Firelight by Sophie Jordan

By Sophie Jordan

Pick up your copy today!

(at your local indie, Amazon, or B & N)

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

What Greta had to say:

This book has renewed my faith in YA.
I have been in such a rut with teen fic lately. Everything is the same. I am just soo bored with it.

I won this book a couple of months ago from a Bewitched Bookworms contest and it has been sitting on my nightstand waiting it's turn for me to read.

I picked it up on Thursday night and if my hubz had not have come home from a week-long business trip on Friday I would have attempted to finish it that next night (we also had a Smallville marathon so that's why it took me all weekend to read.)

Firelight is soo beautiful. The words leap off the page like poetry. Just lovely.
I've read some reviews that say people do not uber dig but I thought it was brilliant. I guess you should give it a whirl just to see if it sits well with you. As for me, it was totally my cup of tea.

Firelight is about a girl named Jacinda. Jacinda is different from the pride she lives in. Sure, most everyone is a Draki (descend from dragons and can manifest into one) but she's rare. Jacinda is a fire breather. There hasn't been a fire breather in the pride for a couple of generation. She's a treasure that needs to be guarded... owned... kept.

Jacinda's mom realizes what they want to do with her daughter. She used to be a Draki. Not that word. She killed her. Made herself forget. She couldn't handle the life and when Jacinda's twin, Tamra, was unable to manifest (this happens around 11 or 12 years old.. like puberty) she never tried again to release her inner Draki.

The story starts out with Jacinda and her friend Az wanting to fly in the morning time. This is a big NO NO NO NO!!! Someone will see. Someone did see. The hunters.

The hunters will shoot down the Drakis like any wild game. They are the predators... the drakis are the prey (which I found ironic because you would think a fire breathing dragon could take down a human... but she still is a girl)

Once the hunters have cornered Jacinda (in draki form) she meets a boy hunter that doesn't give her secret hiding spot away. He saves her life and tells the men he can't find her.... all the time he is touching her dragon skin... saving her life.... loving her even though he doesn't know what or who she is.

Because of this, the pride decides that Jacinda needs to be punished and this is when Jacinda's mom decides that it is time to go. She will not watch her daughter become encaged and she will not watch the Pride's alpha enslave her to his son (Like I said... Fire Breathers are rare. How do you make more?)

They move to a desert town. Jacinda's mom hopes this will kill Jacinda's dragon. Hopes this will make her normal, safer, less of a target. Jacinda has no interest in letting her inner draki die. It's a part of her.

As she starts school she locks eyes with a boy. A boy she has seen before. A boy who once called her beautiful. A boy... who has never seen her before and yet... has touched her.

Just like Romeo and Juliet.... this romance is forbidden from the start. The prey in love with the predator. The hunter's heart entrapped by the game.

Loves it!!

It's a really excellent book! I very much enjoyed it. And I hope there are more to come because the ending literally killed me.

Thank you Bewitched Bookworms for introducing me to it. I'll be mailing it to my friend Leila soon so she can also fall in love with the Drakis.


Loves loves loves!!

~Greta~



Interview with Lisa Darling

Today we sit down with romance/erotic author Lisa Darling, and ask her a few questions.

Ya know...a little of this, a little of that...

Darkfallen: Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have
always wanted to do? Sorta like a calling?

Lisa: It's something I've always done, ever since early on in elementary school, I showed
an aptitude for writing and knew it was what I was going to do.

Darkfallen: What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story? The conflict, the suspense, the sexy num time? lolz

Lisa: Conflict creates Drama, for me those two are always first. The Romance isn't 'second', I wouldn't like to say that, but the romance doesn't bubble and come to fruition if it's never tested. It just sort of lays flat on the page.

Darkfallen: Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been
your favorite character to write? The most challenging?

Lisa: I'm one of those lucky writers who lives her life with a Muse (day in and day out).We have a mutually beneficial partnership. He throws out orders, I tear them apart, we bounce ideas off each other, constantly try to one-up each other, and in the middle of all of that chaos the 'magick' happens.
Ares is the character I have lived and worked with the longest—16 years now—so he's my favorite and the most challenging because of his nature. I tend to be the peace lover and he's the butt-kicker. Together we balance each other out although it's quite maddening at times.

Greta: You give me a piece of HAWT god man meat...and I'll take "maddening at times." RAWR!

Darkfallen: Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did
you do to change that?

Lisa: When we first meet Ares he's a pretty unlikeable guy, he's very grumpy, he's arrogant, he's a bit spoiled. Then again, he's a god so…what do you expect? LOL He grows and evolves throughout the story, he learns about himself as he learns about his love-interest, Alena and realizes that being a god is awesome but it's good to have a heart too.

Greta: HA! You say unlikeable...I say bad boy that needs to be punished. *winks*

Darkfallen: If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the
first thing you do?

Lisa: Again, I'm one of those lucky people, I wouldn't change a thing or do anything
differently.

Greta: *sings some guys have all the luck*

Darkfallen: Sorry about her Lisa. Just ignore her;) Anyways, can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?

Lisa: This series will continue with the second novel "Child of War" on December 31,2011. Ares and Alena will bring their son, Raven, into the world and he's going to upset the status quo on Olympus.

Greta: QUE LIGHTNING BOLTS!

Darkfallen: Lightning bolts? Really? No One said anything about Zeus here! Now where were we? Oh, right! Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?

Lisa: I've always wanted to write a vampire story but I think I'll stick with the Olympians
for now.

Greta: Bring on more man meat...I mean Olympian God meat!

Darkfallen: Urgs...again sorry. Here maybe if we let Greta ask a few questions she'll settle down a bit. Lolz

Greta: Yes, YES pick me pick me! Ummm what to ask? Let's see...If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?

Lisa: Stephen King, John Lennon, Kevin T. Smith, Janis Joplin, and Jacqueline Susann. I
want to talk writing with Stephen and Jacqueline, philosophy with John and Janis,
and Kevin…well, he gets to stay until long after the party's over. ;-)

Darkfallen: OOOooo Janis Joplin would be amazing!

Greta: Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves
a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?

Lisa: Music is a huge influence on my life, I'm always listening to my iTunes…or Pandora, I really like Pandora. I also have the strange habit of listening to my local radio station while I write. I think the songs help on many levels, and yes, often they provide much needed inspiration. I just chalk those times up to the Muse making his opinion known.

Greta: What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them
difficult to write? Darkfallen usually just turns all beat read when she tries to. LOLz

Darkfallen: I DO NOT!!!! *starts blushing*

Lisa: They're the best! I often find myself chomping at the bit to get one when I know it's coming up. Love scenes are the scenes where the Muse and I are freest to do anything and everything we want. We often get quite lost in them.

Greta: Wait does that mean what I think it means? Nothing like a little bedroom research!

Darkfallen: Annnnddd we are back to ignoring her! lolz What are some of your favorite things or hobbies to do?

Lisa: I like to cook, nothing fancy, just good old American Yankee cooking. I try togarden, I love to grow things, we have a lot of deer and other critters which makesit difficult. I also take photographs of the sea and old abandoned buildings.

Darkfallen:Who are some of your favorite authors, and if we were to visit your home, what
books would we find on your bookshelf, end table, floor or e-reader?

Lisa: I have a 5 shelf glass and wood book case that holds nothing but Stephen King, just about every single hard cover he's ever written and some rare paperbacks. A few of them are even signed.

Darkfallen: If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be?

Lisa: This is going to sound so horribly cliché and romantic but….'Vivian' in "Pretty Woman".

Darkfallen & Greta: Thanks so much for stopiing by and hanging out with us! And for putting up with Greta *winks*

Wanna catch up with Lisa on the web? We know you do!

FaceBook http://facebook.com/lisabeth1
Blog: http://lbdarling.wordpress.com
Website: http://www.moonsmusings.com/lbdarling

Pick up your copy today on Amazon!

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Inside the heart of every warrior breathes the soul of a hero--even within The Heart of War.
Meet Ares God of War is the greatest Warrior the world has ever known, he's also moody, grumpy, dominant, ravenously sexual,and above all, built like a Greek God.
Suspected of killing his Daughter in-Law, Psyche, and long in exile from Olympus, the solitude of Ares' island is interrupted when Magdalena MacLeod a brash and sometimes manipulative Fey washes up on Ares' island after believing she's been shipwrecked. There is no wreck and her memory of events is sketchy at best. Branded with a golden chastity belt bearing the mark of Cernunnos, Celtic God of the Forest and Death, Alena has been on the run from the Great Horned God for 200 years. As Ares and Alena grow closer discord erupts on the island as his head woman, Kat, plots to get rid of Alena and the Olympians plot to use her in their endeavor to discover who killed Artemis. Ares will have to choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family, his pride, and Alena before dueling to the death with the God of the Forest.
Come along for an epic adventure of erotica, steamy romance, and drama in this Modern Day Greek Tragedy. Battle Ancient Gods and Fall in Love along side Ares God of War and Alena MacLeod. Theirs is a love that will rock the world from the heights of Olympus to the Celtic moors.(

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Do you know 'Damien'? Raven makes that kid look like an angel.
The "Of War"-series picks up in part I of this II-part sequel when Ares and Alena try to settle down on Olympus and await the birth of their son, Raven.
Haunted by prophetic visions along with a body and mind that are starting to betray her, Alena struggles to enjoy what should be a happy and blessed occasion. The relentless hostility from the other Olympians make her yearn to be back on their cozy island home, far away from all the bickering and backstabbing that makes up Life on mighty Mount Olympus.
Knowing of Zeus' unabashed hatred for Alena and the Celts, Ares becomes convinced Zeus is causing these visions and the breakdown of Alena's mind. To appease his Father, the God of Gods, Ares enters into a wicked blood pact ensuring the safety of his wife and unborn son. A pact that could cost the God of War everything he holds dear.
However, once the boy arrives, it quickly becomes clear Raven may be the most powerful and cunning Olympian ever born. Outwardly despised by Zeus for his Fey blood and his filthy Celtic mother the seeds of rage and doubt are planted in the Raven's mind by a very willing Apollo.
As Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite plot against the new family, bit by bit the true pasts of the Olympians and Celts comes to light, the battle begins for Raven’s mind and soul and for the ultimate control of Olympus.

Until next time...



Cresendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but atleast she got a guardian angel out of it: a mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But, despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever and even worse, he's started spending time with Nora's arch-enemy, Marcie Millar.


Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Path hadnt been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feeling that he's hiding something.

Haunted by images of her murdered father, and questioning whether her nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death, Nora puts herself increasingly in dangerous situations as she desperatly searches for answers. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.


Review:
Okay I am gonna try to keep this short and to the point;)
Patch is still " oh so HOT!!!) I am mean seriously. Of very book I've read he is by far my most swoon worthy hottie. He is still mysterious and spends alot of time leaving Nora in the dark. This leaves Nora a little pissy and whiney. I still heart Nora but I do find myself wanting to shake her and say " just grow up!"
Vee is still the same old Vee. Even her choice in men is about the same. Poor Vee just can't catch a break. ( if you can call her poor?) it was still nice to see her have another big role in the second book. I do start to like her alittle more in this book. Funny how in Fallen I had to put Vee in time out, and now in Cresendo Nora is the one I put in the corner;) Then Omg Scotty the Potty really? That made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. I found myself feeling sorry for him and I definitely enjoyed his introduction to the story.
All in all this is a great second to this series and I can't wait to read the next installment. This ending will leave your heart aching so don't say I didn't warn you.




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Torment by Lauren Kate: A Review

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Hell on earth. That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel. It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students -Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous. What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else? The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

A short, sweet, review....

First I just got to say: Don't you LOVE the cover?!? This series has some beautiful covers!!

Lauren Kate does not disappoint in Torment ( book 2)!

I love Luce even more now and it was nice to meet some new and interesting characters in book 2.Don't get me wrong there was a few times I wanted to shake her, but she is growing, and I loves it. I found myself so emotional attached in this book at times my heart felt like it was being strangled. Poor Luce I heart you!



The ending was awesome, and scary, and leaves me dying to read more. I love that Luce is taking matters in her own hands so to speak.See she really is growing! My only complaint is how long I have to wait for the next book. I mean seriously Cruel and Unusual punishment much?! Until then you haunt my dreams Grigori.

This book gets 5 out of 5 from me!

And for those of you that don't know what that means....

Buy it, rent it, borrow it, steal it if you have to, but you have to READ this book!!

or well in this case the whole series *winks*



Fallen by Lauren Kate: A Review

Ok so this cover alone calls to me, and if the cover doesn't break your heart, the synopsis will.

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

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.

see what I mean? heartbreaking.....

 

I loved this book. Especially how it draws you in right away with Luce and her mysterious shadows. It was nice to read a book that not only sucked you in, but did so in the first chapter. So many books seem to take a few chapters to back build before drawing you. Not this one. You learn about Luce and her tragic story...well one of them anyways. You instantly feel how broken she is, and if that isn't enough to grab you, then there is the shadows. Shadows that Luce has been hiding from her whole life, haunting her. You learn all of this right from the beginning, and there is so So much more to come!

 

 If your looking for a book where the girl isn't completely helpless while the guy does all the super hero crap well look no further! I also love the whole reform school aspect. It just made me that more interested in the lives of these, so obviously jaded characters. Do yourself a favor and step out of the normal "high school" YA experience, and dive into the dark world of Lord & Cross.

 

Bottom line 5 out of 5!!

 

Buy it, rent it, borrow it, steal it if you have to, but you have to READ this book!!!

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Nora struggles with the unexplained murder of her father. Her and her mom try to live without him but Nora cant help but question why him? Then she meets Patch and to say things get complicated would be an understatement. She's not the popular girl but I wouldn't call her shy either. She is not afraid to speak her mind and she makes it clear that she is not buying into Patch's bad boy routine. I love that at first she can't stand him. No love at first site here. I welcomed that.


There's no doubt that there is something more to Patch than meets the eye and before she knows it Nora is sucked. Trying to figure him out with the help of her bcc Vee. Vee draws her own conclusions about Patch and she needs to learn to trust Nora. I lesson I think she learns in the end.


This book has the right amount of suspense mixed with scary heart stopping action and an ending to die for!




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