Author Interview and GIVEAWAY: Patti Roberts

**Patti Roberts has kindly offered to supply an ebook copy (International) and a paperback copy (U.S. Only) of her book Paradox: The Angels Are Here for my very first GIVEAWAY! **

To enter, go here 

-Giveaway ends DEC 25, 2011-

Interview with Patti Roberts:

Tell us a little bit about your books.

Have you ever wondered about the existence of Angels, if there was a Heaven? And if you had a Guardian Angel, would they come from Heaven or Hell? What if Heaven and myths, magic and legends were real! And what if Heaven was at war and threatened our own existence here on earth…

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
It was never a conscience decision. I just started writing. For me it was therapy after a break-up. It turned out to be great therapy. So for me it just happened.
What would you say is the hardest part about writing a book? 
Knowing how to finish the book and begin on the next in the series.

What would you say is the best part about writing a book?
The wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you have finished. And secondly, readers reviews that goes something like…. "Loved it. Can't wait for the next book." That is pretty awesome.

Where do you get your inspiration?
History – old and new, myths, dreams, legends, and the real world. There is so much about this world that inspires. And imagination. With imagination, there are no limits.

Are there any authors you look up to that influenced your writing?
For the Ancient world parts in Paradox I was inspired by the writing style of George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones).

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read, read, read books from lots of different authors, and write everyday. Learn the difference between criticism and constructive criticism. Never be afraid of constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is a great learning tool. With out it your writing will not grow.

Describe your book in 3 words.
Emotions, emotions, emotions.

What sort of activities do you enjoy outside of writing?
Dinner with friends, movie nights and a good game of chess.

Say you fell down a rabbit hole and found yourself in a world much like the one in your book. What would be the first thing you’d do?
What a great question. I must use that one! Um… Find out who the good guys are and learn how to fight!

Watch the Book Trailer here!

To find out more about Patti and her books, go to these links:

http://twitter.com/PattiRoberts7

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Paradox-Series/150822348341990

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/980856.Patti_Roberts

http://theangelsarehere.wordpress.com/

Author Interview: Megan and Halita Wilson

Author Bio:
23 year old Megan Wilson and her sister Halita, 27, grew up in a military home where their father was out to sea a lot with the Navy. Because of this they moved a lot which made it hard to get to know people and make friends. Since friends were few, they became best friends and developed wonderful imaginations with the help of their mother. Never letting their situation take away their fun spirit they began to write individual books until one day two church friends asked them to write a play for their bible study group. Halita and Megan combined forces and created a play that was hilarious. After the bible study group heard it and they realized just how much fun they had writing the play - they decided to create the Oooka Chewobie series just to make people laugh. Even though they enjoy writing stories together, they are also branching off on their own. Halita has a poetry book out and Megan has two Children's books out as well as a Young Adult series in the works. No matter what happens and no matter where they go - their love for each other and for writing will always be a part of them. Through thick and thin these sisters have each other's backs. 
-Interview-
Tell us a little bit about your books.
Oooka Chewobie is a hilariously random made-up world. Taking parodies of celebrities, the writers have created a world where their online friends and family can meet and fall in love with their own celebrity. Each chapter is a different short story about how two specific characters meet and fall in love though it is never quite what you are expecting. Always expect the unexpected with Oooka Chewobie for anything goes! The writers are planning on writing another three volumes - the first two are already published and ready to be bought.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
Megan - I never really thought about being a writer until I was in middle school. There I met my best friend Samantha and we just started writing books together. After writing them, we destroyed them but I realized that I enjoyed writing a lot. So, once I realized that I just kept writing though often struggling with writer's block. Even still I have at least fifteen unfinished stories sitting in my notebooks around my room.

Halita - When I was five I used to tell crazy stories and ever since I have wanted to be a writer.

 What would you say is the hardest part about writing a book?
Megan - Hardest thing is actually finishing the book, but it is worth all the writer's block and annoyances just to be able to hold your book in your hand and be like "I actually did it!"
Halita - Writer's Block is the hardest part! It is evil!


What would you say is the best part about writing a book?
Megan - There are two parts that I love about writing a book. One is the emotions that people feel when reading the book and the second is just conversing with the characters. It may sound weird to people who are not writers, but characters talk to you. They tell you what they like and what they dislike, what they want to be changed and what they agree with you about. I have fights with my characters all the time and yet they normally are the ones who win for it is ultimately their story to tell. Again, you would have to be a writer to understand what I am talking about, but the characters are probably the best part of writing a book. You grow to love them and some you grow to hate - they become sort of like family to you. 
Halita - Getting to be creative and using my mind in a very weird way. Not having to have people understand me.


Where do you get your inspiration?
Megan - I get my inspiration from everything. A song will play on the radio and boom I have an idea. I have a strange dream and boom there is another idea. Although I can't lie, most of my inspiration comes from the people I come in contact with every day. It may be something as simple as an older couple walking hand in hand at the mall and I could make a story from it. A lot of my stories have characters that are very similar to people I have known in my life. 
Halita - From everything!


Are there any authors you look up to that influenced your writing?
Megan - Stephenie Meyer. I know a lot of people have varying opinions about her, but I love the fact that she just wrote a book and never expected it to blow up like it did. I am not saying I am expecting to become famous or anything like that for that is just crazy, but I love the fact that she was just a normal person who wrote a book. One of the main character in the Oooka Chewobie series is Rabbi Polar - he is based on Robert Pattinson who I would never have gotten to know as an actor if not for Twilight. Also, because I am a Twilight fan - we have stuck little shout outs to the series in the Oooka Chewobie series. Now they aren't very noticeable, but if you are a true fan, you could pick up on them. So, while Stephenie didn't really influence my writing - I do look up to her. 
Halita - Emily Dickinson.


Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Megan - Just write what you enjoy writing about. Who cares if it is not something everyone will enjoy. First and foremost write for yourself. Don't write to become famous - write for the joy of writing. 
Halita - Keep following your heart, use your imagination, ignore the haters.


Describe your book in 3 words:
Megan - Hilarious, Strange, Adorable 
Halita - Funky, Weird, Out-of-this-world.


What sort of activities do you enjoy outside of writing?
Megan - I love photography and am currently taking lessons. I also enjoy knitting, watching television, reading, playing games, spending time with loved ones. Laughing, dancing, and singing as well but the dancing and singing are only at home as I don't like people staring at me. 
Halita - Playing board games, reading, working, going to school.


Say you fell down a rabbit hole and found yourself in a world much like the one in your book. What would be the first thing you’d do?
Megan - Oh my goodness. There are just so many things I would love to do in Oooka Chewobie, but I think the first thing would be to go find Rusty the Walrus and hang out with him. He is a delightful character that would make for a fantastic friend. So yeah, I would go find and hang out with Rusty. 
Halita - Probably run around and find Roxie Moonshine to explore her cave of doom or I would go dancing with Rabbi Polar!


To learn more about Megan, Halita, and their books, visit these links:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4937123.Megan_Wilson   
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4937122.Halita_Wilson
www.twitter.com/Irelandcallsme7

I'm Joining the 2012 TBR Pile Reduction Challenge!

Welcome to 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge!!!

We all have those books. We buy them, win them, they're gifted to us.. Then we put them up on a bookshelf and there they stay, collecting dust, waiting for the time when we'll finally decide to pick them up..

Join us on a quest to dust off your TBR Pile and read all the books you've been telling yourself you'll read next time you'll get a chance.. This is your chance! And we've got PRIZES!!! :D

Challenge guidelines: 

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it's unique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL. 
11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Hosts:
Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions



Wrap-up POST Schedule:

January - Donna (Theme: Let It Snow + Book Cover Challenge)
February - Nicole (Theme: Un-requited Love/Love Gone Wrong + Advice Column Challenge)
March - Rie (Theme: Green or Pinched + Green Cover Challenge)
April -  Bonnie (Theme: Easter + Mini Challenge)
May - Christa (Theme: MayDay - Disaster Books! + Cover Disaster Challenge)
June - Jenna ( Theme: Camping + Sentence Challenge)
July - Rie (Theme: International Day + Cover Comparison Challenge)
August - Angel (Theme: Summer Memories + Send Your Fav Character On Vacation Challenge)
September - Nicole (Theme: Life Changing Books + Mini Challenge)
October - Caitlin (Theme: Thanksgiving Theme + Share-A-Book Challenge)
November - Vicky (Theme: Spooky Halloween + Book Puzzle Challenge)
December - Evie (Theme: Xmas Bliss + Book Bachelor Challenge)

TO SIGN UP GO HERE: http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/p/2012-tbr-pile-reading-challenge.html

Author Interview: Cornell Deville

Author Bio:

Cornell DeVille grew up in the Kansas City area, where he lives today with his wife, Rosie, their bichon-poodle Hannah, and a Himalayan Persian cat named Billy. DeVille considers himself an Imagination Director. His writing leads the reader on a journey that allows them to escape the real world and venture into a special realm where anything can happen. In addition to writing, DeVille is a professional musician and a nationally distributed wildlife artist.

Interview:

Q: Tell us a little bit about your book, Lost in the Bayou.

A: Lost in the Bayou is set in the sixties in Louisiana. It’s a hot, muggy day as the story begins, and Robin and her brother Andy are on the veranda of their southern mansion, waiting for their Uncle Conrad to arrive. Their parents’ small plane disappeared a week ago, and the wreckage has never been found. Conrad has been named guardian and executor of the estate.

That evening, Conrad reveals the fact that he’s planning on killing both of them so he can inherit the huge Sherwood fortune. Robin and Andy decide to run away before he can kill them, and their only choice of places to hide is the dark and mysterious bayou. Things get very scary once they get there, and a trip to the Voodoo Swamp reveals something they never expected.

Q: When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

A: It was in Mrs. Carmichael’s third grade class. I had written a story called Flipper the Fawn. She told me it was excellent and that I should consider being a writer. I said I would.

Q: What would you say is the hardest part about writing a book?

The hardest part for me is coming up with the original idea that the story revolves around. Once that’s done, the actual writing is fairly easy, especially once the characters start taking over and moving the story the way they want it to go.

Q: What would you say is the best part about writing a book?

A: I think the best part is getting to know the characters. It’s as if you’ve created a new entity that never existed before and you can watch them grow and develop as the story unfolds. And sometimes, you end up loving them so much that you simply have to write a sequel just to spend more time with them.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
A: I actually have no idea where my inspiration comes from. Perhaps for Lost in the Bayou I was inspired by the spooky Spanish moss I saw hanging from the trees when my family took a vacation in Louisiana back in 1959. Granted, that’s a long time for an idea to percolate inside your head, but that’s the only source for the story that I can think of.

Q: Are there any authors you look up to that influenced your writing?
A: Definitely. As a young reader, I fell in love with the work of Jules Verne. A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea were two of my favorites. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, and the Island Stallion books by Walter Farley were others. I also enjoyed Tolkein. Since then I’ve become a huge fan of Stephen King. I’m also very impressed with the work and the huge success of J K Rowling and Suzanne Collins.

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
A: I’ll repeat the same thing every other author advises: read. You’ve got to read as much as possible, especially the genre you’re wanting to write in. I’ll add one other piece of advice, and that is to simply stop editing at some point. We have a tendency of wanting to change our writing every time we read it. If we’re not careful, we can edit the voice out of it. Know when it’s time to stop.

Q: Describe your book in 3 words.
A: Definite page turner.

Q: What sort of activities do you enjoy outside of writing?
A: I’m a professional musician and I love to fish.

Q: Say you fell down a rabbit hole and found yourself in a world much like the one in your book. What would be the first thing you’d do?

A: Try to figure out where Uncle Conrad is so I could avoid him and his claw hand.

Other Works by Cornell Deville:

A Tale of Two Hearts
Scary Night Music
Cannibal Island
Star Wishes
Skullhaven

Déjà Vu 

Musa Publishing will release Cannibal Island in March, 2012. It is a turn-of-the-century steampunk adventure and the first installment in The Golden Disk Adventures, a continuing time-travel series.

For more information on Deville and his books, go to:

http://www.lostinthebayou.com./
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4488324.Cornell_DeVille
Or you can find him on Twitter as cornelldeville1 
and on Facebook as Author Cornell DeVille.

Quick Announcement:

Alright everyone, those first six reviews were the jumping off point for this new blog. From now on I will only post new book reviews. Also, stay tuned for upcoming author interviews in the very near future!

Until next time, my dears!

Review: Abandon by Meg Cabot

**4.75 STARS**

"HOLY. CRAP."

Those are literally the words that came out of my mouth after reading just the first page of this book.

I mean WOW, what another amazing book by Meg Cabot! (She seems to write non-stop, doesnt she? Haha).

Abandon, to give you a brief summary, is the re-imagined tale of Hades and Persephone, starring main character Pierce Oliviera. She knows what it's like to die, because she's done it once before. But now death wants her back.

The Main Things I liked:

Pierce: I've been so fed up lately with protagonists who are all fluff and no personality. Thankfully, that is NOT the case with Pierce. She's got realistic issues and emotions like every teenager does, and I found myself caring about her and hoping that she would be ok. This is a major plus on Cabot's part. It is important for an author to get their audience to care about their characters, because if we don't give a crap about what happens to them, then there's really no point in reading the book, now is there?

John: Heeeeeheeeeheeee :3
Oh, how could I not like him?? For all of you girls out there who like the bad boy characters, I'm pretty sure after you read Abandon, John will be added to your list of hot fictional guys you wish were your boyfriend. He's tall. He's dark. He's dangerously sexy....

Oh, uhhh, excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

The Mythology: I'm a sucker for anything involving Mythology, so I was instantly drawn to this book from the day I got it. I also love re-tellings, so I had a feeling this one was going to be a winner.

As far as what I didn't like goes, I only wish there was a bit more fantasy in it, and of course, MORE JOHN! He kept dissapearing when I was aching for more of him! Also, this book deals with a lot of heavy subjects, so don't be thinking this book is some sort of fluffy piece of cream pie you can eat while sunning on the porch deck. It's not, it's much deeper than that.

Overall, I found it to be a well written, enjoyable read. I can't wait for book 2, Underworld.

Review: Elixir by Hilary Duff (with Elise Allen)

** 2 STARS **

blarrrghhhh...

I was really hoping this book would be good. I'd heard negative feedback about Elixir, but I wanted to give it a go on the off chance that people were just being extra critical since a celebrity wrote it. I love Hilary, I watched her on Lizzie Mcguire growing up and I think she's a lovely person, but sadly I was not impressed by Elixir at all.

(Just to warn you now, this review will be somewhat ranty and contain at least a few gifs, because everything is better with gifs, amirite?)

The book starts off with Clea and her bff at a club in Paris. My first thought:
"The hell? How old is she??"
Clearly not old enough to be at a club.
Second thought:
"THE HELL? where are her parents???"
Apparently one is missing and the other doesnt give a shit gives her a lot of freedom.

Her bff (can't for the life of me remember her name) really annoyed me. Not every guy you date is your soul mate, especially if you date obsessively. She was all "HE'S THE ONE I JUST KNOW IT!" You met him what, yesterday?



Rainbows and sparkles and true loooooooooveeeeeeee :3





And Clea herself isn't much better. Typical Mary-Sue to go with the very formulaic plotline:
1. Mary-Sue Main Character
2. Giggly Airhead Best Friend
3. Love triangle that includes a mysterious/dangerous hot guy and a geeky best guy friend.
4. Parents who are either dead, missing, or dont care what MC does.
5. StRaNgE things happen to MC which are linked to hot guy
6. On many occasions the pedo hot guy has moods swings that come off as him either wanting to kiss the MC, or kill her.
7. MC finds out hot guy's terrible secret that threatens the very foundations of their insta-love!!



Noes! D:



I don't even get the romance. Really, I dont. If I found out the mysterious hot guy, aka Sage, (who has already shown signs of creepery by showing up in all my photos--another part which didnt make sense and wasnt explained) had all of these weird paintings of me, SOME WHERE I'M DEAD, and collected my signature necklaces like some sort of serial killer souvenir, I'd be like:

RUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!

 And I sure as HELL wouldnt have sex with him a few days later in my friend's car!!!! I mean where is your self-respect, Clea?
And the whole thing where Sage bought condoms because he "had a feeling" they would do it that night....WTF NO. Wrong on so many levels. 

I know Ron, that was my reaction too.



To say the least, I don't recommend Elixir unless you like throwing books at the wall out of anger.



Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

**4. 75 STARS**

Wow, this was a really great book. Honestly, when I read the description on the back it didn’t sound like something I’d normally pick up, but everyone was telling me to read it, and authors that I greatly respect were also giving it tons of praise. So I said, “What the heck? Why not give it a chance?” And I’ll tell you what, I am so glad that I did.

I found the The Hunger Games to be excellently plotted and perfectly paced, and for some reason, Collins writing was strangely addicting [I stayed up late reading this one ;)]. You’d think that the crazy concept of kids fighting to the death on live TV might be in danger of becoming extremely unrealistic, but surprisingly the story felt very real, like it was actually something that could happen in the distant future. The emotions, the fight for survival, and the strategic tactics during the games also seemed authentic, like that is exactly how it would have taken place if it were real.

I must say, as feisty as Katniss can get, I have to admire her. If I had been selected to play in the Hunger Games, I’d be so terrified I’d probably get killed two minutes in. Even though Katniss does become afraid from time to time, she is strong and smart, willing to do what it takes to make it home to her family alive.

Peeta is great too. I absolutely loved the blossoming romance between him and Katniss, and even though I know she was just trying to play her part as the tragic “star-crossed” lover, I knew deep down that not all of her feelings could be fabricated. I can’t wait to see what happens between them in the next book…and poor Gale, what must he think of all this?

Overall: The Hunger Games was a very enjoyable read, and I look forward to finding out what happens in the sequels!!! :D

Review: Wake by Lisa Mcann

** 1 STAR **

God, this book was terrible.
Like, TERRIBLE.

I don't even know where to begin, there was so much wrong with this book. So I'll just dive straight into the actual writing style:

This book.
Was so.
Damn choppy.
That most sentences.
Were only.
Two.
or.
Three.
Words long.

Seriously, the writing was so cut up and choppy, there was hardly any detail or description, and it lacked any skill or effort that should be required to get a book published. How the hell is this a best-seller? Some of you people need to wake up and smell the roses. This. Book. Sucked.

Also, it astounded me how vulgar Wake was. There's drugs, alcohol and underage drinking, smoking, nudity, lots of sex (yes, god have mercy, LOTS...including illegal sex with a minor *ick*), and constant cussing. Plus Janie's mother (if you can even call her that, she could care less about her own daughter) is a drunkard, and therefore Janie has also aquired a taste for liquor. And Cabel's mom left him, his dad not much better, being an abusive jerkface who passed away, leaving Cabel all alone.

My thoughts on the 2 Main Characters:

Janie: I found her to be really immature. Always cussing and rolling her eyes, drinking under age, having irrational swells of emotion. I didn't find her to be the least bit developed as a character.

And then about the part where people kept saying "Help me." Hmm ok..YES JANIE, HELP ME! HELP ME NOT HATE YOU.

Cabel: Also a very underdeveloped character (I think pretty much all of them were). Honestly, I don't think his and Janie's "romantic" relationship was very believable. It went something like this:

He gets a haircut. She drives him to school. He buys her Mcdonalds. OH BY GOLLY THEY MUST BE IN LOVE NOW! They entwine fingers. Have dreams about kissing each other. Fighting. Snickers Bars. Kissing. WOOH!

*Sighs* I was sooo excited to get this book, I really was. The little blurb on the back sounded amazing, but it didn't live up to my expectations AT ALL. I don't even really know what I was expecting, but it was definately not this little craptastic piece of lit that's sitting on my counter. *glares over at it for a moment* This could have been such an extraordinary book, because it's initially a pretty good idea, but sadly, it failed. EPICALLY.

*chucks book at wall*
Ok, Im done ranting now.

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

** 3.5 STARS **

** Warning: This Review Contains Spoilers **

So after finishing Firelight I’m left with mixed feelings. I, being a HUGE fan of dragons ever since I was really young, was very excited to get my hands on this book. Because I mean...dragons. DRAGONS!!! Or excuse me, draki since apparently in this book the word dragon is not politically correct.

(Just so you know beforehand, I did like Firelight, though based on my review you might not think so. I did, I swear, I’m just mainly going over the major things that really bothered me about this book. But I did ENJOY Firelight).

Anyways, on to my actual review:

The Writing:

I’m usually not a huge fan of fragmented sentences, but in this case, it worked nicely. It wasn’t overwhelming or annoying like most fragmented books I’ve read, and there was nice description throughout the entire story. There were a few times where I was like “Come on now, couldn’t that have been one sentence instead of three???” but over-all I enjoyed the writing style.

The Main Character:

Hmm, Jacinda. I really liked her in the beginning. I think Jordan did a wonderful job of capturing the animalistic side of her character, the suffering draki that was withering away in a suffocating world of humans and dead earth. The main thing that bothered me about her though is that SHE COULD NEVER MAKE UP HER MIND. She wants to sell the amber stone. She doesn’t want to sell the amber stone. She wants to be closer to Will. She can’t get away from him fast enough. She kisses Will (AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN), then gives him the cold shoulder. She can’t wait to escape from Chaparral, now she doesn’t want to leave. But guess what?  SHE LEAVES ANYWAY. Because she’s so confused and can never stick to one decision for any long period of time.

Now, I don’t hate her as a character, I just don’t like her as much as I did in the beginning.

The Romance:

Oh, someone just gag me.

I’m sorry, I’m sure someone who is really, really into romance would like the way this one was developed, but personally, it was WAY too Twilight for my taste.

Now listen up, kiddies, this is very important: STALKERS ARE NOT HOT. THEY ARE CREEPY.
And I would say the fact that Will wanted to know where Jacinda lived after the very first day of meeting her qualifies him to be beyond stalkerish and extremely creepy, especially when he randomly drove by her house during the middle of the night. He should have introduced himself saying "HelloMyNameIsEdwardCullenAndIWatchYouSleepAtNight.”

And then there’s also the part where he’s like: *deep ominous voice* “You should stay away from me. I’m dangerous.”

But then Jacinda is screaming on the inside: “NooOooOoooOooo!! You are my air! My addictive drug! You are the only reason I have to liveeeee!”

*bang bang bang bang bang*

That’s my head hitting the wall.

Repeatedly.

The Book As A Whole:

So like I said, even if it sounds like I hate Firelight, I don’t. There were just several things about it that bugged me. I do believe I’ll continue with the series. I hope the next book has more scenes with the pride because I’d love to learn more about the draki lifestyle.

Would I recommend this book? Hmm, I’d say it depends on the person. I know some people who would probably hate this book, and others who would totally fall in love with it.

Book Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

** 5 STARS **





Wow. I mean...WOW. This book...I'm just...I'm speechless. It was breathtaking.

Words cannot even describe just how amazing this book is. The writing, for one, is absolutely beautiful, there is such skill and rich description in Creagh's words that you can picture every image perfectly, almost to the point where you want to read some sentences over again, to savor them.

The plot was very well developed, it's obvious that everything was carefully thought out, which lends to it's success as a novel. And though it is a long book (hardcover-543 pages), it is addicting and well worth the time. There is a lot of mystery and uncertainty as Isobel is thrust into an unfamiliar world and is unsure of what is real and what is not. It's almost teasing in a way, because little things are revealed slowly, some only being partial answers, which mostly lead to more questions. The fun part about this though is that, as the reader, you are also taken on the journey, trying to figure everything out alongside Isobel, always yearning for more, always wondering "Just what the heck is going on???"

Such an interesting cast of vastly diverse characters, too. I really liked Isobel, and I loved Varen, he is just so...fascinating. Definitely a highly unforgettable character. I was proud of myself because, at about page 65, I realized that if you re-arrange the letters of Varen's name, they can also spell out "Raven." When you read the book, you will know the significance. I was like NO WAY, CREAGH PULLED A LORD VOLDIE!!! (In the Harry Potter Series, the name Tom Marvolo Riddle, when rearranged, spells "I Am Lord Voldemort.")

As far as the characters from "The Crew," I didn't really like any of them, but that was by design. And some people might say that the crew are just another annoying character cliche, but really, it's actually very realistic. I've been to a school where people are divided by their social hubs (geeks/goths/cheerleaders/populars/etc.), so I don't think it's really that big of a deal if you see it in a book or movie (UNLESS, of course, they completely over-dramatize it). It's not cliche, it's life!

I especially enjoyed Gwen, her quirkiness always made me laugh. What other character do you know that says goofy stuff like "Why the snap-crackle-pop?" "Holy Granola," and "Oh my cheese and chracters!" She's not your typical girl: She's got funky style, a funny, sarcastic nature, and doesn't give a toasted bagel about what other people think of her.

The villian(s) (I wont name names) are also interesting and very imaginative. They only made me become more engrossed.

Anyway, I loved, loved, loved Nevermore, it's so clever and I love how Creagh wove Edgar Allen Poe so seamlessly into the story. Excellent, truly excellent. I urge you to go read it RIGHT NOW! :D