Feature & Follow #6

Welcome to Feature & Follow
Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Alison of AlisonCanRead and Rachel of Parajunkee that makes it possible for bloggers to increase their number of followers and get more exposure, AND also spotlights (features) 2 blogs. Make sure to hop by their blogs to see the Feature interviews.

This week's Features are:
JC's Book Haven
Lite Rate Ture

This week's question is:
What have you learned about the publishing industry through book blogging?

I have learned that social media plays a large role in publishing these days. And book bloggers play an integral role in the process.

Sweet Evil

Title: Sweet Evil (#1 in trilogy)
Series: The Sweet Trilogy
Author: Wendy Higgins
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis from GoodReads:

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

*************

First of all, I love, love, love the mythology of fallen angels and nephilim. So this book pretty much had me at "hello". But the twists and layers Ms. Higgins adds to make this mythology her own is exceptionally creative and appealing. 

In Ms. Higgins' world there exist demons ("Dukes" - one for every deadly sin plus for several of the ten commandments) who essentially rule the world of "organized crime". In this world, nephilim are nothing to their fathers but workhorses forced to lure humans into sin using their particular brand - fascinating! 

When we meet our herione, Anna - a nephilim born to a fallen angel and an angel of light, we learn she's being raised by an adoptive mother and although Anna has some odd quirks (she can remember her birth and can feel other people's emotions) she's a good girl. Then Anna inadvertently meets and falls in love with Kai, whose father is the Duke of Lust...and well, let's just say lots of good times ensue!

Anna's father believes she's meant for a specific purpose and he actually loves her (unheard of among Dukes). Anna wants to serve that higher purpose, but also wants to show Kai what it's like to be loved. 

Ms. Higgins also created a wonderful group of supporting characters in Jason, Jay, Patti, Kopano, Marna, and Veronica. 

The end of the book is a cliffhanger where we're left wondering what the next battle between Heaven and Hell will entail. But knowing Anna will be instrumental and hoping Kai will be too! 

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly #3

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, a meme/blog hop hosted by the fabulous Lectus. It allows you to showcase 3 books you plan to read and discuss this week. Here's how it works:

The Good: it could be a book that you just started reading and it is sooo damn good! Or, a book you've been waiting for and finally got.

The Bad: it could be a book that you are going to read because of its hype, it was recommended to you or any other reason BUT you are not sure you are going to like it because it's not your usual type of book/story/genre/thing.

The Ugly: it could be any book and for any reason. It's up to you! 
So, spread the word and invite friends!!


I haven't posted reviews of my week 2's books yet, but they're coming. And honestly, with the holidays, I'll probably be late posting this week's as well. Here are my Good, Bad & Ugly for this week:



My Good: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater...'nuff said. ;)
My Bad: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
This is a graphic novel and I DON'T read graphic novels or manga as a general rule. (see review of Pandora Hearts) But again, my daughter read this and asked me to read it so she can discuss it with me.
My Ugly: Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell
I'm going to read this because it's set in Colorado and I live in Colorado. :)

It's The End of the World...Book Blast & Giveaway

When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian— Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel
a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she
balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the
guy she loves might be its crown prince…



Meet Theresa McClinton

A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Own Piece of Maya
For our 10th anniversary, my husband and I went to the Yucatan Peninsula for a week. Our anniversary happens to fall near the spring equinox, so we were able to attend the celebration of fertility/rebirth at Chichen Itza. To be witness to the pageantry and festivity was amazing. And being able to visit the ruins was spectacular! This trip was especially meaningful to me as I studied Spanish and Spanish/Mexican culture throughout my education. It was an experience I will always remember. So when I heard Theresa's book revolved around Maya culture and legend, I was thrilled! I can't wait to read it.


Other blogs participating in the book blast & giveaway:

Feature & Follow #5

Welcome to Feature & Follow
Feature & Follow is a weekly blog hop hosted by Alison of AlisonCanRead and Rachel of Parajunkee that makes it possible for bloggers to increase their number of followers and get more exposure, AND also spotlights (features) 2 blogs. Make sure to hop by their blogs to see the Feature interviews. 


This week's Features are:
My Library in the Making &
Read, Breath, Read, Everyday

Here is this week's question...
What is the last book that made you cry? Tell us about the scene...

The last book that made my cry was Undeniable...there were actually several scenes that made me cry but the one that immediately sprang to mind was a scene where Deuce and Eva had had a misunderstanding. Deuce was denying his deep feelings for Eva (which he did a lot) and was demanding something of Eva she didn't want to give. Eva was rightfully irritated and Deuce stormed out. When Eva went to look for him, she found Deuce in a compromising position with another woman...tears ensued, for Eva and me.

The Collector Book 2 Title Reveal + Giveaway!

I'm super excited to share with y'all this video of Victoria Scott, author of The Collector, revealing the title of the second book in the series! I can't wait to meet Dante!!  :)





And just to make sure you don't miss a moment with Dante, here's the link to GoodReads so you can add it to your TBR list. You're welcome!! :)

AND, because Victoria wants us all to be happy, she's has some Dante goodies up for grabs!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To keep up with the latest Dante news, be sure to check out Victoria's website here or Dante's here. 

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly #2

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, is a Monday meme/blog hop hosted by the fabulous Lectus. It's meant to showcase 3 books you plan to read and discuss this week. Here's how it works:

The Good: it could be a book that you just started reading and it is sooo damn good! Or, a book you've been waiting for and finally got.

The Bad: it could be a book that you are going to read because of its hype, it was recommended to you or any other reason BUT you are not sure you are going to like it because it's not your usual type of book/story/genre/thing.

The Ugly: it could be any book and for any reason. It's up to you! 
So, spread the word and invite friends!!


My first week of Good, Bad, & Ugly treated me well. Let's see how week 2 goes.




My Good for the week is Iced by Karen Marie Moning. If you've read the Fever series, I need say no more. :) If you haven't read this series yet, what are you waiting for???

My Bad for the week is Flawed by Kate Avelynn. Again, my Bad is being chosen because of it's somewhat taboo subject matter.

My Ugly for the week is Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. It has lots of teenage angst and I've been looking forward to reading it. :)

What's your Good, Bad & Ugly this week?!?

The Bad...

Title: Undeniable
Series: #1 Undeniable 
Author: Madeline

From GoodReads:
Warning: This is not a typical love story. This is an all-consuming, soul-crushing, tear-your-heart-into-pieces story. It’s intense, gritty and raw, dark and disturbing, and it doesn’t happen overnight. This is an epic love story that knows no boundaries and has no time limits. It grows and develops—with hurt, sacrifice, and heartache—over the span of a lifetime. 

Eva Fox is the princess of the Silver Demons Motorcycle Club. Growing up with bikers in the club lifestyle is all that she knows. When she’s a young girl, Eva meets the reason for her existence. Deuce West is the sexy, biker bad-ass of the Hell’s Horsemen Motorcycle Club. Like Eva, he was born and raised in the club—but that’s where the similarities end. Their first meeting is innocent, but as Eva matures into a woman, their chance reunions evolve into a fit of lust and love. Fate continues to bring them together time and time again, but their twisted journey is filled with pain, betrayal, and bloodshed that could tear them apart. Eva sees in Deuce what he cannot see in himself—a man worthy of love—and Eva spends her lifetime proving to him that her undeniable love is the one thing he can’t live without. 

This is Eva and Deuce’s story. 

It wasn’t easy. 
Nothing worth doing ever is.
And love is worth everything.

*******************

Holy smokes!! So glad this book came with a warning label! ;) Let me preface this review by stating flat out it's not for the faint of heart nor for those easily offended. This book is raw, gritty, profane, and unapologetic. And sooo incredibly amazing!! 

I chose this book as my Bad because it had content that could be considered off-putting but it had gotten good reviews so I wanted to check it out. This story is definitely unconventional, dealt in topics I have absolutely no experience with, contained adultery, drinking, drug use, murder...but at it's heart, it's a love story. Yes, a undefinable, indescribable, crazy-insane love story, but a love story nonetheless.

Eva meets Duece when she's 5 years old...they're both at Riker's Island visiting their fathers, who are incarcerated there. Deuce was 23.

"Mark Twain said, 'The two most important days in your life is the day you were born and the day you find out why.' I don't remember the day I was born but I remember the day I found out why. His name was Deuce. He was my 'why'."

This day was life-changing for both Eva and Deuce. Their love story takes place over 30 years and it's definitely not always a pretty story. There is the age difference (which is handled tastefully), there is betrayal and heart break. There are also endearing moments that make the reader believe that true love does exist and can survive seemingly insurmountable odds.

Eva grows up surrounded by love - her father's and uncles' and all the biker boys'. Deuce grew up knowing nothing of love. He grew up being told he was garbage, worth nothing. The two meet again and again over the years and both recognize the connection between them. Deuce, while Eva is "jail bait" feels as though there must be something wrong with him that he has this attraction or connection to Eva. Once Eva is "of age", he only feels unworthy. Eva sees much more in Deuce. She sees more in him than he sees in himself but eventually, Eva teaches Deuce to love. Sometimes love is undeniable and clearly, Eva and Deuce were meant for one another. 

Undeniable was addictive. I couldn't put it down despite cringe-worthy moments. I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Sheehan.