Dating The Undead by: Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe (Review)

Title: Dating The Undead

Author: Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

Publisher: Harlequin

Number of Pages: 160

Date of Release: December 27^th, 2011

Summary From Goodreads:

They're drop-dead handsome— and we're not kidding!

Welcome to the first and only guide devoted to loving the immortal man in all of his furry, feathery, fiery glory. Here is a forbidden-fruit salad of features, fiction, fashion, and more, including:

—Lipstick on His Collar

Is your immortal just a little bit…immoral?

—Angel in the Kitchen

Heavenly dishes that don' take an eternity to prepare

—A Kiss is not just a Kiss

Immortals we crave divulge their lip-smacking turn-ons

—Undead & Well-Read

What's hot between the covers this month

—A View from a Guy

Zombie Jack's turn

—Immorstrology

Our indispensable guide to heavenly bodies

Review: When I was first offered the opportunity to review this book, I was surprised I had never heard of it. On closer inspection I instantly knew I had to read it! At first glance Dating The Undead looks like a Cosmo magazine or a copy of Elle. In a way, a very twisted and sexy way it totally is just that. While Gena’s website say’s this novel is intended to look like a magazine, it is in fact a novel. So finding it hard to take your eyes off the cover? Ya me too…. But you have to because it just gets better inside!!

This is the part where I normally talk about characters, but there isn’t an MC here so I am modifying this. Dating The undead is full of articles by LG’s (Living Girls) with huge personalities that leap off the pages in the articles, advice columns and interviews. I was finding it hard to believe that there isn’t a whole world with paranormal creatures out their looking for love when I was reading! The article “Why Oh Why Do We Love Them” was super insightful into the reason, we fall in love with “bad boys”. It was also kind of funny to read and think oh that is why I am obsessed with Ash, Luc, Adrian, Jace, Gabe and Patch! The list could go on, but I had to keep it short, if you can name all the books that those guys are from, you know what I am talking about!!

Having read Dating The Undead I now am armed with all the information I need to find my perfect immortal man. The “Immortal Icebreakers Sure to Turn His Head” have given me a few conversation starters, my personal favorite being for an Angel; “Don’t mind me – I’m an astronomer checking out heavenly bodies.”. The novel also offers a glimpse into Gena’s first novel of her Lord of the Underworld series, which gives you the chance to decide if the series is something you should look into. For me after reading that chapter the answer is a definite yes.

There are also recipes in here for cocktails and foods that look heavenly in the pictures. Not to mention the beauty tips which made me smile. In the Otherworldly Astrology page, I learned that my best match would be an Angel, but I would do fine with Dragons or Weres. Apparently I have to avoid Zombies, because they don’t handle the truth very well. At least I have a pickup line though, I am all set to go out on the town to find my Angel, and will have to pick up DJ (DJ’s Life In Fiction) soon so we can go out to the club or should I say Dungeon!

Gena and Jill have created a witty novel that brings to life the immortals that we have read about adding a whole new side to our obsessions! I am desperately hoping there will be another installment!

Dating The Undead by: Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe (Feature)

I was recently offered the opportunity to review Dating The undead and instantly said yes. I mean how could I say no to something with a cover like that??? *drools*

Anyways, I was also offered the chance to share a few of the pages inside!!

This book is written like a magazine and is effortlessly hilarious. I mean I have no idea how they came up with such ads as "Recovergirl"!!

Here is the summary from Goodreads:

They're drop-dead handsome— and we're not kidding!

Welcome to the first and only guide devoted to loving the immortal man in all of his furry, feathery, fiery glory. Here is a forbidden-fruit salad of features, fiction, fashion, and more, including:
—Lipstick on His Collar
Is your immortal just a little bit…immoral?
—Angel in the Kitchen
Heavenly dishes that don' take an eternity to prepare
—A Kiss is not just a Kiss
Immortals we crave divulge their lip-smacking turn-ons
—Undead & Well-Read
What's hot between the covers this month
—A View from a Guy
Zombie Jack's turn
—Immorstrology
Our indispensable guide to heavenly bodies

Now that I have your interest here is a couple sneak peeks!!

 Dating The Undead is available now from Harlequin! Make sure you add it to your TBR lists! Also my review will go up tomorrow!

• Goodreads
• Jill Monroe's Website
• Gena's Website

Sundial Kindle Edition Exclusive!!

As many of you know from reading my review of Sundial, I loved the novel. From the breathtaking cover to the intricate plot Sundial captured my attention.

To go directly to Sundial's website head on over HERE!

OR

You can head on over and download Sundial to your e-reader or kindle app right now! Go HERE!

This special exclusive is only going on today so make sure you get on it and grab it!

To read my review head HERE!

Waiting on Wednesday #5

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 Darkness Before Dawn by: J.A. London, May 9th 2012, 

by HarperTeen

This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.

 Isn't the cover just gorgeous!! I love the flowing dress and contrast of dark and light tones. At first glimpse I think of Fallen by: Lauren Kate, but those covers were gorgeous and I love the direction this cover has taken with the summary. Now many people are sick of girls with dresses on covers of books, and you know what I don't care. As long as cover artists keep giving us such breathtaking images, I see nothing wrong with it. I love dystopian and vampires so Darkness Before Dawn is right up my alley! I can not wait to get my hands on it!

A Tale of Two Cities by: Charles Dickens (Review)

 Title: A Tale of Two Cities

 Author: Charles Dickens

 Date of Release: 1859
 Number of Pages: 489
 Summary:

'Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death; -- the last, much the easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!'

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.

Disclaimer: Well this review is a tad bit different from my others. I wrote this originally for extra credit and to fill my time in one of my classes. So in the review I am pretending to be a reviewer when the novel was first published!

Book Review for the Times of London.

The latest installment Dickens has added to his repertoire of novels is A Tale of Two Cities. The novel takes place in two cities London and France The Tension is thick in the opening scene and the air of mystery you could cut with a knife. As always the twist you won’t see coming and Dickens makes sure you shed a tear or two.

            The novel has a great flow and the amount of quality writing is very much appreciated. Their is a scene with a wine cask breaking that foreshadows the coming French Revolution and the blood that will be shed throughout the story. The last novel that Dickens wrote was a complete flop but this one was something I found to be a complete gem. Dickens left the reader guessing through most of the book, but it wasn’t annoying for he added incredible imagery describing events and scenery.  the foreshadowing made me have so many questions and my answers were time after time incorrect.

Sydney Carton was my favorite character. In the beginning I didn’t enjoy reading about him. At the end though and I guess I could say the middle as well where he really grew as a character. I haven’t yet read or met a more dynamic  character like Sydney that was this heroic in Dickens's writing yet.Charles Dickens did more character development with Sydney in two lines than most authors ever are able to pull off in a whole book.

Dickens tended to be a bit of a drama queen at parts and I found myself doing many mental eye rolls. I really did not like Darnay and Lucie. They stayed static and flat (Packet 11). Their is no change, and I honestly have no idea how anyone could think Darnay was a protagonist (Packet 65). I would have like to see more relationships grow. Also to help that out and in general, I needed more dialogue. While there was some present the use of extra would have held my attention even more. It was evident that Jerry Cruncher was supposed to be funny and he was, but as a woman and man making his wife cower in fear is no laughing matter.

Overall Dickens has created another timeless classic for his readers. I think you will find this historical novel surpasses the last one by the height of a mountain. The vocabulary and language of the novel will be great to use to impress the others at the next opera or ball. On your next trip in to the shops skip the cigars and ribbons and pick up A Tale of Two Cities.

In My Mailbox #53

In My Mailbox or otherwise known as IMM was inspired by Alea and hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, one of my favorite book blogs out there and Kristi is very helpful!



For Review: 

• Dating The Undead by: Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe
• Collision by: Stefne Miller 
• Legions by: Karice Bolton

Bought: 

• Angel Fire by: L.A. Weatherly 
• Reckoning by: Lili St. Crow

What did you get? 

Moonlight On Rachel Deagan (Interview) (Giveaway)

Rachel Deagan is the author of Caged Moon a YA paranormal tale with werewolves! I am thrilled to have her here, and can't wait to see what she will do with her writing next! 

When did your fascination of werewolves start and did that motivate you to write Caged Moon?

I think my first real interest in werewolves started after I watched American Werewolf In London as a kid. I found it fascinating and then started to read books that carried that theme such as Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf, and then later Annette Klause’s Blood and Chocolate. I think I’ve seen just about every werewolf movie there is at this point.

Werewolves have always been a passion of mine and I knew for a long time that I wanted to write a book around the topic. So when I finally got to the point of writing a novel, I just knew, and everything around it fell into place.

If you could travel in time and go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would go back about two and half years to a small town on the East Coast where I met the love of my life, and this time, I would make the moment last forever.

Yes, I’m a hopeless romantic. I think that carries through in my writing as well.

What was your writing process like for Caged Moon?

Caged Moon, in its entirety, took over 3 years to get to the publishing stage.  When I started it, my life was in a very upside down place. As such, there was a lot of ‘stop and go’ when it came to writing it in order for the chaos in my real life to fit in. But it was always my goal. It was something I had to do for myself, and so I pushed forward. After quite a big break at one point, I ended up re-writing almost the entire book before the final edits that brought it to where it is today. I think after the break, I found myself in a different life place and thus saw the book differently. I believe it made Caged Moon a much stronger read.

Why do you think young adult paranormal books are so popular right now?

I can’t speak for everyone, but I think there’s always been a big fascination with the paranormal. The difference is in the level that the Young Adult genre has become open to accept. When I was a young adult I remember a lot of ‘accepted literature’ being much more muted down and ‘childish’ in its approach as a whole. With the lines of young adult fiction and adult fiction starting to cross, Young Adult Readers now have the opportunity to really delve into these fantastical universes and situations that may have been deemed too ‘edgy’ years ago.  Of course younger readers are going to jump at that.

Where do you want your writing to take you?

Writing isn’t just something I like to do or want to turn into a career, writing is who I am.  Even if I never sold a single book, I would still write them.  It makes me happy and gives me a sense of fulfillment.  Of course, having a career involved with that kind of fulfillment would be wonderful.  Is it a dream, a goal? Yes.

Is there going to be a sequel to Caged Moon?

As of now, Caged Moon is a stand-alone book. I do have a tentative outline for a sequel, but it’s on the back burner. I’m working on a new universe at the moment that I’ve fallen in love with. This time, there are no werewolves, but it is another YA Paranormal with a hint of sci-fi. I can see this one having a sequel or two. The working title right now is, “The Star Children.”

What are five random facts about yourself?

Hm. Tough one.

1.       I love rats. I have two who are like dogs to me. Sam and Arty.
2.       I love writing in role playing games and am involved in one where I play/write a bad boy fallen angel named Nick.
3.       I’m a single mom, with two sons.
4.       I love to sing and took classical voice lessons in college.
5.       I’d rather be reading, writing, or watching a movie at home than going out.

Summary:
Haunted by an animal attack, seventeen year old Charlotte feels she is being followed. When she runs into a mysterious boy while camping, she’s afraid. Nothing seems right about him. Despite trying to stay away, there is an unmistakable draw to be near him. Even his scent smells familiar. But the closer she gets, the faster the secrets begin to unravel. Not only is he not human, he may have a link to her past. When Charlotte finds out someone wants her dead, she is torn between love and fear. Can she trust him to keep her safe?

Links:

• Follow Rachel on Twitter: @racheldeagan
• Rachel's Facebook 
• Rachel's Blog 
• Goodreads
• Caged Moon on Amazon

Giveaway:

 I am giving away one paperback copy from amazon and two kindle copies.  Entering is easy! Giveaway is closed on the 25th at 12am EST. Winners will be notified and announced.

• First to get an entry you must have commented on this post. (Include name, e-mail)
• To receive extra entries tweet about the giveaway or follow/comment on any of Rachel's links given above. To get credit you must link me to them. 

MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT EVERY STOP!! 

 

 

YA-Aholics - Februrary 15th (book review/interview)

Diary Of A Book Addict - February 16th (review/character interview)

Reviewing Shelf - February 17th (Giveaway/interview)

Moonlight Book Reviews - February 18th (interview)

Read Between The Lines - February 19th (book review)

Penny's Tales - February 20th (interview)

In Between Reading And Writing - February 21st (book review)

YA Books: Beyond The Cover - February 22 (book review)

A Tale Of Many Reviews - February 23rd (short excerpt)

Lovey Dovey Books - February 24th (interview/short excerpt)

Paranormal Reads Reviews - February 25th (book review)

*If you are interested in becoming a part of the tour, please email shiverfae1@yahoo.com