoy a good Zombiefest with equal parts, romance, mystery and gore than give Touch of Death a try. I mean who can say no to zombie squirrels and deer?

Happy Reading!!!

Lisa McMann Blog Tour: Author Spotlight and Interview

Hey Everyone! I'm happy to have New York Times bestselling author, Lisa McMann visit the blog today, to answer some questions and reveal an excerpt from her latest release CRASH, which is now available for purchase here!

Here's a little information on Crash:

Crash
by: Lisa McMann
Release Date: Jan. 8th/13.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: ARC received from Publisher
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Timesbestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more shesees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 1:

One

My sophomore psych teacher, Mr. Polselli, says knowledge is crucial to understanding the workings of the human brain, but I swear to dog, I don’t want any more knowledge about this.

Every few days I see it. Sometimes it’s just a picture, like on that billboard we pass on the way to school. And other times it’s moving, like on a screen. A careening truck hits a building and explodes. Then nine body bags in the snow.

It’s like a movie trailer with no sound, no credits. And nobody sees it but me.

• • •

Some days after psych class I hang around by the door of Mr. Polselli’s room for a minute, thinking that if I have a mental illness, he’s the one who’ll be able to tell me. But every time I almost mention it, it sounds too weird to say. So, uh, Mr. Polselli, when other people see the “turn off your cell phones” screen in the movie theater, I see an extra five-second movie trailer. Er . . . and did I mention I see stills of it on the billboard by my house? You see Jose Cuervo, I see a truck hitting a building and everything exploding. Is that normal?

The first time was in the theater on the one holiday that our parents don’t make us work—Christmas Day. I poked my younger sister, Rowan. “Did you see that?”

She did this eyebrow thing that basically says she thinks I’m an idiot. “See what?”

“The explosion,” I said softly.

“You’re on drugs.” Rowan turned to our older brother, Trey, and said, “Jules is on drugs.”

Trey leaned over Rowan to look at me. “Don’t do drugs,” he said seriously. “Our family has enough problems.”

I rolled my eyes and sat back in my seat as the real movie trailers started. “No kidding,” I muttered. And I reasoned with myself. The day before I’d almost been robbed while doing a pizza delivery. Maybe I was still traumatized.

I just wanted to forget about it all.

But then on MLK Day this stupid vision thing decided to get personal.

Now please join me in welcoming Lisa to the blog!

1) Jules' narrative is full of wit and hilarity, what inspired you to write such a snarky heroine?

Jules and her siblings talk a lot like my husband and I and our two teenagers talk. We're a house full of snark. There's a line that Trey says during one of the Trey/Jules banters -- the one about Harry Potter and boobies. That came word for word from a conversation I had with my 18-year-old son.

 2) The ending of Crash left us with a surprising plot twist, can we expect more surprises in book 2?

I hope you will think of them that way! I am very fond of the surprising plot twist. And another surprise with book 2 (BANG) is that it'll be out this year too! Watch for it Oct 8. Did you see how I did that, not making you wait a whole year for the next one?

3) Will Jules and Sawyer's family ever sit down, all-together, for a fun Italian dinner?

I wouldn't bet money on this happening. But then again, you never know. :)

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and entertaining answers Lisa!

But Wait! Before you go, check out the cover for book 2 in McMann's Visions series, which will be available in October of this year!

What do you think? I love it, but I'm always partial to green (as I'm sure you can see from my blog haha)

Happy Reading!!!

Special thanks to Lisa and Simon and Schuster Canada for allowing me to participate in this tour!

Indie Review: Rainbird by Rabia Gale

Rainbird

By: Rabia Gale

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Source: e-copy provided by ReaWrite.com

Please Note: This is a novelle and, therefore, not a full-length novel.

She’s a halfbreed in hiding.

Rainbird never belonged. To one race, she’s chattel. To the other, she’s an abomination that should never have existed.

She lives on the sunway.

High above the ground, Rainbird is safe, as long as she does her job, keeps her head down, and never ever draws attention to herself.

But one act of sabotage is about to change everything.

For Rainbird. And for her world.

About the Author:

I break fairy tales and fuse fantasy and science fiction. I love to write about flawed heroes who never give up, transformation and redemption, and things from outer space. In my spare time, I read, doodle, eat chocolate, avoid housework, and homeschool my three children.

A native of Pakistan, I grew up in hot, humid Karachi. I then spent almost a decade in Northern New England where I learned to love fall, tolerate snow, and be snobbish about maple syrup and sweet corn. I now live in Northern Virginia.

Rabia’s Website – Rainbird on Goodreads – Rainbird on Amazon

My Thoughts:

Gale has penned one of the most unique worlds that I have ever read.

Rainbird starts off slow. In her narrative, Rainbird uses a lot of unusual names and terms and I found myself a bit overwhelmed, but once you get used to this, you truly grow to appreciate the environment that Gale has imagined.

In Rainbird, everyone dwells on and within a Dragon, they also live off of said Dragon- never would have thought to craft a setting such as this! The novella starts out with Rainbird discovering an crack/infestation on the third rib bone of the Dragon (a section she isn't suppose to be in) and the story begins to unfold from the ramifications of both these facts.

Readers will appreciate the multiple third-person-narratives of Gale's characters and the struggles Rainbird faces with her rough and heartbreaking upbringing. I appreciated her optimism despite all she faces (i.e. not truly fitting in anywhere).

While I prefer my YA to have stronger (or any) undertones of romance, I do believe that fans of Fantasy will truly appreciate the unique world that Gale has created in Rainbird.

Happy Reading!!!

ARC Review: Crash by Lisa McMann

Crash
by: Lisa McMann
Release Date: Jan. 8th/13.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: ARC received from Publisher
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Timesbestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more shesees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality.

My Thoughts:

O. My. Dog. A light, quick read with a suspenseful twist.

I read this one in one sitting. Crash is very different from McMann's popular Wake series in terms of writing style- I found it much easier to read from Jules first-person narrative. There's an element of suspense in McMann's latest novel- you know something tragic is going to happen, but you just don't know when.

I found Jules to be a very entertaining narrator, I truly appreciated her wit and she was very down to earth. Here's one of my favourite quotes from her narrative:

     ...we would meet under the slide and trade suckers from the candy jar each of our     restaurants had by the cash register. I would bring him grape, and he always brought me butterscotch, which we never had in our restaurant. I'd do anything to get Sawyer Angotti to give me a butterscotch sucker again. CRASH, p. 8-9

I also enjoyed the supporting characters of Crash, including Trey, Jules' super sweet older brother. McMann does a great job of writing a realistic sibling bond between these two characters, and I found the dialogue between these two very relatable to anyone who has siblings. 

I liked Sawyer as well, he's not book boyfriend material like Cabel but he's sweet and cares deeply for Jules (no matter what his family thinks).

I thought the Romeo/Juliet dynamic between these two was a little over-the-top, bordering on cheesy. The bad blood between Jules and Sawyer's family goes back a couple generations and both families are a bit dramatic with their hatred of each other, but it does help to add that extra bit of tension between these two lovebirds. 

Crash is a very quick read, much like McMann's other novels. What Crash lacks in action, it makes up in it's dynamic characters and suspense. After the way McMann left things off with Crash, I will definitely be reading its sequel when it's available.

If you enjoy Young Adult reads with a snarky narrative, sweet romance and a splash of paranormal, than give Crash a try.

Happy Reading!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: THE FIRST OF 2013!!! OF TRITON by Anna Banks

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

I LOVED OF POSEIDON, so it's really no surprise that  OF TRITON is one my most highly anticipated 2013 releases! I really can't wait to dive into this one (when I get that is haha) pun totally intended!

And after that ending in Of Poseidon, gah I'm so anxious just thinking about it haha.

OF TRITON (Of Poseidon #2)

by: Anna Banks

Release Date: May 28th/13.

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

What titles are you waiting on this week?

Happy Reading!!!

Happy New Year Giveaway Hop

Thanks so much to Babs Book Bistro and the amazing Kathy at I am a Reader Not a Writer, for hosting another amazing giveaway hop!

This year has been amazing- I got the chance to meet so many amazing bloggers, publishers and authors. I've read so many epic debuts- a lot of which came from self-published authors. 2012 was a great and important year for the Publishing Industry, we saw the emergence of the "New Adult" genre and so many amazing Indie Publishers such as Spencer Hill Press and Entangled Publishing, flourish- I can actually buy an Entangled Publishing book from work now- that's amazing!

I'm so grateful to be a part of this amazing community and can't wait to see where 2013 will take the Industry!

I do have some blogging resolutions though:

1) More reviews! I have a notebook filled with reviews that I have yet to type out and I would love to post at least two reviews each week (I have to keep it realistic :))

2) Not making promises I can't keep - I will no longer post upcoming events unless I know for an absolute fact that they are a sure thing!

3) Need to get my partner in crime online - I have a reviewer for Middle Grade titles and I must get on her to start sending me reviews!

4) Keep blogging fun - I love blogging, but if I haven't posted in a couple days I feel guilty and there's no reason for this because blogging shouldn't be a chore, it's an outlet to share our passion for books and the Industry. So I plan to keep the fun in blogging (I'll have to make sure I keep up my giveaways, right haha)

5) Keep up on my TBR pile - I'm awful for starting a book and than putting it aside to start a new book and so and so forth, it's a terrible habit but I just can't help myself!

6) Bringing Pick of the Month feature back! I love this feature and will have a post on the last day of every month.

7) Fresh Face! I've been wanting to redesign the blog for a while now and I think 2013 will be the year!

That's all for me! What resolutions do you have?

Answer and enter the rafflecopter below to win your choice of a 2013 release! Open Internationally! Good luck to you all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

ETA: Thanks so much to all you Team Warner and Team Adam fans! I personally can't pick which team I'm on, and congrats to the winner! Please email me (see review policy page) with your mailing information, if I do not hear from the winner within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the other awesome blogs in this hop!