June 18, 2013 · 1:00 am

Tammy’s Top Ten Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2013

Top Ten Tuesday New copy

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! It’s hosted, as always, by The Broke and the Bookish. I love this week’s theme, because I always look forward to sharing books I’m excited to read. I’m going literal here, and only including books that will be released in June, July and August of this year. A couple of these are already out, but I haven’t read them yet. And I had to leave a few off the list because I’ve already read them (like the amazing Charm & Strange). Obviously this is only a small portion of the summer releases that I’m excited about! Here they are, in order of release date (click on the covers to go to Goodreads):

1JoylandJoyland by Stephen King. Release date: June 4 2013 (Hard Case Crime). Of course I’m going to list this book! I haven’t read a lot of reviews, but it does seem to be getting favorable press.  This is more of a hard-boiled mystery than horror, but I’ll read just about anything King writes. King made the unusual decision to publish this as a mass market paperback only (no e-b00k) as a nostalgic look back at the wonderful days of pulp fiction. Although I have seen a collector’s hardcover edition of Joyland, I still think this is the nicer package.

2The Shining GirlsThe Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. Release date: June 4 2013 (Mulholland Books). I’ve been seeing this book everywhere, and I’m dying to get my hands on it.  It’s a horror/serial killer/time travel story, I mean, who wouldn’t want to read that?? This is Beukes’ third book, I believe (she may have some self-published books as well) but I haven’t read her yet. The cover is deceiving, and makes this look like literary fiction. But I’ve read lots of good reviews, and with all the YA books I’ve been reading lately, I’m looking forward to an adult book for a change:)

3InTheAfter - hi-resIn the After by Demitria Lunetta. Release date: June 25 2013 (Harper Teen). This was a Waiting on Wednesday way back when, and I’m still waiting on it! I was lucky enough to get approved for this title on Edelweiss, so I’ll be reading and reviewing it soon. It’s a post-apocalyptic thriller with a teen and a toddler as main characters, and it’s got a horror vibe going as well. I love that it breaks away from the typical boy/girl protagonists. (Although there may be a boy in the story, I don’t know!)

4InkInk by Amanda Sun. Release date: June 25 2013 (Harlequin Teen). I’ve been trying to snag a copy of this (on both NetGalley and during the Ink blog tour giveaways), but so far no luck. Ink takes place in Japan, which is near and dear to my heart since I lived there for a year back in college. It sounds amazing, and there is a paranormal element to it, which I love. But mostly, I love looking at the gorgeous cover art! I wish more publishers would move away from using photography on book covers, and hire artists instead. Photography on covers has been a trend for a long time, and I think it might be time for a change…

5ThreeThree by Jay Posey. Release date: July 30 2013 (Angry Robot). I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Posey’s debut. If you read this blog on a regular basis you know I’m a huge Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry fan, so I’m very excited about Three. Plus, it’s the first in a new series. Plus, I love the cover! Look how beautiful it is…And check out one of the pre-release reviews: “Stark and powerful, THREE is a stunning debut. Reinventing the post-apocalyptic western as a journey across interior badlands as dangerous as the cyborg-haunted terrain his hero must cross, Posey has crafted a story that is impossible to put down.”
- Richard E. Dansky, author of Snowbird Gothic

6Under the Empyrean SkyUnder the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig. Release date: July 30 2013 (Amazon Children’s Publishing). Chuck is my new favorite author. That’s quite a statement, because I love so many authors, but he seriously blew me away with The Blue Blazes (you can read my review here), so much so that I had to create a special award for the book. I also love his blog, and I seriously recommend you follow it, especially if you are an aspiring writer. I was thrilled and confused to see this title on NetGalley. Thrilled, for obvious reasons. Confused, because he seems to have switched publishers. Hmmm, I need to find out why.

7The Bone SeasonThe Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. Release date: August 20 2013 (Bloomsbury USA). Don’t hate Shannon because she’s only twenty-one and has inked a seven book deal before she’s even got her college degree (not to mention sold the movie rights). Rather, let’s all read this book that’s got some great reviews on Goodreads already! I’m thrilled that I was just approved for this title on NetGalley. And yes, this is the first of a seven book series. It makes me a bit tired to think about that, but my previous reading experiences with seven book series have been awesome, so I’m keeping an open mind…

8Relic Renee CollinsRelic by Renee Collins. Release date: August 27 2013 (Entangled Teen). I love the world building idea of this story: in a small town in Colorado, people mine the bones of long dead magical creatures, bones that contain residual magic and can give the owner powers.  Cool idea, right? Plus, lovely orangey/purply cover! It’s described as “western fantasy,” a sub-genre that I love. And with almost all five-star reviews on Goodreads so far, I’m hoping this is going to be fantastic.

9The Dark BetweenThe Dark Between by Sonia Gensler. Release date: August 27 2013 (Knopf Books for Young Readers). Ghost story! Spiritualism! Séances! This historical book is set at the turn-of-the-century when spiritualism was becoming popular, and takes place at a college in Cambridge, England. It’s recommended for fans of Libba Bray, and that’s good enough for me.  I’ve seen some great reviews for this book, and I can’t wait to read it!

10The ReturnedThe Returned by Jason Mott. Release date: August 27 2013 (Harlequin MIRA).  I don’t usually jump on the hype bandwagon, but I am intrigued by this book. What happens when your dead loved ones come back? Not as zombies, mind you, but as themselves, when they were alive? How do the living cope with such a phenomenon? That’s the concept behind this story that’s getting an awful lot of attention and is being compared to Stephen King. Yes, I want to read it.

So, what are your top picks for the summer? Leave me a link so I can visit your blog!

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June 17, 2013 · 5:00 am

RIFT HEALER by Diane M. Haynes – Book Blast & $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

Rift Healer Tour
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rift healerRift Healer

Rift Healer is the first installment of the ‘Forest Magic’ series, a Young Adult Fantasy/Romance set in Central and Western Massachusetts.
After a minor earthquake, the enchanted forest in Bidwell, MA, is infested with monster-spewing rifts. Gisele Westerfield’s great-nephew, the gifted Micah, and his distant cousin, Selena, arrive to assist. Together with Gisele’s summer students, twins Haley and Lacey, they will try to heal the magical forest.
Much to the consternation of the beautiful Selena, Micah identifies Haley as The One whom he’ll share his future. But after witnessing a terrifying display of Micah’s Gift, Haley cools to his advances and unexpectedly discovers her own Gift– she can heal the earth.
Monsters, mayhem, and teenage angst follow the small group as they confront evil in the forest and a dangerous prediction that ‘one will fall’. Will they heal the rifts in time? Can they save the unicorns? And is Haley really destined to be with Micah?

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dianeAuthor Diane M. Haynes

Diane has lived in Massachusetts all her life where early on, her artistic talents were fostered, though her skills as an “excellent report writer” were often noted in previous employment.
On her brother Rick’s birthday, November 16, 2004, seven months after his death, she woke from an amazing dream which would not fade. She outlined the dream, made a few quick notes and days later produced a 12 page short story. After deciding her story was interesting but incomplete, she began writing her first novel, using her dream as its climax. She now believes the dream to be a ‘Spirit Gift,’ sent by her brother.
Diane continues to reside in Central MA with her husband and a very naughty Basset Hound named Basil and his new adopted sister-Basset, Ruby, both of whom cleverly wreak havoc on the Haynes’ formerly well-ordered lives. She spends her time writing, reading books about writing, talking about writing, painting with watercolors, antiqueing and attempting to train a very reluctant Basil and a willing, but highly comedic Ruby.

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June 13, 2013 · 6:28 pm

ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by Kate Karyus Quinn – Review

Another Little Piece 3dAnother Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Genre: YA Paranormal/Horror

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: June 11 2013

Source: e-ARC via Edelweiss

Pages: 419

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four and a half

In a word: gorgeously written, full of complex relationships, cleverly revealed mysteries, and heartbreaking moments.

It was a poem. They all were. Three little scraps of poetry. Three little bits of Annaliese, crumpled and hidden away where no one would ever find them. Except I had. The last bits of Annaliese. Maybe the truest parts of her. And they fit into the palm of my hand.

Another Little Piece is a perfect title for this story. Quinn doles out clues in pieces, giving the reader just enough to raise more questions about what the heck is really going on in this book. This is not the kind of story you can breeze through, and if you’re easily frustrated by plots whose mysteries are not revealed until the end, you may not enjoy or appreciate Another Little Piece. But for the discerning and patient reader, this is a skillfully written story with lots of emotional depth, several terrifying moments, and some poignant relationships between parents and their children.

I can’t give you too much of the story without spoiling it, but here’s a quick run-down of the basics. When the story opens, Annaliese Rose Gordon finds herself in a strange family’s trailer in the middle of Oklahoma, unable to remember who she is or what she’s doing thirteen hundred miles away from home. According to her frantic parents who come to collect her and take her back to New York, she’s been missing for a year.

As Annaliese begins to try to re-acclimate herself into a life she doesn’t remember filled with people she doesn’t recognize, memories start bubbling to the surface, frightening memories with bloody images that don’t make any sense. Many of these memories seem to belong to someone else, another girl with a different name. Several kids at school seem familiar and trigger feelings of unease and familiarity, especially a boy named Logan who follows her around and wants to apologize for something that happened between them. She runs into an sinister boy named Eric who appears to be linked to her in some way. He knows all her secrets, especially the ones she can’t remember, and he seems determined to force her into a diabolical decision that she just isn’t ready to make.

At home Annaliese has “the mom” and “the dad” to deal with, who are reluctant to let her out of their sight. But she is strangely drawn to the mom in particular and manages to forge a bond with her, even though she doesn’t feel like her daughter at all. She also meets the enigmatic boy next door named Dex, a boy with his own secrets. Dex makes Annaliese feel safe, but as they grow closer and her memories start to return, she begins to fear that she will never have a normal life.

The story, narrated by Annaliese, jumps back and forth between the past and the present, as the reader gets glimpses about her true nature. I was confused at first by the author’s subtle clues that eventually add up to who—or what—Annaliese really is.  When I was finally able to stitch these clues together, I had new questions that needed answering: why are these things happening to Annaliese? How does Eric figure into her life? And who the heck is The Physician? But after a while, I decided to stop asking questions and just go with it. Quinn’s words flow so beautifully and evoke such sad and horrible images that I honestly just wanted to keep reading them. Annaliese is a poet, at least that’s what certain clues are telling her, and the author begins each chapter with one of her poems, which are not only beautifully written but give us a peek into her past. Many of the relationships that she’s forgotten about are made a little clearer with each poem.

Some odd references to 70s and 80s pop culture had me baffled, and at first I thought maybe the story was taking place during one of those decades. But luckily that mystery is solved later in the book during one of the “ah ha!” moments when things started to click into place.

The relationships are what really stood out for me in this book, and the author explores all kinds: the sorrow of parents and children growing apart, the breathless feelings of budding romance and sexual discovery, and even the destructive kind where one person clearly has control over the other.  Because Annaliese isn’t always sure where she stands with her friends and family, most of her relationships are tense in one way or another. It is only when she spends time with Dex that she feels like she can be herself, even though she suspects their time together is almost over.

Did I fully understand what was happening in Another Little Piece? No, and it really didn’t matter. What I was left with at the end was a broken but beautiful pastiche of events, which when looked at from afar creates a fractured glimpse into the complicated lives of these characters.

Many thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. The above quote is taken from an uncorrected proof and may be different in the finished version.

Find Kate and Another Little Piece! Amazon * The Book Depository * Author’s Website * Twitter

And check out the spooky trailer:

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· 7:54 am

Cover Reveal: INDELIBLE by Bethany Lopez

Although I don’t normally feature contemporary fiction on this blog, I wanted to help promote Bethany’s new book, so I’m happy to be participating in her cover reveal! I wouldn’t do this for just any author, mind you:) So without further ado, here is the cover:

indelible1Title: Indelible

Author: Bethany Lopez

Expected Release Date: July 9 2013

Genre: Contemporary

Age Group: New Adult

Cover Designed by:  B Design * Photo by Kelsey Kukal-Keeton

Cover Reveal Organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?

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Author bio:

Bethany Lopez

Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. Since then she has published various YA and NA books. She is a lover of romance, family, and friends, and enjoys incorporating those things in what she writes. When she isn’t reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible.

You can find Bethany here: IAN * Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest

Big thanks to AToMR Tours for this cover reveal!

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June 12, 2013 · 1:00 am

Waiting on Wednesday (59) HER DARK CURIOSITY by Megan Shepherd

Waiting on Wednesday copyWaiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine, and is a fun way to share the books we’re excited to read. I love discovering new covers just in time for WoW, and luckily this week I stumbled upon the cover reveal for the sequel to The Madman’s Daughter! It’s gorgeous! I loved The Madman’s Daughter, and was distraught that it ended on a cliffhanger. Her Dark Curiosity doesn’t come out until next January, but in the meantime you can feast your eyes on this:

Her Dark CuriosityHer Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd. Release date: January 21 2014 (Balzer + Bray).  Big thanks to Young Adult Books Central for hosting the cover reveal. They are also running a fantastic giveaway for an ARC of Her Dark Curiosity as well as Ellen Oh’s forthcoming Warrior, so make sure to click on the link above to enter. Here’s the Goodreads description:

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father’s island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

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Madmans jkt Des1.inddDon’t you love the cover? I think it goes nicely with The Madman’s Daughter. Have you read The Madman’s Daughter? Are you excited about Her Dark Curiosity? What are you waiting on this week?

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June 11, 2013 · 11:58 am

BLACK MAGIC by Russell James – Review

Black Magic 3DBlack Magic by Russell James

Genre: Adult Horror

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Release date: May 7 2013

Source: e-book from Author

Pages: 280

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four stars

In a word: delightfully gruesome, with lots of small-town quirkiness, an evil magician you will hate, and heroic everyday characters you will love.

I was initially drawn to Black Magic by its cover, which I think is so well done, especially for a small publisher. The eerie glimpse into the magic store’s windows and the brewing storm overhead promise lots of horrific entertainment. And I’m happy to say the cover perfectly captures the mood of this story. Black Magic was a well-written and perfectly paced book that will appeal to fans of Stephen King. Russell James does not shy away from gory scenes, so if you have a weak stomach, this might not be the book for you. But like King, he makes his story just as much about the characters as the horror, and he throws in some humor to lighten the mood.

The story takes place in the small Florida town of Citrus Glade, a dying community on the edge of the Everglades whose Apex Sugar Mill shut its doors years ago. A newcomer named Lyle Miller has just decided to set up shop, and some of the residents of Citrus Glade think this might be just what the town needs to boost its economy. But Lyle is not who he seems. In fact, he is a 2000-year-old sorcerer who has chosen the town as the site of his next “Grand Adventure,” and because he is an evil sorcerer, that adventure involves destroying the town of Citrus Glade and everyone in it.

But in order to fuel his magic, Lyle needs the help of the residents of Citrus Glade to add juice to his powers. He selects those whose “whapna,” or essence, leans towards the dark side, including four boys who call themselves “The Outsiders,” a nasty old man named Shane who terrorizes the local retirement home, and a loser named Vicente whose used car business is a front for a drug smuggling operation. With a few dazzling tricks to entice the boys and a bit of black magic to rope in Vicente and Shane, Lyle is set to topple what remains of this pitiful town.

But a handful of heroes catch on to Lyle’s tricks and they will do anything to stop him. Andy Patterson, who is the last employee of the Department of Public Works, his mother Dolly who is slowly losing her battle with Alzheimer’s, and a young biologist named Autumn who has come to Citrus Glade to study the Everglades are a few of the characters who are ready to rid the town of Lyle and his black magic for good.

James’ real talent is getting to the heart of small town life: its disappointments, economic failings and the despair that comes with families on the brink of collapse due to climate change and other factors. The Arroyo family owns and works an orange grove, but Felix Arroyo’s orange trees haven’t been doing very well. Until Lyle comes to town, though. His powers infuse Felix’s orange trees with enough magic to produce beautiful fruit overnight, giving the family a bit of hope, at least until things start going horribly wrong.

The author does a great job of portraying small town characters, and two of my favorites were Andy and his elderly mother Dolly. Andy is the good son who loves his mother and weathers her many memory lapses, as painful as they are. And James has given Andy an intriguing back-story: he’s an Army vet who had a life-changing experience in Afghanistan, an experience that colors his daily life in Citrus Grove. Dolly’s character takes a wonderful turn when the side effects of Lyle’s magic start to not only improve her memory, but her mobility as well. Before long, Dolly’s mind is as sharp as a tack, and along with her friend Walking Bear, a wonderful character who fancies himself a Native American and has an armadillo as a spirit guide, she sets out to stop Lyle’s magic before it can destroy the town.

Even the peripheral characters are well drawn, like Juliana, Vicente’s drug addicted girlfriend who can’t seem to tear herself away from the abusive Vicente, or his piles of cocaine, for that matter. A couple of characters border on the cliché, like the Reverend Rusty Wright who immediately knows that Lyle is “the work of Satan” and sets out to find proof of his evil deeds. But for the most part I enjoyed all of James’ portrayals of ordinary folk who are just trying to survive in a dying town.

The author uses the magician’s bag of tricks to his advantage, taking ordinary props like the magician’s hat and wand and imbuing them with wicked and evil magic. He also infuses wry humor into the story with his tricks. Paco (one of the Outsiders) is given a wand that makes things disappear, and the first thing he wants to get rid of is his Ritalin (he has ADHD)! And Barry, another of the four boys, gets a special top hat from Lyle, a hat that can call forth any small animal. It’s a dream come true for a boy whose parents don’t allow pets in the house, until the magic turns nasty and something monstrous emerges. But watch out: a couple of standard magician’s tricks are given a diabolical treatment, and one of the most creatively horrific scenes I’ve ever read involves poor Reverend Rusty when he tries to break into the Magic Shop.

Aside from a couple of awkward sentences that could have used a bit more editing, the writing is polished and the pace will keep you turning pages. James wraps things up with a bang but includes some poignant moments that give this story emotional depth. For horror aficionados, Black Magic is a treat, not a trick, and is highly recommended.

Many thanks to the author for supplying a review copy. You can purchase Black Magic here and visit the author’s website here.

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June 8, 2013 · 9:49 am

Stacking the Shelves (31)

STS

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Tynga’s Reviews! I’m sad to say I’m one of those bloggers who lives on the West Coast, and so it’s very hard to even think about attending BEA. I did get to attend BEA once, back in 2008 when it came to Los Angeles for some reason. I don’t know if it’s ever going to come to the West Coast again, but it was one of the best days of my life. I don’t even think book blogging was around back then, so the attendance at BEA was mostly professionals: authors, publishers, librarians and publicists. I felt so out of place, but that didn’t stop me from grabbing as many galleys as I could!

So yes, I’m a little jealous of all the fantastic book hauls I’ve seen on my fellow bloggers’ websites this week. But I’m thrilled with the books I did get! Here’s what’s on my shelf (click on the book covers to go to Goodreads):

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For Review:

Rapture's EdgeThe Weight of Souls

Rapture’s Edge by J. T. Geissinger. Release date: June 18 2013 (Montlake Romance). Boy oh boy was I excited when this came in the mail! I adored the last book in the series, Edge of Oblivion (which made my Top Ten last year! You can read my review here.) These are adult paranormal romance books, and I do mean adult! Man are they steamy! If you want a combination of hot romance and amazing writing skills/story arc, these Night Prowler books might be for you. Huge thanks to my Amazon contact, Susan!

The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce. Release date: August 6 2013 (Strange Chemistry). Some of my favorite books lately have been published by Strange Chemistry and Angry Robot. I know I keep mentioning that, but it’s true. This new title just popped up on NetGalley and I grabbed it! Isn’t the cover lovely?? I am hoping that graphic covers like this one are going to be a future trend. I’m kind of getting tired of photos of models on covers. Big thanks to Strange Chemistry!

The Red Queen Dies

The Red Queen Dies: A Mystery by Frankie Y. Bailey. Release date: September 10 2013 (Minotaur Books). I’m getting a The Rook vibe from this title. Maybe because the covers are similar? I’m not sure, but this book sounds amazing, just click on the cover to read the Goodreads description! Alice in Wonderland and a futuristic drug that erases traumatic memories?? Yes please! Thank you Minotaur!

For Blog Tour:

Viral Nation

Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes. Release date: July 2 2013 (Berkley Trade). I’ve been waiting for this book for ages, since I featured it in a Waiting on Wednesday back in March. The lovely Shaunta actually contacted me and asked if I’d like a copy to review. Then I was lucky enough to join the upcoming blog tour. All this started about three months ago, and I finally have the book in my hands! Yea! My stop on the tour is June 19th, so don’t forget to come back here and read my review. Thank you Berkley Trade!

Those are my latest and greatest! What’s on your shelves this week?

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June 7, 2013 · 7:44 pm

POISON SHY by Stacey Madden – Review

Poison Shy 3DPoison Shy by Stacey Madden

Genre: Adult Thriller

Publisher: ECW Press

Release date: Now available

Source: Paperback from author

Pages: 160

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four and a half

In a word: An unexpectedly dark and bloody tale, filled with unlikable yet sympathy-inducing characters, an over-the-top plot and pitch perfect dialog.

I was not sure what to expect when I started reading Poison Shy, but it had some amazing blurbs on the back of the book, and I was looking forward to seeing if they were true. I’m thrilled to say those blurbs are spot on, and I spent a thoroughly enjoyable four hours inhaling it on the drive back from my vacation a few days ago. Madden’s writing is spare and to the point, and his dialog is snappy and realistic, and fits the tone of this all too brief story perfectly.

The story is told from Brandon Galloway’s point of view, a twenty-nine year old unmotivated and directionless man who can’t seem to escape the dreary small Canadian town of Fraynes. He’s just started working for an extermination company called Kill ‘Em All and is simply happy to have a regular job. But one day his uneventful life comes unhinged when he and co-worker Chad get a call to rid an apartment of bed bugs. There he meets the beautiful but unsettling Melanie and her unstable roommate Darcy. Brandon is instantly attracted to the sexually alluring Melanie, but his low self-esteem prevents him from asking her out. So he does the next best thing: he begins to stalk her. After an “accidental” encounter at her college library, he snags a date with her, and that’s when the real trouble starts.

As they begin an awkward relationship, the aggressively overprotective Darcy manages to thwart Brandon’s every plan to spend time with Melanie, and with the help of lots of booze and just plain bad luck, Brandon’s life is about to sink further into the toilet than it already is.

If you’re looking for lovable characters, then Poison Shy probably isn’t the book for you. Madden takes the idea of character flaws to a whole new level. Melanie in particular is brash and at times disgusting, and she tends to act like one of the boys whenever she’s hanging out with Darcy. She sleeps around, drinks a lot, and is a truly annoying character. I found it hard to believe that Brandon could be attracted to her at all. Yet Melanie has something that makes Brandon keep coming back for more, despite a very scary roommate who threatens to beat him up. Finally, at the end of the book, Madden paints Melanie in a whole new light, one that makes the reader sympathize with her, if only for a brief moment.

Brandon himself is a typical loser-type, which made me like him from the start. And let’s face it, he’s got a lot on his plate. His aging mother is a religious fanatic who is slowly losing her mind. His new job as an exterminator exposes him to poisonous chemicals on a daily basis, and his odd relationship with Melanie and Darcy isn’t proving to be healthy either. But even though he lets Melanie walk all over him, you can see him change as the story progresses. The Brandon at the end of the book is a guy that isn’t going to take shit from anyone, anymore.

Despite the violence and generally raunchiness, Poison Shy has its poignant moments. I especially loved the scenes between Brandon and his mother, a sad woman who carries around an unwashed security blanket. You can tell Brandon loves her even as she’s losing her mind.

Madden’s over-the-top plot starts out almost pedestrian, as Brandon tries to settle into a new job, make new friends, and get closer to the beautiful Melanie. But as one thing leads to another, his life begins to spiral out of control, and quickly. The author implies on page two that the story isn’t going to end well, and so the reader expects the violent parts of the story. I especially loved the details that give the story the extra layer that I’m always looking for. For example, Brandon has a baseball bat from his childhood that he’s named Red Hot, and it has its own back-story. The bat, which starts out as a sentimental object, figures into some of the dark action at the end. After all, if you’re going to show the audience the gun in Act 1, you damn well better use it by Act 3. Well done, Mr. Madden!

Much of the book centers around a local pub called The Bloody Paw, a seedy joint with gruesome photos of dead or injured animals on its walls. It works as a framework for the story, since many significant events happen there, including a worrisome relationship between Melanie and the owner of the bar, a man name Viktor Lozowsky. Though I won’t tell you how things wrap up, a shockingly violent scene near the end caught me off guard. But after thinking it over, I realized it was perfectly suited for this crazy story about how one’s life can go swiftly downhill if you meet and associate with the wrong types of people.

My only worry about this book is that I think it’s priced too high. Amazon charges $9.99 for the digital version, and the slim (only 160 pages) paperback has a whopping $18.95 list price. The publisher (who is Canadian, and that may factor into the cost) does a bang-up production job—it’s a high quality book in every way—but I’m not sure your average reader is going to want to pay so much.

But I hope you do! Poison Shy was a happy surprise, and Stacey Madden has an awesome future as a writer, in my opinion. Like a horrible accident scene caught in the glare of an oncoming car’s headlight, Poison Shy is an inescapable, in-your-face look at the tawdry lives of ordinary people.

Many thanks to the author for supplying a review copy. You can purchase Poison Shy here and follow Stacey Madden on Twitter here.

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June 4, 2013 · 9:00 pm

RUNES by Ednah Walters Blog Tour – Review + Giveaway!

Tour bannerWelcome to my stop on the Runes Blog Tour! I had the best time reading Runes, so keep reading for my review and a spectacular giveaway!

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Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father s disappearance, her mother s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her. Raine is drawn to Torin s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run. Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about him. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only is she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

My Review:

four stars

In a word: fascinating Norse mythology, heart-fluttering romance, a strong female protagonist and snappy dialog.

I had a blast reading Runes! It had just the right mix of contemporary high school romance and an interesting paranormal element that didn’t overwhelm the story. And I’m happy that this is the first in a new series. The characters are so engaging and well done that you want to see what’s going to happen to them next. So many elements were executed in just the right way, which made the story flow and the pages fly by.

Raine is a high school girl whose life is going pretty well. She’s a co-captain on the school swim team, she has her loyal friends Cora and Eirik for moral support, and she’s got a loveable but quirky mother who is always there for her. There’s just one thing wrong: Raine’s father is still missing, after his plane crashed a few months ago. His body was never found, and so the authorities are still looking for him. But Raine’s starting to lose hope, even if her mother isn’t.

One day fate literally knocks on her door, in the form of hunky and mysterious Torin St. James, the teen who has just moved into the house next door. Raine is drawn to Torin, but he’s cocky and can’t seem to leave Raine alone. He also seems to have some unusual talents, like fixing the neighbor’s damaged mailbox and knowing things about her private life that he shouldn’t.  During a game of Ultimate Frisbee, Raine is mortally injured by another newcomer in town, a girl from Norway named Maliina who oddly seems to hate Raine. But Torin steps in and miraculously heals her injuries, leading Raine to start questioning some of the odd things she’s started to notice: why do Maliina and her two Norse friends have weird tattoos that appear and disappear? and why do they seem to have super human strength?

When more bad things start to happen, especially to members of the swim team, Raine begins to suspect Torin and Maliina and her friends are responsible. As she slowly drags some of the answers from Torin, she starts to realize that she is falling for him, which is a problem because she has just started dating Eirik. Resourceful and tenacious, Raine is determined to get answers to the mysteries around her, while keeping Torin at arm’s length.

I thought the romance was really well done. You know that Torin and Raine will eventually get together, but Walters takes it slow, building their attraction little by little. Raine is confused by the way Torin makes her feel, especially since she is loyal to Eirik and doesn’t want to hurt him. The romance is very tame, however, and even though this book is aimed at the YA crowd, I wanted a little more of it. The moments when Raine and Torin are together sizzle with tension. Torin is a bad boy type, but he’s also got a protective side when it comes to Raine. I loved that he had a duality about him—bad boy, Harley-riding guy one minute—and sweet and tender protector the next.

All of the supporting characters worked for me, too, even the bad guys. I hated Andris, Ingrid and Maliina at first, but later grew to appreciate them. Cora was one of my favorite characters, a sweet and loyal friend to Raine who only wants the best for her. And I adored the playful banter between Eirik and Raine, especially in the beginning before they  hook up. In fact, the dialog throughout was really well done. Walters has a talent for writing natural dialog that sounds as if it has come out of the mouths of actual people.

I was fascinated by the Norse mythology parts of the story. I thought it was a fresh change from the usual Greek myths that writers often turn to. Although the mythology is just barely introduced in this book, I’d like to read more about it in the next book. I also loved the author’s use of runes, the tattoo-like marks that appear on skin and objects, that are used for protection, healing or controlling people. There are so many stories out there right now that use magical tattoos as a device, and it was nice to see something a little different.

My only complaint about the book is the cover. I really don’t care for it at all. For one thing, the models don’t do the author’s descriptions justice, and they just look too old to represent teenagers. If I had run across this book on my own, without being part of a blog tour, I never would have given it a second glance. The cover screams “indie book” to me, and a more professional design would get this wonderful story more attention, in my opinion.

But the story itself is well worth the time. An exciting showdown and several surprises at the end set the reader up for book two, Immortal, which will be released later this year. If you love well-drawn characters, sizzling romantic tension, and stories with a unique paranormal element, you should not miss Runes.

Many thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

About Ednah:

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS. Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She’s presently working on book six. You can visit her on her websites, Facebook, twitter, ya-twitter, Google-plus, and RomanceBlog, YAblog.

Connect with Ednah: Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

Where to buy Runes: Amazon * Kindle (U.S.) * Kindle (UK) * Kindle (Canada) * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords * Goodreads

Now for a special excerpt from Runes, from Torin’s point of view! The excerpts are different on each day of the tour, so if you missed any, click here for the complete tour schedule. Today is Day Five of the tour.

Excerpt:

I removed the piece of paper from under my biker gloves, checked the names of the neighbors. Nosy neighbors were the Rutledges—husband was an ex-marine and the wife a homemaker. No kids. In fact, there were no kids in the cul-de-sac except for the Cooper girl. Perfect. I didn’t want to socialize with any teens except those that I came for.

I sauntered down the driveway. The curtains across the street moved again and I hid a smile. The attention didn’t bother me. I was used to it.

The closer I got to the house next door, the stronger the vibes I’d felt became. The runes on a car in the driveway cinched it. One of us lived here. Still, it didn’t explain the powerful essence.

I pressed the doorbell and waited.

Someone yanked the door open and a girl snapped, “About time you got he…”

Her voice trailed off, hazel eyes widening, pupils dilating, until I could see specks of green in the irises. The kick in the gut feeling surprised me and I sucked in a breath. I’d seen my share of gorgeous women, but something about this one…

She had expressive eyes, fragile features including the most kissable lips I’d seen on any woman in centuries—lush and juicy bottom, perfectly shaped top. The freckles dotting her nose added something to her looks. My fingers itched to reach out and stroke them. I was a lips man, but a complete sucker for freckles, which didn’t explain the sudden urge to bolt. I didn’t run from women, period! Her essence was the one I’d sensed. It was strong. Different. Like nothing I’d ever encountered before. Why would a Mortal have such a unique essence?

“I’m looking for Eirik Seville,” I said impatiently.

Make sure to check out any of these blogs tomorrow for the next part of the story!

Books Complete Me

YA Book Addict

Whispers At Moonlight

Living Ficticiously

And now for the giveaway! FIVE winners will receive a copy of Runes, a Runes pen, mouse pad, t-shirt and a Thor key chain:

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Simply click on the Rafflecopter button below to enter:

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· 1:00 am

CHARM & STRANGE by Stephanie Kuehn Blog Tour – Review + Giveaway!

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I’m beyond thrilled to be part of the Charm & Strange blog tour, hosted by Itching for Books! I was approved to read the book on NetGalley, and then when the blog tour opportunity came along, I jumped on it. This is one book you do not want to miss, so keep reading for my glowing five-star review and your chance to win a copy of the book at the end of this post!

Charm & Strange2Synopsis from Goodreads:

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

Release date: June 11 2013

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Order: Amazon

About the Author:

Stephanie KuehnStephanie Kuehn is a YA writer who grew up in Berkeley, California, which is a quirky sort of a place with a ton of wonderful bookstores. Her very first job was working in one of those bookstores, and she’s been a freakishly avid reader for as long as she can remember.

Stephanie’s other passions include mental health advocacy, social justice, and sports of all kinds. She’s currently living in Northern California with her family and their wild menagerie of pets.

www.stephaniekuehn.com * twitter.com/stephkuehn

My Review:

five stars

In a word: a deeply buried mystery, complicated family relationships, a feeling of dread that grows with each chapter, written in gorgeous and evocative prose.

The school devours privacy, and rumors are like drops of blood in an ocean full of predators.

This may be the hardest review I’ve ever had to write. The synopsis for Charm & Strange doesn’t tell you much. It’s ridiculously vague. So I didn’t have much to go on when I started to read the book, which turns out to be OK. I’d heard some rumblings that it might be a book about a certain something (Now I’m being vague! I really don’t even want to give that away), but I decided to dive in without trying to form a preconceived notion of what the heck this book was about.

And I’m glad I got to experience Charm & Strange that way. I believe every reader should have the same experience, so I’m not going to talk about the plot much, other than to give you a brief summary. There are secrets afoot in this book, secrets that should only be revealed as the reader turns the pages. The emotional reaction I had at the end (tears!!) would not have been the same if I had known certain truths about the story ahead of time. It should also be pointed out that I wasn’t able to find a website that would tell me the genre of this book, and I believe the publisher was smart to keep genre labels away from Charm & Strange. It was a unique story that everyone should read. This is the type of book that will be nominated for book awards, and it also has a timeless quality that makes it perfect for high school literature classes.

The story is told by Andrew Winston Winters and alternates between chapters set in the present (“matter”) and the past (“antimatter”). In the present, “Win” is a sixteen-year-old boy whose parents have sent him off to a boarding school where he excels at tennis but has a hard time connecting with his peers. In the past, “Drew” is ten years old and lives at home with his parents, his older brother Keith, and his younger sister Siobhan. We slowly learn that Win has been sent away because of an event that happened when he was ten, something that is only hinted at and never revealed until the end. Win is convinced that he is about to “change,” a change that he can’t escape because of family genetics. When the story opens, a hiker has been killed by a wild animal, and Win is worried that he might have had something to do with it.

Most of the “matter” chapters take place in Eden, a secret location in the nearby woods where students gather every Friday night for drunken mischief. Win goes to Eden, certain that this is the night he will finally change. He is accompanied by Lex, a boy who figures into another mystery with Win, and Jordan, an odd girl who refuses to stay away from Win, even though he wants nothing to do with her.

As Win struggles with his inner demons, terrible memories from his childhood rise to the surface, and past and present converge. In the alternating “antimatter” sections, he remembers a particularly painful summer when he was ten years old and was forced to visit his grandparents, and the events that triggered the secret he’s blocked from his memory. As disparate as the past and present chapters seem, Kuehn seamlessly weaves them together, creating a picture of a damaged family.

Provided you stay away from spoilers, I guarantee you will experience confusion while reading Charm & Strange. And that’s a good thing. Kuehn is a master at giving the reader just enough information to whet your appetite without ruining the reveal at the end. I honestly did not see it coming. Some readers may be more astute than I was and figure things out much sooner, but whether you’re the kind of reader who needs to have all the answers, or the kind that just goes along with the story, I’m betting that you’ll be surprised at least once during the tale. The author plants clues along the way, and some of them are misleading. I found myself thinking the story was about one thing, only to discover that it’s really about something else entirely. And I have to say I loved that feeling of unease, the feeling that the author really does have control of her story, and she’s not giving up her secrets so easily. It takes skill to pull off something like this, and Kuehn managed to do it well, and with her debut, no less!

Kuehn’s writing is beautiful. It’s poetic. It’s above and beyond the skill level of most debut authors. She writes like a seasoned professional, and I’m sure she has a wonderful writing career ahead of her. She gives Win just the right language to evoke both sympathy and dread from the reader. You feel for Win because you know something traumatic has happened to him, but his anger and general unhappiness, not to mention his belief that he has something terrible inside him, make the reader wary. I wanted to give him a big hug, but I also wanted to stay as far away from him as possible! The author’s visual descriptions are lovely, but often menacing and creepy as well. I could see her using metaphors and subtext, but I was never sure if I was reading them correctly. Her writing reminded me of two authors in particular: Donna Tartt, whose The Secret History is one of my all-time favorite books (and is also a story about a mystery at a boarding school), and Anne Rice, whose lush prose perfectly evokes a time and place, just like Kuehn’s.

The title is also carefully planned, as is everything else about this book. “Charm” and “strange” are types of quarks, particles that make up matter. Even if you aren’t a physicist, you’ll appreciate the way Kuehn creates parallels between quarks and human interaction in her story.

The bonds between siblings, friends and parents make up the heart of this book, but the relationship Win has with his inner beast is just as important. As an inescapable feeling of dread grows with each turn of the page, the reader begins to see that relationships are often about more than just what we see on the surface. The heart wrenching moments near the end will make you want to go back and read Charm & Strange all over again. And that, my friends, is what stories are all about.

Many thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. Quotes from the book were taken from an uncorrected proof, and may be different in the finished version.

Favorite quote:

I rode on his back the rest of the way. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and turned my head to watch the forest go by above me. A surreal effect, it felt like the world had been flipped. I floated, weightless, nothing more than ether pulled into a formless journey. The dark branches of the trees swept us along, long, shadowy arms raking against our bodies, propelling us forward. That flutter of fear riffled through me again. I squeezed my eyes shut.

And now for the giveaway! One U.S. winner will receive a finished copy of Charm & Strange! Simply click the Rafflecopter button below to enter:

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Big thanks to Itching for Books for hosting this tour:

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