Review: Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram & Interview w/Kelly!

Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 29/6/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Action, Romance
Synopsis via Goodreads:

Ellie’s sweet sixteen is a summer of firsts. First car. First kiss. First boyfriend. First serial-killing stalker?

Hockey-obsessed tomboy Eleanor Westley has never been the object of a guy’s affection before. So when the hottest boy she’s ever seen moves in across the street and starts treating her like she’s the center of his universe, naturally she’s going to be a little skeptical. But everything starts to make sense when girls who look just like Ellie start dying all around the city. Obviously the new guy is the killer, and of course he only likes her because he wants to slice her into tiny pieces. Right?

The more Ellie gets to know Seth the more she’s convinced he’s a psychopathic killer. The problem is he’s the sweetest psychopathic killer she’s ever met. Not to mention he’s brutally hot. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t help but fall for him. Will Ellie find true love, or will her summer of firsts turn out to be a summer of lasts?

Motivation to Read It: Kelly contacted me asking if I would like to read it, and being that I'd heard how good Being Jamie Baker was, I was all for it!

Review: This novel was ahmazing! As soon as possible, I'm going to get a copy of Being Jamie Baker to indulge in.

Ellie was a really great character; she's a complete tomboy to the core -- the absolute opposite of her older sister Angela. She was known for punching people and being a seriously good hockey player. Seth has just moved in across the street, and for him it's love at first sight when he sees Ellie. His timing for moving in, however, is not exactly making everything between them honky-dory. Especially when you add in the creepy things he says sometimes. Yeah, kinda scary.

The plot was really great! It sucked me in from the beginning and just wouldn't let go of me. I wasn't really able to predict anything with this book, which I really liked. It's one of those where you think the characters will do one thing, and they do the complete opposite. I have to say, when they revealed who the killer was, I had a hunch that it was going to be that person, but even still, it wasn't just a "I'm totally sure" hunch. The novel keeps you guessing until the end.

The romance that Oram mixed in with everything was really good, too. You had the annoying guy that needs to stop being a player, the guy that was a good friend and somehow ended up trying to get her a girlfriend. In the middle of her sister trying to play matchmaker, Ellie is constantly drawn to Seth. Even while she's worrying that he's going to kill her as soon as he can, she can't help but be fascinated by him at the same time.

The characters were really just spectacular. They all had really defined personalities, and none of them were cliche to me in the least. I think my favorite charrie might'be been Seth, but Ellie wouldn't be too far behind. Seth was just so determined to prove to Ellie that she shouldn't be scared of him, and he was always trying to make her trust him and protect her. That's what I loved the most: him wanting to keep her safe so bad. He totally deserves an award for that.

Overall, get this book. It's amazing, and I'm really glad I had the chance to read it! I'll definitely be on the lookout for Oram's next novel, V is for Virgin.

Shelf-Worthy

___________________________

Help me give a big warm Butterfly welcome to Kelly Oram!!!

Q: What gave you the idea for Serial Hottie?
A: Honestly I can’t remember what first made me think “serial killer.” It was more the tone of the book that I set out to write. I wanted to do something a little offbeat and funny. I was also in love with the idea of that “one crazy summer.”


I’d read so many YA novels that had all the same scenes—new town, new high school, mean girls, cafeterias, lockers, lab partners… (I’d even just written one of those in Being Jamie Baker.) I wanted something totally different, with not a single scene that took place at school. That meant summer break. Summer breaks when I was in high school meant running around the neighborhood unsupervised, playing street hockey, and spying on hot boys with my best friend The next thing I knew New Hot Boy lived across the street and had a definite mystery too him. (Ellie totally gets her overly active imagination from me.) The plot then grew from there.

Q: What's your favorite part about being an author?
A: Being able to tell stories! I always have so many ideas floating around in my brain. I love being able to make all those crazy ideas and daydreams come to life. Even when I thought no one would ever read my stories but me, I still wrote them. I will always write them. I need the creative outlet.

Q: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
A: I am a reading addict! I probably read one-two books a week on average. I’m a sucker for YA. (Sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, you name it.) The more romance the better! Aside from that my life is pretty much consumed with my children. I have four of them and I love the little monsters to pieces!

Q: What are some of your favorite authors of all-time?
A: Meg Cabot for sure tops my list, with Jennifer L. Armentrout coming in a close second. Meg & Jennifer = Love! I’m also a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, Scott Westerfield, Simone Elkeles, Sarah Dessen, John Green, and now Josephine Angelini.

((I must interrupt my own interview to try to tell you how happy this makes me that I've found another John Green fan. *swoons* I love his work. SO much. You cannot believe. I can't even explain. Okay, back to the questions.))

Q: What would you say is the best book you've read so far this year?
A: I absolutely fell in love with Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed and Dreamless this year. These books are so wonderful I could gush all day. They’re a modern spin on the Helen of Troy mythology. Awesome characters, great writing, super fun story, exciting, and home of my newest YA crush. *Cheers for Team Orion!*

Q: What advice would you give people who are aspiring to be an author?
A: READ! Anything and everything you can get your hands on. Reading other’s work is honestly the best tool you have in improving your own writing. Also, that very first manuscript is the hardest one to finish. If you’re having trouble completing it, forget your delete key exists. Disable it if you have to. Just get the book finished first and then go back and worry about rewriting.

Q: Just for the fun of knowing, do you prefer your chicken grilled or fried?
A: Grilled on the BBQ. Dark meat. Mmm, now I’m hungry.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming work, V is for Virgin? When can we expect to see it on the shelves?
A: V Is For Virgin is about a girl who gets dumped for her decision to stay virgin until she’s married. After a bit of a public breakdown, she gets tired of the ridicule and decides to start a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. The controversy catches the entire nation’s attention when a famous rock star learns about Valerie and decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge. Good times.

Hopefully this book sparks a little bit of thought from those who read it. It’s about knowing who you are, making choices for yourself, and standing up to peer pressure. (In a fun, sexy, getting-chased-by-hot-rockstars kind of way…)

I think it’s a little more risqué than my first two books, (with the subject matter being sex, that was sort of inevitable) but it’s still relatively clean. Hopefully people really enjoy it because I had a lot of fun with it, and am very proud of it.

I should have a cover to share soon. I saw the mock-up recently and totally love it, and I’m working on getting a short teaser posted on my blog in a few days.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your books?
A: Well, I try to keep my blog updated. The website is www.kellyoram.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter. And I am hopelessly addicted to Goodreads, so you can always find out what I’m up to on there. (I love friends!)


Thanks, Kelly, for stopping by! It's been fun getting to know you a little :D

Review: Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman

Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman
77 pages, eARC (PDF file)
Finished on 22/6/2012
Genres: Self-Help, Motivational
Synopsis via GoodReads:

Target big dreams and build a plan to achieve them! You've got one life, one shot, and all the power to make it happen. Get ready to dream big and live big. It's all up to you. And it starts now.

Total Blueprint for World Domination (17,000 words) is a powerful life-planning book for teens that will inspire. The book lets readers:
*Explore hidden passions and find direction.
*Create heart-pounding, toe-tingling goals.
*Recruit an army for support.
*Design a dream world and make it happen.
*Achieve world domination step-by-step.

Full of tips and tricks for tackling life's challenges, Total Blueprint for World Domination is a book that will motivate readers to take their life to the next level.

Anything is possible. And anything is possible for you. Believe it. Total Blueprint for World Domination takes you from this very second to your greatest dreams. So, are you ready?

Motivation to Read It: Jolene asked me to read and review this for her, and I was all for it.

Review: From the title, you might think that this book is science fiction; quite the contrary, it's a motivational book here to help you create the perfect world for yourself! Stockman guides you through discovering what makes you happy, how to incorporate these things into your perfect world, and what all you have to do to get there!

I really liked this book. Just from reading it, I changed a few things that I do on a regular basis. In the neat future, I'm going to use this to create my own world domination blueprint. Stockman keeps readers  motivated throughout the entire novel, which I really loved. She has broken the process into stages where you take a look at different parts of your blueprint and there are a few stages where you learn to change/apply things, like relaxing and procrastination. She has really changed how I operate, so to speak.

I recommend this book to anyone that wants to take control of their life.

Shelf-Worthy
(Rating System)

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire (SPOILERS!)

This review has huge spoilers (which I apologize for), so if you haven't read it yet, you might just want to peek at the last paragraph and the rating.
_______________________________________

Hourglass (Hourglass, #1) by Myra McEntire
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished on 17/6/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Romance
Synopsis via GoodReads:

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Motivation to Read It: When it came out everyone was buzzing about it, and I saw it at the library and really wanted to catch up. It worked in my favor, because Timepiece came out while I was reading it.

Review: This novel was absolutely wonderful. Between this and Shatter Me I'm honestly not sure which one I loved more.

Emerson was almost a completely normal girl. She could see people from the past; she'd been institutionalized and put on serious meds (which she stopped taking). Her brother Thomas has been trying to find someone who can help Emerson; like, actually help her and not just be another poser. Being that no one has been successful yet, Emerson isn't expecting Michael to be of much help. However, the fact that he works for an actual group sparks Em's curiousity.

The powers, if you will, that the characters have are really unique so that definitely eaerned awesomeness points. I mean, time travel is one of those topics that hasn't been thoroughly explored yet and still has tons of potential. I also liked how not everyone had time-traveling abilities (Cat, for instance). The powers, if nothing else, kept me interested throughout the entire novel.

But of course, there was something else. In this case it was most definitely the characters. I fell head over heels for Michael. It isn't often I have a book boy crush, but he's definitely one of them. Even though there was the no-dating rule with the Hourglass and Thomas, he couldn't help his feelings for Emerson, and she obviously couldn't help how she felt about him either. When Michael died I was so depressed; all I could think was "Why did this have to happen? While they were in the past of all times!" It hit me pretty hard because I had fallen in love with Michael as well. I think I might've been happier than Emerson once she got him back.

Hourglass was seriously amazing. Spectacular. Marvelous. Wonderful. Fabulous, fantastic, magnificent. I loved it beyond words. It would make me so happy if everyone could just see the beauty of the story from the cover, or have some sort of intuition that told them they just had to read it. 'Cuz they really do.

Look out for a review of Timepiece soon!

Shelf-Worthy
(Rating System)

Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Always a Witch (Witch, #2)

By Carolyn MacCullough

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011

288 pages, Kindle Edition (eARC)

Date Finished: 10/10/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Some Action, Fantasy, Romance, Coming of Age

Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "I was born on the night of Samhain."
~Last Line: "Looking back at her, I smile, close my eye in her trademark wink, and say, 'ah.' "

Review: The second installment in the Witch series was absolutely amazing! I definitely think it was better than Once a Witch, which baffles me because I loved the series debut as well! If you stull haven't read this series, I encourage you to! They're fun reads, and, once you get sucked into the plot, the pages will fly by quickly. :)

The main character, Tamsin, did a little time-traveling in Once a Witch, but in Always she goes all out. Gabriel wasn't too happy that he was purposely left out of the loop, but I haven't figured out if it would be for the better or worse that he showed up. A little of both I suppose.

Anyway, I loved this plot. The first few pages pulled me right in, and I was reluctant to do anything besides read this book. Tamsin was always in the middle of something, as if going back in time before her family was in Hedgerow wasn't enough trouble already. But I must say, the things she got herself into were very interesting!

The characters were even better as well. I'm not sure who was better, Gabriel or Tamsin. They're probably tied. Tamsin wants to handle things on her own, but Gabriel is the caring boyfriend that won't let her. Rowena was still a selfish bleep but would you expect?

Overall, this book was ahmazing. The last chapter or so was really great. Tamsin finally made that giant decision that her grandmother foretold. I'm astonished at the choice she made, but proud of her for it. I hope Carolyn MacCullough delivers another book in this series soon! :D

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 4.5
Cover Rating: 4
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and five-eighths :)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books, 2009

443 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 30/8/2011

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adult, Romance

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Mae Mobley was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960."
~Last Line: "Cause just last night I thought I was finished with everything new."

Review: I first hear that this book was really good from my teachers last year. Then I heard about the movie, which I still haven't been to see :(. But anyway, I'm glad I finally read it!

We have three main characters: Minny and Aibileen, who are African American maids, and Skeeter, an aspiring writer. I'm really not sure which one is my favorite charrie. They're all so well written. Every time I finsihed a chapter, I felt like I just lived through everything the characters did.

The plot of this book was really good, too. I loved how Aibileen expressed her love fror Mae Mobley (her employer's daughter). She was always trying to teach her the right things, and not to judge anyone on how they look or the colour of their skin. I wished that there were more of her in the book.

Minny, oh, Minny. I loved her character so so much. She didn't take crao from anybody. Well, except her husband sometimes, I think. But that would've been the only time. Sad to say, the only way Leroy would stop beating on her was if she was pregnant. But anyhoo, she doesn't let people into her life very often, so when she does, you should consider yourself very privileged to be one of her most trustworthy friends.

Miss Skeeter was kind of simple to me, but in a good way. She was a simple girl who wanted to be educated and do something big. I think she accomplished her goal. Skeeter doesn't like the way the maids are being treated by their employers, two of which being her best friends. But what can she say? They don't work for her, and people would talk if they knew she was taking their side. And that could be dangerous.

So in the end, she writes a book with 12 maids that live in JAckson, Mississippi. In secret, of course. But soon everyone was saying the book was amazing and funny, and it was even on their local talk show. I really would've liked to be able to read Skeeter's book. Especially the story about Hilly :).

Overall, The Help is a great book. I'm super-anxious for the movie to come out on DVD so that I can indulge myself in it!

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and three-fourths :)

Paradise 21 by Aubrie Dionne

Paradise 21 (New Dawn, #1)

By Aubrie Dionne

Publisher: Entangled, 2011

228 pages, eARC (PDF file)

Date Finished: 26/8/2011

Genres: Adult, Action, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy, Futuristic

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind's last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew-a planet that won't be reached in Aries' lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.
But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates-humans who escaped Earth before its demise-are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet's native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Aries sped through space in her escape pod as if she fled the event horizon of a dying star."
~Last Line: "She had never felt more loved or more free."

Review: This book was first introduced to me when I was asked to participate in a tour for it. I must say that even though this review is very late, it wasn't a waste of time!

The main character, Aries, is part of the ship colony New Daqwn. They've been traveling since Earth was destroyed by radiation, among other things. Their mission is to get  to Paradise 21, a planet that would be able to sustain life for quite a while. Back to Aries: she hates the way the people o the New Dawn decide her whole life for her, so she escapes and runs away.

She meets Striker, an exile, on a desert-like planet. Together, they find the missing piece to an alien ship that can take them to a different planet, and, of course, they fall in love along the way.

The plot for this book was really good, but it was kind of familiar: the female lives in a utopian future and doesn't like her future being chosen for her. It was kind of sad that I could guess that part of the plot, but it was overrided by the fact that it wasn't really close to anything else that I'd read. I love how there's supposed to be this ultimate planet that they have to get to. There was just so much other stuff in the book that I loved that I'm not even about to try to start a whole list :)

The characters were pretty cool. I liked Striker the best. He was trying to take care of Aries from the beginning, even before he could see her. His going back to save her (twice at that) was really an act of caring and nice-ness (and later love). But you get the point, right? :D

LOL. Loved this book! End of story. Just go buy it already:)

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and three-fourths :)

Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

Tower of Parlen Min (Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin, #1)

By Matt Xell

Publisher: self publ'd, 2011

345 pages, Kindle Edition (ARC)

Date Finished: 30/9/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Action, Coming of Age, Romance, Fantasy

Ves Asirin, an orphaned and introverted boy with a complicated memory loss disorder, wins a trip to the Tower of Parlen Min, the home of the wealthiest inventor of the time, Jacobius Trent. There, with 19 other children, he must compete in the Sword Challenge; a series of intricate puzzles and daring tasks, for a prize of $12 million. As dazzling, glorious and liberating as the Tower seems to be for him, Ves finds that it keeps a dark and secret history that he has been unknowingly connected to for over 150 years, a secret that will define his future and destiny ... if he can escape The Shadow: a powerful and seemingly unstoppable, supernatural serial killer.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "There are many seemingly unending roads i the world of Everlon, and it is said that if you do not know where you are going, what you are looking for or why you are looking for it, you will wander these roads forever."
~Last Line: " 'That is a good thing . . . for the Lord knows we'll need him now more than ever.' "

Review: I'm really glad that I agreed to participate in this book tour! Tower of Parlen Min is truly an excellent book.

The main character, Ves Asirin, has a memory disorder. Every 10-15 hours, he forgets all of what's happened in that time period. The only way for him to remind himself of things is by drawwing pictures in his valued scrapbook. Or to cut himself on his arm or hand. Then, because of another child's misbehavior, Ves is chosen to as the one person from his orphange to visit the Tower of Parlen Min, the home of a very waealthy  and well-known man. Adventures await behind practically every corner for Ves.

The plot. Oh, the plot. It's definitely original. The book aautomatically pulled me in, and every time I'd start reading it, I wouldn't be able to put it down. There were lots of things, like Canids, that were new and interesting. No werewolves, no vampires; there were witches, but they weren't the main focus of the book, which I really liked.

It's hard to give parts of the plot that I liked because I don't want to give away any of the book. . . . Let's just say that there was a LOT of action near the end. It kind of gets a little, for lack of a better word, depressing. Everyone ..... *starts mumbling* ..... and it was just so frustrating! :) However, I can say that I was nowhere near guessing that what actually happened would happen.

The characters were really awesome, too. I've never read about anyone in Ves's situation. That was completely new for me, but I enjoyed it. It brought something different to the table. Ves in general was just an awesome charrie. He was always keeping to himself unless it just wasn't possible. His quick reaction to help people when they were in trouble was just so amazing. I loved it. Definitely my favorite character of them all.

I also enjoyed Vikey as a character. She practically fell head over heels for Ves if you ask me. But it was adorable all the same. Her jealousy of Tammi was something that I could unquestionably relate to. The last time we see Vikey before shes goes away was just too romantic. I cried so hard. Gawsh. I think that was the best part of the whole book.

Last, but not least, my favorite characters include the Wiccan Miss Tammi. She's Ves's love interest, and the one that Vikey is oh-so jealous of. Tammi has deep blue eyes (which I would LOVE to have), and can't touch glass, or it breaks. She helps Ves learn about his powers a little. She was such a nice person, and you couldn't help but at least like her. I'm pretty sure she was in everyone's good graces at the Tower.

All in all, gosh... I'm so anxious for the second book that I can't even talk about it. LOL! Honestly, this is a fabulous book, and I recommend it to all. If anyone's looking for a new series, check it out :p

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 4
Cover Reading: 4.5
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and five-eighths :)

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard & Interview w/Meredith!!!!

Her Dear and Loving Husband (Loving Husband trilogy, #1)
By Meredith Allard
Publisher: Copperfield Press, 2011
262 pages, eARC (PDF file)
Date Finished: 15/7/2011
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Fantasy

How long would you wait for the one you loved?

Her Dear & Loving Husband, the new novel from Meredith Allard, is part literary fiction, part historical fiction, part romance, and part paranormal fantasy. With elements of Twilight and The Crucible, Her Dear & Loving Husband is a story for anyone who believes that true love never dies.

James Wentworth has a secret. He lives quietly in Salem, Massachusetts, making few ties anywhere. One night his private world is turned upside down when he meets Sarah Alexander, a dead ringer for his wife, Elizabeth. Though it has been years since Elizabeth's death, James cannot move on.

Sarah also has a secret. She is haunted by nightmares about the Salem Witch Trials, and every night she is awakened by visions of hangings, being arrested, and dying in jail. Despite the obstacles of their secrets, James and Sarah fall in love. As James comes to terms with his feelings for Sarah, he must dodge accusations from a reporter desperate to prove that James is not who, or what, he seems to be. With the help of their friends, witches Jennifer and Olivia, James and Sarah piece their stories together and discover a mystery that may bind them in ways they never imagined. Will James make the ultimate sacrifice to protect Sarah and prevent a new hunt from bringing hysteria to Salem again?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "I am looking lovingly in to the eyes of a man, though I cannot see his face because it is featureless, like a blank slate."
~Last Line: "Some things never change."

Review: Her Dear and Loving Husband was a really awesome book! The first few chapters took a minute for me to get into, but as I got farther along I didn't want to put my Kindle down! Meredith Allard is one name I'll be on the lookout for!

Our main character, Sarah Alexander, is a young woman just divorced and new to Salem, Massachusetts, historical real-life setting of the Salem Witch Trials from three centuries earlier. Then add in James Wentworth, the the 30-something college professor with a secret. Together, the two are the most romantic couple, and they can't be spereated by anyone or anything.

The plot was most definitely original. I'd never read about something like this before. I love how the book included soo much history from the Salem Witch Trials. It was kind of like a history lesson mixed into a really awesome novel. Between the plot and the history alone, I wasn't able to put the book down!

The characters were super-awesome as well. Sarah and James were my ultimate favorites, of course, but I also loved James's "family" friend Jennifer. Jennifer is definitely the sarcastic one! In the two quotes below, she's present and she's the reason why I loved those scenes in the book.

There's so many great things about this series debut . . . Wow! I can't say all I want to, sadly, because then I'd have to give this review a ginormous spoiler alert. LOL. But I definitely recommend the book! :D

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 4.5
Cover Rating: 4


Overall Rating:
and three-eighths :)

Quotes from the book:

" 'Do you think we should put some sunblack on him?'
'Sure, Mom. You have any SPF 400 laying around?' "

Sarah pulled a medical bag from the refrigerator. She sliced open the top with a knife she found in a drawer, pulled a stryofoam cup from the cupboard, poured the red liquid into the cup, and put it in the microwave.
'That doesn't gross you out?' Jennifer asked.
'It's what he drinks.'
'You really are the right girl for him.' "

__________________________________________________________________

And now, I have an interview with Ms. Meredith Allard! Help me give her a warm Butterfly welcome! :p

1. What made you want to be an author?
For whatever reason, writing always came easier for me than it seemed to for other people I knew. Teachers were always using my writing as an example for the class, and then when I was in high school one of my English teachers suggested I choose a career where I could use my writing skills—perhaps something like journalism. I took one journalism class and realized that was not the route for me—too formal and structured for my taste—but I still loved to write. I was an English major in college, and when we read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens the bells and whistles went off and I realized that’s what I wanted to do—write novels.

2. Did you love to read as a child growing up?
Absolutely. Books were a great escape for me when I was younger. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, and often my school librarians knew me by name. My favorites were The Little House on the Prairie series, and anything by Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary. I still smile when I remember reading The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Shel Silverstein’s poetry for the first time. I remember reading Roots by Alex Haley when I was in third grade.

3. What are some of your favorite hobbies when you're not writing?
The truth is, most of my free time is spent writing. As crazy as it is, writing really is my favorite thing in the world to do. But I do have other interests! I love taking dance classes such as belly dancing, Zumba, and Polynesian dance. I enjoy yoga. Sometimes I scrapbook. I still read everything I can get my hands on. I like to cook, and I enjoy listening to music and watching movies.

4. How did you come up with the idea for Her Dear and Loving Husband?
After I had read a few vampire books, it occurred to me that, though vampires live forever, the people they love would have died at some point. How would vampires deal with that? Would they mourn their dearly departed for centuries? Would they forget and move on? I started seeing scenes of a vampire finding a woman who looked like his dead wife, and then I wondered what would happen to them because of that resemblance. At first, I didn’t realize there was enough there for a novel. Like most storytellers, crazy ideas just spring up out of nowhere for me sometimes, and usually I dismiss the crazy ideas and they go away. But this one wouldn’t leave. I fell asleep at night and woke up in the morning thinking about it. Finally, after about six months, I decided to see if there was anything to this idea about the vampire and his wife and I started writing out the story.

The idea for the heart of the novel came about when I decided to set the story in Salem, Massachusetts. I didn’t originally intend to have any historical fiction in the story, but once I chose Salem as the setting I had to incorporate the Salem Witch Trials somehow. I’m glad I did because the historical context gives the story meaning and depth in a way I didn’t originally intend, and a lot of readers have said that the history is their favorite part of the book.

5. What can we expect from you in the next couple of years bookwise?
Her Dear & Loving Husband is book one of the Loving Husband Trilogy, so right now I’m working on book 2, Her Loving Husband’s Curse. After that is book 3, so I’m going to be busy telling James and Sarah’s story for the next two or three years.

6. Do you like to sing and/or dance?
I do love to dance! As I said for question 3, I love belly dancing, Zumba, and Polynesian dance classes. And I didn’t realize until I was in my thirties that I had some talent for dance. I always assumed that I couldn’t dance—I don’t know why, I just thought that since I was a teacher and a writer I couldn’t dance. Doesn’t even make sense, right? Then one day a few years ago I saw a belly dancing class going on in the gym while I was on the treadmill. The dance class looked a lot more fun than the treadmill, so I took the class and I realized I could learn the moves and follow the routines fairly easily. Now I love to go to dance class. Just goes to show—we should all be willing to try new things because you never know when you’ll find something you connect with.

7. How can my followers and I keep up with you and your books?
The easiest way is to follow my website at http://www.meredithallard.com/. I keep the website up to date with the latest information about my books. Purchasing information is available there as well.


Thanks for coming by the blog, Meredith! :D

Make sure you come back tomorrow for a guest post by Meredith herself!! :D

The 19 Dragons by SM Reine

You'll see in this review, and in tomorrow's, that I'm starting a new rating system. The book's final rating will depend on the Plot, Character, Cover, and whatever rating I put on GoodReads :).

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The 19 Dragons

By SM Reine

Publisher: ?, 2011

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 3/7/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Some Action, Romance

There are nineteen provinces in the Land held aloft by nineteen pillars. Above the earth there is sky, and nobody knows what goes below except the Nineteen Dragons.

That is all you need to know, but that is not all there is to be known.

The Device has been stolen and the godlike Dragons have been rendered mortal. Someone is murdering them one by one, and each death brings the world closer to its end. Unless the Device is somehow restored to its deceased owner, the Dragons are doomed to destruction-- and the human world will go with them.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "There are nineteen provinces in the Land held aloft by nineteen pillars."
~Last Line: "What a world."

Review: I was super-excited when SM Reine asked me to read this. It was the first steampunk book I've ever read, and I absolutely loved it! I still have to read her novel, Six Moon Summer, but expect a review of it before July is over :).

The plot of The 19 Dragons was amazing! It was a concept that I'd never heard of before. I liked how each dragon was the symbol for one of nineteen provinces. When a dragon died, a province disappeared into some crazy air space. Even though it's only a novella, I wish it woud've been longer, or had a sequel on the way!

The characters in The 19 Dragons had good detail. They told us about each dragon I believe. I think there may have been one they didn't "visit," but I think SM got all of them. They all have different personalities for sure! But the different personalities make the 148-paged novella what it is.

And, of course, there's romance. Some of the romances we only got to hear about, but the romance between the Second Dragon and the Nineteenth/Fifth Dragon was the one that you actually got to "live" in a way. But it was all cool-cools. That didn't slow the story down not one bit!

Really, this novella was marvelous! I will have to put Six Moon Summer on my Kindle soon so that I can start it! :D

Plot Rating: 4.5
Character Rating: 4
Cover Rating: 5
GoodReads Rating: 5


Overall Rating:
 and two-thirds :)

Wild Child by Mike Wells & Interview w/Mike Wells & A SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

Sad to say, this is the last post of my blogoversary celebration *crowd boos*. Calm yourselves, please! Luckily, this post is extra extra extra special because I will be opening my anniversary giveaway!!!!!!!!! You'll find all that info at the bottom of the post, but you better not skip! The wonderful Mike Wells and his novel Wild Child have made a stop at Butterfly Feet!!!! :D
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Wild Child

By Mike Wells

Publisher: Self-publ'd via Smashwords, 2011

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 16/6/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Some Adventure, Romance

Briana Fox is the wildest girl in school. She and Kyle have been close for a long time...almost lovers. Kyle is afraid that if he pushes her, he'll have his heart broken and lose his best friend. When Briana discovers a mysterious "power drug" in a cave, two government agents are desperate to find the source and turn Briana into a human experiment. Will Kyle risk everything to protect his love?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: " 'Let's swim over to the cliffs,' Briana said."
~Last Line: "And then he would walk."

Review: Wild Child was super intriguing. It was pretty short in my opinion, but I'm still glad that Mike contacted me with a review request. Thanks, Mike! :)

Our main character, Kyle, is out on any other day with his best friend Briana at the lake using his dad's boat. While swimming out in the lake, Briana gets run over by a speedboat. She would have died, but somehow she found her way to an underwater cave that held some weird green healing water. The craziness starts here.

The characters in Wild Child were pretty good. They didn't go into great detail, but being that the book wasn't that long, it wasn't a problem. The plot was original. I've never read anything like it' mystical green water that makes you feel wonderful and then wears off? Surely you haven't heard of that before. Mike definitely has a creative and vivid imagination.

Wild Child was awesome, and the ending is/was like no other. You'll be surprised at how the novel suddenly comes to an end. There are so many possibilities at what could've happened! I think you should definitely take the time to read this novel. :)

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And now for the interview with Mr. Mike Wells!!!! Let's all give him a giant Butterfly Feet welcome :P

1. What made you want to start writing?
I suppose I started writing fiction because I think it is fun. You get to go on adventures with your main character and experience everything he or she is experiencing just as if it’s happening to you. Each imaginary journey changes you, too. Psychologists say that the unconscious mind cannot tell the different between reality and whatever you dream or imagine in your mind—the effect on you is still the same. So due my fiction writing, I’ve had quite an interesting life! I’ve been chased across Moscow by the Russian Mafia (Lust, Money & Murder), I’ve rolled underneath a moving freight train and lived to tell about it (The Wrong Side of the Tracks), and I’ve lost my physical body and turned into pure consciousness (A Gift from the Stars). Pretty cool, huh?

2. What was the idea behind Wild Child?
Two teenagers discover a magical “power drug” in a cave that gives people superhuman abilities...but soon the government finds out about it and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.

3. Can we expect any other works from you in the next few years?
You can expect tons of works from me in the next few years—a sequel to Wild Child, sequels to other books, and more brand new books. Almost all I do right now is write. When I’m not writing, I’m promoting what I write.

4. What are some of your hobbies when you’re not writing?
I love the outdoors and spend lots of time biking, swimming, running, and that sort of thing. I like to stay in shape. Writing is a very sedentary activity!

5. Who are your top three favorite authors?
A difficult question. I’d have to say Thomas Hardy, Sidney Sheldon, and Rod Serling. Serling was a screenwriter mainly, creator of Twilight Zone and wrote most episodes, but had a fantastic imagination and was a phenomenal storyteller.

6. What’s your favorite food on the whole planet?
Sushi. I make it myself now, an Asian friend taught me how.

7. Do you like the word “rendezvous”?
Yes, I like that word because it puts a special spin on the general idea of meeting someone. In writing, you want to use as specific a word as possible in every instance (most of the time). Doing that makes all the difference. For example, if I write, “The meeting took place at midnight” it doesn’t have the same impact as “The rendezvous took place at midnight.” Rendezvous implies something clandestine and a little mysterious, whereas meeting is general and rather flat. When I finish the first draft of a novel, the first thing I do is go through it and replace any general words with more specific ones wherever I think it improves the writing.

8. How can my followers and I keep up with you?
The name I always use is MikeWellsAuthor:

http://www.twitter.com/MikeWellsAuthor
http://www.facebook.com/MikeWellsAuthor
http://www.goodreads.com/MikeWellsAuthor

Also, readers should know that I give away a lot of free books. To see what I’m giving away at the moment and sign up to be notified via email, please visit my website: http://www.thegreenwater.com/

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

No problem, Mike! And thank you for wanting to come by and participate! :P

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And noww...... the moment we've you've all been waiting for.......
THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giveaway prizes:

~Divergent by Veronica Roth
~Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
~SIGNED copy of The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
~Clarity by Kim Harrington
~Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
~eBook copy of Wild Child by Mike Wells (to each winner)
~The Lipstick Laws SWAG (to each winner)

Winner divisions:

~FIRST PLACE: choice of two books, eCopy of Wild Child, and swag!
~SECOND PLACE: choice of remaining two books, eCopy of Wild Child, and swag!
~THIRD PLACE: remaining book, eCopy of Wild Child, and swag!

Rules of the giveaway:

** Must be 13+ years of age
** US Only (sorry, international folks)
** Must fill out THIS FORM to enter! Comment entries will be deleted.

Now for the fun stuff-- extra entries!!

+2 Old GFC follower, +1 new
+2 Twitter follower (@walkinginsects)
+2 "Like" Facebook page (click here)
+3 GoodReads friend (my profile)
+5 Tweet about giveaway (include link)
+7 Blog about giveaway (include link)
+10 Two comments on a blogoversary post from this week. (Must be on two different posts! +5 for only one comment; for a list of reviews/interviews click HERE.)

You have a chance to have 31 entries total!!!!!

This giveaway ends on July 30th.

Between by Cyndi Tefft

Between (Between, #1)

By Cyndi Tefft

Publisher: via Smashwords, 2011

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 17/5/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Some Action

It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "Ravi's lips were soft and familiar against mine, but my mind was elsewhere."
~Last Line: " 'I can't think of anything else I'd like more,' he said, then brought his lips to mine."

Review: Thank you SOO mucj to Cyndi Tefft for contacting me and asking me to review your novel. I have to say that this was an ahmazing novel! It pulled me in within the first chapter, and I always went back to it to read more.

We meet out heroine, Lindsey Waters, while she's being driven home by her boyfriend, Ravi -- right before she dies. *And cue the hot guy in a kilt that transports dead people to heaven!* Introducing Aiden Macrae. He saw/felt God's prescence as a small boy and, when he committed suicide (read the book to find out why!), God kept him at an in-between state. So of course when Lindsey died, he was supposed to take her to heaven, even though he never actually did.

Obviously, Aiden and Lindsey fall in love with each other. Their romance is so simple, and you could feel thier happiness when they were with each other. Like it was just radiating off the pages. When they were torn away from each other, it was the hardest thing to watch.

Overall, this book was ah-mazing and I am anxious for Hell Transporter to be released :).

Come back tomorrow to read my interview with Cyndi!!!