Feature Fridays

Since I just finished reading Torment by Lauren Kate I thought it'd be fun to feature her for Feature Friday. =)

BIO:

Lauren Kate is an American author of YA fiction. She grew up in Dallas, went to school in Atlanta, and started writing in New York. Kate has stated that her experience of the "Old South" in the Atlanta area inspired her to set Fallen in a Civil War era academy. She is the author of Fallen and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. She is the author of Fallen, Torment and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. Kate lives in Laurel Canyon with her husband and hopes to work in a restaurant kitchen, get a dog, and learn how to surf.

Her latest book, Torment, the sequel to Fallen was released on September 28^th.

The Books:

Torment

LOVE NEVER DIES

Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from the Outcasts–immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The sequel to the bestselling Fallen hits stores September 28th, 2010.

Fallen

Some Angels are Destined to Fall

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

“Sexy and fascinating and scary…I loved love loved it!” -P.C. Cast, New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night Series

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove: Now Available!

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.

“Deliciously twisted.” -Publishers Weekly

“Lots of adjectives can be applied to this debut effort—mean, smutty, decadent—and all of them should be taken as compliments.” -Booklist

Where you can meet her:

TORMENT TOUR:

San Francisco:

Tuesday, September 28th–Barnes & Noble, El Cerrito, CA at 6:30 PM

(6050 El Cerrito Place)

Wednesday, September 29th–Kepler’s, 7pm

(1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA)

Seattle:
Thursday, September 30th–University Bookstore in Mill Creek at 6:30 PM

(15311 Main Street, Mill Creek, WA)
Friday, October 1st–Borders in Redmond, WA at 7pm

(16549 N.E. 74^th St. Redmond, WA)

Portland:
Saturday, October 2nd–Powell’s in Cedar Hills at 2:00 PM

(3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton OR)

AND Barnes & Noble in Clackamas, OR at 7:00 PM

(12000 SE 82^nd Avenue, Portland, OR)

Orange County, CA:

Sunday, October 3rd–Orange County Book Festival at 11:00 AM

(2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA)

Atlanta:

Monday, October 4th–Barnes & Noble in Alpharetta, GA at 7:00 PM

(Mansell Crossings Shopping Center)

Tuesday, October 5th–Books-A-Million in Discover Mills at 7:00 PM

(5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy #321, Lawrenceville, GA)

Memphis:

Wednesday, October 6th–Davis-Kidd at 6:00 PM

(387 Perkins Road Ext, Memphis, TN)

Thursday, October 7th–Barnes and Noble at 7:00 PM

(2774 N Germantown Pkwy, Memphis, TN)

Nashville:

Friday, October 8th–Davis-Kidd at 4:00 PM

(212 Green Hills Village Drive, Nashville, TN)

Saturday, October 9th–Southern Festival of Books

(War Memorial Plaza, Nashville, TN)

New York:

Monday, October 11th–Barnes & Noble in Carle Place, NY at 7:00 PM

(91 Old Country Road, Carle Place, NY)

Tuesday, October 12th–Borders in Westbury, NY at 7:00 PM

(1260 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY)

Chicago:

Wednesday, October 13th–Anderson’s in Naperville, IL at 7:00 PM

(123 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville IL)

Thursday, October 14th–Borders in Schaumburg, IL at 7:00 PM

(1540 Golf Road Schaumburg, IL 60173)

Contact Info:

http://laurenkatebooks.net/category/contact

http://twitter.com/laurenkatebooks

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000013934290&v=wall

laurenkatebooks@gmail.com

News & Interviews:

Lauren Kate’s third book in her Fallen series is named Passion and is due to be released in the summer of 2011.

Amazon.com: Can you tell us a little bit about book 3? Will we find out more about Luce and Daniel's past lives?
Kate:Passion is going to be the craziest, coolest book I’ve ever written! I’m halfway through the first draft right now and it is so rewarding to finally get to delve into Luce and Daniel’s past lives together. The history these two share is the stuff of epics, and I am learning so many new things about them as I write. For any reader out there feeling tortured by the teasing hints of so many thrilling past lives: Passion is your book! Everything--well, almost everything--will be illuminated.

 

RHCB acquire Lauren Kate’s The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove
Random House Children’s Books have announced that they have acquired The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by US author Lauren Kate. The deal for UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canadian) rights was done with Penguin US. Lauren Kate is the author of the bestselling book Fallen that has sold over 220,000 [...]

Lauren Kate interview (November 2009)
Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farmhouse in Winters, California. Her first novel, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove goes on sale one month before Fallen. Lauren very kindly spoke to Fantasy Book Review i [...]

Fantasy Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate
Seventeen year old Luce is sent to reform school, Sword & Cross following a terrible tragedy involving her ex-boyfriend Trevor. The details of what happened that night are hazy and Luce is struggling to come to terms with the idea that she might have been responsible. Fantasy Book Review in [...]

Lauren Kate’s Fallen series acquired by Random House Children’s Books
Random House Children’s Books has acquired the first four titles in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. The deal, made with sister company Random House Inc in New York, was for a major six figure sum. The books will be rushed into production, with the first title published this winter on both sides [...]

My thoughts on Fallen & Torment:

I've read both of these books and enjoyed them. What’s not to like about fallen angels and undying love?

They are about a girl named Luce who first attends a reform school Sword & Cross for her senior year after her boyfriend is killed in a fire. She suspects that the shadows that have followed her around her entire life have something to do with it. She is immediately drawn to Daniel who shoots her down at every turn. Then sinfully hot Cam enters who gives her all the attention she could want but who can’t compare to Daniel. Something about him is familiar…but Daniel can’t chance telling Luce the truth because it just might kill her.

All about lovers who find each other and loose each other, over and over again. But just maybe, this time they’ll get lucky…

Torment continues on with a lot of the same characters and some great new ones that you will fall in love with as well.

Luce tries to uncover the truth and break the cycle of falling in love, dying and being reincarnated. Daniel agrees to a truce with Cam and the other demons and sends Luce to a new boarding school specially for Nephilim children. He basically orders Luce to remain on campus at all times and learn all she can, for her own safety. You can imagine how well Luce takes those orders. Her attempts to use her powers are a bit faulty and tend to put her and others in danger but she does get a few glimpses of her past lives. Another love interest, Miles, is also introduced and that along with some other reveals have made Luce question whether or not her and Daniel are really meant to be together forever.

You def. need to read Fallen before reading Torment, as it is not in any way a standalone. Not much is really resolved in this second installment either so you will just have to stay tuned for book three.

I would give both books a three because I liked them but for me, they wouldn’t be classified as my favorites or close to. A good read though. 

***Also, don’t forget to comment HERE to enter in the giveaway for a free digital copy of A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers.***

Psssttt....FREE digital book

GIVEAWAY: A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers

Win a copy of A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!
Find out how it all began...
During the bite of the Great Depression, sole female dominant Joan  Fuller struggles against the rise of cruelty among her alpha  counterparts. The men tolerate her interference--until she breaks from  the pack and allies with a witch and a vampire. Now the Boston alpha  intends to bring them all forcibly back into the fold--and teach her a  lesson she may not survive.
Seamus Whelan and his werewolf bootleggers intend to retire from  smuggling and savor their fortune, but first they must do a favor for an  old friend: escort some female wolves to safety. An easy job, if their  leader wasn't a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus  himself. Chance makes them allies; powerful need makes them lovers.
Together, they have the opportunity to build a sanctuary for their kind,  but first they must free themselves from Joan's past, and the powerful  man who would see her destroyed.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of A Safe Harbor!
This contest is a part of Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event. For your chance to win books, gift certificates, ereaders and more, visit http://www.moirarogers.com/contests/

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below. Contest ends Thursday, Oct. 14th.

(Make sure to give your email addy with comment so that it can be forwarded to the author.)  

Spread the freebie goodness; share this giveaway with friends, family, facebook, twitter it or on your own blog. =)

Word Filled Wednesdays

*This is a repost since my page disappeared. ?=o

Happy hump day everyone! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and reading something fabulous.

I am currently reading Torment, the follow up to Fallen by Lauren Kate. I’m a little over half way through and it’s a good book so far but I must say; for being so far into it nothing has really happened. Nothing solved, none of the questions that I had at the end of Fallen answered…Hopefully, as I get farther along these things will happen. I’m just impatient. 

Next up, Crave the second book in JR Ward’s Fallen Angels series. REALLY looking forward to that one. And somewhere in there I need to squeeze in our book club book, Book of Shadows. I’m slackin’, I know. *winces*

When I was in BAM today I noticed quite a number of classics turned paranormal. One I want to pick up is Wuthering Bites by Sarah Gray (A twist on Wuthering Heights). Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany that gives Jane Austen a paranormal twist too. And lots others. Just in time for Halloween!

I absolutely LOVE this time of year and I actually got to turn off the AC open up all the windows in the house the other day. The down side to that though was love bugs’ creeping in through the screen somehow. Nasty things. I heard I should thank UCF for that? Thank You! NOT!!! But besides those lovely creatures you have fall festivals, pumpkin patches, great movies, an excuse to play dress up *grin*, decorating, awesome events, parties, tasty treats, of course all the great books coming out this month…I can keep going but I’ll stop there. ;) For now…

Don’t forget that this Friday is our book club meeting at B’s house, 7:30. We’ll do a recap here and on our Facebook page if you’re going to miss it.

Check out Amazon for other new releases out this week HERE.

Great contests & giveaways:

·        Dakota Banks is having a name a character in the next Mortal Path book contest. Just go HERE or click our sidebar button.

·        Paranormal Haven is having an awesome book giveaway HERE or click on our sidebar button.

·        Interview with the FAB author Jeaniene Frost and giveaway of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson HERE

·        Giveaway; an ARC of Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith HERE at Insert Book Title Here's or click the sidebar button. 

·        Speculative Romance Fall Frenzy with a TON of giveaways HERE

·        Author Terri Garey has a cool Halloween giveaway HERE

·        And of course The Supernatural Underground always has great posts and giveaways HERE or click on the sidebar button.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Don't forget that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

So get touchy feely! 

Beefcake Monday

Here is a double shot of mancandy to get you through this lovely Monday morning. (Because if you're like me, you need it. *yawn*) Now pass the mocha's & creamy pastries then sit back and enjoy the view! 

Délicieux, n'este ce pas?

*sigh*

New Release Tomorrow:

Crave by JR Ward, the second book in the Fallen Angels series is out tomorrow. If you haven't read the first book in the series, Covet, you should go out and purchase both of them tomorrow. Just on the hawt covers alone! I mean look at these...

                    

  

Talk about your bonus Beefcake Monday! ;) Not to mention that JR Ward is a faboosh author with awesome story lines. Have you not read her Black Dagger Brotherhood series? WHAT?!?! You haven't? Then what are you waiting for? The books to drop on your head? Go out and get them, download them on your ereader, borrow from your friends, just read them! It will be time well spent and you will not be disappointed. Turn on some Dora and throw some cookies & juice boxes at the kids, make sure the chain lock is on, then get to it. I recommend a bubble bath and some red to go with it. 

Something Wicked by Michelle Rowen is also out tomorrow!        

Quote of the day: 

That is a good book which is opened with
expectation and closed in profit.
~ Amos Bronson Alcott ~

Definition of the day: Steampunk

(n) a genre of science fiction set in Victorian times when steam was the main source of machine power; also written steam-punk

An example of this is The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook and also Disney's Treasure Planet. 

Check back Wednesday for a digital book giveaway. Woohoo! Giveaway will start then and end Wed. Oct. 12th at Midnight. A winner will be chosen at random on October 13th.

Adieu, until next time... 

Review: His Darkest Embrace by Juliana Stone

His Darkest Embrace

Jaguar Warriors #2

By Juliana Stone

Courtesy of NetGalley

Mass Market Paperback, 361 pages

Published November 1st 2010 by Avon

ISBN

 0061808806

A solitary hunter with no regard for the human world, Jagger Castille is a shifter living on the edge. A woman who calls him enemy will give him reason to live . . .Jagger is a creature of the night—Skye Knightly soars in the sun. Natural adversaries, they are now joined in a mission entrusted to Skye's family centuries ago: nothing less than the salvation of the Earth.Wounded and bitter, Jagger sought escape in the solitude of the jungle, driven by a need to disappear forever . . . until a mysterious shifter who calls to his soul and feeds a yearning long forgotten pulls him from his dark path. A courageous warrior, Skye's passion is equal to Jagger's—but can she trust a man whose secrets are as devastating as her own?Each is the other's sole hope for survival. But a dark and twisted truth is leading them toward the ultimate sacrifice for a love they may never live to claim.

GoodReads

_______________________________________________________

My Thoughts:

His Darkest Embrace is dark & sexy; every page will leave you craving for more!


This second novel in Juliana Stone’s Jaguar Warriors series follows a few months after His Darkest Hunger and is the youngest Castille brother’s story, Jagger.

Jagger Castille is a dark and intense shifter with a troubled past, full of guilt and loss. Wanting to escape the horrors of the real world and delve into his jaguar soul, Jagger escapes to the jungle; cutting ties with even his family until he meets the proud and secretive Skye Knightly.

Skye is an eagle knight, and one of the last of her kind. When her father is murdered the protection and destruction of an ancient artifact falls to her, but a group of jaguars and an evil sorcerer is determined to take it from her. Skye must travel through the deadly jungle of Belize if she’s to have any hope of saving mankind but when a demon starts to hunt her, making her question her own sanity, can she make it in time?


Jagger and Skye have an instant and powerful physical attraction but a difficult chemistry. Jagger is suspicious of Skye but refuses to let her go and will track her to the ends of the jungle. Skye has important responsibilities to her clan and the world, being with an enemy jaguar is not part of her plan. 

The story line is well paced, a definite page-turner, and ends with a bit of a cliffhanger so that I'm itching for Julian's book, His Darkest Salvation, which is up next. The only reason I gave this novel four wine glasses as oppose to five is because the chemistry between the two main characters was hard for me to get into and accept. There were too many contradictions in their dialogue with each other. But, by the end I was happy with how their relationship finally flowed. Oh, and did I mention Declan? I don’t know what it is about that sexy warlock but me likey and I’m just dying for his own novel, Wicked Road to Hell.  


Chuck full of suspense, mystery, action, deceit and steamy love scenes in the wilds of the jungle, His Darkest Embrace is an exciting continuation in the Jaguar Warriors series. 

Rating: 4 Wine Glasses, Loved it!