Win a Arc of The Mark by Jen Nadol [Click Picture]

  Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a light glow reminiscent of candlelight. The only time she pointed it out taught her she shouldn’t do it again. For years, the mark has followed Cassie, its rare appearances odd, but insignificant. Until the day she watches a man die. As she revisits each occurrence of the mark, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

  Now armed with a slight understanding of the mark, Cassie begins to search for it. Even as she hides her secret, Cassie mines her philosophy class, her memories, and even her new boyfriend for answers about the faint glowing mark. But many questions remain. How does it work? Why her? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?
From- Amazon.com




About the Author
Jen Nadol has a BA in Literature from American University and currently resides in a 150 year old farmhouse in Ossining, New York with her husband and three young sons. She has no paranormal abilities and is pretty happy about it. This is her first book.

http://www.jennadolbooks.com/
 
To win this ARC Click here for The Mark ARC giveaway!  or to pre-order click here to go to Amazon

Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush Contest

So if you read my blogs or tweets you have noticed I am drooling over getting my hands on a copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. So imagine my delight when I saw this contest. Today is the last day so hurry (september 26th! Either way its a cool Book Blog so check it out.

The contest is at I was a teenage book geek. Click Here
And to get a copy of Hush, Hush click the picture.
Casse

*Cross fingers*

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Who knew blood could be so sexy?


The one thing I can say about Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson's books are the covers are gorgeous. And very HOTT regardless if the tatts are not consistent.


Mercy and her gang of fantasy creatures are back. Fresh from their adventures of stopping a mad-wolf from distributing a drug that can effect werewolves, Mercy has found herself in a new danger. She owes her vampire friend, Stefan a favor. So she accompanies him to give a rogue vampire a message. But what they find is not what they expected. It's 10 times more terrifying. Seriously just thinking about it gives me the creeps.

Stefan, who I find oddly, damn sexy, is a powerful vampire one of the most powerful in his Seethe. A seethe are to Vamps as what wolf packs are to well duh, werewolves.  He isn't the typical brooding vamp. Stefan is humorous, he has a scooby doo obsession (which is totally adorable) and likes to laugh as well as, smells like popcorn. Yum!
Samuel, her first love has moved himself in as her roommate and it pisses her almost-but not really boyfriend, Adam off. As a rule, I hate love triangles. They are messy and you get the readers pulling for one side and the other guy eventually gets the girl and well, whatever the decision that the heroine via the writer makes, its gonna piss someone off, and usually it me. But Briggs does messy so good. Adam or Sam or...Stefan? Hmmm it is so delicious and don't even think its gonna get resolved easily or in this book for that matter. B, (What I have taken to callin Briggs; because we are that close. Chea right!) has Mercy drag this baby ouuuut. Romance is always a good sub-plot.

The pack plays a bigger roll in this book or well their existing role from last book is just expanded on. Warren, Mercy's best friend becomes even more lovable. I mean even coyote girls loves their gays right?

This installment of the series is darker and creepier than the first. But that is because there is more vampires and vamps looove blood and blood equals cree-py! Mercy has to venture into The Seethe that Stefan belongs too. And of course runs into trouble as well. She also gets Stefan into major doo doo for a secret he is keeping for Mercy. A secret Mercy has no idea he was keeping until she ventures into see the Seethe's Mistress. A sociopath crazy bi-otch who is hot for Samuel's bod and blood.

There are a few stand-out parts in this book. Warren and his boy toy comes to mind. As well as a creepy, confusing but hott blood/finger sucking exchange between Stefan and Mercy. Have a cold glass of water handy. Its a sqweee-yuck/oh-my-gawd that is so dang hot moment.

This book also brilliantly displays the differences between wolf and vamps. Where the wolves are more noble and loyal in their pack bonds and politics and the men are virile exudeing masculinity from their pores (even Warren), the vampires are just the opposite. They are sneaky, vicious and down right backstabbers and they (male and female) have this slinky, suave sexuality to them.
The entire book turns into a game of cat and mouse that never gets old or boring. Where neither sides, wolves and vamps, are strictly one or the other. They have a common enemy though but what the sides plan on doing with this enemy is not in agreement.

Warren is hurt and some of the pack is missing. Will Mercy be able to find her guys alive and in time? Well duh of course she will. She is one bad ass chick! But along the way she will discover some of what a walker can really do, forge new ties, rack up new debts that she will have to payback and make one Biiiitch of an enemy.

For more info click here for Blood Bound's page and read a the first chapter.

The Postmistress -by Sarah Blake

I received my first look ARC from Barnes and Noble on Friday and my apartment office held it hostage until Wednesday. It has a really beautiful cover, which as from a previous post we all know matters majorly to me. I am excited to read this book and discuss it with fellow readers at First Look.

It is available for pre-order here Postmistress It is being released February 9th 2010. Just in time for an all night read on V-day.

I want to thank B&N First Look for the chance to review this book. And I expect to blog about this book more late in October.

Casse

Low on book funds...Swap em.

Normally, I hate used books. I prefer buying books. It helps the authors and the economy but, sometimes well- I just can't afford it. All the new books I need, well not need. Yes heck, I need them! So instead of looking at the books already read sitting in piles on my floor and ect. I go to Swaptree.
Swaptree is a trading site where you can get rid of old Books, CDs, DVDs, and even games. Its free and is easy to set up an account. All you pay is shipping (unless you do the friend referral thing and earn free shipping). I have some good books coming. Here are some of this weeks trades.

I am receiving this and sending Haunted by P.C Cast

I am receiving this book and sending Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Book I am Hoping to get on a trade:

I want to receive this for Hands of Flame by C.E Murphy

I want to trade this for Katy Perry One of the boys

So hopefully I get the trades I also have Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs but people want to trade them for books I want but way cheaper books. So I am taking it off the list I think. It's a brand new book, I am not trading it for a $4.99 book. [update: I think I am holding out for Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick or Fallen by Lauren Kate lol]

If swapping isn't your thing all these books can be found at amazon, walmart or your local book store or just click the pictures to go to the amazon pages for them.

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

I first came across this book while looking for a new series to read. One that would keep me entertained. And boy did I get the corrected book. Though normally I am always hesitant about starting werewolf and animal shape shifter books I decided to give it a try.

Mercedes Thompson is my favorite Heroine of all times. She is just the right amount of ballsy and even though sometimes she makes stupid mistakes they are some what believable.

Mercy is a shape-shifter what they call a Walker in a world were witches, fae, vampires are known creatures. She can turn into a coyote. Her neighbor is the alpha of the local werewolves pack and has claimed her as a mate among the pack for her protection. So that the wolf guys will not harm her. They aren't foolish enough to upset their alpha, the drop dead sexy Adam Hauptman. Adam and Mercy have this love-annoy relationship. He threatens to eat her cat, while she annoys him to no end by keeping an old and dilapidated VW Rabbit in her back yard in his house's view.

Mercy meets a young wolf at her car shop and the adventures starts from there. Someone is attacking humans and turning them into werewolves. Mercy wants to find out who, exactly is doing this.

I loved the way Mercy's long-term relationship with werewolves unfold. I was so enthralled with this book from pretty much the first sentence. "I didn't realize he was a werewolf at first." Maybe it was just me but I could not put this book down.

Mercy and Adam have a complex relationship more than neighbors, but no where near the mates that Adam claimed her as. Adam has a hilarious, punk rockish but lovable daughter, Jesse, that Mercy just adores, as do I as well. And when ex-lover Samuel, son of Bran, enters the picture after Mercy has to make an unexpected and un-wanted return home to Montana, you will think Adam and Mercy's complex relationship is a walk in the park.

Moon Called is a great book. I give kudos to Briggs for the world she created while not getting caught up in petty descriptions and background filler information. Briggs finds an entertaining way to tell us all we need to know as we need to know it.

The characters are very well written and believable. And boy there are a lot of characters to know. Luckily they are easy to remember. The tri-city, where Mercy resides, wolf pack are characters who's importance that ranger from major to minor but you will remember every single one. And Bran's Montana pack (Bran is the Alpha of the entire North American wolves) will introduce themselves as they show what relevance they have to Mercy's past.

All in all I have nothing but great things to say about the opening book for the series and you won't regret reading this book. I love the huge Native American culture that is infused in this book and the magical beings that this world has, both openly and hidden in among the public.

I think every book lover should read this book.

Moon Called page

To read first chapter of Moon Called by Patricia Briggs click here

Book by it's cover

Why do people always say not to judge a book by it's cover? Then what exactly is the cover for. It's no secret most people are visual. The cover is the first thing we see. It determines rather we are going to pick up the book or pick up the one next to it and flip it over and read the synopsis, am I right? A good book cover will make you stop in your tracks JUST to look at it. It will make you ask yourself, "hmm I wonder what that's about?"
Telling people to not judge a book by it's cover is like saying looks don't matter. puh-leaze. They may not be the only thing but like look a book is the FIRST thing. If the packaging is lame what else will make you pick it up?