Unfed (Undead #2) by Kristy McKay: Review

Unfed (Undead #2)
By Kristy McKay
Published August 27th 2013 by Scholastic
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Gooderads:

Fresh meat! From a hospital of horrors to a runaway zombie train, it's an all-new onslaught of the slavering undead in the sequel to Kirsty McKay's killer debut!

Just when you think you're out...it's the morning after the night of the return of the living dead. Or something like that. After running/bus-driving/snowboarding for her life alongside rebel Smitty, geeky Pete, and popular Alice, Bobby thought she'd found the antidote to the Carrot Man Veggie Juice that had turned the rest of their classmates into zombies. When Smitty (mmm...nom, nom) got chomped, Bobby pumped a syringe full of it into him herself.

But now Bobby's a prisoner in some hospital of horrors, with no clue how she got there. And Smitty is missing. What if he isn't cured after all? Bobby knows she's got to find him, even if it means facing Scotland's hungry hordes -- plus Alice's buckets of snark -- again. And this time, zombies aren't the only evil stressing her out. The brain-dead are bad enough, but how can Bobby stop the big pharma business behind the epidemic? Especially when her own mom works for the company?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

Holy zombies Batman!!

Zombie birds, zombie cows, zombinos...and they are all smarter and faster now too?! WTH?!! How is Bobby and the gang gonna get out of this one?

Bobby wakes up in a hospital only to find out that she has been out cold for about 6 weeks. Not only that but her doctor tells her that only four people survived the crash and her mother wasn't one of them. Neither was Smitty. But she refuses to believe that. It isn't long before the zombies take over the hospital and Bobby makes a brake for it. Meeting up with Alice, Pete, and a new guy named Russ she is dead set on finding her mom and Smitty before it's too late. Can she pull it off without becoming zombie food?

This was even better than the first one. It had me laughing so hard I almost cried a few times. Bobby's character is simply hilarious. I loved all the twists and turns and the action packed pace this book has. Once you start you won't be able to put it down! The only thing I wish is that Smitty would have came into the picture a little sooner. I missed him throughout the book.

Over all this is a zombie read that you don't want to miss! Chop, chop, chop

 

Lymi...



 

Shadows (The Rephiam #1) By Paula Weston: Review

Shadows (The Rephaim #1)
By Paula Weston
Published July 2nd by Text Publishing
Pick up your copy at B&N or Amazon today!

Synopsis borrowed form Goodreads:

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn.

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?

Fast-paced and gripping, Shadows, the first book in the Rephaim series, is a standout paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

This was simply a book I couldn't put down!

It's been a year since Gaby and her twin brother Jude were in the terrible accident that took his life. Gaby is constantly haunted by the details of the accident. Not to mention the crazy dreams she has about fighting demons alongside a guy she's never met. That is until he shows up at the bar she hangs out at. And everything changes. She doesn't even know who she is much less who she can trust.

It's been a LONG while since an angel book has been able to snag my attention but this was grabbed me from the first page! I loved Gaby and her voice along with Rafa. I and totally Team Rafa! I hope these two get together for good. But aside from the apparent romance there was action, suspense, and everything you could ask for in a paranormal ya book. I just loved it!

Oh yeah and did I tell you that I Loved it yet? lol

Overall this is the best angel book I've read in a long time and I can't wait for the next book to come out!

 

Lymi...

 

 



Bad Hair Day (Kate Grable #2) by Carrie Harris: Review

Bad Hair Day (Kate Grable #2)
By Carrie Harris
Published November 13th 2012 by Random House Publishing
Pick up your on copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Senior year is positively hair-raising.

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school’s pre-med program. Except when he’s arrested for murder, she’s left with the bodies. And when Kate’s brother Jonah stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, she realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone’s murdering kids—something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Is it werewolf awesomeness like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate’s supposed to be a butt-kicking zombie killing genius...but if she can’t figure out who’s behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what’s left of them—are going to keep piling up. It’s scary. It’s twisted. It’s sick. It’s high school.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

This was a funny, hilarious, tale of werewolves that only the geeky Kate Grable can pull off!

Kate Grable is just trying to get back to her normal nerdy, everyday life since finding a cure for the zombie epidemic that took over her town. I mean yeah, sure, there is your random zombie from time to time. And the once "under the radar" geek, Kate Grable, is now famous and being interviewed by CNN. She also has a boyfriend, which she has absolutely no idea how to deal with. But things where starting to get back to normal. That is until an unknown killer is shredding their victims in what looks like a animal attack. But Kate knows it's something more than that and she is determined to figure out what. Who would have thought it would be werewolves? So know Kate is trying to find the time to not only have a boyfriend, study, get into college, but find a cure for the werewolf inducing nanobots before she herself is lost to wolfdom.

This was by far the most hilarious werewolf read ever. I know it comes at no surprise that I love a good werewolf read. I do...I really, truly love them. This was the first one that had me laughing so hard I almost peed my pants on more than one occasion. Kate Grable may be a nerd but she has a second calling at stand up comedy if her life as a doctor doesn't pan out. I fell in love with her humor in Bad Taste In Boys and my love for her only grew in this second installment. I loved seeing her with Aaron and watching how she handled her relationship with him. You couldn't tell she just didn't know what to do with a boyfriend and it was too damn cute. Then you've got Aaron that completely adores her, and she doesn't even know it. I loved that no matter how Kate freaked out he just seemed to roll with it. Most guys would have run away.

Overall this is just an all around great read for anyone. I highly recommend you read this series. It's a refreshing break from the "so serious" that your used to in paranormal ya genre these days.

 

Lymi...





Commencement (Hellsbane #0) by Paige Cuccaro: Review

Commencment (Hellsbane #0)
By Paige Cuccaro Published September 27th 2012 by Entangled Publishing Pick up your own copy at Amazon or B&N today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads: 
Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn for frat guys…

Emma Jane Hellsbane knows something evil is worming its way through her college campus—she can feel it. Literally. Her freakish ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own has always been monumentally awkward, and it’s easier for her to just pretend it doesn’t exist. But this time her paranormal ability just might help her save lives.

Emma Jane’s fairly certain that whatever the hateful, egomaniacal, Godlike thing is, it’s set up shop inside her boyfriend, the frat boy/soccer star Justin. And if she doesn’t figure a way to get it out of him soon, Justin’s soul will be the appetizer to the main course—the whole student body. Problem is, the big baddy is granting sinister wishes, and with each one the risks grow higher and the phrase Be careful what you wish for becomes a real-life dire warning. Of course for Emma, what feels like it could be the end is in fact just the beginning…

Darkfallen's thoughts:

This is one of those novellas that is packed full of everything that makes a great read. I loved this book so much I couldn't put it down, and now I can't wait to get my hands on the first book in this series.

Em is in her senior year of college and she has the best friend, the boyfriend, and these freaky powers that allow her to feel other people's emotions. On most days she tries to block them out but the day that she gets this weird vibe from her perfect boyfriend she knows there is something wrong. Rather than ignore it, like she wants to do, she dives in to paranormal detective mode to figure out just what exactly is going on here. Although she just might get more than she bargained for...

Like I said I just couldn't put this book down. Em is funny, witty, and just an all around fun character. I loved her and her best friend. Em had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. The writing was impeccable, which I was so thankful for since it seems I've been stuck reading bad book after back book lately. Commencement broke me out of my reading slump!

I don't want to spoil the story but I will never look at jinni's the same way again! Overall this was a great, fun filled read, that I couldn't get enough of!

Lymi...



Undead by Kristy McKay: Review

Undead
By Kristy McKay
Published September 1st 2012 by Scholastic
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

Combining the chill of THE SHINING, the thrill ride of SPEED, the humor of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and the angst of THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Kirsty McKay's UNDEAD is a bloody mad mash-up, a school-trip splatter-fest, a funny, gory, frighteningly good debut!

Darkfallen's thoughts:

OMG This was so HILARIOUSLY HORRORFYING!!

Poor Bobby has just been uprooted from the United States back to her homeland in the UK because of her mothers job. She is far from happy about it. SO to be stuck on a bus full of her new class mates that could care less if she was there isn't exactly how she wants to spend the weekend. To bad her mum insisted that a school skiing trip was a good idea. So when she finds herself stuck on a bus, in the middle of nowhere with three other classmates, while the rest of the class would rather munch on brains? Yea...things can't get much worse.

This book was perfect. I've read my fair share of zombie books: some serious, some comedy. This one fits the bill for both with enough action and cliffhangers at the end of every chapter that you find yourself gripping the pages. I simply couldn't put this book down, and I can't even count the time that i laughed out loud while my family stared at me like I lost my mind.

I absolutely LOVED Bobby and her snarky humor. Even in the face of a zombie apocalypse she lost her mind in the most funny of ways. Then you have Smitty who is just perfect for her. The whole group in fact just balanced each other out nicely, even if I did want to smack Alice around over and over again.

Overall this is a read that does the zombie YA crowd proud. Full of humor, action, suspense...and I probably won't ever take part in juice samples again. *cringes*

Brrraaaaiiinnnnsss....



Through To You by Emily Hainsworth: Review

Through To You
By Emily Hainsworth
Published October 2nd 2012 by Balzer & Bay
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.

The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

Awwww....what a bittersweet read!

Cam has been a mess since the night a car accident took his girlfriend, Viv, away. She was his everything and now she's gone, and he is left with the constant reminder with her memorial outside of school. But while standing there staring at all the pictures, flowers, and ribbons something strange happens. He sees a girl...well she is more like a glowing green ghost. At first he thinks he is losing his mind but then he realizes she is from another dimension...One where Viv is still alive. Will he finally get her back? Or will he lose her again?

This was such a great read with a bittersweet ending. First of all I loved Cam. I loved everything about him. It is so refreshing to read a book from the guys point of view for a change. There are just so few books in this genre written that way. And Emily Hainsworth did it flawlessly. She capture Cam's voice and made him sound like the teenage boy that he is. You feel all the sorrow that courses through Cam's veins because he lost the love of his life. I just wanted to hug him.

Then there is Nina...poor, sweet, strong, Nina. I loved before I even really knew her. She is just one of those characters that you can't help but like right away. Then when you learn more about her role in the story you just might cry for her. I know I did. It's just so unfair, but she handles it all in stride.

I don't want to give it all away, but I will say that you just need to read this book. It's soooooooo bittersweet with a splash of hope at the end.

 

Lymi...







Taking On The Dead by Annie Walls: Review

Taking On The Dead (Famished #1)
By Annie Walls
Published August 2012
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Life for Kansas was perfect until the day the world changed.

She has been hiding out for four years in solitude. It's the only way to survive. The only way not to draw the living dead. Helping a small group of people, she learns the new world might not be what she assumes. Venturing out of her refuge and comfort zone, she meets Rudy, who helps her find a greater purpose. She realizes that the world has moved on without her. Only it's not what she expects. Her knowledge of the living dead grows and only makes her more curious as humanity continues to hang on by a thread. While on her search for answers she finds comfort in new friendships and love, but her past seems as if it will haunt her forever.

Kansas takes it upon herself to help other survivors, which would be easy if the famished were the only obstacles.

In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is emotional as much as it is horrifyingly gripping.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Taking On The Dead is a zombie novel that will never cease to surprise you!! And gross you out, like all good zombie books should. However this one takes it to a whole new level of gross. Living in a new world where the zombies aren't the only bad guys you have to watch out for...

Kansas has been surviving on her own for the last four years ever since the outbreak happened. It hasn't been exactly easy. Especially having to live with the guilt that she had to kill everyone she loved when the plague took over. Is was either kill or be killed. Four years has past and still not much has changed for her inside her own isolated bunker away from the world. Little does she know that the world around her has changed quite a bit, and soon her life is going to be turned upside down...again.

First off I just have to say that I LOVED Kansas!! She is made of pure awesome bad ass sauce. She's snarky, funny, and can kick some serious ass when needed. It's refreshing to see a girl that can choke down her emotions to get the job done, and she does this more than once. I'd like to think if I ever find myself in a zombie infested world that I will be like Kansas. Although I do have to say she is a bit naive. Living alone for so many years has made her that way. In her sheltered, isolated world the zombies were the only villains. Now that she is out in the world again she is too quick to trust the other survivors which leads her to trouble.

There is a bit of a love triangle in her...well, kind of, and it sort of didn't go the way I wanted it to but I am hoping that in later books I'll get my way. Lets just say I LOVE Rudy!!! Yum!! *winks* I simply can't get enough him. I love his bad ass ways, yet the way he takes care of Kansas pulls at my heart. Not to mention he is a zombie killing machine! If zombies take over the world I call dibs on Rudy being my survival buddy...and maybe another kind of buddy if you know what I mean. *sighs*

I will say that I have the uncorrected proof (ARC) copy of this book, and there are some serious editing errors that need to be dealt with to make this red seamlessly. I did, however, let the author know and she assured me that this still has to go through another round with an editor and those issues will be resolved. Still it never took away from the story and I still enjoyed reading every page.

I love the world Annie Walls creates where the famished are fast, the putrids are slow, and the humans are just as deadly as the living dead. Mixing in a does of voodoo for good measure and you have yourself a zombie book with just enough of a twist to set it apart from the others out there.

Overall this was a great read and I can't wait to read what happens next in the series!

Lymi...





Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey: Review

Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2)
By Amy Garvey
Published September 28th HarperTeen
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Wren can do things that other people can only dream of. Make it snow on a clear, crisp day. Fly through an abandoned tunnel. Bring a paper bird to life.

Wren knows her abilities are tinged with danger—knows how easy it is to lose control—but she can't resist the intoxicating rush. And now that she has Gabriel by her side, someone who knows what she can do—what she has done—she finally feels free to be herself.

But as Wren explores the possibilities of her simmering powers, Gabriel starts pushing her away. Telling her to be careful. Telling her to stop. The more he cautions her, the more determined Wren becomes to prove that she can handle things on her own. And by the time she realizes that Gabriel may be right, it could be too late to bring him back to her side.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

Wren and Gabriel are trying to get past the whole "Danny Incident" that took place in the first book. The only problem is that Wren is trying to learn more about using her powers and Gabriel isn't so sure if she should be doing that. Without being able to turn to her mom for guidance she turns to the most unexpected place; to two strangers that caught her using her magic in public. Only problem is these strangers aren't all they are cracked up to be. Can she really trust them over Gabe?

First I want to say that I didn't read the first book in this series, still I wasn't really lost about what was going on. I instantly loved how in love Wren & Gabe were. You could just tell that they had been through a lot. That being said I did think Wren threw a few to many fits, and almost sabotaged her relationship over and over again. She just kept getting on my nerves with how she would blow up and run away. How Gabriel was able to just take it and stick it our was beyond me, but I'm glad he did. That just made me like him even more.

I also loved the magic woven into this story. The whole idea of your powers being out of control during their adolescence was perfect. I kept imagining Sabrina The Teenage Witch every time Wren's little sister threw a fit. It seems fit throwing runs in their family. lol

Overall this was a good, fast read. I was just expecting something more for some reason.

 

Lymi...

 



The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Rochelle Mead: Review

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)
Rochelle Mead
Published June 12th 2012 by Razorbill
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

What can I say? Rochelle Mead knows how to write a series! Of course I am sure the whole reading world knows this already, but just in case you have been living under a rock, I thought I would say it. Lol

Sydney is trying to balance school and keep up her family facade in addition to keeping Jill safe, and well hidden. Not to mention there is a new villain in town. To top that off she is also trying to have a relationship with a real boy. Need less to say it isn't all working out so great. When things take a turn for the worse will Sydney be able to solve the problem? Or has she finally met her match?

I'm coming to love Sydney even more in this book. I feel like I am finally getting a look behind her perfect exterior for once. She isn't having an easy time with everything going on around her, I just wish she could break down and admit she needs a little help every once and a while. She still has her hang ups about the vampire world but I'm happy to see that the line between her and them seems to be blurring a bit for a change. She is finally starting to see that maybe the monsters aren't so bad and that some humans are the real monsters.

I also loved, LOVED Adrian. But then that's nothing new. I have a serious soft spot for that boy, and even when I was Team Dimitri, I still loved Adrian. And in this book was no exception. I just want to make him happy. And to see him happy when Sydney would open up to him really made me squee! I will have to kill Rochelle Mead if she doesn't hurry up and put those two together. I just want to see them in love with each other so bad. Adrian is just so damn sweet to her!!

Overall this was a great action packed sequel. I liked it better than the first book in this series, and I am finally getting used to Sydney's voice. Still I have to admit my heart misses Rose.

 

Lymi...

 





Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3) by Jackson Pearce: Review

Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3)
By Jackson Pearce
Published September 4th 2012 by Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Pick up your own copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed form Goodreads:

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

 

To be honest I am torn between 2 and 3 stars on this one. Which pretty much breaks my heart because I LOVE Jackson Pearce with all my heart. But I guess they can't all be winners? *sighs*

Celia and her two sisters are triplets, but she has always felt like the odd one out. There is just something that sets her apart. Although they are all a little strange because they all have powers. Jane can read minds, Anne can see the future, and Celia can see the past. Celia always felt like she was stuck the the power that she couldn't do anything with. I mean how could seeing someones past possibly be useful? That is until she saves a boy named Jude from downing in the ocean. Saves him with the help of a girl that lives in the ocean. And then everything changes, and she finally feels useful. But the ocean girl isn't who she seems to be and Celia just might be making a grave mistake by helping her...

Ok so I don't want to give anything away so this is going to make this review hard to right. First let me start by saying that I was drawn in to this world with the writing that Jackson Pearce is so known for. The almost poetic rhythm this is written in just sucks you in and makes you visualize in such a way that you feel like you watched the movie, not read the book. Still that just doesn't cut it this time....

So this do tie into the other books, Sisters Red and Sweetly, just a little bit. You don't have to read those two to understand this one but you will pick up on little things here and there along the way if you do. But my problem with this book is this; I have a hard time forging any kind of connection between werewolves and mermaids. This is supposed to be a take on The Little Mermaid, and I don't get why there are werewolves in here? I mean you can write a story however you like, but at the end of the day you need the reader to believe what you wrote. And I am sad to say that I just can't wrap my head around this one. It makes me really upset since I never though I would ever say this about a Jackson Pearce novel. I mean the women is a genius with words, but I just can't buy what she's selling here.

Overall I like the characters. Especially Celia and Jude, and I still love the way this was written. But the story itself just didn't do it for me and left me feeling kind of let down. Also the cover is a little dissapointing compared to the other covers in this series. I would have liked to see something a little darker and twisted.

 

Lymi...



Doppelganger Blog Tour/Giveaway!

 

Welcome to our stop on the Doppelganger Blog Tour!!

Today not only will you get a chance to win your own copy, but you will also get a sneak peak inside the book! But first let's meet the lady behind the writing, Milda Harris.

 

 

Author Bio:

Author Milda Harris is a Chicago girl who ran off to Hollywood to pursue a screenwriting dream! She has a dog named after a piece of candy (Licorice), was once hit by a tree (seriously), and wears hot pink sunglasses (why not?). Between working in production on television shows like Austin & Ally, Hannah Montana, andThat's So Raven and playing with her super cute dog Licorice, she writes young adult murder mystery, horror, paranormal romance, and chick lit novels.

Her books Doppelganger, Adventures in Funeral Crashing, Adventures of a Graveyard Girl, The New Girl Who Found A Dead Body, and Connected (A Paranormal Romance) are for sale now! You can catch up with her on her website, blog,  facebook,  or on twitter!

 

About the book:

 



Doppelganger
By Milda Harris
Published July 29th 2012
Pick up your copy today at Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Citrus Leahy is having a really bad day. First she's late to school. Then she runs into the girl who drives her nuts because she always calls her Orange instead of her name. To cap it all off, when Citrus finally makes it to class, she sees herself already inside. Wait. What? Citrus Leahy has a doppelganger! It's probably aliens taking over the world and her life has just turned totally upside down. Goodbye, normal. Hello, paranormal! Luckily, her crush Aedan has the exact same problem!

Now for the sneak peak and the giveaway!!!!

 

I walked the rest of the way to my classroom, totally forgetting to obsess over World History facts and instead wondering if I had any face wash in my gym locker to try and head off that pimple. I couldn't remember if I had taken it home or not. I crossed my fingers that the face wash would still be there, in my locker, when I had gym in a few hours. I tried to even out my breathing and dabbed the sweat off my face with the bottom of my shirt. I wasn’t going to give the other students anything to talk about by running in, out of breath, and sweaty. I was just going to walk in and hand Mr. Meadows the tardy slip, ask for the test, sit down, take it, and get a decent grade, and hopefully not a pimple. Then I could get back to reading my fun book and not worry about my grades for the rest of the day.

My mind was already planning how it was all going to turn out, as I caught a glimpse of the classroom through the window in the door. That’s when everything froze for me. The Receptionist in the Main Office had been correct in thinking that the attendance reports were strange because they were. How else could I be standing outside of my World History class waiting to go in and take my test and also be inside, already busy with the business of test taking? I swear. I'm not kidding. I was dressed in different clothes, but it was definitely me - same body type, a little longer than shoulder length dirty blonde hair and side swept bangs, oval face, and green eyes. Well, I'm guessing her eyes were green because the girl I was looking at was focused on her test and not looking directly at me. Still, it was me in there. I just knew it. 

The thing is - I didn’t have a twin. What I was seeing was totally impossible. I couldn’t be in two places at once. What in the world was happening? And, really, could my day get any worse?

 

To enter to win your own copy of Doppelganger leave a comment on this post answering the question below and fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

 

What would you do if a evil doppelganger tried take your life over?

 

Just answer the question in the comments section of this post to enter!

 

 



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Touched by Cyn Balog: Review

Touched
By Cyn Balog
Published August 14th 2012 by Delacorte Press
Pick up your own copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.
But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there?

In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . .



 Darkfallen's thoughts:

So I had to take a few days to write this review, a few days to marinate on this story and come up with just exactly what I wanted to say about it. Still I'm having a hard time deciding how many stars to give this one so I'm going with 3, but maybe it's more like 2.5?

Nick and his mother have always been different. Hence the fact that his nick name is "Crazy Cross". It's not been an easy life when you can see your own future. You always know what you are going to do next and what is going to happen because of your actions. The worst part has to be seeing how you and your family are going to die. But the future changes when Nick rebels against it, and when he sees a horrible future, one that involves Taryn, a girl that doesn't treat him like he is crazy, he tries everything to change it. But not even Nick can fix everything and in the end he is hit with an ending that he never saw coming.

For me this book was just okay. It reminded me a lot of the movie The Butterfly Effect with a few differences and a dose of witchcraft thrown in. Like I said earlier I have a hard time thinking of what I wanted to say about this book so I took a few days to sit on it. I am surprised to say that this story seems to be sticking with me. I keep finding myself thinking about it. But I think that's because I loved the characters. I love Nick and you can't help but feel sorry for the hand he was dealt. And Taryn is just an all around amazing person and her hand of cards isn't much better which makes you feel for her too. Still this story falls flat. I think it would be a good first draft, but now it needs to be more fleshed out. When your reading it it's like your getting all the details but your only skimming the surface. Never quite diving in. You just don't get as emotionally invested as you should. For instance there was a HUGE tragic disaster that happened and I should have fell apart and cried, but instead I just kept on reading like nothing happened.

Overall I think this story could be epic if it were fleshed out a bit more to really pull the readers emotions into it. Never the less it was still and okay fast read with a few good twists.

Lymi...





The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee: Review

The Unquiet
By Jeannine Garsee
Published July 17th by Bloomsbury Press
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

This book was simply amazing in the most chilling and twisted way!

Rinn is finally starting to put her life back together after discovering that she is bipolar. Thankfully now that she is on the proper medication things are starting to be more normal. Although overcoming everything that happened before she started taking the meds isn't as easy as she would have hoped. So her and her mother pack up and leave California for the small Ohio town her mother grew up in. While trying to start over Rinn soon discovers even small towns have big secrets. Secrets that could very well turn deadly...

First of all I just have to say that I LOVED this writing style. The way the worlds flow just makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of it all. It's real, it's raw, it's perfect. I loved Rinn from the start. Her personality and the way she was handling the loss of her grandmother and the start of her new life along with being bipolar was done seamlessly. And then of course there was Nate...who could have asked for a better love interest? He was Rinn's yin to her yang. Where Rinn is slightly unstable and a little high strung at times, he was your typical sweet, down to earth, country boy. He didn't care that Rinn was bipolar, or about the things that she did when her illness drove her crazy. He just cared and loved Rinn for who she was no matter the good or the bad.

But enough of my fawning over the love story here. The ghost story was hauntingly perfect. In fact it was done in a way that I would love to see this made into a movie. I think it would be great. It's creepy and gives you the chills. It just might keep you up at night. And then it hits you with a twist at the end that lets you know that this ghost picked it's victims for a reason. Not to mention the cliffhanger in the end that just might make you sleep with the light on.

Overall this book was a perfect mix of teenage angst, swoon worthy moments, and spin tingling chills. Hands down this book was awesome and made me remember why I love this genre so much!

Lymi...





Teaser Tuesday: Team Human

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday!

This meme is sponsored by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

(wanna learn more about how you too can join in and play along? click here)


This weeks teaser is from....

"I didn't lose it for long, though. Vampires might be terrorizing the principle and hypnotizing my best friend, rats might be invading my school and my bag, by hysterics weren't going to fix any of it." page 47

This is one of those books that makes you laugh the entire time you read it!

Definitely a funny comedy about vampires that pokes fun at a lot of the other vamp books out there ;-)

Now c'mon...Tease me!!

Dead Night-Potter's Secrets (Kiera Hudson Series Two #1.5) by Tim O'Rourke: Review

Dead Night-Potter's Secrets (Kiera Hudson Series Two #1.5)
By Tim O'Rourke
Published May 2012
Pick up your copy at Amazon or B&N today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

When Potter disappears from Hallowed Manor for twenty-four hours, he goes in search of the only person he thinks will be able to give him answers as to why the world has been pushed. That person is his first love, Sophie.

But Sophie has been pushed, too, and is running for her life. In a world where wolves live amongst humans, Potter must save Sophie while trying to search for answers.

During his search, he discovers that some things are best left secret.

“Dead Night – Potter’s Secrets” (Book 1.5 in the Kiera Hudson Series Two) A 43,000 word novella.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Oh Potter, how I love you yet want to smack the crap out of you over and over again...lol

So in this book we get to see just what Potter was up to when he left Kiera and the gang at Hollowed Manor, and I can't say I'm happy about it. Damn it Potter!!! LEAVE SOPHIE ALONE!!!!! Forget about her. Pretend she doesn't exist. She is only going to mess with your head man!

Ok, enough of me yelling at Potter. God knows he won't listen to me anyways. *rolls eyes*

Moving on shall we...

This book was so packed for of action that it felt like I read a full length novel, not just a novella. And for those of you that are thinking about skipping this novella I highly encourage you to read it. You learn a lot of stuff that your going to need to know later for this series. Overall this was a great addition to the story, and while I wanted to punch Potter in his manhood during most of this book, it was a fast read that I couldn't put down, with just the right amount of twists to set up the next book in the series. Definitely a novella that shouldn't be missed.

Lymi...





The Vampire Of Highgate by Asa Bailey: Review

The Vampire of Highgate
By Asa Bailey
Published July 7th 2012 by Hodder Children's Book
Pick up your copy at B&N, Amazon, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Kathy is an innocent, an outsider who longs to belong somewhere. Anywhere. Dreams of her half-sister Amber and of the centuries old Highgate Vampire are taking her to places she doesn't want to go. Kathy can't stop the sequence of events. If her nightmares and reality collide, the Highgate Vampire will come to take her soul...

Darkfallen's thoughts:

Welcome to the story of the Highgate Vampire...

Kathy has spent her entire life in New York being raised be her two adoptive parents, and aside from being adopted has she is just your normal girl. That is until she starts having weird dreams about her sister that she hasn't seen since she was a baby. Dreams that her sister is in trouble and needs her help. The only problem is that her sister lives in London. Doing what she feels she has to Kathy goes to London after a mysterious book shows up in the mail from her sister. A book in a weird language that she can't even read. All she knows is she has to try and save her sister, but from what? Landing herself in the in a world of vampires can Kathy save her sister? Or will she fall to the same fate at the hand of the Highgate Vampire?

This isn't your swoon worthy vampire novel. No these vampires are the things of nightmares and legends. All fangs, blood, and thirst! And the same goes for this book. With page after page of suspense and running for your life from blood crazed vampires this book brings back the traditional vampires we loved to be scared of in Anne Rice novels. I loved how the story kept me on the edge of my seat, and even scared me a few times. It was a nice change of pace from our cuddlepires that we all swoon over these days.

The only thing that is keeping this from getting 5 stars is the the way it was written. The story is told from Kathy's POV and she is from New York, yet the whole book sounds like it is being told from a Brit's POV. Yes I get that the story takes place in London, but Kathy wouldn't talk like she was from there being that she has never left the United States until she flew over to find her sister. Personally I just think it should have a more American accent to it. And say things like "tennis shoes" instead of "trainers", or "flashlight" instead of "torch". Again I only say this because it is being told by Kathy and she is, as the Brits would say, a Yankee; therefore I think the story should be told like one.

Other than that this was a great, fast read with vampires that just mught keep you up at night.

Lymi...



Guest Post with Asa Bailey/The Vampire of Highgate Giveaway!

Today we sit down with author Asa Bailey to get a look at the folklore that inspried her new book, The Vampire of Highgate.

AND....one lucky winner will get their own finished copy of the book!

But first...the story behind the story, with Asa Bailey.

Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated with the bizarre the fantastic and of course the dark. When I was introduced to the legend of The Highgate Vampire I was inspired by how it was a modern dark legend, one that had taken hold on the internet and throughout it's life it had used the media to spread itself - like vampirism is - this legend itself is a virus. In the age of the Internet local folk lore can go viral and grow into something that previously was not possible.

I wanted to create a world not just a story, given the chance I had been given, to write a novel I wanted to expand on the mythology of the vampire and add to its world. When I dug deeper into the Highgate Vampire legend and the areas folk lore, I found that the stories of the undead walking in the Highgate area was not something new, in fact it went back further and further in time.

The area around Highgate woods was once a Roman burial ground and is known to be one of London's oldest mass grave sites. The area has inspired stores of ghosts vampires and demons for centuries. It's maybe one of the reasons that Bram Stocker visited it for inspiration for Dracula. I took the legend right back in time, tracing it to it's roots that lead me back to biblical times. Here's why.
With a cast of modern characters charged with digging up the legend of The Highgate Vampire, I wanted to use my creative license to connect the king of the vampires to the blood line of Christ - to create a whole new vampire mythology, to give readers a richer and alternative vampire world. In the World of Highgate the vampire started with Aliza drinking the blood of Jesus, he was given the power of immortality and in these early beginnings Aliza was in fact the leader of a new religion, the Vampires. But as the times passed and the opposed religions of Christianity and Islam rose up the vampires became hidden, down trodden even and this was the turning point in vampire history that sent them along the fork in the road, one towards anger, malice and eventually the evil we see in them today.

Obviously vampires are dark and sexy, but why. This was where my thinking began.

Best

Asa Bailey

http://highgatevampire.com

And now that you know how it all started it's time to win a copy of the book so you can see how it all ends! One lucky winner will get a finished copy of the book. All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This is open internationally!!

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