Onyx

Title:  Onyx

Author:  Jennifer Armentrout

Publisher:  Entangled Publishing

Publish Date:  14 August 2012

Pages:  421

ISBN:  978-1-62061-011-4

Source:  Won at the Entangled Party at RT Booklovers Convention

Genre:  Young Adult, alien, romance

Series:  Lux Series

Other books in series:  Obsidian, Shadows, Opal (

Rating: Loved

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarre connection. I’ve sworn him off even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But against all common sense, I’m falling for him. Hard.

Our relationship issues aren’t out biggest problem…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And when a new boy shows up a school with a secret of his own, things get complicated fast. I need to choose between my own instincts and Daemon’s.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. Daemon’s never going to stop searching until gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies

What is going to happen to Katy and Daemon now?  Daemon Black is back in the sequel to Obsidian.  The story starts out where it left off in Obsidian.  Katy has a trace on her because of Daemon healing her.  Not only does she have the trace, it seems that she and Daemon are connected.  At times, Katy likes this and others, she doesn’t.  She wonders whether Daemon wants to be with her now because they are connected, or whether he truly wants to be with her.  Before healing her, he would act like he didn’t want her in the same room.

Other strange things are happening.  There is a new kid at school, Blake.  Katy is intrigued by him at first.  She thinks that he is ticket to “normalcy,” even though things are far from normal for her.  She gets sick, really sick and spends four days in the hospital.  During that time, her mom has started a relationship with her doctor, Will.  Then Katy spotted a girl who was with the DOD that she is sure is Bethany, the girl who supposedly died with Daemon's brother Dawson.  The DOD is reining their control over the Luxen and are starting to ask more questions.  What is going to happen with the DOD?  Is that really Bethany?  What is going to happen between Katy and Daemon?  Who is Blake and what does he want with Katy?

After reading Obsidian, I was so excited to read its sequel.  I went to the RT Booklovers’ Convention in Chicago with one goal in mind:  Snag a copy of Onyx.  I told my sister and nieces and nephews that this was my goal.  We went to the Entangled party and won copies.  We were so excited when we left.

I will say that I am glad that I read Shadows, because it gave me the history and the significance of some of the characters and what it means for Luxen to fall in love with humans.  I love Daemon’s snarky attitude.  I love the naiveté that Katy shows and the quirky sayings that she says.  I like that Dee is a little shy at times and other times, she is not.   I love Armentrout’s writing style and the passion that she puts into her stories.

VLCPhotoProductions produced another video for Onyx.  It is the cookie scene and features Daemon.  In this video, however, he is not in school.  I love Pepe's eyes though.

I normally do not announce blog tours that I don't participate in, but with this one, I have to.  It has so much more information on the Lux series, like character interviews et cetera.  You can find more information on the tour at Entangled Publishing website.  Here are the stops listed for you:

Reading Angel                                                   8/08/12 

The Bookish Babes                                          8/09/12

Fiktshun                                                              8/10/12

Reading Lark                                                     8/11/12

Stuck in Books                                                   8/12/12

Confessions of a Vi3tBabe                             8/13/12

Mundie Moms                                                   8/14/12

Romancing the Book                                       8/14/12

Good Choice Reading                                      8/15/12

Fantasy Book Addict                                       8/16/12

Xpresso Reads                                                   8/17/12

YA Sisterhood                                                    8/18/12

Books Complete Me                                        8/19/12

K-Books                                                               8/20/12

Two Chicks on Books                                       8/21/12

Once Upon a Twilight                                     8/22/12

Over at Deity Island, they have started the JLA Reading Challenge.  This is what it says about it on their website:

Welcome to the JLA Reading Challenge in honor of Jennifer L. Armentrout and her awesomeness. I figured since Jen is gracing us with a new delicious book every month this year starting in August, why not do a reading challenge so people new and old can revel in the wonderful book worlds she has created! Jennifer L. Armentrout is the author of fabulous books such as The Covenant Series and The Lux series, as well as so many other books. Seriously, this lady pumps out fantastic books like nobody's business!

Yes, Jen has got FIVE, count 'em FIVE books (plus a novella) coming out in the latter half of the year and wouldn't you just love the challenge of reading all her books and talking about them with other fans?! In case you didn't know, her upcoming releases for the year will be Onyx (Lux Series #2), Cursed, Unchained, Deity (Covenant Series #3), Elixir (Covenant Series - Aiden's novella), and Opal (Lux Series #3).

Awesome, right?! Thank. You. Jen!

 You can find out more information and prizes if you go to that page.

City of Ashes

Title:  City of Ashes

Author:  Cassandra Clare

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Publish Date: 25 March 2008

Pages: 453

ISBN:  978-1-4169-7724-2

Source:  Bought

Genre:  YA, angels, demons

Series:  The Mortal Instruments

Other books in series:  City of Bones, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, City of Heavenly Fire (September 2014)

Rating: Liked

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

**WARNING: Spoiler Alert if you haven’t read City of Bones**

Clary Fray has found her mother, Jocelyn, so now what?  Jocelyn is in a magically induced coma, one that was supposed to keep her from revealing secrets to Valentine, her once husband.  Clary must figure out how to reverse the coma.  Luke, her long-time family friend and Alpha of the local werewolf pack, Simon and the Shadowhunters are there to help her.  She figures that the only way to find the answers she seeks is to track down her father, Valentine.  That sounds easy, right?  Except for the fact that all the Shadowhunters are looking for him as a traitor, so he is hidden well.

Clary just recently found out that the guy she was attracted to, Jace, is actually her brother.  This doesn’t help matters any because she still has feelings for him and they have to see each other a lot as Shadowhunters.  The inquisitor comes to the Institute to question the Lightwoods after the disappearance of The Mortal Cup.   After that, Jace was sent to the prisons in the Silent City so they could figure out what he knew about Valentine.  Only the Silent Brothers didn’t have time to go through his mind because Valentine showed up and stole another Mortal Instrument.  Because Jace was unarmed and still in the prison when the Shadowhunters eventually showed up, they thought he had a part in stealing of the Mortal Instrument. 

Will Clary find what she needs to help her mother?  What will happen to Jace now that the Clave thinks that he is guilty?

I like the fact that Valentine is shown having some compassion in this book, even though he is the villain.  This being the second book in The Mortal Instrument series, it didn’t fail to keep me interested in the plot.  Just when you thought all the questions were answered and nothing else could happen, the questions change.  Even though a lot of things happen, it doesn’t seem like it is excessive.  I really like this series and cannot wait to read more of it.  The cover photo is that of Clary Fray.

Fated

Title:  Fated

Author:  Alyson Noël

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin

Publish Date:  22 May 2012

Pages: 306

ISBN:  978-0-312-66485-5

Source:  ARC from publisher

Genre:  YA, paranormal

Series:  Soul Seekers

Other books in series:  Echo (13 November 2012), Mystic (2013),  Horizon (2013)

Rating: Loved

The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

What is happening to Daire Santos?  That is what she would like to know.  She is perfectly content to travel with her mother, who works on movies.  Then she starts to see the “glowing ones,” having dreams and acting out.  Her mother, Jennika, is at her wits end and doesn’t know what to do.  She ends up sending her to live with her grandma Paloma in New Mexico.

Wake

Title: Wake

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Publish Date:  7 August 2012

Pages: 309

ISBN:  978-1-250-00812-1

Source:  ARE from publisher

Genre:  YA, mythology, paranormal

Series:  Watersong

Other books in series:  Lullaby (Winter 2013), Tidal (2013), Elegy (tbd)

Rating: Really liked

Beautiful.  Fearless.  Dangerous.  They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate.  Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Thea and Lexi have caught everyone’s attention, including the eye of practical Harper.  But it’s her sister, Gemma, they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

Gemma was a sixteen year old who loved to swim.  She loved going on her “night swims” at the bay and also practiced for the swim team all year long.  Her dream was to go to the Olympics.  Her world wasn’t perfect, but it was doable until the three strange girls appeared in town one summer.  When Harper, her older sister, and she first spot them, they know that something is off and they do as much as they can to avoid them.  Penn, Thea and Lexi however, have different plans.

This summer has been a little different for Gemma.  She is starting to fall for their neighbor and Harper’s best friend, Alex.  Alex has changed recently, according to Gemma, even though he is still the self-proclaimed geek.  After swimming at the bay one night, she agrees to party with the three girls.  When their father, Brian, realizes she hadn’t come home that night, this sends Harper into a panic. 

This behavior isn’t like Gemma.  She is said to push the rules, but she always abides by curfew.  Harper enlists the help of Daniel, a “friend” who lives on the bay, to help her find Gemma.  It is after they find her, that things begins to change.  What is going on with Gemma?  What do the three girls have to do with it?

When I first heard that Amanda Hocking was writing a new series, I was immediately interested because I have loved her other series.   When I found out it was about mermaids (and I use that term loosely), I was a little discouraged because up to date, I have yet to find a book that I liked about them.  They just haven’t interested me.  I’m glad that I gave this book a chance though, because I really liked it.  I love Hocking’s writing style.  I love the mythology twist.

I like that it isn’t your typical storyline.  I know I use that term a lot and that “normal” is constantly changing, but there are aspects of stories that usually don’t change.  This story was different than those.  Yes, it had a little bit of a love story in there, but that wasn’t the main focus.  There were some twists and turns in there that were unexpected also.  I did not like the ending.  Let me rephrase that.  I liked how the ending was written; I didn’t like what happened in the ending and cannot wait until Lullaby comes out in Winter of 2013.   (That seems like a long wait, but I’m hoping they mean early 2013 and not late 2013.)

You can click here to read an excerpt of this book.  This link was taken from Amanda Hocking's blog.

Spotlight: Books for Bunnies and contest

Book’s for Bunny’s

Books for bunny’s is an event set up by the blogger over at The Bunny’s Review and coordinated with the help of blogger Alchemy of Scrawl.  

These two ladies have worked tirelessly in getting authors to donate eBooks’ for the event.   Currently there are over 100 eBooks that have been donated.  Along with over 30 print books donated.  Some of the print books are even signed by the author’s themselves.

The event is to help raise money for the House Rabbit Society.   

The House Rabbit Society or HRS is a 501 non-profit organization to help raise awareness and to rescue rabbits from animal shelters.  Below is a little about the background of the HRS.

House Rabbit Society Background

House Rabbit Society is a national, nonprofit animal welfare organization based in Richmond, California. Our mission has two parts:

• Through our fostering program, volunteers rescue abandoned rabbits and find permanent adoptive homes for them.
• Through education, we seek to reduce the number of unwanted rabbits — and to improve bunnies' lives — by helping people better understand these often misunderstood companion animals.

In line with our mission, we are against the exploitation of rabbits.

Since HRS was founded in 1988, over 25,000 rabbits have been rescued through our foster homes across the United States. Many of these bunnies had run out of time at animal shelters and were scheduled for euthanasia; others had been deemed "unadoptable" because of age, health, or disposition. Because there is no time limit on our rescued rabbits, HRS foster parents are able to spend time getting to know each individual bunny and can then match him or her with an appropriate home. We neuter/spay all incoming rabbits, obtain any necessary veterinary care, and attend to their social needs.

In caring for so many diverse bunnies, our all-volunteer organization has learned a tremendous amount about their social, behavioral, and medical requirements. By sharing the collected information these rabbits have taught us, we are able to help other people improve their relationships with their rabbits. HRS provides educational materials to veterinarians and humane societies and helps individual rabbit people solve behavior and health problems, primarily through our web site, www.rabbit.org, and our quarterly publication, House Rabbit Journal.

Over the past 20 years, HRS has grown from 300 to more than 8,000 members, with local chapters and educators in over 30 states plus Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore. Our web site, www.rabbit.org, is accessed over 100,000 times a day by people in dozens of countries around the world.

We are asking people to donate money to the HRS at this link through Network for Good.  

The person that makes a donation will receive either an eBook or print book equal to the amount donated.  There are books ranging in price from 99 cents to $27.00.  There are several print copies of the books that have been autographed by the author. 

The person that donates will receive an email thanking them for donating.  That email needs to be forwarded to books4bunnys@bunnysreview.com.  This will show the amount that has been donated.  Please remember there is not any donation that is too small.  Any amount will be greatly appreciated.   The HRS will use the money to either help pay for vet bills or help in finding a forever home for the hundreds of bunnies in their care.

Please if possible take a moment to donate a couple of dollars to the HRS you never know what bunnies life you might be saving.

Suzie &  The Bunnies - CupCake & Coale

When you donate, you are able to entered into this giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Moonlight Mayhem: Guest Post

TITLE: Moonlight Mayhem
AUTHOR: Sherry Soule
PUBLISHER: Moonlight Publishing
RELEASE DATE:  01 July 2012
ISBN: pending
PRICE: eBook $4.99 / Paperback $14.95
PAGES: 340
GENRE: Young Adult
SUB-GENRE: Paranormal / Romance
READING AGE: Mild language, some violence/gore, and sexual situations. Not recommended for readers under the age of 15.
SERIES: Spellbound
OTHER BOOKS IN SERIES: Beautifully Broken

Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!

It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that's not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Moonlight Mayhem is the second novel in the epic Spellbound series

Okay, today’s super fun post has a special feature from author, Sherry Soule! She has complied a few of her favorite moments and quotes from the first two YA books in the thrilling Spellbound series, BEAUTIFULLY Broken and MOONLIGHT MAYHEM. *page numbers are from the mass market paperback edition*

Now let me introduce this turbulent, yet starry-eyed couple: Shiloh Ravenwolf and Trent Donovan.

Quote from BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN – pg 14 “Initial Glimpse”:

Trent turned his head, his gaze capturing mine. My face flamed, interrupting my ogling. His eyes widened, then narrowed. His arms dropped to his sides. Once those hypnotic green eyes seized mine, the atmosphere shifted, and for a moment, my heart ceased to beat. His gorgeousness silenced the thoughts and whirling emotions inside my head. The lingering anxiety from earlier vanished.

Finally, Trent turned away. I exhaled. He kept his head down like he had something to hide. Something he didn’t want people to see. Something he didn’t want me to see.

Quote from BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN – pgs. 77 -78 “Meet Charm”:

I leaned out the window and lifted the kitten. She purred and I rubbed her soft fur against my cheek, tension that had snapped my spine straight when I’d heard the eerie cry easing with the each rumbling purr. “Ah, poor baby. Are you hungry?” She loudly meowed.

Trent returned with a bowl of milk and set it on the floor. I lowered the kitten and watched her greedily lap the milk.

“She’s cute,” Trent said. “What should we name her?”

The ball of fluff raised her head, licking white drops off her mouth.

“Charm.” I hoisted the kitten and cuddled her in my arms.

Trent scratched her under her white chin. “Charm?”

“Yeah. It’s perfect.”

He scratched the cat behind her ears. “I’d rather have a dog,” he teased.

“Shhh, Charm will hear you.” I covered the cat’s pointy ears with my hands.

Trent grinned, taking the kitten from my arms and surprising me by kissing Charm’s head. 

Quote from BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN – pgs. 86 -87 “A Kiss”:

I went to snatch my hand away, but Trent caught my hand in his, startling me. I looked up to see warmth on his face. His smile held the promise of happiness. He scooted closer and held my gaze for a breath, glanced down. He leaned forward, as if he had no control over his actions. I inhaled his nice, soapy-clean scent, and all coherent thought left my head.

His hands gripped my waist and Trent yanked me against him, his mouth covering mine in a deep kiss. The caress of his lips was softer than I’d imagined. An unfamiliar rush of excitement engulfed my senses. My hands wrapped around his neck, fingering his silky tousled hair. His moist lips seared a path from my lips to my neck, igniting a blaze of desire that flooded my skin everywhere his lips and roaming hands touched. Boys had kissed me before, but not like this. Never like this.

Yes, yes…this is what I want and yearn for—affection. To fall in an impetuous head-over-heels kind of love. Let myself go. Surrender my heart…

Quote from ARC of MOONLIGHT MAYHEM – pgs. 85 -86 “Nervous Belly”:

Luna Pizza wasn’t super busy yet, when the door opened and swoon-worthy Trent Donovan sauntered into the restaurant with a guy I didn’t recognize, which meant I had no place to hide. I felt the air whoosh from my lungs. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them, I swear my body froze. My heart stopped beating. A volatile, relentless thrill shot through my veins, and I shuddered. Messy blond hair, startling emerald eyes, cocky grin on his face… 

Quote from ARC of MOONLIGHT MAYHEM – pg 224 “Hero Intercedes”:

His hands flickered upward, and before I knew it, they were cupping my face. So, damnably fast now. Demonic-like fast. Trent reeled me closer. Our foreheads joined. He held me, while I trembled in his arms. I was vaguely aware of Evans and Maxwell watching, although it didn’t seem important. Nothing seemed important whenever he did this. It felt like we were enclosed in our own personal bubble made only for the two of us. Trent murmured something in my ear. We stood like that until my shaky legs gradually regained strength. I shut my eyes and pretended my body wasn’t sizzling with heat-lightning because Trent stood so close. My hormones always decided to rebel whenever he put his arms around me. And it wasn’t totally awkward and uncomfortable. No, it felt like the best thing I’d experienced since before Dad’s death. And that’s saying a lot.

Quote from ARC of MOONLIGHT MAYHEM – pg 224 “Zombie Encounter”:

Her pale brow furrowed. Her skin veiny and colorless. Sheesh, she’s a hot mess. Zombie Girl tilted her head and raised her arms. “Ashley—hag!”

“What! Did that corpse just call me a hag?” Ashley sounded more like her usual bitchy self.

 “No, I think she means hug. It’s zombie lingo. I’ve read online that zombies can be affectionate, but hugging one often leads to, well, having your brains eaten,” I said.

“Yuk!” Ashley backpedaled, scrunching her thin face. “Beyond gross.”

Zombie Girl giggled, but it sounded choked, a mere gurgling rumble in her throat. She had these nasty bloody scrapes on her arms and legs. Her right calf had deep teeth marks. Her feet were dirty and bare, her movements jaunty and slow.