Author Archive

Personal Demons

My first foray back in to the paranormal romance world after my “Terrible” urban fantasy-fest last week was hard. It still is. I keep thinking about re-reading the entire Downside series because, let’s be honest. I wasn’t ready to leave their world. Lily and I still can’t stop chatting daily about our favorite parts, favorite lines, what-ifs, what’s coming… But we both agreed. It was time to move on. Now I admit, I haven’t strayed far, since I’m still reading books from the same author. I just finished book one in Stacia Kane’s Megan Chase series. Had I read it before my Terrible addiction, I would most likely be raving about it in my review. But perhaps my “Terrible bias” is holding me back from becoming completely absorbed with Dante (the hero in this book). Poooor unbelievably sexy, suave, cool and aloof Greyson Dante. Actually… nothing poor about him, if we go by the tale told. But in my little “Terrible-obsessed” reading world, he almost didn’t stand a chance (key word being “almost”).

As I recently tweeted:

…is it weird that I’m disappointed the Hero is handsome?

But let’s get on with it shall we? This book (and series) seems to be right up my alley. It’s urban fantasy, but concentrates a bunch on the romance part (which I love). Dante’s beyond hot, and he’s a demon (albeit, maybe not an evil one), although, it’s in his nature not to care much about humans. He is humored by them, and even more so, when they are somewhat tormented.

Until he meets Megan. A human. A psychic psychologist with a gimmicky radio show (the female Frasier?). And she’s stuck with the typical gimmicky slogan “Demon Slayer. Let her slay your demons.” Cute right? Unfortunately, real demons take it literally, and are out to get her. She didn’t even like the stupid slogan in the first place. But apparently, if you “put it out there” some “other forces” might insist on taking action.

“The demon slayer thing. They think it’s real.” She glanced at Dante.

He nodded. “They think it’s real. And they want to get you first.”

She’s suddenly forced to deal with a bunch of creepy monsters that nobody else can see.

Already a little eccentric (trying to hide her psychic side from the public), her new nervous twitchy freak-outs whenever she sees invisible demons are starting to get her the side-eye from her peers. Dante shows up with an offer. He seems to know what’s up (but he’s curious about her, and what her deal is).

“Am I the chosen one?”

“Oh absolutely. When you were born the angels sang. You humans are obsessed with that concept. You haven’t been chosen for anything, Megan. You’re simply an anomaly and we’re still trying to resolve it without any problems.

Of course, despite all the weird things she’s been seeing, she gives Dante a hard time about his “demon-ness” (and that’s always fun for us readers). The push-pull struggle of the human accepting the paranormal.

“You say your a demon. I say they don’t exist. Where’s your proof?”

He raised his eyebrows and looked at the little fireball still burning merrily in his hand.

She seems to be more than just a psychic. And while it appears he’s helping her and teaching her about the new world she’s unwittingly involved herself in, is there something in it for him, and his crew?

The crew (or part of it, anyway): In my opinion, all the main characters are great. They eventually seem to become a little mismatched family.

The voices of the brothers behind her made an oddly homey accompaniment to the sizzling meat. It struck Megan how strange all this was. She, who’d never had many friends, had never had that “urban family” people talked about, now had three demons sitting in her kitchen sniffing the air with smiles on their faces and chatting about sports.

She put in the last batch of meat and started seasoning it, adding the scents of rosemary and onion to the comforting fog of the air. Her stomach growled.

She’d been right to insist on this. Making this meal was just what she needed, what they needed, to bring a sense of normalcy back to…. well okay, it was just what she needed.

I very much liked, these gentle moments in the book. I felt like I was a part of their unusual family.

A pompous witch who inadvertently becomes Megan’s teacher (she reminds me of Pam in True Blood). A hot Demon lover that seems SO intent on Megan but may have other motives. Three thuggish demon bodyguards that you just wanna cuddle and hug on (I adore them). A reporter intent on getting and exposing Megan’s true story. Friend or foe? And Megan. I like her. She’s got some skeletons in her closet, and even a few she can’t completely remember herself, but, yeah, I like her.

My dislikes? Well, Megan’s reactions to her new situation don’t really make sense. She’s either a little to accepting or a little too naive? And she’s too quick on Dante’s button, but I guess, who wouldn’t be? Also, there is a major magic/power struggle that I couldn’t follow. But luckily, as in all of Stacia’s books, it get’s explained in a few lines, and all is well. You go “ohhhh, okay – I get it – I think.” hehe

Okay, so honestly. I really liked this book. I sighed (Dante is very sigh worthy). He gets really mad and intense, can make you grit your teeth and can be incredibly romantic. No not romantic.  That’s too easy. Impassioned.

The urgency of his voice, the feel of his hands on her skin…there was no going back and he knew it as well as she did. A new possessiveness transmitted itself in the way his hands rested on her waist as he pulled her to stand in front of him, the way he pressed her to him.

There are a few scenes that really tugged at my heart, and made me somewhat teary-eyed. What’s his angle? I dunno. There are two more books to help me find out though And off to #2 I go.

P.S. Stacia gives us that very delicious sounding Meat Pie recipe at the end of the book….I’m tempted to make it, because it sounded mouthwatering (hey, I like meat!). Unfortunately, I’m NOT a cook by any means, so who knows what kind of massacre I will create. Perhaps I should let my husband (AKA “The Midnight Chef”) do the honors?

As per the author’s website:

The first book a thrilling, addictive new series by a talented new voice in dark fantasy. Welcome to Nocturne City, where werewolves, black magicians, and witches prowl the streets at night…

• Night Life (Nocturne City, Book 1)
• Pure Blood (Nocturne City, Book 2)
• Second Skin (Nocturne City, Book 3)
• Witch Craft (Nocturne City, Book 4)
• Daemon’s Mark (Nocturne City, Book 5)

Sheeesh, this is gonna be hard. I’ve highlighted all of my favorite parts in each book, but it looks like I’ve highlighted everything! How to choose?

Okay some stuff is too spoilerish for here, so I can omit those…some stuff is too *HOT* for here, so noooo. Whoa! Wonder if I can double highlight THAT…tee hee

So many parts that I’ve re-read just to get that “feeling” again, so here are some of my favorites:

Book#1 (Unholy Ghosts): Since I was just getting to know the characters, I wasn’t attached to anyone in particular, so these are my favorite parts, Terrible-bias-free

I was uncertain as to whether Lex was going to be a real bad guy or not (and still…who knows – so don’t go jumping to conclusions!!) but this was a part that made me start “crushing” on him. Chess has a REAL bad experience in a house with an murderous ghost, and in her haste to flee, she forgot a crucial tool that she uses in her investigations. A magic hand that keeps people asleep. YES. A HAND. ewwwwwwww – so who’s she gonna call to help her? The magic-ignorant “Lex”.

It wasn’t until she was there, crumpled on the street, brushing tears off her face, that she realized she’d left the Hand inside, along with her bag and everything else.

Lex shoved his hands into his pockets and stared up at the Morton house. “I gotta touch what?”

“A hand. A dead hand. It’s on the floor of the bedroom on the right, at the top of the stairs. Just grab it, and my bag, and bring them down here, okay”

“Don’t know I want to touch some dead witch hand, tulip. No offense.”

“It’s not a witches hand, it’s a convicted murderer’s, and it’s harmle- never mind. Are you going to do it for me, or should I call someone else? There’s not a lot of time left until sunrise.”

and then…

“Aye, I’ll do it.” His dark eyes scanned her up and down, in her black jeans and snug black top. “But I get something in return.”

“Fine. Just go get my stuff, okay?”

as he exits the house…

Lex appeared, holding her bag in one fist and the Hand in the other. The look of disgust on his face would have been comical anywhere else.

hee hee! Tough drug dealin’ Lex, creeped out by a dead hand. I pictured that one in my head perfectly. And what did he want in return? Just a sweet and gentle kiss… *sigh*

And of course – my absolute favorite part with Terrible (but this is redundant as I’m sure this part has been mentioned over and over again in other enthusiastic reviews):

He pulled away to meet her gaze and for a minute he was transformed. Still the same features, the lumpy nose, and the jutting brow and the hard, dark eyes, but not ugly anymore. Full of character. Full of strength. She looked at his face but she didn’t see it, not the way she had before. The smile spreading across his features was intimate, sexy. The darkness of his eyes concealed so much more than she’d ever imagined.

“Oh, aye,” he said. “You gonna let me show you?”

*gulp*

Book #2 (Unholy Magic): Oh this one was just AMAZING. By now I was attached to the characters, emotionally invested and greatly affected by the circumstances of their choices. There are two mysteries to solve in this one, and the romantic tension is amped up to an excrutiating point.

Poor Chess…she really is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“He made a sound then, so soft she barely heard it, but felt it in every pore and muscle of her body.”

What was more than just a kiss became more even than that.

That WHOLE section was just…wow.

And this entire chapter left me speechless…

She wasn’t scared of that now, not when she had been about to lose everything. Had been unutterably stupid to be scared at all, what was wrong with her?

*gulp* (again)…but this time I was trying to gulp back tears…

Book #3 (City of Ghosts) - My favorite part? The WHOLE book!!

Really, the further the series goes, the less I can say, other than, if you let yourself go, you will live every scary experience, and feel every emotional revelation with Chess.

Chapter 23 for starters (not my favorite line, but definitely one of my favorite moments – this is the “safest” quote to use here). Those who’ve read the series know exactly where I’m at with this one…

She wanted to close the three-foot gap between them and tuck herself under his arm.

Chapter 31 (Yeah…you know the scene *blush*…):

She tried to spin around and hide her tears, but he was too fast.

and another scary and sad moment (Chess is barely concious, and having to trust at a very vulnerable moment in her life – but she still managed to make me chuckle here):

“I stink,” she managed. Not really what she wanted to say, but it came out anyway. Her fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt, trying to get the signal to her brain that he was real, he was really there. “I was in the Dumpster.” 

So that’s it folks. My Downside Ghosts/Terrible weekend marathon is over and I think it’s time I move on. But I’m not straying far (not from the author at least). I’ve decided to continue on to Stacia Kane’s “Megan Chase” demon series. While the “mood” of it is considered more light-hearted, the reviews are favorable!

Since I’m dying to know anything and EVERYTHING about Terrible and the Downside Ghosts series, I figured I’d scour the internet for the good stuff – so this will be my own personal “Downside Ghosts Tidbits Page” that I will update and share with you.

And what better way to get some info, than directly from the author herself?

Stacia hosted an awesome “question and answer” session on her website a few weeks ago when I was, unfortunately, still Downside-ignorant and didn’t know enough to participate. However, in my search, I have had many questions answered, because many diehards knew what to ask. So thank you!

Here is a quick summary, but make sure to check out her page, cause it’s not all Downside related, and you really get a good glimpse of Stacia’s personality and how fun she seems.

• We may get more bits of info in regards to Terrible’s past (perhaps a glimpse into his rough childhood).
• She mentions how nervous she was (and still is) about people “getting” the Downside-speak
• About Lex: In regards to the next book in the series, she says: “Lex-heavy–the plot will demand it–and Lex certainly isn’t going anywhere.” And whether he’s “in love” with Chess or not, she will not say…
• This one is definitely worth reading for yourselves…who’s better ummm…you know Lex or Terrible? tee hee!!! In short form, here is what I gathered: They both know what they’re doing. Lex is about the act, Terrible is about the passion.
• Stacia even mentions Chess’s personal “grooming” preferences, which unfortunately, do not really coincide with Terrible’s vision of a woman (although Lex is fine with it). Hrmmm..I’m wondering if this is a conversation we will be privy to in the next book? I certainly hope this isn’t going to be a conversation to be had with all three in the same room – eeeek! Awkward!
• Oooh I love this tidbit. I have a feeling Stacia is as hooked as we are to this series. She said after she wrote the final scene of “City of Ghosts” (the lastest book in the series), she wandered around her house sobbing for half an hour. Stacia, join the support group – it helps. While I didn’t sob (could have…but restrained myself), I wandered through life in general for two days, with a glazed expression and a hazy mind….perhaps I should have just sobbed instead. Might have sped my recovery along, a bit.
• Elder Griffin is important in future books.
• Stacia says: “I love romance and I love romance readers, but these books are not romances, and that was deliberate.”
• She explains that it was upsetting that some didn’t perceive Chess as an appropriate heroine due to her addictions and weaknesses, and why she feels differently. I agree with Ms. Kane. Chess was a facinating multi-faceted character to whom we could relate (perhaps not directly, but in tems of her thought process, her personal fears, her mistakes…)
• Stacia also lists the “actual” names of the drugs that plague Chess’s life. Quite an interesting list.

Here are Stacia Kane’s latest book related tweets. Perhaps we can piece them all together and make some sense out of what’s in store for us (or how she relates to these fascinating characters)…

Tweeted 09/01/10:

Page 16 of Downside 4: Terrible’s first scene.

Tweeted Aug 30th

Downside 4: Page 10. First death. Muahahaha!

A couple hundred more words and I’m off to bed. Would be nice if I could finish Chapter One this evening.

Esp. Since Chapter One is currently one of the longest chapters I’ve ever written, sigh.

Okay. 1700 words. Not enough, but more than before. I’ll take it. G’night.

Tweeted Aug 29th (sidenote – I heart’s LEX too!):

Hee. I do love Lex.

I was actually kind of disappointed/surprised there weren’t more Lex girls out there.

I know! He’s so…jaunty, lol. And almost arrogant, but not quite, because he’s too focused on having fun to be arrogant.

Tweeted Aug 15th:

I just realized what today’s date is. My deadline for Downside 4 is exactly three months away.

Lots of great Twitter posts from back in July (answering questions about her series for #UFCHAT - they meet every Saturday at 3pm PST on Twitter). I missed it, so I’m happy to have found it now :)

July 24th highlights from the chat:

There is a Downside short story coming out, yes, but I don’t have a release date for the antho yet

Dogs are psychopomps. They have been in legends for centuries, the ancient Greeks etc. In this world dogs r literally used to take ghosts back to the City of Etrnity under the earth. Chruch employees summon them from dog skulls during ritual.

 I got to use a bunch of British Traditional Witchcraft research I’d done & more!

Yes. I did a ton of research; there are actually millions of functioning addicts in the world, people you’d never know

 Some of it I did, yeah. Some of it just happened & I realized it later. I planned control/addiction, but not truth/lies

Chess reads lots of fiction. Mostly literary, really. & mysteries etc. Terrible reads non-fiction, military histories & stuff.

But Chess has loaned him some books & made him read them too.

Oh here we go! Neat tidbits I found in older interviews/question and answer sessions:

On Bittenbybooks.com (here’s a link to the interview and another one here and check out lower in the answer section too). Good stuff on her other books, and about her too, like her extensive collection of Tarot cards, her writing process and that her favorite superpower would be teleportation. Hey that’s my choice too! I loved “Jumpers” for that very reason):

The Downside Ghost series had not yet been released but she mentions her characters and says Chess is one of her favorites but she’s exceptionally proud of her secondary character (ahhh our first intro to Terrible).

…but it’s one of the supporting characters who I’m especially proud of. But I don’t want to spoil anything by saying who.

She says she has some similarities with Chess – same taste in men and music, and some personality stuff (but is more like Megan from her Demon series), and tells us how she named Chess:

Chess’ (full name Cesaria) last name, Putnam, was assigned to her by the Church. Ann Putnam was one of the major players in the Salem Witch Trials; I’ve used other surnames from the Trials in the next book.

Even before she started the series she knew Chess’s character:

Chess had a character before I had a plot or anything for Unholy Ghosts–I knew I wanted to do something different, and write about a drug-addicted heroine; everything in that book was a challenge and I loved that.

The witchcraft in the series is based on “British Traditional Witchcraft” (which she has studied for years).

As per an interview with TheLiteraryProject she says that she came up with the idea for Unholy Ghosts as she was writing her Demon series, and immediately started writing it the same night she finished her book “Demon Inside”. She wrote it in seven weeks and it got picked up really quickly.

Lot’s of good tidbits on an indepth Vampirebookclub.net question and answer session with Stacia  like:

• How her mom is a nurse and helped her with the drug information. She has also known different addicts in her life and that experience helped her with “Chess”.
• How they came up with the “Book of Truth” and magazine quotes that start each chapter. She says that it’s getting harder to come up with them now.
• Oooh and some GREAT info on how she came up with Downside-speak: to summarize, she mentions that she bought a book called “The World Museum” and thought the “Georgian Slang” sounded cool, and she goes on to mention how she managed each Downside character to have his own version that “slang”.
• There already two more books scheduled, and if they do well, she will continue the series further. Depending on how far she get’s to go with the series, there *may* be a twist in book#6!! Eeeek! To me, twist=cliffhanger!!!

An EXCELLENT tidbit on an interview Stacia had with Falcatimes

• She is very similar to Chess (personality wise) struggling with self-destructive and depressive behaviors. Personally, I found Chess was so well written, so REAL and raw, that I wondered how close she was to the author…

And BookChickCity knows what we wanna hear! She gets right down to the subject of ”Terrible and Chess”, and of course tons more info – these are my favorite highlights of the interview (below), but again, the interview as a whole is really fun!

• Stacia tells us how she came up with their names and how to pronounce “Cesaria” (Chez-air-ea) – her boss’s son’s name was cool, she feminized it, and there you go. Terrible, well…fit him perfectly considering where he was from and “who” he was in terms of his job.
• She explains why she took on the challenge of making her hero “ugly”. I love her perspective - and boy it worked!! Stacia admits she is very surprised at how we all took to him so well.
• Chess’s addictions are also explained. Love it! The author details how well she relates to a flawed character, and how and why she created Chess this way. Trapped yet free. Functional, yet has an extreme weakness.
• And more on the next book: “growing pains” for Chess and Terrible, but this one will be mostly Lex’s book  – “Huge changes for him”, which complicates life for everyone. YES!! STRIFE!! hahahaha love it.

To be continued…I’m still scouring

Hey and while I scour, who do the characters look like to you? Any ideas?

Series Reading Order:

1. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 1)
2. Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts, Book 2)
3. City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 3)

I admit it….I have Terrible Fever. So much so, that today’s review will not follow my usual format (yes, it has affected my thought process that much!)

What is Terrible Fever you ask? It is caused by Stacia Kane’s “Downside Ghosts” series and has a variety of symptoms (pleasing to the reader, perhaps not so much to those around the reader).

The fever causes the reader to:

• Obsess about the characters (and particularly one named “Terrible”).
• Bite their nails, clench their teeth, and sleep only a few hours a night (staying up until 3 or 4am or waking extra early just to get a few more chapters in). In some extreme cases, they do both (as I did – meaning I was getting about 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night until I was finished reading the series).

However, the symptoms don’t end there.

• The reader will sigh frequently, and groan in agony quite a few times too.
• Upon attempting to follow a normal daily routine (like work), the obsession will continue to consume the reader’s thoughts, as they re-live the scenes in their head. This causes the reader to unwittingly ignore everyone around them and have that “dreamy” look in their eyes (or that glassy look - tee hee!).
• Every “break” the reader gets, will find them scrambling for their book, And let’s be honest, the reader will attempt to create many of these “extra breaks”. You may even hear them growling or catch them rolling their eyes at anyone who succeeds in distracting them.
• You know that fake smile you’ve seen when you’ve interrupted a reader (or given, if you were the reader interrupted)? You know the one…where you hold your breath and plaster a fake smile that looks more like a grimace? The eyebrows are raised, with feigned interest in what the “interrupter” is saying. Yeah…it happens ALOT here… 
• But the worst symptom, and it happens to the best of us, is when the reader suddenly breaks out in “Downside-speak”. Yes, it happened to me. And it wasn’t pretty. Husband confused…worried expression…eyebrows raised. I assured him I was not having an “episode”, but it did cause me to chuckle and contemplate how funny the brain is…
• And of course, as with ALL great and addictive series, once it is over, the reader will insist upon talking about it incessantly, even trying to incorporate little “tidbits” of the book into normal daily conversation. Yeah…it’s best to join a “Terrible Support Group” when that happens (I’ve joined “I Gots Terrible Fever” on Goodreads). Luckily I also have “Lily” – she understands my predicament. Although…she is the one who introduced me to this addiction. Hrmmm…

Ok so what’s the series about? It’s awesome, but I’m simply going to paste in this morning’s chat with my mom about the series and how she needs to read it (she’s a paranormal romance addict like us). It’s kinda ”raw” - just me, in my full excitement about the series, trying to tell her about it in general, without spoiling it. It would be too easy to give spoilers away, and since it is an ongoing series, I really don’t want to do that for those who haven’t read it yet. I think I did okay…

Maryse says:
ok mom
listen

Gisele says:
I’m all ears… (eyes)

Maryse says:
remember that book series that Lily reviewed on my website – where she’s calling you and telling you about Terrible?

Gisele says:
yes

Maryse says:
oh boy 
I read it

Gisele says:
yeah the pimp

Maryse says:
I LOVED it
well he works for the pimp (breaks legs and stuff u know haha)
the first book was good but #2 and #3 blew me away
it is somewhat action (because there are mysteries she has to solve and lots of dangerous situations) bad ghosts loose, plus enemies etc…
u know the stuff – keeps it exciting
but the love triangle between her and Terrible and Lex (another drug dealer- the opposing one)
WOW
riveting
and I don’t think it’s considered a romance series…but her personal life is so interesting, so realistic – nothing fake about it. You feel it.

Gisele says:
really!… I guess it’s another series I’ll have to read

Maryse says:
OH YES
its not vampires
its humans
but something happened where ghosts overtook the world, and everyone now realizes there are no gods

Gisele says:
really? not vampires and it’s good?

Maryse says:
and ghosts are bad so to get rid of the ghosts witches and people with magical abilities form a “Church” and do witchcraft, magic, banishing spells etc and it works – so the new “Church” is magic

Gisele says:
that sounds really interesting!

Maryse says:
run by witches (elders the whole thing) they are also now law
they protect everyone from these ghosts etc… it’s good (although I cringe at the no God thing)

Gisele says:
yeah… I can understand that

Maryse says:
bad stuff happens and some ghosts get out
they are supposed to be locked in their own “Underworld” where it is supposedly peaceful 
but they’re dangerous so that is the “adventure part” (every new assignment “Chess” takes – she’s the main character and a strong witch) but
she needs pills to cope (past issues in her childhood, plus all the freaky stuff she sees)
so that’s how come shes stuck with these dealers
and she also has to work for them (possible ghost issues in their “territory”)
but since they dont want the “law” (the church) involved in their areas they hire her privately
And that’s where Terrible and Lex fit in…(Terrible helps her and protects her cause its a VERY bad part of town
SO GOOD mom

Gisele says:
really!!!! send me the title of the series and the author

Maryse says:
ok
I mean it mom
it’s convoluted a bit when she talks about her spells – it’s very descriptive as she’s performing her magic
sometimes I found myself skimming a bit to get to the REALLY good parts but there are LOTS of good parts

So there it is folks. My “chat” series description is missing a lot of good stuff. But really, Stacia Kane knows how to make you feel the story, the situations, and the characters. I’ll let her narrate the stories the way they need to be told.

Oh also – a little piece of my chat with Lily today, because I forgot to tell you guys. Terrible isn’t the typical hero. Let’s just say…he’s not handsome. In fact, “Chess” considers him “ugly”. So how is it that we can all heart him so much? But don’t let the chat snippet below fool you into jumping to conclusions spoiler-wise…Lex is pretty special too… You’ll see.

chatting with Lily…

Maryse:
in fact
I thought to myself
how am I gonna be able to crush on an ugly book hero?
I dont get these girls
and then I thought
I already know too much of the story that he won’t take me by surprise
and I just KNEW I’d love Lex more
but nope…
Terrible won me
won me terribly

so I get it
and it was just in a book?? how?
that’s how good Stacia is…she can WRITE so well that they become real
u see them the way you SHOULD see them

Oh and, speaking of Lily (and her reviews of the books), here they are (to get a little more detail on what each book is about):

Lily’s Book Review of Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
Lily’s Book Review of Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane
Lily’s Book Review of City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane

I LOVED this series so much, that I’m reading anything “Downside-related” that I can find. I’ll be devoting the next few posts to the series (and to Terrible!) – I still need my Downside “fix”! I’m not ready to let go yet. So yes, folks, it’s gonna be a “Terrible” weekend

Series Reading Order:

1. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 1)
2. Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts, Book 2)
3. City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 3)

The highly anticipated new book ‘Halo‘, by the brilliant Alexandra Adornetto, who published her first novel at 14 years of age.

More about ‘Halo’ and Alexandra Adornetto:

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Alexandra Adornetto was fourteen when she published her first book, The Shadow Thief, in Australia. Alex lives in Melbourne, Australia; Halo marks her U.S. debut.

Link to trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlgEFa6Wtjc

Macmillan Website about the author:
http://us.macmillan.com/author/alexandraadornetto

Here’s a new YA paranormal novel that has just been released, from the author of the extremely popular Immortals series:

Alyson expands her ‘Immortals’ story by giving Ever’s little sister, Riley, her own brand-new series. The first book in the series is ‘Radiance‘.

More about ‘Radiance’:

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

Link to trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P51HFqVj9s

Author website:
http://www.alysonnoel.com/

Lots and lots of books today!! Have you ever seen so many new books in one day? I’m starting the new month off with a bang

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce – release date: 08/31/2010 (YA) – awww how cute! She summons a genie, and they crush on each other – sounds like Kenyon’s Fantasy Lover (but a YA version )

My own must haves:

• Taken by Midnight: A Midnight Breed Novel by Lara Adrian —>YES – on my TBR list!!!
• Killbox by Ann Aguirre —> Dying to start this series (VERY popular!!!)
• Born to Bite: An Argeneau Novel (Argeneau Vampires) by Lynsay Sands —> OF COURSE!!! I LOVE the Argeneaus!
• Dark Peril (Carpathian) by by Christine Feehan —> I’m still getting through this series – so I’m way off, but another VERY popular series!

LOVE this cover!!