Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Wishlist Wednesday #22


Wishlist Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by the ever sweet Dani from Pen to Paper where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.

Dark Star
by Bethany Frenette
Expected publication: October 23rd 2012
by Hyperion

Summary from Goodreads:
Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves.

Babble: 
A female superhero sounds way cool and I'm curious about the Harrowers. Are they zombies or vampires? Talons and teeth sounds sinister enough for me to add this to my huge wishlist.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Review: Dark Kiss

Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1)
by Michelle Rowen
Published May 29th 2012
by Harlequin Teen
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:
I don't do dangerous. Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that's me. But I just couldn't pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It's like part of me is missing-and I don't know if I can get it back. 

Then there's Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he's keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he's what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me.... 

Thoughts:
There's an overload of angel books in May. And I don't know why but after reading so many of them, I still think Unearthly and Daughter of Smoke and Bone are the best of the lot as I think they have the right amount of humour, heart and hunky gorgeous guys (Tucker, of course).

What makes this book unique is that there's also an array of demons in them. Fallen angels and demons to be exact whom are sent to earth to eradicate a new breed of threat that seemed to infest the city where our young MC lives. And unfortunately without realising it, the MC is actually one of them. Interesting idea.

They are called grays. Beings who can sucked human souls just by kissing them. Another type of succubus/incubus perhaps? The MC is an interesting character since she has this mysterious ability to track supernatural beings without her knowing it but the forced chemistry between her and the fallen angel Bishop  just bore me.

Apparently I'm more interested to know about the demons and the mysterious women/demon queen who created the grays rather than reading about the romantic tension between the two leads and their so-called mission to maintain the balance between heaven and hell.

Recommended for: fans of angels and demons
Verdict: 3 stars.

In my Debut Author Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Book of the Month: May



Book of the Month is a monthly event, hosted by Book Whales. This is done to highlight one of the books we have read in the previous month.

I know this is kind of late but I'm really swamped these past few days. So my book of the month is (cue drum roll please..)



Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

So many great books are published on May and I know everyone is either buzzing about Insurgent or the latest instalment of The Mortal Instruments series but I think it's about time that a stand alone book receives some due attention. Besides I'm a huge fan of fairy tale stories.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Review, Interview & Giveaway: The House on Blackstone Moor

Welcome to author Carole Gill.

Photobucket


Where did you get the inspiration to write the book?
I have always been a fan of the gothic romantic genre. I think however the genre needs to be modernized for today’s reader. This I did with my novel, The House on Blackstone Moor.

The story is a lot darker than would have been permitted years ago.

Take the classic, Jane Eyre. I love the dark and brooding Mr. Rochester but I wanted to create an entirely different sort of brooding character, one who is damned through no fault of his own, a creature of the night, damned before he was born; a creature with no hope of salvation.

Louis Darton is the son of a fallen angel and a human mother; he is the male protagonist in my novel.

I asked myself how such a creature would react if a beautiful young girl came into his world. Would it hurt to look at her? Would the light of her soul cause him to feel filthy because he has lived with sin and corruption for so long? Hence, the story began to evolve.

What do you think is totally unique about your story?
I think the fact that I have taken all the elements that make gothic romance what it is, but I have introduced dark horror in it, makes it unique.

I have also included the theme of child abuse, abuse committed by a human being. I did this because the question is posed throughout, is human evil as bad as supernatural evil and does evil invite further worse evil in?

Your favorite character in the book and why?
I have to say, the evil counterpart to my hero, Louis Darton is my favorite. Eco is like Louis. He is also demon spawn; his father was a fallen angel as well. But unlike Louis, he is mad, bad and dangerous to know. He has become pretty popular too. And as such is featured in the sequel!

The sequel btw will be released shortly. It is called Unholy Testament and it is Eco’s confession of sins committed during his entire existence. It is presented to the woman he loves.

Favorite book of all time and why?
Jane Eyre. I remember reading it as a young girl and falling in love with the narrative.

Jane Eyre has other things going for it. There is the examination of religious hypocrisy and the awful problems of social injustice.

The world of Jane Eyre was grim and unforgiving. Her desire to survive and to actually be happy and see to it that others are as well makes Jane Eyre one of the most admirable heroines ever.

Her world did exist and we can thank Charlotte Bronte for illuminating it as brilliantly as she did.

Favorite holiday destination? 
Without doubt, Paris! I love it. It is a beautiful city, with its wide boulevards. I love the cafes and the book stalls along the Seine.

It is a place you can dream in. Sit in one of the cafes and day dream over a cup of excellent coffee. Walk anywhere and you will be delighted with what you see.

And if you like books please bear in mind that France’s highest rated television show is a book review show! That is commendable.

Yes, I love Paris!

If someone made a movie based on your life, which actor/actress will you pick to be you?
Cate Blanchett! Cate in cape and hood walking over moorland with dogs, a figure shrouded in the cold, gray mist of a foggy morning.

She is one of my favorite actresses and I would love to look like her!



The House on Blackstone Moor
by Carole Gill
ebook
251 pages
Published May 2nd 2012

Summary:
“They say my father was mad, so corrupted by evil and tainted by sin that he did what he did. I came home to find them all dead; their throats savagely cut. My sisters only five and eight were gone as well as my brother who was twelve. My mother too lay butchered in her marriage bed. The bed her children were born in…” 

Young Rose Baines discovers the savage murders of her family by her mad, incestuous father. 

She is plunged into a nightmare of hell and is incarcerated in two madhouses after which she is helped to obtain a position as governess at Blackstone House. 

The house is located on haunted moorland. Nothing is as it seems for Blackstone House and its inhabitants have hideous secrets. There is unimaginable horror there but there is love too--love that comes at a terrible price. 

Thoughts:
I'm always pleasantly surprised when a self-published book is so well written and this is certainly no exception. It's creepy and haunting and even from the first page I was so immersed in Rose's chilling account of the gruesome tragedy that has befallen her family that it's hard for me to put down the book.

As Rose tried to put the horrors behind her, she grew up and later offered a job in Blackstone Moor after going out of the asylum that she was put into when she was young. The house is enshrouded in mystery and darkness and Rose has decide where her heart and loyalty lies.

Recommended for: fans of horror and gothic fantasy
Verdict: 4 stars.
Available on: Amazon