Guest Post: Carrie Salo, author of The Sounding

Challenging Yourself to Read Historical Fiction

Curling Up by the Fire would like to welcome Carrie Salo, author of The Sounding.

Dear Curling Up By the Fire Readers:

Thanks so much for letting me guest blog for you this week!  I hope you are indeed curled up by the fire (that sounds so nice on this 22-degree morning up in the North East!)  Though I am curled up, I am not fireside.  Rather, my "writer's desk" sits facing two windows that look out onto some woods and a small (cold) pond.  The desk gets its curled-up coziness from the fact that it is old fashioned: a real behemoth with brass handles, a fold out writing area and a large hutch for holding books.  And, I do believe one of my neighbors has a fire going.  I can smell it!  So, I'm fireside by two or three degrees of separation...

Stephanie very kindly left this blog's topic up to me.  And as I was thinking of what to write, I saw that Stephanie posted a historical fiction challenge for 2012.  Anyone up for the challenge?  What are you thinking of reading?  I recently picked up Toni Morrison's A Mercy.  HIGHLY recommended.  The ending is perfect.

I think historical fiction is such an interesting sub-genre of the usually limitless bounds of fiction literature.  It has a certain accountability to it that fiction otherwise does not have.  Is the author representing a time period or a person accurately?  Is the author representing a place to the best of their knowledge?  Is he/she deep enough into their research to breathe it back to life?  What are the sounds, smells, tastes and colors of a place you cannot truly visit because it no longer exists, or only exists behind a sheet of glass or a velvet rope?  And yet, the writing can be so incredibly deep because sometimes, truth (or even the essence of truth) is greater and more impactful than what we can imagine.

My recent novel, The Sounding, is a combination historical fiction novel/supernatural thriller. And the combination of those two things made for one of the most fascinating stories I have ever dreamed up.  The Sounding is about an early Armageddon.  But, unlike a lot of apocalyptic stories out there today, which feature vampires, zombies, or even natural disaster, The Sounding is grounded in real history and real prophecy.  It is meticulously researched, taking its roots (and major plot twists) from thousands of years of Catholic and Jewish theology.  While it takes place in today's world, it visits some of the oldest historical sites across the continents and connects the deep past with the future in a very thrilling way.

Would it have been more fun to write an end of days novel without the constraints of history and theology?  I don’t think so.  The Sounding is as chilling as it is because it is based in some of the most fascinating, time-tested prophecies of our human culture.  It covers a large swath of history and then takes it one step further.  I found it was always more compelling to build on reality, rather than start anew within the vacuum of imagination.  

Research took me to many unexpected places, including a read through the forbidden Apocrypha (containing those books that were once a part of the Bible but were eventually banned/discounted), an in depth look at Israel’s government and recent history, and even a trip to the Vatican itself, and its underground catacomb.  It brought me to spells reportedly mastered by Moses, to the names of demons that would supposedly appear if I but uttered their name (I did not…).  The legitimized and the unlegitimized information were both examined and questioned until it was hard to remember which was which.  The more obscure and unobvious my research became, the more layers presented themselves to me, and to the story. 

(The catacomb on the right is part of the Domitilla catacomb and is known as one of the oldest and largest of the underground cemeteries in Rome.)

In the end, The Sounding was my most interesting translation of an incredibly rich past spanning continents and cultures.  The truth that runs through The Sounding, even as it takes supernatural twists and turns, grounds it in a much deeper place than I could ever have written on my own. 

So, I encourage each of you to take Stephanie’s historical fiction challenge!  The very word “history” has at its simple base: “story.”  Curl up by that fire and read something as large as real life.   

For further information on The Sounding, check it out at Amazon or The Book Depository.

Busting the Newbie Blues!!

Welcome to the second
Busting the Newbie Blues event!

Starting out as a new YA book blogger is a ton of fun. You meet a bunch of new people who all share in your passion for YA books, you become a part of a friendly community, and you're continually exposed to wonderful new books.

But sometimes things can be a little discouraging when you're just starting out. You look at your blog and then look at some of the awesome established bloggers out there and wonder if you'll ever make the grade.

So here's to Busting the Newbie Blues! Don't be discouraged. Instead, take action! Participate in the Busting the Newbie Blues event at Small Review, which will run through the entire month of January!

This event is designed to:

• Put new YA book bloggers on the map
• Increase blogger interaction
• Start a discussion by sharing our experiences as new bloggers
• Learn about what it was like for established bloggers when they were newbies

So how does this work? Simple:

• Be a YA book blogger (oldie or newbie)
• Select the questionnaire that best applies to you (there's no "wrong" choice, so just pick whichever one you feel most comfortable answering)
• Create a post on your blog with the questions and your answers

1.  When did you start your blog?
I started my blog on the last day of December 2009 when I wrote my first post.  I remember being so excited, not because of the post itself, but because I managed to figure out the technology to be able to post.   I laugh now, but it took some time for me to figure out some of the technology to be able to post some of things on my blog.  You should have seen how excited I was when I was successful with my first Youtube video.

2.  Do you ever still feel like a newbie?
It depends on what is going on.  I still feel like a newbie in the technology department because I have trouble with the HTML stuff and have messed up by blog a few times by playing around with the design; now, I just hire someone to do it as it's far easier and my blog doesn't have the potential to go 'poof' because I did something seriously wrong.  When it comes to posting, I feel more confident in what I am doing and am not as concerned about things as I used to be.  I am still in awe of some blogs and the time and effort they put into some blogging events; I wish I had the time to do some of the things that are done, but my day job is way too demanding.  It's not because of newbie tendencies anymore, but because there aren't enough hours in the day and now I know how much effort goes into some of these events.

3.  What has been the biggest challenge you've faced so far?  Did you make any mistakes new bloggers can learn from?
I still make mistakes every day and every week.  The biggest challenge is realizing I cannot do it all, including reviews, contests, and big events.  When I first started blogging, I took on too much and I was overwhelmed and started to hate blogging.  After a two week hiatus, I looked at what I enjoyed, and cut back on a lot of things, and now blog with more reasonable time frames.  I also spent too much time on the follows and the memes, which took up a lot of time away from the blogging part I enjoyed the most which was interacting with others and visiting other blogs.  Unfortunately, now it's my job that is pulling me away from this.

4.  What did you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?  How did you deal with this?
I think it was wondering if anyone would actually read my blog and start interacting with me.  When I first started blogging, I spent so much time on other people's blogs posting comments that I was hoping others would do the same.  I just kept going.  J. Kaye was the first to become a follower and as she was the blogger I admired most at the time, I remember being so incredibly thrilled when I saw that little follower list. 

5.  What do you find most encouraging?
Other people's wonderful comments and their email messages.  After my father passed away before Christmas, I got some beautiful email messages from some followers and I can't tell you how much that meant to me.  I find the whole spirit of the book blogging community is usually so wonderfully supportive and encouraging as a whole.  And any time I needed advice, I knew I could email any one of the more established book bloggers with a question, and any one of them would always respond.  It's something I try hard to emulate now that I've been doing this for a couple a years myself because I remember what it was like for me in the beginning.

6.  If you could go back in time and speak with your newbie self, what five bits of wisdom would you tell yourself?
1. Don't stress over followers on your blog and on twitter.  If you're patient, they will come. (Isn't there a movie with that line? LOL)
2. Post whatever you like, whenever you like.  Who cares if people like it or not.  Creating controversy is sometimes fun!!!  Quality is more important than quantity.
3. You blog for yourself, not for others.
4. Have fun.  Once blogging is no longer fun, quit or take a break.
5. Interact, interact, interact!!!

7.  What do you like best about the blogs you read?  Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?
I like the humour in some of them.  I like the originality and the creativity in some of the events.  I stay clear from trying to replicate or copy as it would seem completely fake; what I do is mine and based completely on my personality.  I tend to be very private and I don't think I could change that even if I wanted to, which I don't really want to. 

8.  What do you dislike about blogs you've seen?  Do you try to avoid this?
The colours.  I stopped following several blogs because I couldn't read them and there is no point to following if you can't read them.  Really bad grammar also puts me off.  I followed one blog for a while whose posts looked like something from a text message, and I just couldn't handle it any longer.  I also tend to avoid blogs that have really erotic content on them as I tend for a more family oriented blog.  I also stopped following several blogs as soon as I saw attacks towards other bloggers and / or authors that were very negative.  I just don't think a public domain is the place to attack someone, especially with vulgarity used in the process.  I try really hard to be positive, even in my more negative reviews.  Of course there are books that I have actively disliked, but I have come to the point in my reading life where I either do not finish them, or I do finish them, and then contact the publisher and / or author personally and ask their opinion about what they wish me to do with the review.  We then come to a mutual agreement.

9.  How did you bring your blog to the attention of so many people?
I participated in a number of events, especially in my first year of blogging.  Blogmania was a great way to visit new blogs and I participated in one of those, plus I hosted some contests.  I also participated in some hops.  Other than that, it was pretty much word of mouth and it happened slowly. Oh, and I networked and interacted big time!!!!!!   I finally caved in and now have a Twitter account that I should really learn how to use properly; I have to look up what some of the short forms mean on a cheat sheet I found on the Internet, isn't that horrible?  And I finally joined Networked Blogs about a month ago.  The Google+ thing I have, but I don't really know how to use it as I haven't had time to play with it.

10.  When and how did you get your first ARC (or your first ARCs)?
I had actually been a reviewer for several years for another company, and a blog before I decided to start my own blog.  It was actually at the suggestion of a rep from a publishing house that I began my blog in the first place as she said I could receive my own ARCs rather than get them through someone else on someone else's schedule.  So that's what I did.  My situation was rather different and before I knew it, I was getting books from Penguin Canada.  My advice for newbies is to read your own books at first, be patient, and not expect the ARCs or other books; it will all come with time and with patience, and before you know it, you will find a request in your email for books.  Another way to go about it is to put your name in for independent books, there are manyy sites, and have indie authors contact you.  A lot of their books are really good and you may be surprised at the results.  Established authors from publishing houses are switching to independing publishing so you never know who may contact you.  Many of them use ereaders, so you may want to invest in one as well.

Booking Through Thursday: Who Would I Interview?

http://www.btt2.wordpress.com

If you could sit down and interview anyone, who would it be?
And, what would you ask them?

One of the people I have always wanted to interview is Jean M. Auel, author of the Earth Children series.  One of my all-time favourite books is Clan of the Cave Bear, one of those books I have probably read around twenty times, and which I still get something new out of every reading, and I marvel at the complexity of the world and the characters which were created, and the brilliance of the imagination that went into such a work.

I have thought over and over again, what questions would I ask if I were ever given a chance to interview Ms. Auel (after I got over my excitement and the shaking that went with it).  I will admit I am a book nerd and react at seeing famous writers the same way my students do when they go to a Justin Bieber concert, but I can't help it.  I couldn't sleep the night before I met Lesley Livingston, but I am getting off track. 

What would I ask Jean M. Auel if given the chance?  Will Ayla ever see her first-born son again????? 

Then would come the usual questions about characterization, research, development, role models, inspiration, future plans, and the other usual questions we all ask in our interviews.

Review: The Next Always by Nora Roberts

The Next Always (Inn Boonsboro Trilogy, Book #1)

by Nora Roberts
Release Date: November 1st, 2011
2011 Berkley Books
Softcover Edition; 341 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-425-24321-3
ASIN: B0052RDH6K
Genre: Fiction / Romance
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary
The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen...

My Thoughts
The Next Always is one of those books you can always count on from Nora Roberts, fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable.  This is one those books that I always look upon as a filler for those deeper, heavier, more philosophical books that I read; it's a novel about second chances, with an element of the paranormal thrown in, as well as a second storyline that you know will lead into the sequel.  It's formulaic, fairly predictable, but sometimes that's exactly what is needed to fill an afternoon when you are looking for something to take you away from a stressful world.

I really liked Clare as well as her friends Hope and Avery.  Clare's relationship with her three boys seemed warm and close; it also seemed very real as the boys were very rambunctious, and I loved how they would negotiate all the time with her over every little thing (felt quite a bit like home, actually!).  Beckett was a very likeable character, and although the relationship between Clare and Beckett felt real, it didn't really seem to have that sizzle.  And the whole stalking episode felt like something that was just thrown in for good measure; it's not that I don't believe it can't happen as I have seen it happen to people, it just didn't seem to fit into the novel the way the events unfolded. I would have liked to have seen more developed characters, ones that were more fully fleshed out, but the focus on the restoration did not allow for this development.  I did really enjoy the scenes where the three boys were involved as they were often funny and touching; I loved how the oldest boy, Harry, really looked out for his mom and was very protective, it was so sweet.

The Next Always is the first in a trilogy that follows the Montgomery brothers as they restore an old inn back to life.  While the story is intriguing, I felt like I was in the middle of a promotion for an actual inn a lot of the time as the details for each room went a bit overboard, and took away somewhat from the story.  And then I read that the author herself was in fact restoring an old inn, so the story made perfect sense at that point.  (If you're interested in the Inn BoonsBoro and the history, and how Nora Roberts became involved, click here.)  Unfortunately, while I really enjoyed the details personally, and loved the idea of restoration, including the little bit of paranormal that was introduced in the form of a ghost, I still think a lot of the story got swallowed up in these details.

Verdict
The Next Always was one of those lighthearted reads that you need, but there was really no depth to this novel and the romance was fairly predictable and formulaic.  While I have always been a huge fan of Nora Roberts, I thought the continuous discussions surrounding the restoration of the Inn went on for too long, and just weren't the place for a romance novel.   Hopefully more emphasis will be put on the romance and the greater development of the characters, the more richly textured and developed backgrounds to which readers of Nora Roberts are used to, in the next two novels of this trilogy.  Will I read the next two novels?  Probably, but I won't run out to get them.

2012 Challenges - Books Read

New Authors Challenge - Literary Escapism
(25 books)
1. The Girls' Guide to Dating Zombies by Lynn Messina
2. Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
3. Initiation by Imogen Rose
4. Wide Open by Deborah Coates
5. Twice Cursed by Jacqueline Paige
6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

The Dystopia Challenge - Bookish Ardour
(15 books)
1. Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater
2. The Girls' Guide to Dating Zombies by Lynn Messina
3. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
4. Breathe by Sarah Crossan
5. Enclave by Ann Aguirre
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
7. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Debut Author Challenge - The Story Siren
(12 books)
1. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
2. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
3. The Little Woods by McCormick Templeton
4. Breathe by Sarah Crossan
5. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

E-Book Challenge - Workaday Reads
(50 books)
1. Bound by Kira Saito
2. The Girls' Guide to Dating Zombies by Lynn Messina
3. Hot Chocolate by Dawn Greenfield Ireland
4. The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens
5. Initiation by Imogen Rose
6. The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee
7. Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard
8. Generation by William Knight
9. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
10. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
11. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
12. Twice Cursed by Jacqueline Paige
13. A Bite's Tale by Veronica Blade
14. Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander
15. Written in the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt
16. The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner
17. The Prophet by Amanda Stevens
18. The Little Woods by McCormick Templeton
19. Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King
20. Breathe by Sarah Crossan
21. Amanda's Story by Brian O'Grady

Horror & Urban Fantasy Challenge
(Book Chick City)
1. Generation by William Knight
2. Twice Cursed by Jacqueline Paige
3. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.

Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge
(Book Chick City)
1. The Hunter by John Lescroart
2. Hot Chocolate by Dawn Greenfield Ireland
3. Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard
4. A Spark of Death by Bernadette Pajer
5. Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend
6. Phantom Evil by Heather Graham
7. Unhallowed Ground by Heather Graham
8. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
9. The Evil Inside by Heather Graham
10. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
11. Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid
12. The Flesh Tailor by Kate Ellis
13. A Charitable Body by Robert Barnard
14. Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King
15. Ghostwalk by Heather Graham
16. The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski
17. Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry
18. The Prophecy by Chris Kuzneski
19. The Next One to Fall by Hilary Davidson
20. A Lonely Death by Charles Todd
21. Amanda's Story by Brian O'Grady
22. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
23.
24.

Zombie Challenge
(Book Chick City)
1. Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater
2. The Girls' Guide to Dating Zombies by Lynn Messina
3. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
4.
5.
6.

Historical Fiction Challenge
(Historical Tapestry)
1. The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee
2. Prophecy by S.J. Harris
3. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
4. Written in the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt
5. The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner
6. Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
7. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran
8. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd

9. Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King
10. One Enchanted Evening by Lynn Kurland
11. A Lonely Death by Charles Todd
12. The Quicksilver Pool by Phyllis Whitney
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

A-Z Book Challenge
(Babies, Books & Signs)
A - A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
B - Bound by Kira Saito
C - Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
D - Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
E - Enclave by Ann Aguirre
F - Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater
G - Generation by William Knight
H - Hot Chocolate by Dawn Greenfield Ireland
I - In Leah's Wake by Terri Giuliano Long
J
K
L
M - Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
N
O - Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander
P - Prophecy by S.J. Harris
Q
R
S - Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
T - Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
U - Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
V - Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard
W - Wide Open by Deborah Coates
X
Y
Z

Young Adult Reading Challenge
(The Eclectic Bookshelf)
1. Bound by Kira Saito
2. The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
3. Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
4. Initiation by Imogen Rose
5. The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee
6. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
7. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
8. A Bite's Tale by Veronica Blade
9. Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander
10. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
11. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
12. The Opposite of Tidy by Carrie Mac 
13. The Little Woods by McCormick Templeton
14. Dead is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez
15. The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty
16. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore 
17. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson 
18. The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
19. Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins 
20. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
21. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
22. The Dead I Know by Scot Gardner 
23. Integration by Imogen Rose 
24. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
25. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
26. Breathe by Sarah Crossan
27. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti 
28. Wolfsbane by Andrew Cremer 
29. Arise by Tara Hudson 
30. Enclave by Ann Aguirre
31. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows 
32. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 
33. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
34. Divergent by Veronica Roth

2012 Fantasy Challenge 
(

1. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
2. Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander
3. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
4. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
5. Integration by Imogen Rose
6. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
7.
8.
9.
10.

Steampunk Challenge
(Dark Faerie Tales)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

150+ Reading Challenge
(My Overstuffed Bookshelf)
1. The Next Always by Nora Roberts
2. In Leah's Wake by Terri Giuliano Long
3. Bound by Kira Saito
4. Fighting to Survive by Rhiannon Frater
5. The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
6. The Hunter by John Lescroart
7. The Girls' Guide to Dating Zombies by Lynn Messina
8. Arctic Rising by Tobias S. Buckell
9. Hot Chocolate by Dawn Greenfield Ireland
10. The Legacy of Eden by Nelly Davy
11. The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens
12. Initiation by Imogen Rose
13. Shattered Souls of Mary Lindsey
14. Wide Open by Deborah Coates
15. The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee
16. Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard
17. Generation by William Knight
18. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
19. Prophecy by S.J. Harris
20. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
21. Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould 
22. Twice Cursed by Jacqueline Paige
23. A Bite's Tale by Veronica Blade 
24. Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander 
25. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon 
26. A Spark of Death by Bernadette Pajer 
27. Written in the Ashes by K. Hollan Van Zandt
28. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
29. The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner
30. Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend 
31. The Opposite of Tidy by Carrie Mac
32. The Prophet by Amanda Stevens
33. The Little Woods by McCormick Templeton 
34. Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt
35. Dead is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez
36. Phantom Evil by Heather Graham 
37. The Ghosts of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty
38. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
39. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
40. Unhallowed Ground by Heather Graham 
41. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran
42. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
43. The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
44. The Evil Inside by Heather Graham 
45. Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins 
46. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd 
47. Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid 
48. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
49. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 
50. The Dead I Know by Scot Gardner 
51. A Charitable Body by Robert Barnard
52. The Flesh Tailor by Kate Ellis
53. Ghostwalk by Heather Graham
54. Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King 
55. Integration by Imogen Rose
56. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
57. Supernaturally by Kiersten White 
58. The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski
59. From This Moment On by Shania Twain 
60. Dorchester Terrace by Anne Perry
61. Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu 
62. Breathe by Sarah Crossan 
63. The Prophecy by Chris Kuzneski
64. Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch by Nancy Atherton 
65. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti 
66. One Enchanted Evening by Lynn Kurland
67. The Next One to Fall by Hilary Davidson 
68. A Lonely Death by Charles Todd 
69. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer 
70. Arise by Tara Hudson 
71. Enclave by Ann Aguirre 
72. Luck or Something Like It by Kenny Rogers 
73. Amanda's Story by Brian O'Grady 
74. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows 
75. The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne 
76. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 
77. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny 
78. Divergent by Veronica Roth
79. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver 
80. The Quicksilver Pool by Phyllis Whitney

Review: Underdead by Liz Jasper

Underdead (Underdead Mysteries, Book #1)
by Liz Jasper
Release Date: September 28th, 2011
2011 by Liz Jasper (originally published 2008 by Cerridwen Press)
ISBN: 978-0-983-94500-0
ASIN: B005MN6MK2
Ebook Edition; 236 Pages
Genre: Paranormal Fiction
Source: Review Copy from Author

2008 Eppie Award Winner for Best Mystery

4 / 5 Stars

Summary
Newbie science teacher Jo Gartner thinks her life has reached an all time low when she realizes the biggest excitement of her year is the staff Christmas party. Then she gets bitten by a vampire. Sort of. And then she’s a murder suspect. The police are at her door, the Undead are at her windows, and her vampire traits are growing harder to hide by the minute. If she doesn't figure out who to trust she won't be alive long enough to worry about all those papers she still has to grade.

My Thoughts
Underdead is one of those novels that I needed to read right at the moment.  With everything falling apart around me, the light tones of this paranormal novel took me away from my troubles into a world in which I was completely familiar (in terms of school and marking) and into one that made me laugh.  Underdead was suspenseful, but at the same time it was lighthearted and downright fun.

Jo Gartner is one of those leads that I always like as she is tall and beautiful with red hair, but at the same time has no idea how sexy she is or how beautiful she is to others; that is until she gets bitten by a sexy vampire one night and suddenly finds herself surrounded by a bevy of men vying for her attention.  And yet, this novel wasn't really about Jo and her relationships, it was about her coming to terms with her transformation into a vampire, and some of the moments were downright comical.  Her allergy to the sun, and trying all different sorts of skin creams and other things to try to cure the rashes on her face and body, her sudden allure and how she could mesmerize people into doing what she wanted, and my personal favourite, the sudden craving for blood and anything meat-related.  The episode in the kitchen where she bit into every food item she had in her possession trying out her teeth was priceless. 

Most of the secondary characters were just as interesting.  I really enjoyed the scenes with Jo's mother, a woman who is somewhat domineering and overbearing, and pretty much frightens everyone around her, and yet I adored her.  And I would really love to know who Jo's mother's hairdresser is as his name shows up quite a bit in the novel with quite a bit of information; who is he and how does he know so much?  The only person I wasn't so crazy about was Gavin, the cop who was protecting Jo.  It seemed to me that he was continually yelling at Jo for everything she did and I'm surprised she put up with it the way she did.  I know he was protecting her, but the act quickly got annoying.  Hopefully his character will develop a bit in the sequel.

I thought the story was funny and intriguing, but at the same time I realized at the end that I really didn't learn very much about the vampire coven or why Will, the head vampire, wanted Jo so badly.  A lot of information was kept from the reader and only little tidbits of information was given to us; on the other hand, we did learn a lot about Jo's school and the people around her there so that was quite interesting.  And I have to say, I didn't figure out the who-dun-it, though I should have with a little thought.  I think I got caught up in the vampire stuff and didn't pay enough attention to the other things going around Jo.  I also thought the ending was somewhat abrupt and was surprised when I reached the last page as it didn't feel complete.  I understand that more will be revealed in the next book, but I still like my endings to be endings, if you know what I mean. 
Verdict
Underdead was an interesting twist on the usual vampire novel and I really enjoyed it.  It was more light-hearted than some of the vampire novels I have read lately, and there were many scenes that I found very amusing; it made me wonder what I would do if I was in her situation.  I am definitely looking forward to reading Underdead in Denial, the next novel in this series.

Giveaway Hop: Happy New Year

Welcome to the Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Babs Book Bistro.  It is amazing to realize that another year has already flown by and here we are, ready to embark upon 2012, ready to take on another year of reading challenges, already looking forward to those exciting new releases, author interviews, guest posts, book spotlights and other fun things that go along with reading.  For me, and I'm going to say it more than once, where did 2011 go???

Giveaway:

I am giving away one hard-cover copy of Crossed by Ally Condie, courtesy of Tor Books.

Rules:
* Fill in the FORM.
* Contest runs from 30 December 2011 to 11:59 pm 03 January 2012.
* Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

Good luck everyone!!









Take a look at some of the other amazing contests here:

Review: The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott & Colette Freedman

The Thirteen Hallows
by Michael Scott & Colette Freedman
Release Date: December 6, 2011
2011 Tor Books
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2852-6
Hardcover Edition; 351 Pages
Genre: Fiction / Paranormal / Triller
Source: Review Copy from Tor Books

3.5 / 5 Books

Summary
The Hallows. Ancient artifacts imbued with a primal and deadly power. But are they protectors of this world, or the keys to its destruction? 

A gruesome murder in London reveals a sinister plot to uncover a two-thousand-year-old secret.

For decades, the Keepers guarded these Hallows, keeping them safe and hidden and apart from each other. But now the Keepers are being brutally murdered, their prizes stolen, the ancient objects bathed in their blood. Now, only a few remain.

With her dying breath, one of the Keepers convinces Sarah Miller, a practical stranger, to deliver her Hallow—a broken sword with devastating powers—to her American nephew, Owen. The duo quickly become suspects in a series of murders as they are chased by both the police and the sadistic Dark Man and his nubile mistress.

As Sarah and Owen search for the surviving Keepers, they unravel the deadly secret the Keepers were charged to protect. The mystery leads Sarah and Owen on a cat-and-mouse chase through England and Wales, and history itself, as they discover that the sword may be the only thing standing between the world…and a horror beyond imagining.

My Thoughts
I was very aware going into this book that it would be very different from Michael Scott's series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, so I wasn't expecting anything along those lines, which was probably a good thing as this book is very different from that series.  The Thirteen Hallows was much darker, with a mixture of Christianity and mythology thrown into the concept, along with a lot of gore and a lot of blood.  I enjoyed the concept of the novel, liked the story, but probably could have done without some of the the gore and would have liked to have seen more focus on the mythology and the Hallows.

As I have previously mentioned, I liked the concept of the story and enjoyed the idea of the Hallows and the history of the Hallows.  I definitely like the mythological concepts and how they are linked from the present to the past, to famous historical figures, and even to hints of secrets that have been unsolved.  I have always enjoyed stories set in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and devour them whenever I can.  It also helped that the chapters were short, keeping the pacing swift, which helped with the point of view as it switched back and forth between multiple characters.  One of the things I didn't enjoy was the sex scenes between the antagonists as I really didn't see a point for it, other than to explore another avenue of cruelty and evilness.  Personally, I thought it was overdone.  There is also a lot of blood and gore in this novel; the short chapters keep the novel from having too much detail, with no filler, so the blood and gore scenes are not overdone, they are simply part of the story, but anyone who is squeamish might find it falling into the genre of too much.

To be honest, I also found there wasn't really much in the way of characterization in this novel as it focused more on the action than in character development.  I became somewhat skeptical of the treatment of the police towards the end as I didn't believe they could be that slow and still believe the main character was a serial killer and involved with skinheads and dope dealers.  It probably wouldn't have bothered me if either of the main characters have been killed either, as I didn't really form any empathy or connection with them as there simply wasn't time given for the reader to connect. 

Verdict
The Thirteen Hallows was an enjoyable, quick read, but I don't really feel it had a lot of depth or scope to the story or to the characterization.  The pace moved fairly quickly and I barely had time to breathe between events, but that's basically what the story was all about, the events.  I was disappointed not to learn more about the Hallows so hopefully the next book in the series will share more about the history and some of the events that shaped the Hallows.  I would also like to see more in the way of character development for our main characters as the story develops as the potential is definitely there for a good story line to develop.