Devon Ashley's Blog, page 31

Dearly, Departed
Lia Habel
Publication: October 18, 2011

Synopsis: Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid's arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country's political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she's nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she's suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting "The Laz," a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there's no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
I almost didn't bother finishing this one. I guess I envisioned a dystopian-zombie book to have a lot of action in it. So when I was 50% done with Dearly, Departed I found myself asking 'Why am I still reading this?' There had been a little bit of action but mostly it was just dialogue. I didn't mind the multiple points of view, or the idea that zombies could be tamed, but I seriously wanted the nontamed zombies to burst through the doors and start killing off all the characters just so I wouldn't have to hear them talk anymore.

So why did I keep reading? Luckily I was late getting to this ARC. If I hadn't noticed Dearly, Departed getting an average of 4 stars on GoodReads, I don't think I would've bothered to finish this novel. The high ratings peaked my curiosity cause I just wasn't seeing it. So...I stuck it out. Sure enough, I finally did see why it was getting decent ratings. Unfortunately, what I considered to be the bread and butter of this novel didn't begin until I hit about 69%...and Dearly, Departed is a looong book at 470 pages so I really had to force myself to read a lot before I felt like it was worth the read.

So in hindsight, the first 68% of this book - eh. The last 32% - freakin' awesome. If you can stand to read the first part, all the better for you. But if you can't, just skip ahead...you're not missing anything you won't figure out as you read the end.

The one positive aspect about this novel: Bram. I would have completely given up on this novel regardless of posted ratings if this one character hadn't been worth reading about. And maybe Pamela, who managed to turn into a kick-ass zombie-killer in a pettycoat.

November's winner of Passion by Lauren Kate is....Lieder Madchen
December's Book Giveaway

Hardback CopyRipple by Mandy Hubbard
See my review of Ripple.Wanna enter to win? Head over to my giveaway page.

Kindle US, UK, DE, and FR Nook 
GoodReads

Yay! Today is the day!


To see a list of where you can find Metamorphosis, go to Twindel's.

To check out the blog tour and enter a giveaway for a signed doodle-graph copy, go here.

Metamorphosis is going on a book tour courtesy ofThe {Teen} Book Scene and the stops are as follows:
November 14: Melina at Reading Vacation (Author Interview)
November 15: Stephanie M at Paper Cut Reviews (Review)November 16: Nicole at Books Complete Me (Character Interview)
November 17: Ivy at Ivy Reads (Review)
November 18: Corrine at Lost for Words (Author This or That List)
November 21: Reagan at Star Shadow (Tens List)
November 22: Melina at Reading Vacation (Review)
November 23: Stephanie M at Paper Cut Reviews (Character This or That List)
November 24: Nicole at Books Complete Me (Review)
November 25: Ivy at Ivy Reads (Cover Feature)
To celebrate the tour, I want to do something fun. So I'm going to give away one copy of Ordained, signed with a personalized doodle-graph. The winner of this giveaway will get the only doodle-graph I'll be doing for Metamorphosis. Here's a pic of the first Ordained doodle-graph:
Click on Pic to Enlarge
Want a chance to win? Just fill out the Rafflecopter below!




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Geek Girl
Cindy C. Bennett
Expected Publication: December 8, 2011

Synopsis: "Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her. Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even-ugh!-bowling. To truly belong with him-and with her new foster family-she must first come to terms with her violent past. 
Freak Girl sets out to turn the Geek Boy bad, but it's the Geek Boy that turns the Freak Girl good.
No, I'm not really spoiling anything you won't figure out for yourself within the first few pages. Jen pretty much sabotages herself on a regular basis, especially when it comes to a steady home. Ever since she was pulled from the one household that made her happy, she's been determined to do something on a yearly basis that'll get her foster family to give her the boot. So it's no surprise she suggests a bet with her friends to bring geek boy Trevor over to the dark side - and if she's able, her friends will pay for a lip ring that's sure to ensure her a one way ticket to a new foster home. Little did Jen know that Trevor is a pretty awesome guy underneath the geek shell, and she finds that  by opening up and learning to love him, she's the one that really needed a change.
Geek Girl wasn't anything that hasn't been done before, but what kept me reading was Jen's voice. It was honest, believable and she had a good heart, learning immediately that Trevor was worth spending time with regardless of some silly bet. It made me laugh a lot and a tear escaped here and there, and I really enjoyed watching as both Jen and Trev began to mold, bend and compromise to make their two different lifesyles become one. Geek Girl is a sweet read, and though there is mild drug use by Jen's friends, it's still appropriate for anyone agea 13 and up.

See the rest of Geek Girl blog tour stops here.

Cindy C. Bennett
Website and Blog
Facebook
GoodReads

Cedar Fort Publishing
Website and Blog
Facebook
GoodReads

So I've decided to do something special and offer monthly giveaways just for my peeps. I believe books should be shared and not hanging around on a shelf somewhere. So I'm gonna start giving away some previously loved books. Sure, I could take it over and sell it back to the bookstore, but since I'd only get a buck or two anyway, I'd rather offer them to you guys and save myself the gas for the twenty minute drive (one way). Sound good? Awesome.

November's Book Giveaway
[image error] Hardback copy Passion by Lauren Kate

Wanna enter to win? Head over to my giveaway page.

 
 One 
My wet skin shivered as I cowered atop the cliff, even though the wind was as still as my breath. What was worse, I couldn't stop my head from bobbing side to side as Sophie hummed that stupid Jeopardy tune .        I felt silly being in lace lingerie instead of a bikini, but we weren't planning on swimming when we trekked through the woods tonight. We were gonna accidentally run into Robert and Jhett at the river spot they always hung out at, but the closer we got the more I freaked out about getting Robert alone.       Oh why did I let Sophie talk me into coming to the hidden pond first? She probably sensed my fear and thought the detour would give me time to calm my nerves. But stupid me, I let her dare me into jumping off the freakin' cliff as soon as we stripped. And as much as I wanted to talk to Robert, I secretly hoped she'd let me chicken out once I looked like a drowned rat.      The humming stopped, and the sweet sound of Sophie's voice was smooth as it taunted me through song now.  "Oh, Ja-hen-na!"      Crap, crap, crap…      I forced myself to peek over the edge and look down – way down. There she floated effortlessly in the midnight blue pond, playfully squirting water towards me with the squeeze of her fist. Sophie's aim was dead on. Had I not been thirty feet above the surface of the water, she'd nail me easily. I'd welcome it gladly if it would temporarily blind me, cause me to tip forward and complete the dare I had yet to fulfill.          I had never been afraid of heights before. Of course, I had never tried to throw myself from one before either. And the lack of moonlight in combination with the creepy, placid water was freakin' me out right now. Also...I'm pretty sure that squishy algae thing skimming the surface was The Blob and it was gonna jump out and devour me once I did my face-splat.      I moaned as I diverted my eyes to the milky white stars above. This was the third time I'd braved the path up the cliffs tonight. And it seemed inevitable that this would be the third time I did the walk of shame back down the way I came.       "Jenna Baker! If you don't jump this instant I'm gonna grab your clothes and set them on fire! You know I will!"       Ha! Maybe I should remind her that the clothes came from her closet. Er, scratch that. Then she'll have zero remorse for lighting them up.      Sophie's been an interesting friend and roommate, to say the least. I'm sure it was a little odd for her to room with someone like me. Like all the other rich kids at Pennington Academy outside Rutland, Vermont, she had everything at her disposal and an unlimited credit card to pick up what she lacked. And parents that actually called and emailed her every week to check up on her.      Me? I barely had a penny to my name and absentee parents. Literally nonexistent. I was dropped off at a firehouse when I was only a few days old. All the babies born in the county were accounted for, so it was assumed my mother (and possibly my father) drove through Rutland to obliterate their parental rights. The only reason I could attend this swanky establishment was cause the academy sponsored a new student each year and provided them with a full scholarship. I didn't care how many hoops they made me jump through to get here, it was worth it to get out of those disgusting group homes. I even added a summer class every year just to avoid having to spend summer vacation in one.      Fall session of our senior year began not even a month ago and already Sophie had convinced me to try something stupid. I came to my senses twice already and walked back down the cliffs, only to have her put on the charm and convince me once again that this would be good for me.      Oddly  enough,  I  actually  did  wanna  jump,  so it wasn't all Sophie's fault that I was up here again. And honestly, at the moment I was more scared to talk to Robert than I was to jump off the cliff. So maybe I could end the night with at least one fear tackled...      I sucked in a deep breath and edged my toes forward until they curled over the rock. My heart pulsed so hard I thought it would break through my ribs and burst through my body like that slimy alien did to that man in that movie. (Did you see that one? Grody, right? – So what if I'm stalling? What are you, the cliff-jumping moderator?)      Okay, maybe one more deep breath. God, just jump Jenna! I winced my eyes shut and flung myself into the void before I could think anymore about it. The feeling was exhilarating, prickly goose bumps and all, and I managed to brave a peek through my shaking eyelids. My heart gave one sharp pound, then froze when gravity took me. The wind whished with me and lifted me slightly as I fell closer to the glistening liquid below. The cliff and trees blurred, leaving nothing more than vertical streaks of muted tans, grays and blacks.       Sophie's cheer filled the air. I could sense the 'finally' in the long, drawn-out hoot.      Surprisingly, I managed to point my toes and pass through the surface of the water cleanly. So smoothly that the slightest lift of my feet curved my body and sent me farther into the dark abyss like a missile. Water whooshed as it streaked alongside my body, eagerly parting the way for my descent.      I did it! I finally did it! Elation filled my body and soul for that one split second.       And then it happened.      My feet scraped the bottom of the pond and fire burned on my skin. Debris and dirt swirled about as I skidded across the floor bed, destroying what little clarity the moon's glow offered underneath the silky surface. Weeds tangled around my legs and snagged my arms.  I tried desperately to slow the impact by digging in with the palms of my hands, but all I did was give myself more rock burn.       My legs were forced upward as an immovable blockade refused to budge. A sharp pain dug into my back as I bobbed up and down across the boulder. The jolt knocked the wind out of me and air escaped from my lungs. A cool gush of foul tasting water filled my mouth and trickled down my throat, causing my chest to spasm.      My head snapped back as the last of my body shot past the large rock. I felt a surge of sharp pains shoot out from the back of my skull, then a soothing numbness. A heavy daze overcame my head, then traveled down my arms and legs. The only thing that seemed to be reacting at all was my heart and it threw itself into hyperdrive. Thub-thump echoed through my stuffy head. I wanted to breathe, to move my legs and arms toward the surface, but nothing would obey the command.       My chest burned as my heart began to slow now. Thuuub-thummmp.       I looked toward the moon. My body shot so far from where I crashed on the bottom that the water here wasn't as stirred up. My eyes were swallowed up by the turbid liquid, yet I could still hone in on that pale, blurry sliver of light trying to lead me to the surface. It struggled to overcome the shadows of the depth, to reach out and extend what help it could offer.       But it wasn't enough. My body was calm now, and heavy – unwilling to move to save my life.       The release felt good. Never had I known the impact that stress had on my body until it began to lift in this moment.       The water around me darkened more.      Black…       Cool…       Silent...

Hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm
It's that time again! Here at The Crazy Dream Blog, I'm giving the winner a choice of three prize packs.

Prize Pack #1
Any book(s) the winner wants for a list price up to $15 from the Book Depository**If the book depository ships to you, then you are eligible to win this prize pack! Check here to see if they ship to your country!

Prize Pack #2
Copies of Ordained and Metamorphosis
(The Immortal Archives 1-2).

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Prize Pack #3
 Signed copy of Falling In Between (ARC).
Expected Publication: February 14, 2012



All three prize packs are international. This contest will have four additional ways to to earn entries. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good Luck! 
Check out the list below my header picture for more giveaways!!!




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Seers
Heather Frost
Pub: October 4, 2011

Synopsis: For Kate Bennet, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.
If the novel Seers had an aura, its color would be pink, with flecks of yellow scattered through.

Kate Bennet suffered from a life-altering summer. The car wreck that killed her parents almost took her life as well, and when she awoke from her near-death experience she began seeing funny colorful halos around people - halos Kate realized are auras depicting people's emotions. Everyone seemed to be a blend of certain colors. Everyone that was, except for the new guy Patrick, who's only color was something Kate had never seen before - a thin ribbon of silver. Most of the novel is told from Kate's point of view but occassionally we got Patrick's, who we learned was the Guardian assigned to watch over her now that she had become a seer and attracted the attention of some power-hungry demons.

Seers was simplistic yet enjoyable. It's been awhile since I felt the urge to sit down and finish a story within a day or two, probably because I was waiting for Kate to admit her failing relationship with her boyfriend Aaron so she could focus on the emotions that were building for Patrick. And I had no idea that this was going to leave a cliffhanger for the possibility of a second book! I certainly hope there is!
ARC provided by Publisher via NetGalley.