Review: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

 Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.
Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.
Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.
Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Published in US: May 31 2011
Source: Publisher-- big thanks to Hyperion!

My Review:

   This is a great book, and it did not disappoint me after being charmed by Ghost and the Goth. The characters are still all levels of awesome and it had moments that made me want to laugh and cry.
   Alona continues to grow in this one, in new and different ways through the plot twists, though there were times that I thought she was regressing and I wanted to scream. Things I never expected to happen did and a whole new set of people to understand and in some instances hate, came onto the scene.
   I just read there will be a third book in the series, and I am anxiously awaiting it, although I like the way this one ended.

Review: Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley

Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley

The stranger’s cloak had fallen back, and with it, a long, white, blood-stained wing.When Melaia, a young priestess, witnesses the gruesome murder of a stranger in the temple courtyard, age-old legends recited in song suddenly come to life. She discovers wings on the stranger, and the murderer takes the shape of both a hawk and a man.
Angels. Shape-shifters. Myths and stories—until now.
Melaia finds herself in the middle of a blood feud between two immortal brothers who destroyed the stairway to heaven, stranding angels in the earthly realm. When the feud turns violent and Melaia becomes a target, she finds refuge with a band of angels attempting to restore the stairway. But the restoration is impossible without the repayment of an ancient debt—the “breath of angel, blood of man,” a payment that involves Melaia’s heart, soul, and destiny.

Source: For review from publicist
Published in US: June 21st 2011

My Review:
  Breath of Angel has a complex plot, with lots of mystery and detail. This is a well thought out world where things are never quite what they seem.
   We get to see Melaia's awakening to the fact that things she's long sung as stories is fact... or at least there are facts embedded in the songs. She doesn't know what to believe and what is true, but it was definitely a journey with her to find out what is what, and the path of her destiny.
    This is like no other angel story I've read!

Across the Galaxy Giveaway and Interview with Author Heather Hildenbrand

 Across the Galaxy by Heather Hildenbrand

Orphaned as a young girl, Alina Leone has spent the last few years in dusty Arizona, being raised by her guardian, Peter, and wishing for a friendship that isn’t filled with lies and deception about exactly what she really is. Just before she can begin senior year she meets someone from her past – a talking wolf from another galaxy who won’t stop calling her ‘Empress’ - and in a single moment, her future is changed forever. She becomes a fugitive, on the run from the Shadows, the same monsters who killed her parents, and flees to the safety of the planet Bardawulf for refuge. But not everyone in this magically protected fortress is what they seem.

Interview:

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

Meet Alina, an orphaned high school senior and alien empress w/ Inter-galactic enemies who meets brooding hottie.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

I came up with the alien thing on my own but my kids (4 and 7 at the time) helped come up with a lot of the creatures and their names. They had so much fun with it.

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

Would love to have dinner with Ander. I’d have to pass on Tharos though. All the black ash and billowing robes sounds kind of un-appetizing.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

Of course! I make time to read. If I’m slacking on it because of writing, I convince myself it’s necessary research of my trade and plop down with a YA Paranormal. I love Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments series is my fav!), PC Cast’s House of Night, Allyson Noel’s Immortal series and most recently, Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

I’m working on one about a Werewolf Hunter now. It’s called Dirty Blood and will be out sometime in March.

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?
Twilight. Having to choose between the vamp and the werewolf is one of those hard decisions every girl wishes she had to make. =)

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?
Coffee, if it’s before noon. As for music, I prefer glorious silence since both my kids are in full day school this year- woohoo! But I just listened to ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles the other day and it soo reminded me of the love interest in Dirty Blood so I had to play that on repeat for awhile.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
I would be Peter, from that TV show, Heroes (it’s off air now but it was awesome!) He had the ability to take on anyone else’s powers just by touching them. If I had that, I could try them all. Assuming there were lots of others with powers, too…

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

House projects. We just bought a house last year and I’m still slowly trying to paint and decorate. I just did my dining room the color of blood so that was fun.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

I’ll be posting more info for upcoming books on my blog, so watch for updates. www.heatherhildenbrand.blogspot.com or connect with me on Twitter @HeatherHildenbr. Thanks for having me!

Giveaway Details:

-Ends July 18th

-US only please

-Leave a way to contact you in the comments section. 

Thank you Heather and all my followers!

Review: Accused by Kate Kaynak

We have ways of making you talk. 
Who not has Isaiah's files? Someone in the government knows about Ganzfield... and he has special reasons to target Maddie.

Publishes in US: Aug 15th 2011
4th in Ganzfield series

My Review

  Kate did it again! Accused was thrilling and I never wanted to put it down. If you haven't read this series yet, you are seriously missing out, and I'm telling you--this is the good stuff, and you are missing one of the best series ever. 

  I'm already attached to Maddie, but I felt so much for her in this book. As if she hasn't gone through enough, she's taken on another rollercoaster ride, and Kate thinks up whole new ways to torture her. ;)
The details are amazing, and I feel like I'm right there with her dealing with everything she's going through even though some of it is not so pleasant.
   Trevor is as awesome as ever in this book, and there are some really intense scenes between him and Maddie, and although I can't really say much more than that, just prepare yourself! There were a few scenes that he absolutely surprised me, and I never really saw it coming, and now I can't wait to find out how it resolves, but alas, I'm left waiting and anxiously tapping my foot for more.
   Kate wrote some amazingly funny scenes in this one, and had me rolling and my husband giving me that look like he's trying to decide if I need to be committed...
   So, if you can't tell, I def recommend this one.

Giveaway: Amaretto Flame by Sammie Spencer

Amaretto Flame by Sammie Spencer

Olivia has spent her life learning about her enemies, the deadly Venator - including how to kill them. What she knows nothing about is whiskey, playing poker, or rugged, copper-haired musicians. As punishment for a small 'crime,' Olivia is sent to a safe house in a human town and forced to live as one of them for a summer. There, she meets the charming Jackson Vance, and her real education begins. She soon discovers that she's being hunted, and figuring out why means she uncovers a secret that threatens to end everything she's ever fought for.

You can read my review here

Deets:
-Open Internationally
-This is for an ebook
-Please fill out form
-One extra entry for: tweeting contest, following me, for following Sammie on Twitter or her blog
-Ends June 30th