Everlasting Review

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release date: June 1, 2010

Source: Bought

Other books in this series: The Eternal Sea (2011)

Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.

Review:

Everlasting was a beautifully written and intriguing debut novel that left me anxious for the sequel!

For starters, Camille was a fantastic main character. Her bravery, determination, and independence shown from the pages and I loved how she always stood up for what she believed in. Considering she lived in the 1800s life wasn't always easy for women, but she managed to keep her life exciting by traveling with her father as he navigates the world on his trade ship. I would have loved to read about more of their adventures- it sounded like they visited some fascinating places! Unfortunately, on their final voyage before Camille is set to marry Randall (a man she doesn't love) a terrible storm appears and Camille's beloved father is lost.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and Angie managed to combine magic and mystery to make it that much more interesting. After being rescued from the storm Camille and two other sailors from the sea arrive in Australia and from there her adventures truly begin. Camille has uncovered some long buried secrets about her family and Camille is determined to unravel them. With the help of fellow survivor Oscar, Camille sets out on a quest to find a magical stone with amazing powers. I loved reading about the Australian wilderness and the different people Camille and Oscar meet on their journey and the places they see.

Watching Camille and Oscar's relationship grow was one of my favorite aspects of the story. Oscar was a great character and I loved him from the start.

I have been dying to read Everlasting since I first picked it up earlier this year and I can say it did not disappoint. Magic, adventure, romance, and history combine and make this a fabulous start to what I'm sure will be a great series.

In addition to having great characters and an engaging plot, Angie Frazier is a fantastic writer, which only made me love the book that much more. This is one 2010 debut you don't want to miss!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Tyger Treasure Giveaway!

I have a gorgeous necklace inspired by the fabulous new novel, Tyger Tyger, to giveaway to one lucky winner!

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Tyger Treasure!

Kersten Hamilton is giving away twenty hand-made necklaces in November and December to celebrate her new book Tyger Tyger!

The pendants were created by book blogger Melissa at Books and Things and the chains by someone else. :) Each necklace is beautiful and unique. Enter here to win this necklace, and have fun hunting for the rest!

In My Mailbox (59)

For Review:

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Sequins, Secrets, and Silver Linings by Sophia Bennett

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

Ebooks:

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

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The Mermaid's Mirror Review

The Mermaid's Mirror by LK Madigan

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Release date: October 4, 2010

Source: Publisher

Other books by this author: Flash Burnout

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach — walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves — the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.

But her father — a former surfer himself — refuses to allow her to take lessons. After his near drowning years ago, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.

Yet something keeps drawing Lena to the water . . . an ancient, powerful magic. And one morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman — with a silvery tail.

Now nothing can stop Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.

And soon . . . what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life forever.

Review:

I love mermaids and YA mermaid novels hold a special place in my heart. Books like Forgive My Fins and The Tale of Emily Windsnap are all great novels and each author presents a unique and interesting take on mermaids. And LK Madigan was no exception. The plot of The Mermaid's Mirror was highly original and kept me interested from page one.

I really liked the main character, Selena ("Lena"). She is just an ordinary girl with an incredible wish to learn how to surf; but also with a ton of family secrets she will uncover as the story goes on. Lena lives with her father and his wife (who is basically Lena's mom since she has raised Lena since she was 9) and Lena's half brother, Cole. Lena's family was all great and I loved how realistic and happy they were. Lena's parents only wanted the best for her and Cole was adorable. He brought a smile to my face every time he appeared. There are quite a few mysteries surrounding Lena's family though. Like why won't Lena's dad, who once ruled the ocean with his surfboard, not go into the sea or let Lena learn how to surf? And why is Lena suddenly having odd dreams, passing out, and waking up in the middle of the night on the beach with no recollection of how she got there?

In addition to Lena's family, she has two close friends- Pem and Kai. I never especially liked her boyfriend Kai and I think he was a little too weird. They were better off as friends, in my opinion. Surfing was tied in to the novel as well as it's Lena's dream and both Kai and Pem surf. It was extremely interesting to read about all the surfing terminology and picturing all the characters riding the waves.

At first, the book moved a little slow, but as it progressed more and more secrets are unveiled and Lena's life isn't as simple as it seemed. The more you read the more you will be sucked into The Mermaid's Mirror and realize what a creative and original novel it truly is.

I can't say more than I have without spoiling anything, so all I'll say is that you should definitely pick this up. It's not the best mermaid story I've ever read, but it's certainly original and kept me reading. The ending was a little sad, I wished it didn't have to turn out that way. Overall, though, I recommend this to all readers and I'm definitely planning on picking up Madigan's debut, Flash Burnout.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

The Lighter Side of Life and Death Review

The Lighter Side of Life and Death by CK Kelly Martin

Publisher: Random House BFYR

Release date: May 25, 2010

Source: Bought

Other books by this author: One Lonely Degree, I Know It's Over, My Beating Teenage Heart (2011)

Sixteen-year-old Mason Rice is having the night of his life. He's just delivered an incredible performance in the school play, basked in celebratory afterglow vibes at the party of the year, and lost his virginity to one of his best friends—the gorgeous but previously unobtainable Kat Medina. His dreams are coming true, and the future looks golden.

Unfortunately, Kat sees things very differently. Crossing the friendship line was a big mistake, and all she wants is to forget it and move on, even if that means forgetting Mason altogether. What's a guy to do? Well, if you're Mason, you hang your hopes on the first attractive twenty-three-year-old you cross paths with. At first Mason wonders if he's imagining the chemistry . . . until Colette invites him over to her apartment. Suddenly Mason's living in a whole new world.

Review:

Surprisingly, The Lighter Side of Life and Death was my first CK Kelly Martin novel. I've had it sitting on my TBR pile for quite awhile now and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. It was definitely different than I was expecting but it was a refreshing change from all the female POVs I've been reading lately.

To begin with, Mason was a character that I just had to like right away. His warm and easy going personality just made him an extremely likable main character from the start. Mason's life was definitely not easy though. His parents are divorced and he lives with his father who's new girlfriend and her two kids are moving in. Mason's dad was very casual and let Mason have a lot of freedoms, plus he was distracted with his girlfriend and her kids. Mason has a lot of friends that I liked and all of them have pretty big roles in the story, especially Kat Medina. When Mason loses his virginity to Kat one night, their friendship, and Mason's life, will never be the same. Kat doesn't talk to him much anymore and he's having a really hard time letting her go and forgetting what they did. Now, this isn't even the major plot line. When 23 year old Colette enters the picture, Mason's life, friends (even Kat), and family are basically forgotten. Mason and Colette's relationship is almost purely physical and their meetings are a tight secret.

From the start I didn't like Colette. She lured in and flirted with Mason until he was under her spell and as the adult she should have known how wrong it was to get involved with a sixteen year old- no matter how much she cared for him. The sex scenes in The Lighter Side of Life and Death were pretty detailed and appear fairly often. Nothing too bad for older readers, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone under 13 or 14.

I did like Kat and she was obviously the right girl for Mason. Not only was she sweet and a good friend, she was actually his age. All the characters in this novel were well developed and we got to learn a lot about all of them as the novel progressed. Mason especially learned a lot about himself and who he truly carted for and wanted in his life.

The plot was filled with a variety of sub plots. Not only Mason's two relationships, but also things involving his friends and family.

CK Kelly Martin is a great writer and she crafted a truly original and fast paced third novel. Mason, even though he might have made some bad choices, was a fantastic main character and it's hard not to like him. Martin did a fantastic job of getting into the head of a teenage boy and making him seem entirely realistic. I can't wait to read more by CK Kelly Martin!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Introducing 2011: Kim Harrington

Kim's debut novel, CLARITY, will be published on March 1, 2011 by Scholastic.

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1. How did CLARITY come to be? Was there anything that specifically inspired you to start writing it?

Strangely enough, CLARITY came from one line that just popped into my head. And from those five words grew a snarky, sarcastic main character and her unusual family. I played the “what if” game to figure out what was the worst thing I could do to them. And CLARITY was born! The line that started it all is in the finished book. It’s the last sentence of chapter two.

2. If you could befriend Clare with any YA character, who would it be and why?

Peeta. Because Clare loves baked goods. ;)

3. Did you have to do any research before writing?

A little bit. CLARITY takes place in the height of tourist season on Cape Cod. I didn’t have to research the ups and downs of growing up in a tourist town since my father’s from the Cape and I’ve spent a ton of time there. However, my family does not run a psychic business out of their home, so I did do a little research on that. I visited a few psychics, including one family business.

4. If you could have any "power" what would it be?

It’s not one of the powers in my book, but out of all powers in the world, I’d pick teleportation. Mainly because I’m impatient and would love to just magically be at my destination and skip all that airport stuff.

5. What's next for you writing wise?

Up next is the sequel to CLARITY (official title to come). And I'm also writing a standalone paranormal mystery--a ghost story--called GLIMMER, which will come out after that. Very exciting!

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Thanks so much, Kim!

Click here to visit her website and find out more about CLARITY!

In My Mailbox (58)

For Review:

Teeth: Vampire Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Hexbound (Dark Elite #2) by Chloe Neill

Won/Gifts:

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler (signed!)

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John (already read- it's awesome!)

Tyger Tyger necklace

IMM Is Hosted By: The Story Siren

Review: Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Release date: September 1, 2010

Publisher: Harlequin Teen/ 216 pages/ Young Adult/ Book One

Source: Author (Paperback)

Other books in the series: One Hundred Candles, Beyond the Grave (September 2011)

Other books by this author: Tagged

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my pastand present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive…

Review:

Past Midnight was another fantastic novel by Mara Purnhagen. I read and really enjoyed her debut, Tagged, earlier this year and was thrilled when Past Midnight landed on my doorstep. Past Midnight was completely different from Tagged but I loved it! It combined great characters with a creepy, unique premise that had me clenching the ends of the book, anxious to find out what was going to happen next.

Charlotte was a strong and likable main character and I enjoyed getting to know her over the course of the story. She is definitely someone I would like to meet in real life. I loved that she wasn't just a regular high school girl, her parents are paranormal investigators. Dedicated to proving that the mysterious noise in your attic really isn't a ghost. They have a popular TV show and have published a variety of books. Reading about her parents and their work was one of my favorite aspects of the novel. It was such a creative idea and a unique twist on Ghostbusters. Charlotte's family all played a large role in the novel and it was nice to read about her relationship with her two parents as well as her older sister.

There were a lot of things going on in this novel and I'm glad it's the start of a series because I am dying to know what happens next. There are still a lot of loose ends waiting to be tied. Over the course of the book many different things happen and Charlotte's life is far from easy. My heart went out to her because she was dealing with so much. Friend troubles as well as her very own haunting.

I like to think I don't get scared too easily (not counting Jaws!) but Past Midnight really creeped me out. It wasn't scary per se but it spooked me enough to look over my shoulder and jump when I heard an odd noise while reading. This was definitely an original ghost story and the mystery surrounding them had me anxious to find out what was going to happen next.

Mara Purnhagen defintiely did a lot of research for this novel and it showed. Historical details and the paranomal combined to make this a truly entertaining and original read. There are a lot of sub plots, many of which tie together in the end, and I can't wait to see what's next for Charlotte in the sequel, One Hundred Candles.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Blog Tour: Brenda Pandos Interview and Giveaway!

1. Could you introduce yourself and “The Sapphire Talisman” to our readers?

Thank you for having me, Kelsey. I loved your review of The Sapphire Talisman. I’m a mother of 2 rambunctious boys, wife of the love of my life! I’m very blessed.

The Sapphire Talisman is a continuation of the sixteen-year-old empathy, Julia Parker, and vampire slayer, Nicholas Kendrick. The story opens with Enigma’s warning to Julia that Alora is back, and she wants revenge. Their love will be tested in new and incredible ways either ever imagined. I’m so excited to share it with everyone December 15th!

2. How did you come up with the ideas in “The Sapphire Talisman” and what/who inspired you to write it?

Lemons in my life inspired the first book and my enthusiastic readers inspired the second. Right before giving birth to my second child, my first was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (at age 3). Our life’s turned upside down. I ended up quitting my job to be home with them. I desperately needed something to preoccupy my mind during the long hours of tending to a newborn and being available 35 hrs a week for therapy for my oldest. That became The Emerald Talisman (TET). I wrote TET in segments, being my most favorite ones first. Then I bridged them together to complete the manuscript.

With The Sapphire Talisman (TST), I started at the beginning and wrote all the way through to the end. It didn’t come together as smoothly or easily as TET, which was frustrating, but I completed the entire thing in 8 months. It’s weird, but my best idea’s came during my daily shower. I think because I wasn’t being pulled in a million different directions from my kids. I’d imagine the scene and then write it out later in 1K chunks. If I could write 1K words in a day, I’d be happy and finish the rest of the things I needed to complete in my day. You have to set daily goals/limits so you don’t feel guilty when doing free-time activities. It’s not like I had a boss breathing down my neck (well, my readers were pretty persistent).

3. Do you think the main characters in the novel should be perceived as role models by teenagers?

Actually, I think the question should be, should authors write strong role models for their YA audience. In life, everyone is trying to sell something. Whether it’s their value system, a new car or joining their side, they have an agenda, albeit hidden, it’s there. Teens are one of the most open groups of people who are by nature naive and looking to find their niche in the world. As an author, I want to provide quality, moral YA fantasy fiction I’d feel comfortable letting my own children read. That involves strong heroes and heroines who may or may not make good choices, but suffer consequences of those decisions, like real life. I’m happy to say that I’ve gotten many mom’s stamp of approval and they feel peace of mind letting their kids read my stories.

4. Do you think the paranormal romance genre has exhausted its potential? Or are vampires and other peculiar creatures more popular than ever?

The readers want fantasy romance of all kinds. I don’t think that’ll change.

5. What do you mainly focus on when writing a book – plot, characters, etc.?

For me, the plot determines who and where the scenes need to be. For the Sapphire Talisman, the whole premise surrounded the confrontation with Alora and Julia. From there, I filled in the rest of the story with the ending in mind. I try not to pigeon hole my characters and allow them the freedom to run dialog naturally, gently steering them towards the next scene. I guess it’s called ‘panster’ writing meaning by the seat of your pants. Works for me.

6. It can be speculated that nowadays blogger reviews may give a book a push or condemn it to oblivion. Do you agree that the Internet plays a major role in the successful publicizing of a book?

Being an indie writer, I’ve heavy tapped into the book blogging world and they have made my book(s) a success. Though, if I’d written something they didn’t like, it would have killed my novel for sure. I’ve hit a good thread and I’m thankful for them.

7. I know of authors who ignore and discard criticism from reviewers. What about you? Do you think an author can improve an aspect of his/her writing based on reviews?

I read all my reviews. Many have given very credible feedback I’ve adapted into TST. Some complain about the novel and don’t provide reasons why they didn’t like it. I can’t do much with statements like “I didn’t like it.” I have a lot to learn and I’m open to constructive criticism from credible sources.

8. What do you find particularly difficult in the whole writing & getting published process?

Each step has its challenges. I think overcoming the fear and putting out your hard work and heart out there for criticism and rejection is the most difficult part.

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Thanks so much Brenda!

Click here to visit her website and here to pre order the book!

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GIVEAWAY!

I have a signed copy of The Sapphire Talisman to giveaway to one lucky winner!

Rules:

US Only

Ends December 3

Fill out THIS FORM to enter!