REVIEW - ANEW: The Archers of Avalon by Chelsea Fine

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice. 

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer. 

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her. 


My Review:

I don't know where to begin with this book - there were so many GREAT things about it! The love triangle is unique, beautiful, and heart wrenching. I felt sorry for Tristan even as I fell in love with him. The premise of the book is one I've never seen before. Ms. Fine grabs you by the throat with the opening and pulls you along for the ride. I was kept guessing up until the end about what would happen next and why things were happening the way they were - I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! All of the characters are relatable; I think Heather, with her love of fashion and obsessive quirkiness, was one of my favorites. The ending... I'm still reeling from the ending. the only way I know it has to be somewhat happy is because there is a sequel (which isn't coming out fast enough for me). Oh my!

A phenomenal paranormal YA read! I highly, definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the genre! I'm totally hooked and can't wait to read more of what Ms. Fine has written.

To learn more about this book, go to http://www.thearchersofavalon.com/

Happy Reading!
EM

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Today's Question: What is the saddest book  you have ever read?

I honestly can't say whether this is the saddest book I have ever read, but it is one that made me cry openly to the point that my hubby asked me what was wrong and then laughed when I started sobbing about the ending of this book. FANG is the sixth book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I've grown up with these kids; they're like my own children, but with wings, varying ages and lives of their own. ;) So when *spoiler alert* Fang left Max at the end of the book, I sobbed with her as we read his letter together. It was the most devastating thing I'd read in a really long time.

Other books that have made me cry:

I read this book about a year after my mom passed away. And while I cried and cried while reading this book, it gave me hope that she was in a better place, that she had five people whose lives she had touched (though I know there were more than 5) or that had touched her life in a significant way. I hope when I go to Heaven, I will meet the five people waiting for me.

Anything that I have ever read by this man, Nicholas Sparks. His books touch me so deeply that I can't help but laugh, cheer and cry along with the main characters. I always have tears in my eyes and falling down my cheeks by the end of one of his books, whether it's a happy ending or a sad one. Some of my favorite books by him include The Notebook, The Wedding and the Last Song.

OK, enough of my sappiness. It's your turn. What is the saddest book you've ever read? Post a comment here with your answer or link to your response on your blog.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!
EM

Six Sentence Sunday - DarkSide Publishing

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope your weekend has been a great one! I'm very excited for tonight; I'm going out to dinner with two close girlfriends. But that's not what you're here for. You're here for the books. :) Today I'm going to highlight books offered by DarkSide Publishing.

Sheltered from the outside world with no hope for escape, slave girl Reychel dreads her fifteenth birthday - when her master’s symbol is burned on the back of her bald scalp. Her best friend disappears the night before, leaving her to face the branding ceremony alone. She soon discovers nothing is as it seems when people desperate for freedom beg for Reychel's help. 

Can Reychel learn to believe in herself?

My fifteenth birthday. My greatest fear. Funny how my life as a slave made the two synonymous. Even though I wished I could sleep through the day, hoping such an act would make the inevitable impossible, I woke up just like I did every morning. But today was different. It wasn’t the icy draft tickling my toes under the mouse-nibbled blanket that roused me from sleep.

~ Megg Jensen (2011). Anathema. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords

Lora wants nothing more than to be the wind behind sexy windsurfer Chance's sails. But fulfilling that wish just became...complicated. After seventeen years of normal life, someone wants Lora and her family dead. And the attempted massacre isn't nearly as strange as the reason behind it.

Some think that space is the final frontier or something like that. Believe me, space has got nothing on what lives here on Earth. If people, the human type, could see what I’ve seen, they wouldn’t be so afraid of aliens or the unknown of space anymore. Aliens are a walk in the park compared to the creatures biding their time to destroy— Oh, wait. I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? Silly me.

~ Angela Carlie (2011). Loramendi's Story (Lords of Shifters). DarkSide Publishing.  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords

17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life. 
If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her.

I never feared the dark, until I became a part of it. My eyes fluttered open; yet nothing seemed to change. Inky blackness swirled around me. A scream rose in my throat, but I quickly swallowed it. I pressed my eyes closed, hoping that when I opened them again, I'd be able to see something, anything. Nothing.

~ Karly Kirkpatrick (2011). Blood Little Secrets. Darkside Publishing.  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition 

Malini Gupta thought Jacob Lau was her destiny. But after months of failing to decipher how she fits into the Soulkeepers, frustration threatens to tear their relationship apart. And it doesn't help that a new Soulkeeper named Mara is ready to stop time itself to earn Jacob's love. 

When Malini faces her worst fears, and even death, she learns a funny thing about destiny. Fate is a tapestry of choices, and she has the power to weave hers.

Katrina Laudner ached to be noticed. Within the crowd of college students in the living room of Sigma Nu fraternity, she danced, careful not to spill the contents of her red plastic cup. Her denim skirt scarcely hit her upper thigh. Her cami scooped dangerously low. And the thump-thump of the music the DJ blasted from the corner pounded its way out of her body in a rhythm of invitation. No one noticed. Even half-naked, she was wholly invisible.

~ G. P. Ching (2011). Weaving Destiny. Darkside Publishing. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords

High school senior Alex Bianchi's estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn't your typical military base. It's an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can't help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they're on the brink of intergalactic war?

If someone told me at the beginning of that summer that I would come face-to-face with death because of a Romeo and Juliet romance, I would never have believed it. But it wasn't like that summer went at all like I planned in the first place. The Colombia recruiter sat across from me, her dark bushy eyebrows rising as high as they could while she stared down at my application. "So, Alex, I see that you don't have any extracurricular activities." I shrugged. I was sitting in one of those uncomfortable orange plastic chairs at the guidance counselor's office, wishing I could disappear.

~ Magan Vernon (2011). How to Date an Alien: My Alien Romance. Darkside Publishing. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords

That's it for me today. I hope you all have found something new and exciting to read! To check out more titles from DarkSide Publishing, visit their website at: http://darksidepublishing.blogspot.com/

Happy Reading!

EM

REVIEW - All Hallows' Moon by S.M. Reine

Rylie survived becoming a werewolf at great cost. She moves to her aunt’s ranch in the hopes she can enroll in a new high school and quietly continue her life... with a few distinct changes. She transforms into a beast every new and full moon and struggles to control her murderous urges. 

Without many werewolves left, it’s hard to stay in hiding. A family of hunters -- Eleanor, Abel, and Seth -- recognize the signs and follow Rylie to her new home. They want to stop her before she murders someone, and the only way to do it is with a silver bullet. Seth soon realizes the werewolf is Rylie, the one monster he failed to kill. Worse yet, he’s still in love with her. 

Torn between family and love, Rylie struggles to reconcile her feelings and control the wolf within while Seth fights to do what’s right. But what is right-- obeying desire or duty?

My Review:

I thought I loved Six Moon Summer, but that love feels like nothing compared to how I feel about All Hallows' Moon. Wow! What an awesome, amazing, action-packed book. My favorite thing about this book was Rylie's struggle to deal with the wolf within. The ending shocked me a little and I'm still wondering what Eleanor was up to and what really happened to Abel. But I will say that despite all of the horrible things that happen to Rylie throughout this book and the first, Miss Reine finally gave Rylie a somewhat happy ending. I can't wait for Long Night Moon to see what happens next.

Another excellent werewolf novel that showcases Miss Reine's love of the furry beasts.

Fangtastic Friday - Deacon Frost from Blade

Welcome to another Fangtastic Friday! This week I feature Deacon Frost from BLADE.

Who doesn't love a good vampire villain? Deacon Frost from BLADE was the reason I fell in love with the bad boy vampires. And what's not to love? He's evil. conniving, has a master plan to undermine all of the other vampires and giving himself super powers (more than fangs and sunscreen to allow him out in the sun)... and let's face it, Stephen Dorff is gorgeous!

Not a born vampire, Deacon Frost has the radical idea that vampires should rule the world, which is continuously rejected by the 12 members of the House Erebus (the pure bloods). So, behind their backs, Deacon sets to deciphering hieroglyphs about the blood god, La Magra, which will turn every human into a vampire when called into being. Unfortunately, Blade saves the day and kills the bad guy.

For one more look at this delicious villain, check out this video of the sword fight between Blade and Frost. (for those of you who haven't seen this, it's pretty gross at the end due to Frost's explosive demise. Not suitable for younger eyes or queasy stomachs.)

Happy Fangtastic Friday!
EM

*** this post is part of the meme, Fangtastic Friday, started by Beth Ann Masarik. To learn more, go here.

Writerly Wednesday - My Big Announcement!

Welcome to Writerly Wednesday, a weekly meme where I share something "writerly" with you, whether it be an anecdote from my writing life, a short story or an article I found interesting and/or useful. Today, I have something very exciting to share with you!

I'M GETTING PUBLISHED!

On January 10, I received an email from OtherWorld Publications with a contract for my book, Into the Spiral.

I had queried them in August, been asked for the full manuscript (which floored me!) in October, and sent a follow-up email the week between Christmas and New Year's. I waited on pins and needles. I tried telling myself not to worry, that I had other options if this fell through. There were other places I could query, other agents I hadn't already been rejected by. Little did I know just how much this meant to me until I opened that email.

When I read the email, the first thing I thought was, "Mom, I did it!" - and then I burst into tears. Still crying, I looked at my five-year-old son and told him, "Mommy's getting a book published!" to which he gave me a blank stare and said nothing. (What did I expect from him, right?)

Needless to say, this is a dream come true for me. Ever since I was 16, I've wanted to be a published author, though it's only been since January of 2011 that I took control of my destiny and made the decision to pursue that dream (again). I feel extremely fortunate to be joining the OWP family and look forward to working with them on my book.

Oh! Publication date (you all want to know this, right?) is December 14, 2012. (only 10 1/2 months!)

To learn more about OtherWorld Publications, click here.

To learn more about Into the Spiral, check out the website I built for it.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Today's question: What is your favorite genre to read and why?


My answer should be pretty obvious. Just look at my bookshelf to the left. I LOVE/ADORE/CONSUME YA novels. My favorites are pretty much anything paranormal as long as it's written well, though I have read quite a bit of contemporary YA as well - Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is one of my new all-time favorite books. I've read it twice and I will probably read it again when I'm done with the book I started last night (DIE FOR ME by Amy Plum).

I started reading YA when I was a kid. I belonged to some book club (might have been Scholastic) and I would get books sent to me every month. Some were paranormal, like there was one I remember about a girl in a haunted house, and some were contemporary. All of them helped me deal with my life and how different I felt at that age (but who doesn't feel like they don't fit in at 13, right?). I read and love it today because it's my escape into a world that I wish I had when I was that age.

So that's me and why I love YA. What about you? What do you like to read and why?

Character Chat

Hi, everyone! I've decided (or rather, the characters in my head have decided) to take part in Character Chat, a meme hosted by Beth Ann Masarik (click on her name to find out more). Pretty much, it's as it sounds: chatting with my characters. In today's episode, I chat with Ronnie Lambert, the heroine of my upcoming novel, Into the Spiral. I hope you enjoy getting to know her a tiny bit! :)

“We need to talk.”

I look up from my laptop to find Ronnie Lambert, star of my Spiral Defenders series, standing in the doorway to my office, her arms crossed over her chest as she looks at me expectantly. Her black mane falls down her back, almost to her waist. She wears a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, turquoise flip flops and a turquoise one-shoulder top I know she bought at The Shop Stop in downtown Wind Lake just before school began last fall. I close my laptop as she steps into the room and nod towards one of the overstuffed chairs to the side of my desk.

“Okay, what do you want to talk about?” I ask, folding my hands on top of my computer.

“I’m bored.” She sighs as she sits down, her arms still crossed. “And I miss you.”

I smile, warmed by her affection considering the last time I took a break from writing her books she wasn't as nice to me. “I miss you, too,” I tell her. “You and Gavin have been on my mind lately.”

Her face blossoms in a beautiful, wide smile at the mention of her soulmate. “Yeah, he’s on my mind a lot, too.” She giggles, her cheeks pink and her eyes sparkling. She looks perfectly in love, something I never thought would happen when I started writing her first book.

We share a smile as I sit back in my chair. “So, what do you want to do if you’re bored?”

“You left me telling my mom the truth about my existence,” she says, referring to where I left off in the third book. “I’d like to finish that conversation and get back to Kalearnia.” She sighs again and bites her lower lip, her brow puckered with worry. “And I don’t want her to be mad at me about the door.”

I laugh. “I don’t think she’s mad at you,” I assure her. “It’s not like it could be helped.”

She shrugs one slender shoulder. “True.” She leans forward, her eyes on my closed laptop. “So, when can we get started? Is now too soon?”

I glance at my computer and back at her. Her face is alight with eagerness and I know I’m going to cave before I say the words. “Yes, but I’ll start soon. I have to finish Rick’s story first.”

She wrinkles her nose as she shudders. “Why?” She says the word like it leaves a bad taste in her mouth. I don’t blame her.

“I know you don’t like him --”

“Understatement of the year,” she mutters darkly.

“But I need to finish that story so I know what he’s been up to. I have to know that before I continue writing; a lot happens in this book.”

She rolls her eyes and continues to pout. I don’t want to disappoint her and wrack my brain for something to appease her. “How about a short story to tide you over,” I suggest. She eyes me warily, one eyebrow perfectly arched in a move I know she learned from Gavin.

“What kind of story?” she wonders.

“A love story with you and Gavin, for Valentine’s Day. We can send it to Beth for March’s Literary Lunes magazine.”

She thinks a moment. “The one you sent that shopping excursion story to?”

I nod.

“A romantic love story?” Her expression turns giddy at the thought. I nod again and she jumps to her feet. “I have to go tell Gavin,” she exclaims and runs from the room. I chuckle as I turn back to my laptop and open it once again, thinking their story is going to be fun to write.

Six Sentence Sunday

Good morning, everyone! I've been blessed (and surprised) with  completely empty house since last night, so I don't quite know what to do with myself. But one thing I need to do is get this post out for all of you to enjoy. :) So without further ado, this week's Six Sentence Sunday!

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.       ~ blurb from Amazon.com



"Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious. Outside our condo window, the sky flames like a bruised mango in vivid orange, reds, and purples. The clouds catch on fire with sunset colors, and I’m almost scared those of us caught below will catch on fire too. With the dying warmth on my face, I try not to think about anything other than keeping my hands from trembling as I methodically zip up my backpack. I pull on my favorite boots. They used to be my favorites because I once got a compliment from Misty Johnson about the look of the leather strips laddering down the sides. She is—was—a cheerleader and known for her fashionable taste, so I figured these boots were my token fashion statement even though they’re made by a hiking boot company for serious wear. Now they’re my favorites because the strips make for a perfect knife holder."


~ Susan Ee (2011). Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 1) Feral Dream. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition 

Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs. But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.

                    ~ blurb from Goodreads

Six foster homes in one year had to be some kind of record. I ran my sapphire pendant along the silver chain around my neck and looked out at the pine trees zooming past. Where would they send me next? “I don't know what got into you, Harper,” Mrs. Meeks said. Her hair shot out every which way and she wasn't wearing any makeup. The call to come pick me up probably came in after she'd gone to bed for the night. “I can't keep doing this.”

~ Sarra Cannon (2010). Beautiful Demons (Peachville High Demons #1) Dead River Books. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords 

Evangeline has spent her teenage years in obscurity. Her foster parents have the emotional aptitude of robots and her classmates barely acknowledge her existence. About to turn eighteen and feeling like a social pariah, she is desperate to connect with someone. Anyone.

When Evangeline meets Sophie after literally stumbling upon her café, she believes she’s found that connection. Willing to do anything to keep it, she accepts a job as Sofie’s assistant and drops everything to fly to Manhattan, where she is thrust into a luxurious world of Prada, diamonds, and limitless cash.

With such generosity and kindness, it’s easy for Evangeline to dismiss certain oddities... like Sofie’s erratic and sometimes violent behavior, and the monstrous guard dogs. She’s even willing to dismiss her vivid dreams of mob-style murders, beautiful homeless people living in caves, and white-eyed demons that haunt her each night as figments of her imagination—especially when one of those figments is the gorgeous Caden. When she wakes up with bite marks on her neck, the fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare. She slowly unravels the mystery surrounding Sofie and friends, and the reality of the bites and the “dreams.” What she discovers is far more mysterious and terrible than anything she could have imagined.

In a world where everyone has motive to lie for personal gain, Evangeline must decide which deception is least likely to get her killed.         ~ blurb from Goodreads

“Trust me,” Sofie whispered, her delicate hands sliding up Nathan’s chest to slip behind his neck. “And if you’re wrong … ?” Nathan began but, unable to finish the sentence, his voice trailed off. “I’m not wrong!” she snapped. He pulled away and moved to stand before a nearby window, his arms crossed over his chest. “Let me prove it to you.” She glided over to his side, and lifted a finger to push a stray lock of chestnut brown hair off his forehead. But Nathan ignored the affectionate gesture, focused now on the bustling nightlife beyond the walls of his chateau. Rarely did he envy humans.

~ K.A. Tucker (2011). Anathema (The Causal Enchantment Series) Papoti Books. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords (this title is FREE!)

After a demon apocalypse kills their parents and everyone they know, 17-year old Abby Phillips, her brother, Carter, and friend, Max flee their home to travel through what has become the wastelands of America. When radio transmissions of a resistance offering shelter and safety cease, Abby is tempted to give up. Struggling to overcome life-threatening obstacles in their dangerous journey, Abby and her companions quickly discover there are much worse things lurking in the dark than they could have ever imagined.

                    ~ blurb from Goodreads

I am sitting in my room organizing my duffle bag. Carter, my older brother, said we are leaving tomorrow. It has been six weeks since the last transmission. The last news we heard was that people were holding up at a military base in New Mexico. When we stopped hearing anything, Carter got it in his head to go there and help in the fight. Now I’m trying to decide which belongings I can take and what has to be left behind.

~ Megan Duncan (2011). Released. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. A beautiful and mysterious neighbor offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom.

But in exchange she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a protector of human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions her motives for helping him.   ~ blurb from Goodreads

Death lived up to Jacob's expectations. The day he died was sunny, as it was most days on the island of Oahu where he lived. Only a few miles away, bikini clad tourists stretched out on the sand of Waikiki beach. While they toasted themselves golden brown, Jacob lay on a steel surgical table, broken and bleeding. He'd heard that when a person died they saw a tunnel that ended in a bright light. If the person moved toward the light, God or some already deceased loved one like a great-grandmother would meet them on the other side. Jacob didn't believe it.


~ G. P.  Ching. (2011) The Soulkeepers.  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords  


That's all that I have for you today! :) I hope you find something here you would love to read. If you have suggestions, feel free to email me (erindanzer@gmail.com) or leave a comment below.


Happy Reading, everyone!
EM

Fangtastic Friday - The Strigoi of Vampire Academy

Welcome to Fangtastic Friday! This week I am featuring the Strigoi of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.

Strigoi are the evil vampires in the world of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Why did I choose to highlight them first?

Because not all vampires are nice.

Strigoi are vile creatures with chalky complexions and super-supernatural abilities (such as strength, speed and all five senses). They feed on blood of the Moroi (the good vampires) to maintain their evil existence. *spoiler alert* In Blood Promise, when Dimitri is turned Strigoi, Rose has a hard time reconciling the man she fell in love with to the evil creature that holds her captive. Since Strigoi are made in two ways, either by being bitten and then forced to drink a Strigoi's blood or by a Moroi's choice to become evil and drink a person (human or dhampir) to death, it is very common for Strigoi to be someone you once knew. The only ways to kill a Strigoi are: silver stake through the heart, decapitation or burned to death.

The villains in her series, Richelle Mead did a fantastic job of showing us just how evil vampires can get. If you haven't checked out the Vampire Academy books yet, I highly recommend them!

Happy Fangtastic Friday!

EM

*** This post is part of the meme, Fangtastic Friday, started by my dear friend, Beth Ann Masarik. Learn more about it here.***

REVIEW - Blood Like Poison: For the Love of a Vampire by M. Leighton

So... I finally finished reading this book today. It took me three days. Continue reading if you want my review...

OMG! If you love vampires, this is the book for you!

When I first began reading this book, all I kept thinking was how much better this was than Twilight. The story is put together beautifully. The plot moves along nicely with action at every turn. Every time you think you have something figured out, you find out you're wrong. I laughed, cheered and cried throughout this novel. Even the ending had me saying "wTH??" and chomping at the bit for book 2!

A definite must-read for anyone who even just likes vampires!

I couldn't believe how great this novel was. I've had in on my Kindle for PC for months. I've even tried reading it once before but something happened when I opened it to get the first six sentences for last Sunday's Six Sentence Sunday. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. I wholeheartedly believe and feel everything I've said about this book. It is 100 times better than Twilight (and if you know me well, you know how much I first loved that book!). This book was exactly what I needed to read right now. Finding something else to read now will be a challenge... possibly a challenge for another day.

Have you read it? What are your thoughts on it? Did you love it as much as I did or was something lacking for you?

And if you don't know the author, find her on Facebook or Twitter. She's a pretty classy lady. ;)

Happy reading, everyone!
EM

Six Sentence Sunday

Good morning, everyone! Hope you're all having a lovely Sunday! Since I woke up from a crazy vampire dream, I'm going to highlight some great reads about the sexy, deadly creatures. :)

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.  ~ blurb from Goodreads


"My sneakers crunched against dead leaves, smashing twigs and gravel into the moist soil. Rain pelted these hills earlier today and whiffs of moss, decaying trees, and other earthly aromas filled my nose. My best friend, Kaitlynn, would be meeting me here soon for a hike through one of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s vibrant trails. The beginnings of fall had started appearing around Buena Vista, Virginia, and my favorite feature about this little settlement lay in the transformation of its trees. The colors splashed the canvas of this town with more brilliance than I had ever witnessed anywhere else. And I’d witnessed many places."

~ Angelina Kace (2011). Descended by Blood (Vampire Born Trilogy) Accendo Press LLC. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  

When 18 year old Caitlin Paine is uprooted and forced to attend a dangerous NYC high school, she begins to change, overcome by a superhuman strength. She needs to find out who she really is, who her real father was. She is helped by Caleb, a mysterious and powerful vampire, and they are in peril as a forbidden love arises - a love between races that will force them to risk it all for each other...

             ~ short blurb from Smashwords

"Caitlin Paine always dreaded her first day at a new school. There were the big things, like meeting new friends, the new teachers, learning new hallways. And there were the small things, like getting a new locker, the smell of a new place, the sounds it made. More than anything, she dreaded the stares. She felt that everyone in a new place always stared at her. All she wanted was anonymity. But it never seemed meant to be."

~ Morgan Rice (2011). Turned (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals) Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords (just 99cents & absolutely worth it! A very awesome book!)

When twenty-year-old police recruit Kiera Hudson is posted to the remote town of The Ragged Cove, her life is changed forever. Investigating a series of horrific murders, grave desecrations and missing persons, with her unique ability of ‘seeing’, Kiera soon realises her life is in danger.

But when Kiera is crewed with Police officer Luke Bishop, not only is her mind and heart opened to a terrifying new world, she comes to suspect that Luke might be involved in the killings.

In a race against time to unearth the truth, Kiera must discover the identity of who or what is behind the gruesome deaths on the ‘Vampire Shift’.

                                   ~ blurb from Goodreads 

"My name is Kiera Hudson. I’m twenty-years-old and employed by Havenshire Police as a police constable in the south west of England. I have been a police officer for eighteen months. On completion of my initial training, I was posted to the coastal town of The Ragged Cove. I’d heard rumours that the post was a difficult one to fill. Although this posting wasn’t forced upon me by my superiors, they did make me an attractive offer that I found difficult to refuse."

~ Tim O'Rourke (2011). Vampire Shift (The Kiera Hudson Series (Book One)) Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  Smashwords  (another 99cent read!)

Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager growing up in the small port town of Astoria. Sure, she is taller than average, has a mane of fiery red hair that is impossible to tame, is left handed, and has one eye that is sky blue and one that is amber, but that is where the differences end . . . unless you include the “minor” detail of her slow metamorphosis into the Childe. 

We all know how difficult high school can be, and for Cat Colvin it is no different. Except for the fact she has the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times.

                ~ Blurb from Barnes & Nobles

“Enough!” Lisbeth shrieked, slamming her hands down on the heavy oak table and raising herself from her seat. Twelve sets of startled eyes stared as rage marred her usually pale and beautiful face. “I will not stand by and listen to you discuss this matter, pretending this is even an option! You shall not have my vote on this!” Violently pushing back her chair, she stormed over to the two large wooden doors at the other end of the room, shutting them angrily behind her as she exited."

~ C.A. Kunz (2011). The Childe (Book One of The Childe Series) C.A. Kunz. Kindle Edition (FREE now for five days only!)  B&N paperback  

Like most seventeen year olds, Ridley Heller thought she had her future all planned out. What she wanted most in life was to get out of small town Harker. Her only goal was to keep her mouth shut and her grades high so she could win a cheerleading scholarship to Stanford. But that was before she met Bo. 

In Ridley's wildest dreams, she could never have planned for someone like Bo, for a love so intense it left her breathless. No human girl could.

A haunting stranger that watched her from afar, Bo stole Ridley's heart from the moment she laid eyes on him. But he has secrets. Bo's a vampire. Both his past and his present are a danger to Ridley, but the biggest threat is not her blood; it's her heart. He's feeding a thirst for revenge that will cost him his life, and it may already be too late. 

The more darkness Ridley uncovers, the more she realizes that her life will never be the same-with or without Bo. Can she sacrifice her future and her heart for someone who has a death wish? 

                                                       ~ blurb from Goodreads  

"Drums blared from the radio, but even over the loud music, I could still hear Izzy’s bell-like voice as she sang along.  She knew every word to the song.  She bobbed her head and wiggled her shoulders, tapping her thumbs rhythmically on the steering wheel. Her dark auburn hair was pulled back in a French twist at the back of her head and the dashboard lights illuminated her heart-shaped face, making her silvery blue eyes look even paler.   Her cheeks were a little fuller than usual and her skin had an uncharacteristic glow.  I wondered about her weight gain, had my suspicions, but I said nothing."

~ M. Leighton (2011). Blood Like Poison: For the Love of a Vampire. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition  (another 99cent read!)


Well, that's it from me today. I hope you all have found something you like! 
Happy Reading!
EM

Hi everyone!

Hello to all my new followers! I hope you enjoy what I have to say.

I have news that I hope I can share with all of you soon. I probably shouldn't even say anything about it until I can talk about it, but I'm too excited to keep it bottled up inside. Not much longer, I promise!

In the meantime, my very good friend Beth Ann Masarik asked me to be a test run for her fledgling publishing firm, Literary Lunes Publications (named after the ever popular online magazine she runs, Literary Lunes). Today, I finished the edits and sent it in. :) I'm very excited about this. I wrote that book back in November of 2004 for the NaNoWriMo after my mom passed away. I love that book and hope Beth will love it, too. :)

And that's all I have for now. I know Beth is looking for a few more test runners, so please contact her at literarylunespress@gmail.com for more information about it.

Happy Writing, everyone!
EM

Six Sentence Sunday

For the few people who followed the blog on my website (http://erindanzer.webs.com), you might remember this fun weekly post! For everyone who's new to it, welcome! Every Sunday, I will be posting the first Six Sentences of up to five books that I have enjoyed reading and want to share with you all. There will be links where they can be purchased and I will mention any sales I find! This time around, I'm also going to add the book cover and blurb, simply because I know seeing is as good as reading. ;)

Imagine discovering that your boyfriend was out to kill you—and that the annoying boy from school was your guardian angel. 

Rae Davenport has already lost her mother. The only thing keeping her sane is her new boyfriend, Andrei—that is, until she finds out that he wants to kill her. Andrei is a devil, and he wants to use Rae as a sacrifice to get back into Heaven. The only one who can save her is Logan, her guardian angel. He’s only annoyed her in the past, but now he will be her savior.

"The flat tone of the monitor reverberated through my head as my mother’s lifeless hand began to turn cold in mine. I stared into her empty eyes as a doctor came in and pronounced her time of death. A nurse reached over and disconnected the monitors, asking if I needed anything. “I’m fine,” I insisted. “Take as long as you need,” the doctor told me, his voice low. In all honesty, I couldn't wait to get out of the hospital."

~ Brea Essex (2011). Foreshadow. Astraea Press.  Kindle Edition  Nook Edition 

Sophomore Alexia Grabovski is cursed with the ability to see halos—rings of goodness or evil—that surround the body. Gabriel is a Seraph, a guardian angel sent in the mortal body of a sixteen-year-old boy to protect Alex from a horrible fate. When they fall hopelessly in love, can they rise above human emotions to fulfill their destinies, even if the outcome rips their fragile world apart? 

"When I was a little girl, I thought the shadows could harm me. I was terrified of them. Then I learned there are far worse things in this world than the absence of light. Things like hate, racism, pure evil, and high school. Yep, that’s what I said, high school. Most people overlook the real darkness of the world, seeing instead average citizens—adults mostly, some teens, a few kids, an occasional teacher—but I see them for what they are: monsters. Now I look for the shadows, welcome them even."

~ Carey Corp (2011). The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian. Kindle Edition  Nook Edition Smashwords (only 99cents now!)

Zellie Wells has a devastating crush on Avery Adams. At her sixteenth birthday party, held in the basement of her dad’s church, she finally finds the courage to talk to him. Turns out, the devastating crush is mutual. As Avery takes her hand and leads her out onto the dance floor, Zellie is overwhelmed by her first vision of his death. 

"I stared at the back of Avery Adams head, imagining what it would feel like to press my face into his wavy brown hair. I longed to experience the exhilaration of running my fingertips over his broad shoulders and down his chest, of standing that close to him, feeling the heat coming off of his golden skin. He was two people ahead of me in the line to take communion. I tried to focus on the smell of his shampoo. Unfortunately, the two people between us were my mom, and his dad. With them blocking the way, all I could smell was tea rose perfume and extra strength drain cleaner. Not a pleasant combination."

~ Stacey Wallace Benefiel (2010). Glimpse (Zellie Wells Book 1).   Kindle Edition  Nook Edition Smashwords  

Sixteen-year-old, Skyla Messenger is a dead girl walking. When her family moves to Paragon Island, to a house rumored to be haunted, Skyla finds refuge in Logan, a boy who shares her unique ability to read minds. Logan is reluctant to answer Skyla's questions about their gift, but why? Suddenly an entire faction of earthbound angels wants her dead, at least she still has Logan, or does she? 

"Falling in love is a lot like death. It chooses you. It decides the moment and the chain of events that will preclude the precise intersection of life in which it occurs. It uses you—treats you as though you were malleable in its warm pliable hands. It doesn't bother to ask if you want it, or need it, just fills the gaping hole of destiny’s design. Love. My world blooms with its beautiful never-ending ache."

~ Addison Moore (201). Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1). Kindle Edition Nook Edition Smashwords (this books is also only 99cents!)

Jason races into Azazel's life--sweaty, tortured, and hunted by covert forces. Even though her football-player boyfriend doesn't like it, Azazel is drawn to Jason. He's so complicated. He gets in fistfights, but always wins them--efficiently and thoroughly. He reads Plato and argues with their AP teacher. But he's also quiet and serious, haunted by a past he won't talk about. Azazel feels obsessed. She can't let anything get in the way of finding out Jason's secrets, not even her boyfriend, her friends, or her parents. Most importantly, no matter how dangerous Jason claims it is for her to be near him, she can't let him leave. As menace begins to surface from even the most trusted and familiar places, Azazel finds herself flung into a whirlwind of sinister motives and clandestine proceedings. Though Azazel evades each escalating danger, her feelings for Jason may prove to be the greatest danger of all.


"It was a typical Friday night in Bramford, West Virginia, and I was spending it in a typical way, making out with my boyfriend Toby in his Ford pick-up truck. As usual, I was trying to fondle his crotch. He was pushing my hands out of the way. Yes, that's right. While the situation was typical for Toby and me, we were the reverse of the standard American teenage couple. I wanted us to have sex. Toby wanted to wait so that it could be special."

~ V.J. Chambers (2009). Breathless: Book One of the Jason and Azazel Trilogy. Kindle Edition Nook Edition Smashwords 

That's it for today's edition of Six Sentence Sunday! I hope you've found something wonderful to read from this small selection!

Happy Reading!
EM