Teaser Tuesday: #18 // Moon Called

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

The Rules:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) or so “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title &  author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

This week's teaser comes from Moon Called written by Patricia Briggs.

We stopped and got enough fried chicken to feed a Little League team--or two werewolves, with a little left over for me. 


[and one more sentence...]


Adam wiped his fingers carefully on the damp towelette that had come with our chicken--apparently he didn't think it was finger-lick'n good.

(Both taken from p. 113) 




What was your teaser for this week? I would love to know. :)

Exclusive: 2-Day Access to GRAVE MERCY‏ from NetGalley! 2/27-2/29

EXCLUSIVE 2-DAY GALLEY DOWNLOAD for NetGalley members only!

Monday, February 27 (9:00 A.M. EST) through Wednesday, February 29 (9:00 A.M. EST)

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
Don’t miss EXCLUSIVE content from the author on the fascinating role poisons play in Grave Mercy!



Title: Grave Mercy (Exclusive Promo Galley)
SubTitle: His Fair Assassin, Book 1
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
Pub Date: April 03, 2012
ISBN: 9780547628349

Hurry up and grab your copy of this amazing book --> here! 

I already got mine, did you? :)

I am not a sponsor of Netgalley. I am just passing on this wonderful news to my readers. :)   - Thank you, Mary @sweepingme

This or That Author Interview w/ Kelan O'Connell + GIVEAWAY!

 Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far. So, I am here today to bring a really fun This or That Author Interview w/ Kelan O'Connell. She is a new self-published author who has recently came out with her new novel "Delta Legend" - A YA crossover novel which is in Urban Fantasy genre in a rural setting with a unique element of historical fiction. Suffering no shortage of action, carnage, romance, and laughs, this eBook appeals to a broad range of Young Adults and Crossovers. I am so excited to be able to share with my readers a interview I have done with Kelan. This is my first time doing this type of interview so I hope this will be a fun change-up for everyone and something I can do again. Ooo, and the best news is that Kelan being the sweetheart she is has offered my readers a amazing giveaway prize pack! Awesome, right? I know! For more detail on how to win and what you can win please stick around until after the interview for full details.   

About Delta Legend:

When 16-year-old Oakland California teenager, Calvin Pierce, makes a bad decision and winds up getting arrested, his mother is quick to take action. Determined not to lose a second son to the drug and gang violence of the inner city, she sends Calvin to spend the summer working for his great uncle in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

There in the predominately-white region of agriculture and recreational boating, Calvin’s a fish out of water with a chip on his shoulder. But when severed body parts start floating to the surface, his summer of proving himself takes on new meaning.

Something deadly is lurking in the deep, murky waterways of the Delta. Now the daunting task of containing the living incarnation of a mythical creature falls to Calvin and his ragtag posse of oddball characters.

 So tell me Kelan...


Which do you prefer - Reading or writing? You would have to give me a tough on right off the bat, Beckie. While I truly love the process of writing, it’s also my job, which means work. Reading on the other hand is a mini vacation. Work or Vacay? VaCay any day!


Pen or keyboard? Keyboard! I’ve always hated my handwriting. Most of my friends, as well as my mother, have really lovely handwriting. I never did. When I was in my twenties, I gave up on cursive altogether and started writing in all caps. But I still hate to write by hand, especially in an important card where I usually blow it.  

Free trip to Spain or Alaska? Since the next “Legend” after Delta Legend is going to be set in a snowy environment, from a research standpoint I should probably say Alaska, but I’m going to say Spain. I want to travel abroad more and I’m a huge tapas freak. 


E-book or Print? Both! I liken this debate to the war between the North and the South. It’s over. And in this instance, both sides win. It’s not an either or situation, it’s both. Perhaps the bigger questions is, will we ever see staged reenactments of the war between physical books and eBooks? 


Writing from home or someplace else? When I began writing the novel version of Delta Legend (it was originally a screenplay) I was living in a tiny cottage in the Sonoma Wine Country of Northern California. It was the perfect live/work space for me at the time. Then, when I was about three quarters of the way through the process, I reconnected with my very first boyfriend from when I was 18! (Another Face Book hook-up.) We’ve been back together for almost two years and now live together. Tom’s a sound engineer and his studio is attached to our home (which was his). So, if he’s tracking an album, there can be any number of musicians wandering about. While it can be a thrill to see a famous rocker in your kitchen, this is not conducive to writing. So, about a year ago I got a little office space not far from where we live. It’s pretty cool to have a place that’s exclusively a writing space. 


Coffee or Tea? COFFEE!!! I’m amped on caffeine and swilling more as I type this. Mornings only though.


Laptop or Tablet? Again, both. Laptop for writing and iPad for staying connected while being a bit more untethered. 


One voice or alternating POVs? Ooo, this is a really good one. Alternating POV’s please. One of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver, is a master of the alternating POV. Though Delta Legend is written in third-person narrative, I still allow myself to jump in and out of character’s heads, letting aspects of my narrative reflect their personality in the moment.  


Being eaten by Zombies or being bitten by a Vampire? Bitten by a vampire. They still have a slight edge when it comes to sex appeal. Someone with cold flesh gnawing at me or someone with rotting flesh? Um, I’m gonna go with cold.  


Female lead character or Male lead character? As a reader, I like both. As a writer, male. I think we need more guy-oriented stories in YA. I was raised with three older brothers (no sisters) so writing for a male main character isn’t all that tough for me. Not that there aren’t plenty of female characters in Delta Legend—Mei Li carries the primary female dynamic in the story. But the fact that my book appeals to both guys and gals thrills me to no end. Reading is sexy. Guys who figure this out are way ahead of the game. Think about it; guy sitting outside a coffee house, drinking a latte while reading a book or guy standing on the corner texting? How’s that for a THIS or THAT? I’m pretty excited about having a book that both sexes can relate to, and who knows, maybe even connect over. 


Good or evil? Good vs Evil. Good wins out, of course. 


Write during the night or write during the day? There was a time when I used to be able to write late into the night, but these days I tend to limit it to daylight hours. 

Buy online or buy in a bookstore? Both. In person, I try to support Indie Bookstores. My favorites are Book Passage in Marin County, CA and any of the Copperfield’s Books in Sonoma County, CA. Heaven on earth. Of course, as an Indie Author with an eBook, I’m also an eReading freak. I love being able to instantly have a book or sample of a book sent to my Kindle so I can start reading within seconds. 


Stand alone or series? Love a good series. That way you can string your addiction out for a bit longer. Sadly, even these end too soon. In my case, I’m creating a brand that’s a mix between a stand alone and series. While I love Calvin and the gang, I’m going to step away and let them live their lives a bit while I write a new “Legend” with different characters in a different setting. The series aspect lies in the shared formula: a main character who gets thrown into a completely foreign environment, a mythical creature linked to historical fiction, a sprinkling of romance, action, and carnage. And of course, plenty of laughs with more whacko characters and unlikely heroes of various ages and races. 

Telepathy or Telekinesis? Telekinesis. I’d much rather have control over objects than people. Think of the fun pranks you could pull! And truthfully, if I had to overhear all the frenetic stuff going on in other people’s minds, I’d lose it—too much like a bad reality show!


Thanks for a really fun interview, Beckie! That was a truly creative THIS or THAT!

Your most welcome, Kelan. I had a lot of fun as well and thank YOU for doing this interview with me!

As a young adult, Kelan O’Connell spent her summers aboard a family houseboat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Apparently, she still harbors suspicions about those deep murky waters. Though she’s been writing in one form or another since the age of 20, Delta Legend is her debut Young Adult Crossover novel. Kelan began writing in college, creating character monologues as a way to stand out in auditions while also cranking out sketch comedy. She holds a degree in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University and has worked in the Entertainment Industry in Northern California and Los Angeles, among her many other day jobs. She currently lives in Northern California with her partner, Sound Engineer/Producer Tom Size, and the incredibly spoiled pets of Camp Runamuck.

Contact/Buy Links: Blog | Website | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Yay!! Time for the giveaway!! Kelan is going to give away one e-book copy of her book with a personal note of thanks to the winner, a 13 x 19  framed poster that looks like the book cover. Kelan says: It really is a cool poster as the graphic artist worked in multiple layers so the "eye" has a lot of depth when you see it in person. The winner can choose to have the poster autographed if he/she would like. Finally Kelan is giving away a origami crawdad. 

View Poster (without frame) | View origami crawdad

• One Winner will take everything home!
• Open to US and Canada. (sorry INT)
• Main entry - Follow by GFC or via e-mail.
• All other entries are optional but will improve your chances.
• MUST use Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Book Review:} Brightest Kind Of Darkness by P.T. Michelle

Title: Brightest Kind Of Darkness
Author: P.T. Michelle
Number of pages: 364

Published: June 27th 2011 by Patrice Michelle

Source: Given to read by author (Kindle copy)
Star Rating:  ★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.  After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate. Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

I was asked several months ago by author, P.T. Michelle to read her book Brightest kind of darkness for review on my blog and have been ever so busy trying to get caught up with reading and doing reviews for authors as promised. I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I really enjoyed her book and how unique the story was right from the start. I truly love to be able to read a book that is unlike any other I have read before. To me it make for such a fun and intriguing read. There are always books out there to read about vampires, witches, werewolf's, ect but to be able to pick one up and discover a untold story that will have you falling in love with the character's or feeling you can't put the book down because you just need to know what will happen to next is priceless.   

So to anyone who has watched or heard of the Final Destination movies this book is a little like this but without all of the gore. Nara is one of the main character's of the book and ever since she was seven years old she was able to dream of her future but only 1 day ahead. Most times she could use this special gift to help herself with minor things like a test at school, or at soccer games to find out which way the ball would come to her as a goalie. Until one day she makes the decision to call the police anonymously with a bomb threat at her school which she saw the night before in her dreams. Nara does not usually interfere with what is meant to be but feels she must in order to save her classmates and friends. When everything is seems to okay again back in school Nara soon meets Ethan; a mysterious loner and slowly begins to form a close friendship.  with him. But Ethan himself has a secret that nobody knows, it is something that Nara will uncover once strange things began to happen in all around her. She starts to question herself if she made the right choice by tempting fate and saving her friends lives who where never meant to be saved. Now it's "Fate's" turn it get even and only Nara and Ethan can be find the way to save the ones who matter most to them and each other. 

I just fell head over heals in love with this book and one of the main reason but not the only reason was: Ethan! He was just the most sweetest, caring, attentive, understanding, tender, loving...uh okay yeah you get the point - Just Perfect. I don't mean too perfect where you just can't stand the character because is he written "to well" but just someone you can relate to and you could see how Nara could fall in love with Ethan. The romance in the book moves at a perfect pace, no instant love. As you read through the book the author took her time building the relationship between the main character's into friendship then developed into love. The story-line was so very unique and like nothing I have read before. I was right away hooked when I started reading. I did find some slow area in the middle of the book but the ending was phenomenal I know I had to read the next one so I could continue their story. I will admit I did cry a scene towards the ending of the book and I feel that any book that can make you just shed a tear is definitelyworth the read. 

Final thoughts: I adore this cover and I love how it corresponds so well to the story but you wont know that until more towards the ending. The title is perfect and beautiful and just like the cover you will not understand why the book is named what it is until you read. :) All in all, I would SO recommend this book to each and everyone of my readers. Thank you again P.T. Michelle for allowing me to read your novel. 

{Giveaway Winners:} Five E-Books | Spiritus by Dana Michelle Burnett

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Spiritus e-book giveaway and a special thank goes to Dana Michelle Burnett the author of this amazing book for offering my readers some free copies.

The winners of a FIVE e-book copies of her book, Spiritus are:

Sherry H.

Diana

Nicole

Christie 

Raebeth

Congrats to you all. I will be contacting everyone by e-mail shortly. 

Thank you and please be sure to enter the other two giveaway that are going on right now.

Win a free copy of Near Death | Win a free *signed* print book "The Word Gang".

Follow Friday: #16

Follow Friday hosted by Parajunkee & alisoncanread

Featured Blogger:

Michelle @ Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!

This weeks question is: 
Q: Activity!!! Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most…

This is my bed in my bedroom where I do a good 90% of my reading. I feel most relaxed and comfortable laying in bed while reading. As you can see my dog Nikki is on my bed. She was laying with me when I was reading but once I got up to snap this picture she looked over at me like to say "come back to bed and snuggle". The throw blanket she is laying on is the one "we" use to stay warm while reading on cold nights. (this image was take a few weeks ago)

Theme Thursday [SMELL] #11

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursdays)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word) 
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors. Theme Thursdays is hosted by Kavyen @Reading Between Pages.

This weeks theme is - SMELL (Breathe, Anything else you can come up with the nose's functions)


My THURSDAY THEME for SMELL is from here:

Add this book on Goodreads.


The smell of chocolate chips and macadamia nuts reached my room by the time I'd finished putting my clothes away. 


[and one more snippet...]


I held my breathe as I pulled myself upright, careful not to move my rib cage any more than absolutely necessary.