Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone has a safe and spooky halloween! I will be dressing up in a costume and watching scary movies tonight. Have a good one :D

Blog Tour: Review | Her Sister's Shadow by Katharine Britton

Title: Her Sister's Shadow
Author: Katharine Britton
Genre: Adult Fiction - Contemporary
Publication: 06.17.2011 by Berkley Trade
Pages: 341
Source: TLC Book Tours

Summary: Renowned painter Lilli Niles is at home in her North London flat when she receives an unexpected call from her elder sister, Bea, who's at the family homestead in Whitehead, Massachusetts. Bea's husband has just died, and she'd like Lilli to fly home to attend the funeral. There are reasons Lilli moved all the way to England to escape her older sister, reasons that have kept them estranged for decades. But something in Bea's voice makes Lilli think it's time to return to the stately house in New England she loved as a child, to the memory of the beloved younger sister they both lost. With Bea more fragile than Lilli remembered, maybe she can finally forgive Bea for a long-ago betrayal that has simmered between them for nearly forty years.

Cover: I really like it because it gives me a good idea of what Lilli looked like at her young age.

Thoughts: Unfortunately, I haven't finished this book on time for my tour stop. I almost want to say it's not my fault, but I put off reading it sooner expecting to have enough time to read it. Of course, life happened and I haven't finished it on time. But! I am a third of the way through it and so far, I am loving it!

Her Sister's Shadow is told in alternating tenses. It is 2009 and Lilli has returned home to attend her sister's husband service. She hasn't seen her sister, Bea, in almost forty years and really doesn't want to see her because of the troubled past they have. We get a glimpse into the past, 1966 and Lilli at 15 years old. It is obvious to me that getting this look into the past will reveal events that make the 2009 make more sense. Already, I have discovered things that have surprised me, but there is still so many unanswered questions left for me. I want to know what happens next!

The first few pages were a little difficult for me to get into, but the story picks up rather quickly and once we get the first flashback, I haven't been able to put the book down (mostly!) I already like Lilli, but am frustrated with how easily she seems to anger during her young age which is reasonable because during the summer, she has grown from a child into a young woman and is confused about who she is now.

I definitely recommend Her Sister's Shadow (so far) and will leave it unrated until I finish it. I really want to find out what happens next and am dying to see where the story will lead me. Her Sister's Shadow reminds me a little bit of Water for Elephants and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, and the similarities are sure to be enjoyed by others that loved those books like I did. I will re-post this review and a rating once I have completed the book.

Favorite Quote: '"Why do children want so badly to grow up when childhood is so lovely? No one should wish their life away."'

Rating coming soon!

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About the author:

Katharine has a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Dartmouth College. Her screenplay, Goodbye Don't Mean Gone, was a Moondance Film Festival winner and a finalist in the New England Women in Film and Television contest. Katharine is a member of the League of Vermont Writers and PEN New England. She teaches writing at Colby-Sawyer College, and is an instructor at The Writer’s Center.

When not at her desk, Katharine can often be found in her Norwich garden, waging a non-toxic war against the slugs, snails, deer, woodchucks, chipmunks, moles, voles, and beetles with whom she shares her yard. Katharine's defense consists mainly of hand-wringing, after-the-fact.

Tune in Tuesday {1} | 500 Days of Summer

Tune in Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Ginger at GReads! that showcases music.

I love music, so I have no idea why I didn't join in on this sooner! To participate, just help spread the love of music by sharing a song with others.

For the month of October, Ginger created a Soundtrack Edition to Tune in Tuesday and this being the last Tuesday in October, I will only have the opportunity to share one soundtrack that I love to all of you. I hope you enjoy the playlist I made which includes most, if not all, the songs in the movie.

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(500) Days of Summer

In My Mailbox 43

From the library:

Feed by Mira Grant

I only got one book this past week and it was a book I was "required" to request through the ILL at school. I've been dying to read this, so hopefully I can get to it asap. What's in your mailbox this week?

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Blog Tour: Review & Guest Post | An Unexpected Bride by Shadonna Richards

Title: A Unexpected Bride
Author: Shadonna Richards
Genre: Adult Fiction - Romance
Publication: 08.10.2011
Pages: 206
Source: Bewitching Book Tours

Summary: Emma Wiggins is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher, in seven days—too bad he doesn’t know it yet!

Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.

The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days.

Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?

Cover: I like that it is simple and the dress on the bride looks really nice.

Thoughts: I love romance, so when asked to review this one, I instantly said yes. An Unexpected Bride turned out to be a cute and fast read, that yes, had a few errors but also moved along well enough for me to enjoy it.

The story starts off with pretty much Emma telling her grandfather that she is getting married. In a burst of happiness, he no longer has days to live but a few weeks. Now Emma has to find a way to get marrige-phobic Evan to marry her in just a few days. Of course, the fact that he's her boss and totally not interested in her doesn't help.

Emma and Evan are simple, likeable characters. They don't really have much wrong with them except the problems they are in at the moment (Emma needs to marry him; Evan never wants to marry because of a "curse") This problem is reapeated a lot during the first few chapters that it grew a little tiresome after a while. I mean, I knew the situation was, I didn't need it repeated 45764264x. After that though, the story begins to move at a faster pace as Evan and Emma begin to develop their relationship and start to change each other. I'm glad that they were able to grow into different people as the story moved along.

Being a self-published book, it was expected that a few errors would be found. There was some spelling errors, and a few grammar mistakes as well. I think that the transitions between the points of view could've been a little smoother, but it didn't bother me enough to have me put the book down. There a few past/present mistakes as well that bothered me a little more because at first I wasn't sure what tense the autor was going to stick with. I found my biggest problem with the conclusion though and wished the author would've added a "proper" ending. It felt like we were left hanging after so much build up to how it would end.

Looking past the mistakes though, An Unexpected Bride is a sweet and quite unique story about finding love. All you do is root for the characters, hoping that they'll fall in love and live happily ever after. Of course, there are some obstacles along the way, but these helped the story move along quickly. I would recommend An Unexpected Bride for romance lovers and other self-published book readers. This is a nice, quick read.

Favorite Quote: "Funny how the biggest lies we tell are to ourselves."

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Help me welcome the author, Shadonna Richards as she gives a quick list of the Top 10 Wedding Bloopers. Check it out!

THE TOP 10 WEDDING BLOOPERS

Hi, everyone!

I’m Shadonna, author of An Unexpected Bride, a romantic comedy about Emma Wiggins who is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher in seven days. Only he doesn’t know about it yet! Since An Unexpected Bride centers around the theme of weddings, I thought I’d make a fun list, based on research and funny wedding videos I’ve seen. Here’s an unofficial list of the Top 10 Wedding Bloopers. Of course, Emma has the number one spot. Check this list out:

10. The minister forgot to show up
9. The groom forgot the bride’s name
8. The bride forgot the groom’s name
7. The ring bearer disappeared with the ring
6. The bride fainted
5. The groom fainted
4. The minister fainted
3. The bride fell into the pool (the wedding was by the poolside)
2. The dog stole the show
And the number one spot goes to Emma Wiggins from An Unexpected Bride
1. The bride forgot to tell the groom they were getting married

Hope you enjoyed the list.

Blog Tour: Review, Character Interview & Giveaway | Something So Right by Elyse Mady

Title: Something So Right
Author: Elyse Mady
Genre: Adult Fiction - Romance
Publication: 09.19.2011 by Carina Press
Pages: 161
Source: Kismet Book Touring

Summary: After having her heart broken, Lily Carver fled north to manage an upscale resort—and back to her longtime friend Sam Denning. Though she’s well aware of how hot Sam’s become, she refuses to risk her heart again. No matter how incredible his kisses make her feel…

Sam’s been in love—and lust—with Lily since the summer they met. When he finally shows her how much he wants her, Lily can’t resist his seduction. But Sam’s a forever kind of a guy and she’s only interested in temporary, painless relationships.

Lily thinks she can protect both their hearts with a short affair to let their passion run its course, something where they both know the rules and can explore the sparks between them without getting burned. But their best laid plans are put to the test by their undeniable attraction—and by a secret Sam’s been keeping from Lily that could ruin everything.

Cover: I love it, it's gorgeous.

Thoughts: This one sounded like the kind of book I needed to take a break from the paranormal, YA, sad books I'd been reading. Something So Right was definitely enjoyable and once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The story moved quickly and the chemistry between Lily and Sam had me turning the pages until I was done.

I loved both Lily and Sam. Although Lily could be frustrating at times because she was sorta of an emotional wreck, her relationship with Sam made her easier to like. Their friendship was easy to see and their intense attraction for one another was hard to avoid. Plus, I totally understood where she was coming from since she was heartbroken and determined to keep her heart safe. I really liked the way their relationship developed and the way they changed each other and in a way, grew as the story progressed.

Something So Right is a nice, fluffy, quick read that I am sure many will enjoy. It was definitely a good change and something I really was able to dive into and anyone looking for a sexy romance with lots of emotional build up will enjoy this one. I recommend Something So Right to romance lovers; this is one that you shouldn't miss.

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Character Interview with Lily

Thanks for having me for a visit today.

When we meet you, Lily, you've had a bit of hard luck in the romance department. If you had to write Brent's eulogy, what would you say?

That’s a tough question to answer. I’d hope it would say that after I left, he learned his lesson and reformed his life. That he never again lifted a hand to a woman and told her she was nothing without him. That he came to understand the grievous hurt he had inflicted, not only towards me, but to so many of the people he encountered in his life.

I would like to think that’s what it would say but frankly, I don’t hold out much hope. I’ve forgiven him for what he did but it wasn’t easy or quick. I doubt that his transformation would be easy, either.

Happily, the only announcement to the newspaper I’ve got to think about writing these days involves a good, honest man I love to distraction. Something along the lines of “The families of Sam Denning and Lily Carver are pleased to announce the engagement of their children…” 

Even though you and Sam are friends, you're clearly attracted to one another. Have you ever thought about him in a romantic light before?

Yes and no. I think the better question might be had I ever thought of him in a sexual light before we got together and then I would definitely have to admit ‘yes’.

You’d have to be dead not to notice those abs.

Or the way he fills out a pair of jeans.

Or his I’m thinking something naughty and I’m pretty sure you’re going to enjoy it smile. These days, that one always gets me noticing things, particularly the nearest horizontal surface ;)

But having the romance now and being able to express those feelings just makes the sexual side of things even better. It just took me a while to figure out that they’re actually two sides of the same coin.

If you could go back and change just one decision in your life, what would it be and why?

I wish I had never said ‘yes’ to Brent when he asked me out for a drink during orientation week in law school. I spent years and years dealing with the after effects of that one decision. It changed how I saw myself and how I looked at men

It meant that Sam and I had to spend a lot of time apart, at least romantically, before we could get to where we are now, happy and in love.

If you would like readers to know just one thing about you, what would it be?

That I love my life and I love the man I share it with.

At the end of your life, what would you like to be remembered for?
Besides the invention of fat-free, calorie-free caramel macchiato brownies?
That I was a person who held nothing back, who learned from her mistakes but didn’t let them define her and who told the people in her lifer that she loved them every day.

Thanks for having me today to talk. Happily, October slows down for Juliet and I at the lodge, so I had time to stop by.

Lily
PS – Sam says ‘hi’, too!

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About the author: Elyse Mady is the author of “Something So Right”, “Learning Curves” and “The Debutante’s Dilemma”, all with Carina Press. Upcoming books include “The White Swan Affair” (2012). She blogs at www.elysemady.com.

You can also find her on Twitter at @elysemady, Facebook and Goodreads.
In addition to her writing commitments, Elyse also teaches film and literature at a local community college. In her free time she enjoys (well, enjoys might be too strong a word – perhaps pursues with dogged determination would be better) never ending renovations on their century home with her intrepid husband and two boys.

With her excellent writerly imagination, she one day dreams of topping the NY Times Bestseller’s List and reclaiming her pre-kid body without the bother of either sit-ups or the denunciation of ice-cream

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Elyse is offering two give-aways for her tour!

To enter to win an eCopy of either The Debutante’s Dilemma, Learning Curves or Something So Right just leave a comment below. Open internationally!

The second giveaway is a grand prize pack of a a gorgeous hardcover photography book about Muskoka history, a beautiful set of Group of Seven mugs, a set of note cards and some Canadian maple syrup! Just leave a comment below to be entered to win the grand prize as well. Open US/Canada. See full contest rules here.

For more chances to win, check out the other tour stops!

Monday, October 17th - Kate, I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read

Tuesday, October 18th - Grace, Books Like Breathing

Wednesday, October 19th - Rowena, Book Binge

Thursday, October 20th - Sophia, Fiction Vixen

Friday, October 21st - Cindy, Oodles of Books

Monday, October 24th - Loretta, Between the Pages

Tuesday, October 25th - Evie, Bookish

Wednesday, October 26th - Jodie, Riverina Romantics
Thursday, October 27th - Julie, A Tale of Many Reviews
Friday, October 28th - Alyssa, Hesperia Loves Books

Monday, October 31st - Janie, Colloquium
Tuesday, November 1st - Mandy, The Journey and Musings of a Single Country Girl and Her Cat
Wednesday, November 2nd - Hikari, Imaginary Reads
Thursday, November 3rd - Shannon, Cocktails and Books
Friday, November 4th - Stella, Ex Libris

Tuesday, November 8th -Grand prize announcement on Elyse Mady’s blog!

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Shatter Me

This sounds, pretty much, amazing. And I've read quite a few reviews that say that it is. I can't wait to get my hands on it...one more month! :) What are you waiting for this week?

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine

Blog Tour: Review | Space by Emily Sue Harvey

Title: Space
Author: Emily Sue Harvey
Genre: Adult Fiction - Contemporary
Publication: 09.13.2011 by The Story Plant
Pages: 282
Source: Pump Up Your Books

Summary: Dan and Deede Stowe have worked for years, planning and saving for their idyllic retirement years. Just when they finally are about to realize their dream, their adult, recovering drug-addict daughter, Faith, moves back in with them and everything changes. Their “miracle child”, complete with druggie baggage, upsets the tranquil balance of the Stowe’s existence. Private romantic moments evaporate. Faith’s endless needs intrude hour by hour, devouring both their finances, their emotions, and most crucially, their space. In turn, Faith finds herself bereft of everything she cherished most, her health, her marriage, her child, her family, her reputation and, most of all, a space to call her own.

Amid chaotic challenges, all three battle to find peace with each other, a harmony that doggedly eludes them. For the sake of family solidarity, each is forced to sacrifice elemental components of self, until desperation turns them one against the other. Will love be enough to turn the tide? Is it strong enough to warm again hearts grown cold?

Space is a vivid, candid, and life-affirming story from a masterful storyteller of the heart.

Cover: Not really eye-catching but I think the flower is pretty

Thoughts: Space was an emotional and inspirational book about a family's struggle through many problems and the power of faith.

Dan and Deedee have a great marriage and after many years of working hard they are finally ready to retire. On the night of their 35th anniversary though, they find out that their only daughter, Faith, is a drug-addict. Recently divorced and not really stable, Faith moves in with her parents and their lives begin to change as they struggle to live together.

I had a bit of a hard time connecting with any of the characters, and although I knew Dan and Deedee loved Faith, I had a hard time understanding some of their decisions. Faith is sort of a vague character and although we learn a lot about her throughout the book from Deedee, we don't find out about her problems until the end.

I didn't know that the book would include so much on religion and I was caught a little off guard when in the first few chapters, there is a lot of mention of God, church, faith, miracles and prayer. I don't mind it much, but I usually try and steer clear of books that have many religious aspects in them.

Space was definitely a different book for me to read. It was sad, but inspiring. I think the author did a good job portraying what it might be like to live with a drug-addict. The characters develop throughout the book and I liked how close-knit the family was, but I wasn't able to connect with any one of them and this disappointed me a bit. I would recommend this to contemporary readers, and fans of the authors writing, but this one was only okay for me.

Note: This book has an average rating of 3.80 out of 5 on Goodreads.com. Read what others had to say about it here.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon

About the author:

Emily Sue Harvey, author and speaker, writes to make a difference. Dozens of her upbeat stories and articles appear in Chocolate for Women, Chicken Soup for the Soul, women’s magazines, websites, and other anthologies.

Author Event: Lauren Oliver | Reading & Signing

About a week and a half ago I got to meet Lauren Oliver! It was the release day of Liesl & Po and I was super excited to meet her and buy her new book. The boyfriend and I got there a little early, so we got ourselves some coffee and a copy of the book before heading to the reading and signing.

It turns out that about half the audience was her family, so Lauren seemed really comfortable telling us about the new book. She was really funny, pretty goofy and super nice! She explained the process of getting Liesl & Po illustrated, and even showed us her own drawings of how the illustrations started off. She then read a few pages of the book before signing.

I took my copy of Delirium (of course!) to get it signed also and was really nervous about actually talking to her. Fortunately, she was very talkative and made me laugh, which instantly made me feel at ease. She's totally one of my favorite authors, so I felt really fortunate to meet her and had an awesome time.

In My Mailbox 42

For review:

Her Sister's Shadow by Katharine Britton

Bought:

[at the Dark Days Tour :D]

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (signed!)

Eve by Anna Carey (signed!)

Fateful by Claudia Gray (signed!)

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey (signed!)

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Review | Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: YA - Contemporary/Romance
Pages: 372
Publication: 12.02.2010 by Dutton
Source: Library

Summary: Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.


As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Cover: Hmmm, I like most of it except that we can see "Anna." I sort of wish her face wasn't visible like the guy's face.

Thoughts: I wasn't too sure what to expect when I picked up Anna and the French Kiss. Other bloggers kept gushing about it and I knew I had to find out what all the hype was about. And now I must also gush about it because, not only was I quickly pulled into Anna's story, but I fell head over heels in love with the book. It was sweet, emotional, funny and so much more.

Anna has just moved to Paris to finish her senior year in high school. This might sound like something totally awesome to some of us, but not for Anna. Not only does she have to leave behind her mom, best friend and almost-something-crush, but she doesn't speak a bit of French. Anna is sure she's going to be miserable. And with that attitude, I couldn't help but connect and like her instantly. I mean, what 17 year old girl wants to leave behind everyone she knows, her bff and potential romance to go to a country where she'll be totally alone? I know I wouldn't. Anna's reaction is totally understandable and her feelings so realistic that she makes a great protagonist that all chica's out there can relate to.

Once the idea finally sinks in that she's here to stay for the year (the gorgeous and super friendly-to-her St. Clair helps out there,) Anna makes a group of friends that were also very likable. I loved the way they interacted with one another and the way they stayed together reminded me of friendships I had in high school. They were very real to me and I totally connected with them a whole lot more than what I expected.

The romance between Anna and St. Clair was simply adorable. Sure, St. Clair had a girlfriend and Anna was sort of interested in Toph back home, so not much ever really happens...but the build up was great. I mean, the entire time I was hoping for something to happen. And it all gets so complicated and frustrating, and all I could think was "Are they even going to end up together?!" It was so intense I felt I was going to die but yet very simple and sweet that I couldn't help but love it. And yes, I loved St. Clair. He is not perfect, but he's so unique, nice, totally hot and now a favorite of mine ♥

I was already dying to go  to Paris before I read this, but now...I am still dying to go there! Perkins described everything so well I could almost see it and smell it. It sounds amazing!

I definitely recommend Anna and the French Kiss. It is a fun, sweet and totally something you can relate to. I couldn't put it down! It made laugh, cry, blush and squeal in excitement. Perkins writing is incredible and she is now one of my favorite author's. I cannot wait to read more of her books and if you have not read this one, you must! It is an unforgettable book that you do not want to miss out on :)

Favorite Quote: “I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I'm not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it.”

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Blog Tour: Review & Interview | Bloodstone by Nancy Holzner

Title: Bloodstone
Series: Deadtown #3
Author: Nancy Holzner
Publication: 09.27.2011 by Ace
Pages: 336
Source: Bewitching Book Tours

Summary: Boston’s diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer—dubbed the South End Reaper—uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there’s no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston’s human and inhuman residents.

As the bodies pile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt Mab, and her werewolf boyfriend Kane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after something much more than blood…

Cover: Edgy, eye-catching and Vicky definitely looks like she's ready to kick some demon butt. Love it!

Thoughts: The third book in the Deadtown series, Bloodstone, starts off with Vicky fighting off an everyday demon. I have not read the previous books in the series, so I wasn't too sure what to expect when I opened Bloodstone up. I was blown away with all the action, suspense and great characters that I found in between the pages. The unique and dangerous world that Holzner created included all the favorite monsters (vampires, zombies, werewolves) and was so interesting that I had a hard time putting it down.

It was easy for me to get into the story because it is so intense and fast-paced from the start, but I was a bit confused about the characters because there was so much about them I didn't know. Holzner was able to ease me into the story with her writing, and with the little bits of information here and there from previous books, I was able to figure out what was going on eventually. This was definitely helpful because there was so much of Deadtown that I didn't know, but I am not sure how readers of the series might have felt about this.

Vicky was a fun character to read about. She is tough and kicks demon butt like no other. She is determined and caring, really putting herself out there for the people that she loves. I am really interested in reading the other two books to see how Vicky has changed as a character throughout the series. Her family, friends and boyfriend are all a mixture of werewolves, vampires, norms, zombies, and even some unknowns. This created a great set of characters that I really liked reading about, each one so different from the next.

I loved how dark Bloodstone is and some of the scenes had me cringing in pain or disgust (but in a good way!) I really wish I had started off with the first one book in the series though so I could feel more of a connection with Deadtown, Vicky and the other characters, but hopefully I will read the other books in the near future. This is one that I am sure Urban Fantasy lovers will definitely enjoy and if you have read the previous books in the Deadtown series, this is one you don't want to miss! Captivating, gritty and full of action, Bloodstone is a great book with a little bit of everything that many will enjoy.

Favorite Quote: "If I could have one wish then, it would have been the freedom to turn my head away from him. I said nothing."

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About the author:

Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a masters degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, she’s worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer. Most of her nonfiction books are published under the name Nancy Conner.

Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each other’s nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

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Thanks so much for inviting me to visit Oodles of Books. I love the name of your blog—it makes me feel at home. My husband and I are the kind of people who have overflowing bookcases in every room. (And now we're both buying ebooks, too!) It's a pleasure to be here today.

If you and Vicky could spend the day together, what would you do?

I'd love to go with Vicky on a Drude extermination, where she enters a client's dreamscape and kills the demons that are giving the client nightmares. Those scenes are always fun to write, and I'd like to see whether other people's dreams are as crazy as I imagine they are.

After she finished work, we'd hang out at Creature Comforts, a “monster bar” in Boston's New Combat Zone, the no man's land between the checkpoints into Deadtown and human-controlled Boston. It's a real back-to-basics place; the owner and bartender, Axel, isn't interested in mixing fancy cocktails. Creature Comforts is a favorite hangout for vampires, werewolves, and other Deadtown residents. Humans go there when they want to take a walk on the wild side—but still be within sprinting distance of safety.

What was your reaction when you saw the cover of Bloodstone (and the first books in the series)? Were they what you had imagined them looking like?

I love the covers of my books. When Deadtown was in production, my editor sent me an email with the subject line, “Prepare to be wowed!” She'd attached Deadtown's cover art, created by Don Sipley (who's done the art for all the covers in the series). “Wowed” wasn't a strong enough word for my reaction. I screamed and called my husband: “You've got to see this!” I couldn't stop staring at the image. I just loved it. If I hadn't already been married, I probably would've wanted to marry it. :) That said, Bloodstone's cover may be my favorite so far.

For all the covers, I love the use of color and the way Vicky's flaming sword stands out. Each cover really captures something about its book: the sense of menace and destruction facing Boston in Deadtown, the Welsh/Celtic background in Hellforged, and the Reaper hovering over Vicky in Bloodstone. I can't wait to see what the cover for the next book, Darklands, will look like!

If Bloodstone came to life, would you want to live in it for a day if you could?

Well, it would be great for research! I'd stick with Vicky, though. She'd know how to navigate Deadtown better than I ever could.

What is the scariest book you've ever read? Scariest movie you've seen?

Hard to pick just one. As a teenager, Stephen King's Pet Sematary and It both scared the heck out of me. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is another. But the scariest thing I ever read is probably the short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates.

It starts off with an ordinary situation, a sulky teenage girl who's feeling a bit rebellious. Then, the story gets stranger and stranger, going from subtle threat to overt menace, until the girl is clearly prey to something terrible, but we never know exactly what. It's short, but it stayed with me for days after I first read it.

As for movies, it's a classic: The Shining. The creepiness and rising tension are so well done in that film. It's one of those movies that makes you lie in bed, trying to sleep but listening for creaks and other strange noises in the house.

• I have yet to read anything by Stephen King, can ya'll believe it?! I had a really hard time getting into The Shining, don't really understand why so many authors find it scary.

What was the last really great book you read?

This is way outside of my own genre, but I love Ann Patchett's writing. Bel Canto is one of my favorite novels. Her most recent novel, State of Wonder, is also terrific. Patchett's books are simply beautiful: amazingly well written and full of generosity of spirit.

What are three weird facts your readers might not know about you?

I'm an opera fanatic, especially Italian opera. That's not really weird, but it can be a great conversation killer. :) Of course, if I happen across a fellow fanatic, we can talk for hours.

I was born a redhead, but my hair turned blonde when I was still a baby. In my 30s, it got darker. So I've been a redhead, a blonde, and a brunette, all naturally. I don't know what my actual hair color is now. I like it blonde, so I'm sticking with that. :)

The fastest I ever quit a job was after an hour and a half. It was conducting surveys by telephone. I hate talking on the phone—what was I thinking? I made some calls and got hung up on a lot. (Not that I blamed the people who hung up. They didn't ask me to call, and I was interrupting their day. I was living in London at the time, and my American accent probably didn't help, either.) Mid-morning, I got up from my station, said I was taking a bathroom break, and never returned. And I never regretted it for a second!

• Oh I also had an experience like that with a job...actually it was almost exactly the same. I got hired to conduct surveys as well and hated it. I lasted about 4 days though, but felt nauseous every time at the start of my shift. On my fourth day, after my break, I got up and told my supervisor I had to leave because of an emergency. I never went back!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I absolutely loved your responses and really appreciate you being here today :)

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Review | The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Title: The Princess Diaries
Series: The Princess Diaries #1
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: YA - Contemporary
Publication: 06.14.2001 by HarperTrophy
Pages: 283
Source: Library

Summary: She's just a New York City girl living with her artist mom...

News Flash: Dad is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo meets her at the airport!)

Downer: Dad can't have any more kids. (So no heir to the throne.)

Shock of the Century: Like it or not, Mia Thermopolis is prime princess material.

Mia must take princess lessons from her dreaded grandmére, the dowager princess of Genovia, who thinks Mia has a thing or two to learn before she steps up to the throne.

Well, her father can lecture her until he's royal-blue in the face about her princessly duty—no way is she moving to Genovia and leaving Manhattan behind. But what's a girl to do when her name is Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo?

Cover: Fun, simple and very pink...I like :)

Thoughts: To be honest, I wasn't too interested in reading The Princess Diaries series, well...ever. I did watch the movie years ago and I thought it was funny and really cute. I picked this up at the library one day because it was an audiobook and there wasn't too much of a selection. I'm glad I did because I loved it! It was such a fun, quirky and laugh-out-loud book that I couldn't stop listening to!

Mia finds out that her dad isn't just "in politics" but is a Prince! He just found out that he can no longer have children, something that he wasn't counting on, so Mia is the next to take the throne. She's already a freak as it is, and now she has to be a princess too? And not only that, but she's failing Algebra and her mom is dating her Algebra teacher and now she has to take Princess Lessons from her Grandmere! Mia is not happy.

I loved Mia from the start. She's your average 14 year old girl just trying to fit in a school, hanging out with her best friend and hoping the hottest guy around will notice her. She's smart, just a little strange and sooo funny! I was laughing out loud at practically everything she said. I thought it was pretty awesome that Anne Hathaway is the narrator of the book on the audio version, because she's totally who I imagined Mia to be like (since I saw the movie first, duh,) and is a great reader, really acting out her role as Mia which made listening to it a hundred times better.

The Princess Diaries is written in diary form of course, so we only get to find out what happens throughout the day when Mia writes about it. Each entry is a little longer than any "real" diary would be because Mia writes lots of details about her day and dialogue with the characters. I thought the author was able to accomplish this quite smoothly and was really satisfied with the overall pace of the story. It is so cleverly written that it pulled me into the story rather quickly and I just wanted to read more to find out what happens next.

If you've watched the movie, this book is about a third of what the movie shows. It's also pretty different and I thought, a lot funnier. Lots happens in just a few short days, so I was really happy with how the story ended. Of course, it doesn't conclude and there are lots more books to go through, which I might read one day or not. I am really glad that I at least read this first one though, I thought it was great. I definitely recommend The Princess Diaries to anyone looking for something fun, fluffy, girly and quick.

Favorite Quote: “Lilly says I have an overactive imagination and a pathological need to invent drama in my life.”

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For review:
Space by Emily Sue Harvey
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

R.A.K.
Sleepless by Cyn Balog (thanks Emily!)

Bought:
The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith
Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Author Event | Orange County Book Festival

Last Sunday was the Orange County Children's Book Festival in Costa Mesa, an event that takes place every year. It was my first time learning of this event, so I was pretty excited to go because there were going to be so many awesome authors there. My brother and boyfriend came along with me and it was a really hot day, so within a few minutes of getting there, we were burning up! We got there a little later than I wanted to, but it was okay, although I did miss seeing Lisi Harrison again. I did catch her signing some books later though, but I just walked by.

The first thing we did was find the booth where I could donate books. For each 2 books, I got a $2 off coupon for the booths. I only had a few books to donate though. Aftewards, we made our way back to the YA stage because the "Keeping it Real" Panel was up, which consisted of Jessi Kirby (author of Moonglass), Lindsey Leavitt (author of Sean Griswold's Head), Kirsten Hubbard (author of Like Mandarin) and Andrew Smith (author of The Marbury Lens). They talked for a little while about their books and answered questions from the audience, then went to the side for signing.

The Mysterious Galaxy store had a booth set up with all the books of the authors that were going to be there today and were setting up the area for the author's signing. I hustled over there, and bought Like Mandarin and The Marbury Lens.  I didn't take my copy of Moonglass because it was already signed, and I didn't get a chance to buy a copy of Sean Griswold's Head. But I did get a few pictures with the author's and I chatted with them for a tiny bit.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Andrew Smith, but my brother and boyfriend got my copy of his book signed for me, so I was happy :) Next on the stage were Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, authors of Spoiled, followed by DJ MacHale, author of The Monster Princess, and Kailin Gaw, author of the new series The Fire Wars, but we headed to the Main Stage because Molly Shannon was supposed to show up around that time. We waited for a little while, but she didn't show up and growing restless and too hot to stand around waiting, we got ourselves some ice cream and headed back to the YA stage. By then, Kailin Gaw was finishing up her reading of her book, and Kami Garcia was up next. I managed to get a seat in the front and was really excited to see her. She read a little from Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures, Book 3) then answered some questions before the signing. She was super nice! She had her two children with her and they were helping her out with handing out the bookmarks and bracelets she was giving fans out. She noticed that my copy of Beautiful Creatures was a first edition too, and I felt a wee bit special :)

 

After getting my books signed, I once again, returned to the stage. I left my brother there while I went to meet Kami, so I still had my spot up front. The "Paranormal Tendencies" panel was next and the authors Emma Michael's (The Thirteenth Chime), Inara Scott (The Candidates), Cindy Pon (Silver Phoenix), Jeff Mariotte (Dark Vengeance Vol. 1: Summer, Fall,) and Gretchen McNeil (Possess). I didn't get to meet any of them afterwards though, but got to see Hope Larson, author of Mercury, and Lisa Desrochers. Lisa read from her third book in the Personal Demons series (gasp!) instead of the second one, so I am really interested in reading those books.

I also got a chance to meet Katie Alender, author of Bad Girls Don't Die and Heather Brewer, author of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, who also happened to be the last author we waited for.

It was a great day and I had so much fun, despite the heat. I loved meeting each author and also can't wait to read the books I picked up! Also, I can't wait for next year xD