Shade

Review Time! I'm going along with the flow, so read and review and than read some more. I participating in the Out With a Bang Readathon so I reading and reading and reading. I've got about four more debuts to read before the end of tomorrow. Unlikely, but I'll give it a try.

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

The Short Story ? - It was a surprisingly short book! Not literally but it took me a day to read it and with 300 pages I would have thought it should have taken me longer. I haven't read any reviews of Shade before I picked up the book and honestly I didn't know what it was about ( no blurb or anything) but I quite enjoyed reading something I was clueless about!

The Long Story ? - The best way I can sum up this book is - average. I simply don't know what to think of it other than it was good. The goods and bads balance each other and it just wasn't good or bad enough to be more than average. I actually googled other bloggers review on this book and many have said they loved it but it just wasn't anything special for me.

I enjoyed the book and found it very interesting, especially since it's a paranormal that focuses on ghosts instead of the usual vampires. The idea of the Shift ( everyone born after the Shift can communicate with ghosts) is very clever and I would  think a great deal of research and thinking was required for this YA debut. The writing was comfortable and the beginning of the book was really great. Another great thing about this book is that the pages fly, it was so easy to read that I didn't even notice I finished until there wasn't another page to flick. This brings us to the "bads" of the book.

Problem One, abrupt ending, it wasn't a cliff hanger it was just abrupt. The last few pages weren't even that exciting, no action in epic proportions or any proportion on my radar and yet it ended with I quote - "Wow". Um, talk about abrupt?

Problem Two, the plot was quite boring. I think that this would be one of those series' that gets better with each book. However, I feel that the author should have put a little more action into the first book and maybe given a few answers. Like baiting the readers. It just seemed a little dry to me, the idea behind the whole plot was clever with the Shift but the plot itself was like I said a little boring or dry.

Overall, I feel that putting aside the dry plot and the abrupt the ending the book was actually really good. If it has a little more action I think I would have loved it. However, under these circumstances I would say that the good and bad balanced out each other giving this debut an average rating, okay maybe a bit higher. Although, it could have been better it was still a great book and I think that if you looking for something original - read this :) Rating - 3.5/5

Badass Bookie xx

Out With A Bang Reathon ( Late ) Sign Up

Ahhhhh I haven't even released there was a readthon that highlights 2010 Debuts....I mean there are others out there who share my obsession in reading 10's in 2010 :) SO that's why this is a late sign up.

Anyway the readthon runs from 29th ( My B'day !!!) to 31st of December and is aimed at finishing all the good debuts that you haven't gotten around to reading!

My list includes -

I've already finished Shade and I'm reading Nevermore right now so hopefully I get through at least THREE of the four.

Badass Bookie xx

The Sky is Everywhere

Review Time! By the time you read this I will be a year older, because I was suppose to post this yesterday ON my birthday but it was really hectic since we also moved to a new house yesterday :) Anyway, back to books ( which I didn't get any for my b'day ) I still trying desperately to read all my 2010's in well, 2010. I think I have four more to go before the end of the year which is ... tomorrow.

( Goodreads) Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding

The Short Story ? - Well, I have to say that it turned out better than I thought it would! My friend read this book and pretty much ruined everything so I wasn't planning to read this but then I won a copy and it's was just tragically calling my name and I just had to Pick.It.Up.

The Long Story ? - I don't read, no, I don't enjoy reading books with the themes Death and Depression. I don't enjoy book with punchlines like " My path the healing my broken heart after my loved one died" or " I don't think I will ever be happy because such and such died". I read alot of contemporary but I usually avoid the death and depression ones. Which, my readers, is why I didn't really want to read - The Sky is Everywhere.

The 100 pages of The Sky is Everywhere was exactly that. Depressing to read, boring, no action, went around in loops but always ending with self-hating or self- pity. However, I've read so many good review on this debut and I pretty sure not everyone one of them is a pessimist or a sadist with self-esteem, so there must have been something good about the book right ? The writing was comfortable enough, the theme D&D made it seem uncomfortable but really Jandy is a wonderful writer, the characterisation was great but it didn't seem special enough to me.

Enter Joe Fontaine, love-interest, musician and french and the whole book changes. Joe wasn't a catalyst, suddenly it wasn't s hard to read this book because it wasn't depressing anymore. Lennie started to be something human again and it was like the sun broke through the storm clouds. It became something that I could read and more importantly review because it wasn't so depressing.

So when Joe took up  the job as a main character the whole book changed and it was from there that I really started reading the book, feeling connections and emotions between the characters and more importantly understanding why this book has been awarded so many great reviews.

The Sky is Everywhere is truly a remarkable book, the title itself has alot of depth to it but to see the changes is a character's personality, the journey from D&D to Hope and Love is really quite memorable. Joe was a catalyst to the book and more importantly he was pretty cute :) Although I got off to a rough start with this book, I ended up loving the ending. Rating 4/5

Badass Bookie xx

Blog Tour - Priscilla the Great

I don't normally do blog tours or contribute much to the Indie Authors so I thought I might join in Sybil Nelson'a blog tour for her MG novel ( again! I'm a YA blogger :P) Priscilla the Great which sound really cool. Random act.....

Interview with the Creator

Hey, hold up. Before click away into cyberspace, I gotta tell you this is not religious or anything. My creator is none other than Sybil Nelson, author of Priscilla the Great. And I’m Priscilla. I’m a lean, mean, tween, machine and I want to tell you all about my world. But I thought a more fun way to do that would be to interview the person who created me. I think she might know me better than I know myself. So here it goes:

Priss: Hey Sybil. What’s up?


Sybil: Not much.


Priss: Quick, tell the people at Badass Bookie some interesting things about yourself.


Sybil: Okay, let’s see. I’m a wife to an awesome guy named Michael, I’m the mother of two little girls. I’m a PhD student. I love to write in my spare time and create new realities. I was once on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. I taught high school math and dance for nine years. And I love Justin Bieber.


Priss: Whoa. Wait. What? You love Justin Bieber?


Sybil: And not just Justin. I love all pop music. Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha –


Priss: For future reference, I would just like to request that you do not have me singing any pop music in future books.


Sybil: Not a problem. You’re a horrible singer anyway.


Priss: Good point. So where did you get the inspiration for my character and my powers and my quirky little town of River’s Bend?

Sybil: Well, you are actually a compilation of two of my students named Helen and Ellen. They were two hilarious girls that I taught a couple of years ago. Helen especially would come to class each day with a new story of something weird that happened to her or that she did. Your personality came from her. And your looks came from Ellen. As for your town, I like to think of it as a kind of Stars Hollow from the TV show Gilmore Girls. It’s small, quaint and tight knit. Everyone knows everything about everyone…well, except for the fact that you can shoot fire out of your fingers.


Now your powers, that’s kind of a crazy story. Originally, Priscilla Maxine Sumner was a girl who got super powers along with her first period.


Priss: Whoa. Wait. What? Is that why my initials spell PMS? How embarrassing!


Sybil: I know. It was a funny story, but an editor talked me into taking out that angle. So instead of The Adventures of PMS Girl, we now have Priscilla the Great.


Priss: Awesome. Although it would have been cool to have my period bring me something other than cramps and cravings!


Sybil: I know! That’s what I said.


Priss: So what was your favorite book when you were my age?


Sybil : Oh, tough question. I did love books by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary, but I think around your age I also started to get into Romance novels…as embarrassing as that is. I was a huge V.C. Andrews fan and I probably read at least one Harlequin Romance novel each week.


Priss: Oh, so does that explain the romance between…


Sybil : Priss! Don’t give away any plot points of the book! We want people to buy it remember!


Priss: Right, which reminds me, when can they buy it?


Sybil: Priscilla the Great book 1 is available now! Be sure to go to the website www.priscillathegreat.com to read excerpts, watch movie trailers, or vote on who plays the characters in the movie.


Priss: Wait. Movie? There’s gonna be a movie?


Sybil: Yep, movie rights have already been sold.


Priss: Well, who is playing me!!!


Sybil: Go to the website and see who’s winning the poll!


Priss: Well, thanks for taking the time to talk with me Sybil. I can’t wait to see what you have me do in book two!


Sybil: Oh, you’re gonna love it. Let’s just say it involves a hot French boy.


Priss: Can’t wait!

Justin Bieber FTW!!!! Nah, jokes but seriously he is kinda cute and I do like his music :P
Badass Bookie xx

All Unquiet Things

Review Time! Another 2010 Debut that I have left til the last minute to read. I got this one from the local library which is well, my second home. It's got heaps of YA books! Well updated with new releases too! I wasn't actually going to read this book but when I saw it I couldn't help but pick it up...

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.


As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

The Short Story ? - All Unquiet Things is a complicated book to review. It explores the themes of loss, friendship, love and loneliness. It's written about a unsolved murder, the boy who can't cope and the girl who wants to know the truth. It's dark, it's haunting and it's full of mystery and suspense. It's not my usual kind of a read but it was good. ( sorta)

The Long Story ? - All Unquiet Things was kind of an experiment for me. I have never read a mystery/murder novel without boys, designer clothes and who's cheating on who. I guess Pretty Little Liars is as far as I have explored in the mystery/murder genre and let's face it, it wasn't even that depressing to read. I enjoyed Unquiet Things but I can't say that it was easy for me to read or that I really found anything memorable.

For me All Unquiet Things was too slow moving. There was so much unnecessary information  given at the start I was tempted to put the book down ( but I didn't, of course) I would have been happy with a who,what, where and why instead of a 80 page recount on everything Carly was and wasn't along with how heart-brokened Neily is.

I'm not into the whole death and depression theme in books and I have to say that the roots of this book started from exactly that. Neily was all about feeling sorry for himself, about how he couldn't help Carly and while some people might find that heart-touching and shred a few tears for him, I found it boring. However, once we got past the whole death and depression and got onto the solving the murder, it was very interesting.

I admire the author's ability to write this book. If it was me, I would have given up long ago. To plan a entire book out, to write a full 300 pages and frame a murder on a character so that it makes sense and fits in with everything is something very difficult and clever. So many secrets were unraveled during the progress of solving the murder, it became an addiction to flick the pages faster and faster.

I would have probably enjoyed this book more if I felt comfortable with the writing, it seemed to stiff to me. Too formal and serious, while it fits with the dark plot of All Unquiet Things, personally, I felt it was not comfortable.

Overall, it was a good book, but it could have been better. I loved the whole murder /mystery /detective /secret plot but the writing was uncomfortable for me to read and there was too much death and depression for my liking. Rating 3/5

Badass Bookie xx

2011 Debut Author Challenge Sign - Up

I have been meaning to sign up for an AGE but due to the 2011 Debutantes Event which has sadly come to end, I haven't been albe to. Anyway, Kristi over at The Story Siren is also a YA Debut Author Supporter and every year she hosts the Debut Author Challenge for everyone who wants to support debut authors and read their books! The aim is to read at least 12 but I going to challenge myself to read at least 20!

So here is my list....

* In Bold are the ones I own.

- Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

- Across the Universe by Beth Revis

- Entwined by Heather Dixon

- Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

- Angelfire by Courtney Allison Mouton

- The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

- Possession by Elana Johnson

- Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
- The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
- Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

- XVI by Julia Karr

- Haven by Kristi Cook

- The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
- Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
- Wither by Lauren DeStefano ( Read Already)
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- Clarity by Kim Harrington
- Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
- Divergent by Veroinca Roth
- Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Five - Closing Post, Winners and a Survey ( Please HELP! )

Merry Christmas Guys!!!! Anyone receive BOOKS for a present???

While your Christmas might look like this ...

My Christmas usually look like this ...

 

BUT THIS YEAR .....
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS -

So while Mum is preparing a Christmas Lunch with the whole shebang, I'm writing to closing post to my 2011 Debutante Event. It was my own event with the whole shebang and I'm very sad that it's over now. I've met fantastic authors who are masterminds to next year's YA Debuts, learned three times more about them then anything I learnt this year at school and I think I going to miss them when this event is over ... ( wait, it's already over)

I also wanted to give a HUGE Thank-you to everyone who participated in this event! If it wasn't for you there wouldn't have been a 2011 Debutante Event. So thanks guys! And now since I'm not into the mushy stuff....

IF YOU HAVE MISSED A POST/ GIVEAWAY OR ANYTHING FROM THIS EVENT HEAD OVER HERE

The Winners of the 'Spread the Word' Contest is...

...

...

...

Lynne! ( Claimed)
Mrs Deraps

I have sent an email to both winners. Please email me back in 48hrs or I will have to pick new winners.

Winners for the Debut Books will be announced on 31st of December. Best of luck to everyone! If you haven't entered them, you still have time!

Now, I have made a survey about the Debutante Event! From the feedback I get, I will try make the next Debs event BIGGER and BETTER! The Debs would love to hear back from you guys too!

I'm also giving away 10 bonus entries to the giveaway of your choice who everyone who fills out the survey. It's really quick! ( Only 8 Q's)

Fill it out HERE

Thanks for participating and Merry Christmas Everyone!

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Four - All About Wither + Giveaway

Well, my lovely readers,  we are up to our last post before a closing post tomorrow! The winner of the Spread the Word Contest will be announced tomorrow along with some other 'stuff'. Anyway, let's turn the spotlight on the beautiful cover of Wither....

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Book Profile

Name - Wither ( Goodreads )

Author - Lauren DeStefano ( Profile )

Release Date - 22nd March 2011

Genre - Dystopian

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left

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Insiders Scoop on Wither

1.) I began Wither with the intention of it being a short story for a contest my agent told me about. Several pages in, I realized that not only was it going to be a full-length book, there was no way I could wrap everything up without making it into a series.

2.) I wrote the first draft of Wither in its entirety within the month of September, and during most of that time I was bedridden with the flu.

3.) When I began writing Wither, I had no clue what Rhine's story would be, or where she had come from, or even that her name was Rhine. When she popped into my head, all I knew was that she was someplace dark, and she was terrified of wherever she was going.

4.) Two years prior to writing Wither, I wrote an adult literary novel that accumulated more than 140 agent rejections. I took the hint and put it in a place where it will never see the light of day. Even though it's not a particularly strong manuscript, and certainly not commercial by any means, I'm proud of it. By completing that first manuscript, I'd accomplished my goal of writing a book, proving to myself that I had it in me. I consider it a necessary step to have taken.

5.) It's important to me that my characters feel human. For that reason, I never plan their personalities in advance. When I make new acquaintances, I can't possibly know everything about them; I have to spend time with them and see what sort of people they are, and they often surprise me. I apply the same thinking to my characters.

WAIT!!!!! STOP, DON"T SCROLL DOWN JUST YET!!!!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Wither for review AND I would just like to share a "mini" review of it with you right now. Not a terribly long one, I don't want to bore you to tears :) I'll do that another time.

The Short Story? - W.O.W ( Work of Wonder) Lauren DeStefano, knowing that you will read this post, I salute you! You have renewed my faith in my ability to judge a book by it's cover ;) However, I wanted everyone to know that Wither is more than a pretty cover, it's a beautifully written Debut that perfectly portrays the the dark side of Scientific Revolution.

Rhine lives in a world that is dark, full suffering and death yet she can still love and hope. In a society where woman have no say, she fights harder then ever for freedom. Even when she is tempted by the luxuries of the Rich, she is determined to go back to the life she knew, the one filled with suffering and death. To me it was Rhine's strength and independence, her powerful characterisation that lingered long after the last page.

It wasn't the beauty of the cover that causes this remarkable debut to still linger inside my head. It's the powerful characterisation. It's the ability to write a beautiful novel about both suffering and hope. It's the mastermind of fresh new talent. it's not one thing that makes Wither special it's everything.

Okay, so much for short but you just write a paragraph about a book that is so unique. It's a book makes you want to gush on and on about how good it is or just not say anything at all because it's beyond words. I highly recommend everyone to add Wither to their must reads of 2011. The only person you will disappoint is yourself.

Other Review -
All About {n} Bree's Books The Compulsive Reader

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Giveaway Time !!!

Lauren and her awe-some Publicist has offered (1) ONE ARC of Wither and a special piece of Swag to one of you! The swag is so special, I don't even know what it is!!! So it must be pretty special and everyone likes special right?

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- US ONLY ( Ouch! Sorry Int'l, my thoughts are with you)
- MUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON ONE of Lauren's POSTS
- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)
- Must Fill out this FORM
- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Three - All About.. Lauren DeStefano (Wither)

Hello Lovelies! Today I bring you our last Debutante for the whole event! You know it's feels so long but short at the same time! I think I'm going to miss the event and my lovely Debs but they will be fine! Anyway, I also reading Wither right now which is REALLY good, look forward to a mini-review tomorrow and a giveaway....

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Debutante Profile

Name - Lauren DeStefano
Debut - Wither ( Goodreads )
Genre - Dystopian
Website - HERE
Twitter - HERE 

Lauren DeStefano was born in New Haven, Connecticut and has never traveled far from the east coast. She received a BA in English from Albertus Magnus College recently, and has been writing since childhood. She made her authorial debut by writing on the back of children's menus at restaurants and filling up the notepads in her mom's purse. Her very first manuscript was written on a yellow legal pad with red pen, and it was about a haunted shed that ate small children.


Now that she is all grown up (for the most part), she writes fiction for young adults. Her failed career aspirations include: world's worst receptionist, coffee house barista, sympathetic tax collector, and English tutor. When she isn't writing, she's screaming obscenities at her Nintendo DS, freaking her cats out with the laser pen, or rescuing thrift store finds and reconstructing them into killer new outfits.

Dream Debutante -

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

Ten random things you probably didn’t know about Lauren DeStefano:



10.) My favorite color is purple

9.) I collect Asian ball-jointed dolls. They creep most of my friends out, but I adore them and will often get them custom-made to look like my favorite characters. I do a similar thing when playing The Sims.

8.) My fifth-grade teacher made a yearbook for her graduating class. I was voted most likely to publish a book. (Note: My fifth grade teacher is mentioned in my acknowledgements).


7.) As a child, my birthday candle wish was for the same thing every year: A sibling.


6.) I am a huge craft nerd. With a little help through the internet, I taught myself how to sew and knit, and in college I’d pay bills making anime costumes for people to wear to conventions. Despite this, I have never been able to successfully crochet anything, and am the only person in history to have failed a crochet class.

5.) I have an orange tabby named Cecil, after Cecily, the youngest sister wife in Wither. They have similar personalities.


4.) If I could eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be bagels.


3.) My car’s name is Simon. I refer to him by name in conversation so often that people have mistakenly assumed I’m referring to a boyfriend or a relative.

2.) When I am deep into the writing of a manuscript that is especially dark, I develop a rash on the back of my left hand.


1.) The first book I ever read on my own was Harold and the Purple Crayon. I would sleep with it under my pillow and carry it along on play dates and into the bathtub. Harold remains, to this day, the literary character I most identify with.

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I'm laughing and I don't even know why!!! Hey Lauren, my favourite colour is purple too! *high five* Oh and the rash thing.. that's creepy O_O I named my right shoe Teddie and my left shoe Henry so when I lose a shoe everyone gets worried thinking it's a person! You got voted most likely to publish a book and I got voted the next Shirlena Johnson ( contestant on X factor who reached one million hits on YouTube because she was so hilariously bad ) .....

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty Two - All About The Faerie Ring + Giveaway ( In't)

Book Review

NOT THE COVER - Just a stand in :)

Name - The Faerie Ring ( Goodreads )

Author - Kiki Hamilton ( Profile )

Release Date - 8th Sept 2011

Genre - Urban/Historical Fantasy

London, December 1871

Orphaned and picking pockets in London’s Charing Cross station to support not only herself, but her ‘family’ of orphans, sixteen year-old Tiki steals the Queen’s ring and thinks she’s solved their problems. That is, until Rieker, a pickpocket from the North End, suspects her in the theft and tells her that the ring is really a reservoir that holds a truce between the British and Faerie courts.


When he warns her that the fey will do anything - including murder - to recover the ring, Tiki is unsure whether to believe him or not. To complicate matters, Rieker seems to know something about the unusual birthmark on Tiki’s wrist. But when Tiki and her family are threatened the game changes and it becomes a deadly race to see who can locate the ring first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Message to YOU ( Yup, you're special)

THANK YOU Lisa for hosting the Badass Bookie 2011 Christmas Debutante Event! It’s so much fun to get to meet all these authors and read the inside scoop on their stories. I’m very grateful to be included in this awesome line-up of debuts!!

Probably like you, I've always been an avid reader. I started out writing a story for my daughter that was supposed to be short and light and fluffy —and it turned into something totally different. I finished that story and started another – THE FAERIE RING.

I’ve always loved the idea of things not being what they seem. That other dimensions or worlds exist side by side with our own, just beyond our ken; that the scope of our world is more than just the three dimensions that we are able to easily comprehend.

At the same time, I’m intrigued by the past, by our history, by what may have occurred that might not have been formally documented for future generations. The untold story, if you will. And I am particularly fascinated with those untold stories that have a thread of documented fact woven through them, which makes the reader question whether they are reading fiction or nonfiction. A story that makes the reader say..”what if?”

Which brings me back to my love of reading: you can go anywhere and be anything within the pages of a book. I hope you have a chance to read THE FAERIE RING and enjoy what you find hidden in the pages.

Reviews of The Faerie Ring -

"A delicious blend of urban fantasy, heart-stopping suspense and sizzling romance - THE FAERIE RING rocks! Pulsing with excitement this high-stakes adventure catapults you through the gritty slums of Victorian London, the glittering balls of the Royal Palace, and the menacing Otherworld, in a thrilling tale where no one and nothing is what it seems. Deception, twists, diabolical faeries, a gutsy heroine and a sexy love interest all woven into a spectacular wild ride. You'll devour every page - compelled to finish but never wanting it to end!" -Alyssa Kirk, Teens Read and Write



"I stayed up until 2 am devouring THE FAERIE RING - it was fantastic! Deeply imaginative and creative I was instantly absorbed into Tiki's mysterious world." -Ashley Simmons, Books Obsession


“The Faerie Ring is an intriguing, beautifully written, blend of historical fiction, mixed with the perfect dose of romance, mystery, and faerie lore, all set within the time period of Victorian London. I was completely enraptured with the story that I couldn't devour this debut novel fast enough.” - Katie Bartow, Mundie Moms


“Urban faerie fantasy meets Oliver Twist (with a dash of Cinderella) in this exciting tale of a street orphan who mingles with royalty to save olde England from dark magic. Plenty of action and suspence. Let's hope there'll be more adventures for Tiki and the handsome Rieker.” –O.R. Melling, award-winning author, THE CHRONICLES OF FAERIE


“THE FAERIE RING is an enchanting novel, woven with dramatic adventure, intriguing faerie lore and a charming love story! I couldn’t stop turning the pages even though I didn’t want the story to end!” –Kristi Diehm The Story Siren

Did you see the last one? THE STORY SIREN? ohhhhhhh

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Giveaway Time !!!

Kiki has kindly offered (1) ONE Pre-order of The Faerie Ring to one of you. Um, the only catch? There are additional rules for this giveaway ( and the next one) just one and it's not too hard so deal with it....

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- International
- MUST LEAVE A COMMENT ON ONE of Kiki's POSTS
- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)
- Must Fill out this FORM
- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty One - All About...Kiki Hamilton ( The Faerie Ring )

Debutante Profile

Name - Kiki Hamilton

Debut - The Faerie Ring ( Goodreads )
Genre - Urban Fantasy/ Historical Fantasy
Blog - HERE
Website - HERE

Twitter - HERE

Probably like you, I've always been an avid reader. There's nothing better than to escape into the pages of a book where you can go anywhere and be anything.

I've enjoyed writing on and off all my life, but to be honest, it was reading HARRY POTTER that inspired me to write a young adult novel. I will always be grateful to the brilliance of JK Rowling for reminding me of the power and magic of books.

I started off writing a "short" story for my daughter that was supposed to have mermaids and faeries in it, but halfway through my characters starting telling me a different story. A completely different story. So I wrote it down and kept writing until I had THE GETHEAS STONE. And there was not a mermaid or faerie in sight. It was my with my second book, THE FAERIE RING, that the faeries showed up.

Dream Debutante Dress -



Very James Bondish don't you think?



 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

 

I am really bad at talking about myself

but here goes: Hi. My name’s Kiki and I’m a writer. Seriously addicted. I also love music and tend to play it really LOUD all the time, even though I’m old. I’ve been learning to play the guitar the last couple of years, which I totally love. Sadly, I can’t sing on tune but that never stops me. :D I live near Seattle so I ski in the winter and swim in the summer. I’ve got a koi pond in my backyard with 16 koi and they all recognize me and swim up when they see me at the window or on the edge of the pond. One or two of the fish will actually let me pet them, which is cooler than it sounds.

I also have a 14 year old daughter who is my first beta reader and is nagging me right now to finish book 3 of THE FAERIE RING because she wants to read it. ;-) I also have a cock-a-poo named Molly who is obsessed with tennis balls. And that’s pretty much it. Oh, and I had a motorcycle when I was 18. But now I know better. Because I have a 14 year old daughter. Questions?

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Well, I don't know about you but I'm so so sooooo looking forwards to The Faerie Ring. Ever felt that unexplainable pull towards something? That's what I'm feeling right now and I haven't read a fantasy in a while so that's another good thing about it! *fist pump*

Badass Bookie xx

The Carrie Diaries

Review Time! I bought the Carrie Diaries back in June/July/ August? Anyway, back THEN. I haven't watched alot of Sex and the City, just a few episodes here and there so I really wasn't sure if I would like the book but with a cover that looks this good I took a risk.

( Goodreads) Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation?



The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.


The Short Story ? - The Carrie Diaries and I have come to a complicated relationship. I like the book, it was different from other books I have read but I just thought it was too serious for YA fiction. Although this is Carrie's story from her teen years I can't help but think that it would have made a better Adult Chick lit.

The Long Story ? - Let me break it down. I think that just because this is a book about Carrie's teenage years, it doesn't necessarily mean that it should be YA fiction. For a teen to read this book, they would have to be very mature, you would have to already know the about how life isn't fair and that sometimes we don't get our happily ever afters.

The difference between YA and Adult fiction is really quite simple. In YA the chance of a happy ending is pretty much certain, protagonists have their downs but in the end it's still a happily ever after. In Adult fiction, it's more realistic, authors tell fiction as the world is today. It can be cruel and ugly and not always a happy ending. In Adult fiction, it's reality. In YA? Its more of a dream that you want to believe in.

The Carrie Diaries I feel was way too realistic, too mature for the YA crowd to read. If you're an adult reading YA, sure go for it. If you're a teen reading YA, proceed with caution only if you can handle mature reading. In a way, I feel like the reason YA is so enjoyable is because it's like an escape from reality. Of course, I wouldn't know since I'm still a teen but that's how I feel...

However, in a way The Carrie Diaries was refreshing. It was like a slap in the face to wake me up from all the happy endings that I have read ( great, now I feel like a sadist) but it was very very real. Great book to read between the transition from teen to adult.

Apart from my thoughts of the book, the writing was really good. It was simple and mature just like Carrie.  The plot was pretty slow moving, 389 pages which only took you through very little action but it's just life, slow and fast depending on circumstances. The characterisation was very good, setting a book in the 1980's seems like something that's really hard to me but to create a character from the 1980's that's like really skilled. Candace Bushnell seems really young so I would think she wasn't a teen in the 1980's.

A highlight for me was the very last page, that's right, I liked the book but I loved the last page which acted like the link between The Carrie Diaries and The Sex and the City. Overall, it was a good book. refreshing and mature. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was a bit older. Rating 3/5

Badass Bookie xx

Day Twenty - All About Unearthly + Giveaway

I was too busy watching Vampire Diaries ( Just started and it's kinda scary) that I almost forgot to post this. I really should start scheduling...

Book Profile

Name - Unearthly  ( Goodreads )

Author - Cynthia Hand ( Profile )

Release Date - 4th Jan 2011

Genre - Paranormal

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

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Book Review, originally from Bibliophilic Monologues
HERE <--- Original

Move over, vampires (and werewolves). I think the Angelic Age is here. Corny? Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

I wasn’t sure whether I would like the novel. The cover is totally gorgeous but I was still hesitant and I am so glad to report to all of you that I was wholly, totally blown away by it. I have even decided to get the book in hard copy once it is out (and let me tell you, it is really difficult for a starving college student to find extra money for books) – that’s how much I love it.

I felt discombobulated when I started reading it but it was only for an instant until I realized what was going on. I know the synopsis makes it sound as though Clara has a sudden epiphany, a voice thundering in her mind – “Child, Thou Art Half an Angel!” but that’s not really what happens. I’ll leave you to find out what does but suffice it to say that it’s such a relief that the novel is one which avoids the too common “Main character is a supernatural/has powers/is magical and then main characters leads to freaking out/disbelieving/crying.” Yeah, those? Happen way too often.

Anyway, my point is, this is doesn’t happen in Unearthly and I am eternally grateful for it.

I love the way Ms. Hand takes the supernatural, dare I say divine and juxtaposes it with the mundane. You see, even angels (half as they may be) go through puberty and face the hallowed hell that is high school. Ms. Hand’s mythos is definitely engaging and the details are intricate enough to convince even the most hardened cynic (I am not one of them.)

But I think the greatest feat is her characterization. I love Clara and you know how important liking the heroine and, you know, weird as it might be, original. At the same time, it twists again so you are left utterly confused by the end of the novel. I still don’t know who I like better.

As for the technical bits, the writing is exquisite and there’s nothing that distracts you from the pace of the story. The plot is addictive and while I know the sequel is probably swirling in Ms. Hand’s mind right now, I’m dying (dying, do hear?) to find out what happens next.

So, read this! It’s about as awesome as it gets.

And here’s my favorite blurb of the book, by SQUEEE! Richelle Mead:

"Utterly captivating. Cynthia Hand has brilliantly spun the magic of angel mythology into a modern world of romance and suspense, creating one of the most addictive books I've read in a while. UNEARTHLY had me lying awake at night, wondering what would happen next." – Richelle Mead, bestselling author of Vampire Academyof a novel is. Especially for me. If I don’t like her (or love to hate her) I will not read the book. Clara is parts gawky, parts magical and parts human. An interesting mix in all. The love triangle is intriguing

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Giveaway Time !!!

Cynthia has kindly offered ONE (1) Pre-order of Unearthly to one of you! All you have to do is fill out the form. Um, comments are VERY VERY VERY much appreciated. It's the least you can do do make an author happy :)

Official Rules - will be disqualified if you don't follow exactly ( not even kidding guys, I'm fed up already with people who can't follow instructions)

- US/CAN Only ( sorry)

- Must leave all links that are required ( will be disqualified if you don't)

- Must Fill out this FORM

- Extra Entries are optional ( although they are nice :P )

 

Badass Bookie xx 

Day Nineteen - All About ... Cynthia Hand ( Unearthly)

Hey Guys! Please welcome our tenth debutante, Cynthia Hand. You guys probably don't know BUT I have actually featured Cynthia before on my blog for a joint event earlier in the year. Anyone remember the Supernatural Showdown? Team Angel vs. Team Zombie. For the blogger who asked why I had the Team Angel button on my blog THATS the reason. You can check out the post HERE .

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Debutante Profile

Name - Cynthia Hand

Debut - Unearthly ( Goodreads )

Genre - Paranormal

Blog - HERE

Website - HERE

Twitter - HERE

Cynthia Hand is a debut YA writer who grew up in southeast Idaho (very near the Wyoming border) and she still has a soft spot in her heart for that beautiful part of the country. She currently live in southern California with her husband and son. She also teach courses in creative writing at Pepperdine University

Dream Debutante Dress -

Cynthia's dream dress :) which she will
wear silver shoes and sparkling earring :)

Author's Own Message ( ie when they talk about themselves :P)

From as far back as I can remember, I’ve loved books and reading, and I wrote my first short story (about a fairy being born in a tulip) when I was around six or seven years old—pretty much as soon as I could write. I kept writing stories all through grade school, most of them wildly fantastical musings on witches, fairies, dragons, mermaids, or other supernatural beings. None of these stories ever won the annual short story competition where the lucky young writer got to meet our local Idaho/Wyoming author Kenneth Thomasma, who was the author of one of my favorite books at the time, Naya Nuki: Girl Who Ran. I was crushed every year. I learned early on that if you wanted to win the writing contest, you should write stories about that time your parents got their car stuck in the snow on the side of a mountain just before dark. You should not write about a group of unicorns fighting to take over an island from an alien invasion. But I kept writing about unicorns anyway. Because it was fun.

Unearthly was my first time writing about angels, more than twenty years and a whole lot of school later. And I didn’t know I was writing about angels, at first. It started with me getting this girl’s voice in my head (hearing voices is usually a bad thing, for the general public, but for writers it’s when all the good stuff happens. . .) telling me about her purpose on earth. I thought, Huh, your purpose on earth. Intriguing. Tell me more, brain, tell me more. And then I lit on the fantastic image of a boy standing in the trees during a forest fire. And from that point on the story just seemed to unroll in front of me.

The angel connection came about when I asked the WHY questions. Why does this girl have a specific purpose on earth? Why does she think she’s supposed to save this boy? And I thought, Because she’s a hero, silly, and then I had one of those writerly flashes of genius where I remembered this obscure little passage from the Bible where it talks about the sons of god and the daughters of men, which is commonly interpreted as angels and humans, and how back in Genesis times they married and had children, and those children were the “heroes of old.”

Lightning strike! Wouldn’t it be awesome, I thought, if this girl is part-angel? How’s that for a head trip: Yes, sweetie, you’re one part human, one part divine being. No pressure or anything.

So that’s how Clara’s story began. It’s been quite the wild ride, full of pinch-me moments. I’ve become very, very grateful to that voice in my head. I love to write because writing is full of surprises. You can do so much more than you ever thought you were capable of. You can explore the world in an entirely new light. You can learn to fly!

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Ahhh the story behind the story. I write, when I feel like it but my ideas don't start with voices...I wonder if that's the reason I never finish them.... nah, it has something to with unimaginative mind :P Thanks Cynthia for the insight on the story behind the story. I think I'm more than intrigued about Unearthly now...

Badass Bookie xx