Nobody & Every Other Day Giveaway!

Nobody
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: January 22nd , 2013
Pages: 393
Age Level: 13+ (YA book)

Synopsis via Goodreads
There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Every Other Day
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: December 27th, 2011
Pages: 336
Age Level: YA

Synopsis via Goodreads
Every other day, Kali D’Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She argues with her father. She’s human.

And then every day in between . . . she’s something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her, and unfortunately she’ll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive . . . and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

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

Thanks to EgmontUSA, you can win a Hardcover copy of Nobody and a paperback of Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Open to US & Canada only. Must be 13 or older to enter.

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Live-Action Book Trailer for Mindjack Trilogy and eBook Sale!

The Live-Action Mindjack Book Trailer Reveal

(from the bestselling Mindjack series by Susan Kaye Quinn)

With the help of over 20 cast and crew members, award-winning director Beth Spitalny has brought the concept of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy to life on the screen.

When everyone reads minds,
a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Please share!

Ways you can share the trailer:

1) Watch the trailer on YouTube (or here)!
(more views=higher visibility)

2) Post it to Facebook (copy & paste below)

Check out the live-action Mindjack Book Trailer (from the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy by Susan Kaye Quinn): When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. http://bit.ly/MindjackBookTrailer

3) Post it to Twitter (copy & paste below)

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Watch the live-action Mindjack Book Trailer http://bit.ly/MindjackBookTrailer

4) Share to Google+, Tumbler, Pinterest, and more
Go to the trailer on YouTube and click the "share" button. Click the arrow to expand and see all the options. Easy peasy. (While you're there, click "like" on YouTube, or leave a comment!)

5) Post the trailer on your blog
Grab the embed code from YouTube or email me for a copy of the HTML for a complete post announcing the trailer and ways to share!

Thanks so much for sharing!

To celebrate the release of the trailer,

I'm putting Open Minds on sale!

$2.99 now $0.99

for one week only

$9.99 now $7.99

for one week only

THANK YOU to everyone who is sharing the trailer today!

An EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to
everyone involved in making the trailer a reality, including Director Beth Spitalny, Producer Angel Acevedo, Director of Photography Lance Kaplan, lead actor Nikki Flemming (Kira) and the many fine actors, crew members, and post-production staff who donated their time and talent to the project.

For the making-of the trailer, see the Mindjack Trilogy website.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Series, which includes three novels, three novellas, and a trailer. She's currently writing a steampunk fantasy romance, just for kicks. When that's out of her system, she has ambitious plans to embark on a series about the Singularity (the time when computers become more intelligent than humans) that should appeal to fans of the Mindjack novels. Or possibly play on Facebook all day. Could go either way.

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Review: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Nobody
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: January 22nd , 2013
Pages: 393
Age Level: 13+ (YA book)
Source: For Review from Publisher

Synopsis via Goodreads
There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

Review
I had never heard of Nobody until I received an email asking if I wanted to review it. I'd seen a lot of good things about Barnes' books and I had been wanting to read them for a while so I figured I'd give this one a shot. 

At first, I didn't mind the characters. I thought Claire was quirky and amusing and Nix, well, I felt sorry for the poor guy and he was so intriguing. Needless to say, I liked them well enough in the beginning. But then they met. I understand that their emotional issues were pretty justified. I mean hey, they'd both lived their whole lives around people who barely even knew they existed, if that much. And Nix had spent his life being trained and used to kill people, some who deserved it, a couple who didn't. However, that didn't stop them from being frustrating to no end. Claire basically fell in love at first sight to a pretty blue-eyed boy...pointing a gun at her. I swear, every time he tried to kill her, it had the opposite effect one would expect. As for Nix, how did you fail to figure out Claire was not a null sooner? Once they got past him trying to kill her, it didn't take long, they were head over heels in love with each other. I felt empathy for them, really, but omg they got on my nerves. I think it is important that I mention now that I did not hate them, they had their moments, I just didn't particularly like them either. As for the secondary characters, well, there weren't really any. I mean, when you have two main characters whom can illicit zero emotion from people, leave no impression on them, any other characters are going to be pretty...static. Ione was probably one of the more involved minor characters. *cough* What a bitch! *cough* Two others were Natalie, a little null girl, and a sensor. 

The plot for Nobody was truly unique, presenting a whole new spin on the concept of invisibility. I loved the fact that there was a relatively scientific explanation for it all. The concept of energy's role in Nulls, Nobodies, and Sensors was truly imaginative. While it had a few predictable moments, it had some surprises as well. Even with my problems with the characters, I flew through this book in no time as it was both fast-paced and compelling. The beginning portion of the book was a little repetitive but the rest was pretty great.    

The writing was arranged in frequently shifting points of view between Claire and Nix. Surprisingly, I didn't find it all that disruptive and if I had of liked the characters more, I'm sure I would have loved that aspect. That said, I got to constantly go back and forth from being annoyed by one character's thoughts to being annoyed by the other's. The writing style overall though was refreshing and enjoyable. 

The ending, despite my not loving the characters, was perfect and I was very pleased with how things ended up pulling together for Claire and Nix. I couldn't help but be happy for them.  

In Essence

Characters: MCs not bad apart, but absolutely annoying together. Supporting characters almost non-existent.
Writing: Different, but in a good way, and fast-paced.
Plot: Inventive and compelling.
Ending: Loved!
Enjoyment/Likability: Liked pretty well but characters definitely decreased my enjoyment overall.
Recommendable: If you like the sound of the book, I'd say give it a shot. My only real problem were the characters and I wouldn't suggest avoiding this book on that basis alone.

Overall: Characters were disappointing but everything else was pretty good. I'd like to give some of Barnes' other books a try.  

Cover: It's okay.



Buy Nobody
Amazon / B&N / Kindle / Nook / Book Depository

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GP: Why My Character is Comic Book Cool by Laurie Crompton!

Why My Character is “Comic Book Cool”
By Laurie Boyle Crompton

Blaze’s character showed up in my mind like Blam! Pow! “Tell my story!” She’s really into comics and is sort of stuck in her life as an outsider, but she isn't ashamed of being a geek. She displays her superhero buttons proudly and is constantly drawing and reading comics. I couldn't wait to write about her. Of course, working on a project where studying comic books counted as research was a bonus!

My step-father has this Ah-mazing! collection much like the one Blaze’s dad has in the book and I remember staying up late at night reading through stacks of them as a kid. I would try to tell my friends about these awesome characters like the Silver Surfer and Iron Man, and I’d even try to imitate Thor’s Norse God way of speaking. This was before the movies made these guys more mainstream and I was definitely on the fringe with my obsession, but when I’d find another comic book nerd we had an instant bond.

As I was writing, Blaze surprised me when she fought back against Mark the way she did and I knew at that point I could just allow her character to take over. Of course things don’t go as she plans, but no matter what tight spots she finds herself in, she uses comic books to guide and empower her. Readers who aren't into comic books will definitely still enjoy Blaze, but my hope is that she will inspire them to check out comics for themselves, too!

© 2012 Anne Cain http://annecain-art.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~

Blaze by Laurie Boyle Crompton
Sourcebooks Fire
February 1st, 2013
Young Adult

Synopsis via Goodreads
Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now...

Preorder Blaze
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Review: Amber House by Kelly Moore

Amber House (ARC)
By: Kelly Moore; Tucker Reed; Larkin Reed
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pub. Date: October 1st, 2012
Pages: 368
Series: Amber House Trilogy, #1
Source: For Review

Synopsis via Goodreads
"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."

Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.

But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.

Review
When Amber House arrived in my mail, I had never heard of it before. But when I read the synopsis and saw the cover online, as my copy was an ARC without the official cover, I knew this was going to be the book for me. Turns out, I was right.

One of the many great aspects of Amber House was its wide and varied cast of characters. First is the main character, Sarah. I admit, there were times when she really annoyed me but as a whole, I thought she was very witty and came off as genuine and real, like she could be someone I actually knew. Her relationship with her little brother, Sammy, was sooo sweet and it really helped make this book something special that would stand out in my memory. Seriously, Sammy was an adorable little kiddo and I absolutely loved him! Now on to the part you all really care about, the romantic interests. ;) Well unfortunately, I wasn't really in love with either of them. Jackson could be brooding, somewhat mysterious, caring, etc. You know, the typical romantic interest. I felt pretty indifferent to Jackson, with him getting emotion out of me only a couple of times during the whole book. Richard was a little different. I periodically went from disliking him and thinking he was a d-bag to thinking he actually wasn't so bad underneath that spoiled rich boy exterior. I did feel pretty bad for him towards the end. Now, onto Sarah's mom. I felt much like Sarah did when it came to her. Just when she would do something that made you think she had a heart, she'd turn around and say something cold, insensitive, or just straight up mean. She did show some growth throughout the book, though, and I really liked that. Some other minor characters were Sarah's dad, Rose, and Kathryn, all of whom I liked.

The plot for Amber House was intricately crafted, possessing many intriguing elements. First there is the unique atmosphere and setting of Amber House, an ancient borderline mansion that is just overflowing with history and mystery. Then there are Sarah's dreams and the echoes, flashes of the past brought on by her touching or connecting with certain things or places in the house and on the property. Throw in some complex family drama and secrets and you have one heck of a compelling plot. There were a few areas where the plot seemed to lag somewhat, but overall, it was terrific.

The writing was simply beautiful. The authors' use of imagery throughout the story really helped to build and create the perfect setting from the ground up and painted such a vivid picture in my mind of how everything looked. There was also a pleasant amount of dry humor and sarcasm. Yay!

The ending wrapped things up nicely for a first book in a series. Only, I didn't think so initially. There was a new thread subtly added to the plot and when it wasn't knotted up with an answer, or even a nod of acknowledgement, I was confused and mad. It was after that when I realized this book was going to be part of a series. Then I was all, "Oh, well, that explains it." All of that being said, I thought the ending was rushed and I'd have liked to have seen the author(s) take more time with it.

In Essence

Characters: Memorable and plenty. Great cast of major and minor characters.
Writing: Lovely.
Plot: Full of mystery and twists. Excellent atmosphere.
Ending: Tied up the first book nicely but felt rushed.
1st in Series: Excellent beginning.
Enjoyment/Likability: Very enjoyable. Not too heavy, not too light.
Recommendable: Yes! Highly.

Cover: Gorgeous! Like, seriously!


Buy Amber House
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Review: Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent

Defy the Stars
By Stephanie Parent
Publisher: Stephanie Parent
Pub. Date: July 30th, 2012
Pages: 596
Age Level: YA (14+)
Source: For review from author

Synopsis via Goodreads
Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other…until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play’s theme of love at first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don’t always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed’s comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd—and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes—but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia’s and Reed’s families even farther apart…and Julia must decide whether she’s willing to give up everything for love.

Defy the Stars is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel’s combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and form that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare’s play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.

Review
You know how every now and again you pick up a book and, for one reason or another, you really really hope that you like it? This was one of those books for me as I was reading it with plans to review it for the author, Stephanie Parent, who is a twitter buddy of mine. Having read her short story, I was pretty optimistic but still, no one likes having to write a negative review of a book for an author they like. So thankfully, even though it started out a little rough around the edges, Defy the Stars turned out to be quite a gem. I'm going to try my best to express all of my feelings about this book without giving away too much of the plot, as I feel this is one of those books where you don't want to know too much going in, especially since, well, you kind of already do. A consequence of being a retelling of an epic love story. 

What I loved so much about the characters that Parent created, more specifically, Reed and Julia, was how realistic, flawed, and innately human they were. Their emotions were raw and tinged with the extreme passion with which teenagers tend to feel things at that age. Every now and again, Julia's mind would take off on this rambling train wreck of thought and I loved it; it was so much like how my mind tends to work at times. There was definitely a naivety to her character, especially when it came to the role that drugs played in the story and her life. She was so full of heart, though, and even when she did some really stupid things that had me wanting to wop her upside the head, I still cared for her. Then there was Reed. Oh Reed and his blue eyes. Honestly, a part of me hated him for dragging Julia into his world, but it wasn't like he took her kicking and screaming. Another part of me found myself pulling for him to persevere and get his act together. His character had so much untapped potential that his circumstances kept locked away within him. I just kept hoping that he'd discover that he, and he alone, held the key to unlocking a better future for himself. Furthermore, I would have liked to have gotten to know his character more and I think this is where a dual narrative could have benefited this book. The relationship between Julia and Reed, doomed though it was, was at times very tender. That said, it was equal parts destructive, as well.

There was a small cast of supporting characters that accompanied our star-crossed lovers. First there was Perry the pervert. He was one of the more active minor characters, unfortunately. Oh my goodness I just hated him so much! This may sound bad, but I was really hoping he'd end up dead by the end of the book. Or maimed for life. Either one. Sara, Julia's best friend, was a character that I felt rather indifferent towards, as was the case with most of the supporting characters. There was, however, one time when she really left my mouth gaping wide open with disbelief and that was when Julia decided to tell her everything. I would have liked to have seen a little more concern for her best friend than what she showed. Toby, Julia's cousin who was more like an uncle, was a good supporting character that I would have liked to have seen more of. Other characters were Julia's parents, her piano instructor, Reed's friend that I can't remember the name of but I remember liking, Reed's brother Cary, and last, and least in my book, Rachel a character that I absolutely didn't see the point in. I would have liked a little more involvement and depth from the supporting characters than I got but considering the nature of this story, it didn't really bother me all that much.

Defy the Stars had so much to offer in the way of its plot. First off, it was utterly compelling and almost impossible to put down. There was just something about it that kept me constantly wanting to turn the next page, or in my case, click the page-turning button on my kindle. And the emotion, oh there were so many emotions jam-packed into this story and its characters, all of which felt genuine and masterfully rendered. As far as retellings go, this is my favorite and my mind made a game of finding and drawing all the parallels between this book and Romeo & Juliet. As you might have already guessed, this was far from a light read as it contained some very serious subject matter, the forefront of which was drugs. I thought Parent handled the integration of drugs into her story quite skillfully. From Julia's lack of understanding of the seriousness of the situation, to the detailed highs and lows that came with doing meth, to the inevitable consequences that would follow. There was nothing 'encouraging' in the way Parent wrote about the use of drugs, it managed to avoid being preachy in any way, and was also very purposefully wound in with the plot, versus just being there for the sake of edginess. Yet, for all the severity and harsh, cold truth that was woven throughout, so was hope and the preciousness of life and love. The musical incorporation of Julia's piano playing really brought to life a certain atmosphere for the story that I thought was lovely and provided a sense of balance with the other aspects of the plot. All of this bled together with romance and tragedy to create quite an intense and darkly enticing story.

When I first began reading Defy the Stars, I admit, I questioned Parent's decision to do it as a verse book. I absolutely love books written in verse, but something felt...stilted about the writing and format, not seeming to have much reason behind it other than for the sake of saying it was in verse. However, there would then be these bits of brilliance, where everything seemed to make sense and the writing flowed on smoothly. The further in I delved, the more common these moments became throughout the writing and it all started to pull together and level out as the organization of the prose began to show purpose. Once it did, it was beautiful!

Let's not pretend that we don't all know how Romeo and Juliet's story ends, which lends to the fact that I had no expectations for a happy ending with this story. I mean, let's face it, this isn't a story you retell with an ending that's all fluffernutter and rainbows. But that didn't stop me from wanting everything to work out for Julia and Reed, even though I knew, deep down, that there was no way it could. Of course, Defy the Stars is merely a retelling, and with a title like that, you can't help but expect Parent to have given herself some wiggle room. This meant that I couldn't be sure how Julia and Reed's story would end. That said, I thought Stephanie did a remarkable job on the ending. It was tearfully bittersweet in its harmony of both tragedy and hope, something I feel can be said about the book as a whole, too, not just the ending.

In Essence

Characters: Main characters realistically flawed and well developed. Supporting characters, rather lacking.
Writing: A little inconsistent but beautiful overall.
Plot: Refreshing, compelling, and gritty.
Ending: Bittersweet.
Enjoyment/Likability: Couldn't put it down...so yeah...
Recommendable: Definitely! Even for those who aren't big fans of verse.

Overall: An amazing and emotionally raw retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Best $0.99 you'll ever spend.

Cover: I like the colors. It's pretty but nothing spectacular.

Buy Defy the Stars (Like, right now!)
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Waiting on Wednesday: Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

Weather Witch
By Shannon Delany
St. Martin's Griffin
June 25th, 2013
336 pages
Young Adult

Synopsis via Goodreads
In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Steampunk? Weather witches? Yes please! This one sounds so good and I can't wait for it to release. Cover is pretty too. :)

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