Shadow Hills E-Book Release

If you've been waiting for Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus to be released in ebook format today is your lucky day. Shadow Hills is a unique addition to the YA literary world and if you haven't read it yet I suggest you get on that! :-) Need more convincing?? You can check out my review here.

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
Publisher: Egmont USA

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her.



Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.


But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.

Barnes & Noble Nook Version
Amazon Kindle Version

EPIC Blogging Fail

Hello Dear Readers (that is if I have any left)

So my attempt at blogging hasn't gone very well. All I can offer is apologies and excuses for my absence and I'm pretty sure most of you could care less. Just know that I plan to return and hopefully soon. I have read some amazing books and I think I have some pretty interesting things to say about them. It's just as with most people my life has kind of spun out of control! So I'm taking a break to try and get everything back into some kind of order and when that happens I'll be able to give my book review blog the amount of attention that I planned to from the start.

When that day comes I hope that the 9 readers that have accidentally hit the follow button return to hear/read what I have to say about all of those fantastic books out there!

Lots of love and keep reading!

Erin

Waiting on Wednesday (4): The Lost Hero

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

This weeks selection:

The Lost Hero (Heros of Olympus, #1) by Rick Riordan

From: Hyperion Books for Children
Publication Date: October 12, 2010

Synopsis ( from Goodreads):

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.


Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?


Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god

Lisa Desrochers' July Debut Contest and The Dark Divine Teaser Trailer

Hello Wonderful and Beautiful People!

Not long ago I featured Personal Demons by Lisa Desrocher for my "Waiting on" Wednesday post. Today I bring you news of her July Debut Contest that she is holding on her blog. Lisa is giving you the chance to win one of five debut novels including her own Personal Demons. 

If you've read the first chapter of Personal Demons then you have to be just as desperate as I am to get a copy! To find out how to enter be sure to visit Lisa Desrochers' blog. And for those who haven't had the opportunity to read the first chapter you can also find the link to that on her blog!







Today I also bring you exciting news from the lovely and talented author Bree Despain. An official teaser trailer for her book The Dark Divine has been revealed! Go ahead and watch it, you know you want to!




Fabulous right? Yeah I think so too :-) To celebrate her new trailer, Bree is having what she likes to call "Bree's Book-Bag Blowout". One lucky winner will win some amazing books and all you have to do is get out there and share the awesomeness that is The Dark Divine teaser trailer. Head on over to Bree Despain's blog for instructions on how to enter the contest, as well as to get a look at all the books you could win!

Good Luck and as always Happy Reading!

Erin

Waiting on Wednesday (3): Jealousy

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

This weeks selection is:

Jealousy (Strange Angels, #3) by Lili St.Crow
From: Sleuth RazorBill
Publication Date: July 29, 2010

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Dru Anderson might finally be safe. She’s at the largest Schola on the continent, and beginning to learn what it means to be svetocha–half vampire, half human, and all deadly. If she survives her training, she will be able to take her place in the Order, holding back the vampires and protecting the oblivious normal people.

But a web of lies and betrayals is still closing around her, just when she thinks she can relax a little. Her mentor Christophe is missing, her almost-boyfriend is acting weird, and the bodyguards she’s been assigned seem to know much more than they should. And then there’s the vampire attacks, the strange nightly visits, and the looks everyone keeps giving her. As if she should know something.
Or as if she’s in danger.

Someone high up in the Order is a traitor. They want Dru dead–but first, they want to know what she remembers of the night her mother died. Dru doesn’t want to remember, but it looks like she might have to–especially since once Christophe returns, he’ll be on trial for his life. The only person who can save him is Dru.

The problem is, once she remembers everything, she may not want to…

Review: 13 to Life by Shannon Delany

13 to Life by Shannon Delany

Release Date: June 22, 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Paperback, 320 pages

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…



When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early

Now Available: Barnes & Noble, Borders

My Review:

Shannon Delany's debut novel 13 to Life is well written and extremely character driven . She has introduced the players and has set us up for what is sure to be a wild and incredible ride.

What made this book truly enjoyable for me were the fantastic characters and the slow and realistic development of the relationship between the two main characters. The narrator of the story Jessica Gillmansen is a normal, well read teenager who's life has been touched by tragedy. When we meet Jess we learn that she is smart, funny, selfless and has a huge capacity for forgiveness. We also learn that she isn't easily pushed around and will stand up for herself when forced to. When Pietr Rusakova, the gorgeous new student with a soft Russian accent and a slight attitude is thrown into her life (by chance or perhaps by fate) sparks begin to fly. Assigned to be Pietr's guide, Jess quickly becomes irritated with his lack of interest in anything and how quickly her female classmates fall all over themselves to be near him. But as time goes on Jess can't deny how attracted she is to Pietr and that there is something special between them that draws them together.

Delany's other characters are as equally fascinating and well developed. The relationship between Sarah and Jess has a mystery all it's own and makes for a very interesting twist to the mystery surrounding the accident that took the life of Jessica's mother. There is just so much more to these character's than what meets the eye and the need to know their secrets and to solve their mysteries is what drove me to push through this novel as such a fast pace and also leaves me desperate for the next book Secrets and Shadows.

In short 13 to Life is a werewolf tale like no other. With mystery, romance and deep ties to Russian heritage, Shannon Delany has given us the start of an addicting, witty and fast-paced series which is sure to leave us all breathless in the end.

Music Monday (3)

For this weeks Music Monday I bring you Stephenie Meyer's New Moon and A Fine Frenzy's "Near to You" from the album One Cell in the Sea.

In case you've been living under a rock :-)
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Now Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders



Lyrics for "Near to You" by A Fine Frenzy:

He and I had something beautiful

but so dysfunctional, it couldn't last
I loved him so but I let him go
‘cause I knew he'd never love me back


such pain as this
shouldn't have to be experienced
I'm still reeling from the loss,
still a little bit delirious


near to you, I am healing
but it's taking so long
'cause though he's gone
and you are wonderful
it's hard to move on
yet, I'm better near to you.


you and I have something different
and I'm enjoying it cautiously
I'm battle scarred,
but I am working oh so hard
to get back to who I used to be


he's disappearing, fading steadily
well, I'm so close to being yours,
won’t you stay with me, please


near to you, I am healing
but it's taking so long
'cause though he's gone
and you are wonderful
it’s hard to move on
yet, I'm better near to you


I only know that
I am better where you are
I only know that
I am better where you are
I only know that I belong
where you are


near to you, I am healing
but it's taking so long
'cause though he's gone
and you are wonderful
it’s hard to move on
yet, I'm better near to you.






If you've read the book then it is pretty obvious why I chose this song. New Moon is my favorite out of all of the books in The Twilight Saga. We get to know the character that is Jacob Black and we get to watch while he helps to put his best friend Bella back together again. Bella is suffering from a broken heart, the loss of her first true love and she finds among all her pain, warmth and understanding from Jacob. With Jacob, life seems a little bit easier to get through. That's what "Near to You" is all about. It's about suffering the pain and devastation of a loss and finding comfort and understanding in someone else.

In honor of the release of Eclipse in theaters on June 30th I have one more song for my Music Monday!

Since I'm obviously a member of Team Jacob I chose the song "All Over You" by The Spill Canvas in honor of every one's favorite werewolf. I just felt this might be one of the songs on Jacob's life soundtrack that is if he had one.

                                           

Lyrics for "All Over You" by The Spill Canvas

Yeah he's a looker

But I really think it's guts that matter most
I displayed them for you
Strung out about from coast to coast


I am easily make-believe
Just dress me up in what you want me to be
I'll take back what I've been saying for quite some time now


I gotta feel you in my bones again
I'm all over you
I'm not over you
I wanna taste you one more time again
I'm all over you
I'm not over you


In my daydreams, in my sleep
Infatuation turning into disease
You could cure me see all you have to do now is please try
Give it your best shot and try
All I'm asking for is love
But you never seem to have enough


I gotta feel you in my bones gain
I'm all over you
I'm not over you
I wanna taste you one more time again
I'm all over you
I'm not over you


This life is way too short to get caught up in all this stuff
Well I just want you to love me back


Why can't you just love me back?


I gotta feel you in my bones gain
I'm all over you
I'm not over you
I wanna taste you one more time again


(Just one more time)


This life is way too short to get caught up and all mixed up
When I just want you to love me back
Why cant you just love me back?


Why won't you just love me back?
Why cant you just love me back?