August 30, 2011

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Publisher's Summary:  I wasn’t free of my past, not yet.

Sydney’s blood is special. That’s because she’s an alchemist—one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir—the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir—is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill’s guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places—a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside—and within—the school grounds. Now that they’re in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

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My Take: Yay! I cannot believe that this day has finally come! I feel like I have been forever waiting for the release of Bloodlines! And once again Richelle Mead has proved to me why I am a majorly obsessive fan of her Vampire Academy series and NOW her Bloodlines series! And when I say obsessive, I truly mean it! If you haven’t read Vampire Academy, I’m a pusher!!! I will keep pushing you until you read it! So if you haven’t read it, READ IT NOW! There was a discussion on twitter last night with a couple of my fave blogger friends about the popular thing going around, people getting VA tattoos of the molnija or the zvezda. While I have said that I would never get a tattoo, I would love to rock one of these markings, using henna!

Getting back to Bloodlines, this book had a completely different feel than VA and I think that is what made it even more intriguing!! We are now seeing the fabulous Vampire Academy world that I love and wish I was a part of, through the eyes of someone who feels the complete opposite of every obsessive VA fan (including myself). Sydney is a human who was raised her entire life to think of Moroi (pure blood-born vampires) and Dhampir (part Moroi and part human) as evil and unnatural beings who shouldn’t exist.

Sydney is on thin ice with the alchemists because they are looking at her like she is a “vampire lover.” Throughout the book she has to prove to herself and her people that she doesn’t have positive feelings for any of them (Moroi or Dhampir) or look at them as if they were just like humans. Before reading Bloodlines, I thought that Sydney’s opinion of the Moroi and Dhampir had changed because of her feelings about Rose. Rose may have lightened her up a little bit, but we now get to see in Sydney’s own mind how she really feels. Just when I thought she was warming up to them a little bit (the vampires in this book), she shows her ill feelings again. In the very beginning she and her colleague, Rick, are surrounded by Moroi and Dhampir in one house and Rick seems terrified. But while Syndey is extremely uncomfortable and counting how many of them she is surrounded by in that house, she seems to handle herself pretty well; however, she still doesn’t like the thought of having to share a room with a Moroi, even if it is sweet Jill. She thinks that Jill is a blood-crazed vampire who might attack her in her sleep. I’m lovin’ it!

As you probably know, there were several characters whose lives were dramatically turned for the worst at the end of Vampire Academy’s Last Sacrifice, so this was the perfect opportunity to put these characters in a new setting and give us the opportunity to learn more about them and I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

The majority of this book is kind of like a mystery. It’s Sydney’s job to make sure that the vampire world is kept a secret and anything that could tip humans off to their existence needs to be stopped or destroyed. So when she runs into a couple things that she thinks she needs to be suspicious of, she is determined to get to the bottom of it.

This is a book that I will be pushing…so you might as well start reading now before I become a stalker!

Purchased with my own money.

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August 29, 2011

Angeline Kace's Guest Post!

PhotobucketI was super excited when Angeline wanted to include me in her blog tour for the debut of the first book in her Vampire Born Trilogy, Descended by Blood! If you haven't met Angeline, then she is someone you will have to get to know! You can find her blog at http://www.angelinekace.com/ and twitter.com/Angeline_Kace.

Angeline is one of my faves to just chat with on twitter. She is super funny and very sweet! We have this little joke that we now include in a lot of our tweets and I even talked about in another blog post. The joke came about one night when Angeline got a sugar high and was super delirious on Swedish Fish. I think she said she only ate 5! LoL... So I started a little chat with her about it. In one of her tweets during her sugar high she was meaning to tweet OMG and she tweeted PMg...we both found it pretty funny so from this point on we always say PMg instead of OMG to each-other. I have tried to come up with something that PMg would mean, but I haven't come up with that one yet, so if you have any suggestions, send over the 411!

Once again I wanted something super fun and unique for her blog tour stop so I asked her a question and here it is.

Bookluvr Mindy: You are kidnapped and dropped off on a island. You are then approached by a group of talking animals and they tell you that you have to pick an animal that you will be transformed into for the rest of your life. If you don't choose, you will be turned into something that you most fear. What animal would you choose and why? What animals would the characters in your book choose and why? AND what animal would you most fear to be turned into?


Angeline's Reply:
PhotobucketWow! This would creep me out in real life. I would have to say I would like to be turned into a monkey. I've liked monkeys for as long as I can remember. In elementary, we had to write a book, complete with pictures drawn by us of our animals (I must say I had mad skills with the red crayon), and I did the orangutan. Born to Be Wild, about a gorilla, was my favorite movie when I was younger. I watched it all the time, and every time I watched it, I'd cry. Plus, I think monkeys are the closest thing to humans that there is. I mean, a dolphin's smart, but I would NOT want to live under water.
Mindy's comment: Mindy's comment: "As a kid I ♥♥♥ monkeys. When I moved out into my first apartment I had so many monkeys that they completely covered the floor in my walk-in-closet and I was determined that one day I would have a spider monkey as a pet.”

PhotobucketBrooke: "Oh, this is a tricky one. I've always thought it would be cool to be a bird. To be able to fly, and see everything with such excellent eyesight would be amazing. I wouldn't want to be just any bird, though. I would prefer to be a bird of prey. That way, I'm the hunter, not the hunted. So, either an Eagle or a Falcon: a Falcon because they're FAST, and an eagle because they sometimes hunt as a team. I guess I would have to go with Eagle because if they could hunt with another Eagle, then that means that they're not completely solitary creatures. I like to have someone around, so I think that would be the best fit for me. And then if Kaitlynn chose the same thing, we could be a hard core Eagle hunting team."
Mindy’s comment: “Pwitty bwird…pwitty bwird. I don’t know about being a bird, when I think of flying all I think about is how badly I get motion sick.”

PhotobucketJaren: "Well, speed is revered in lacrosse, so I would have to say I'd choose to be a cheetah. I'm always working on increasing how fast I can run, so if I had to choose an animal to be turned into, I would like to pick something where I didn't have to work so hard to be fast."
Mindy’s comment: “Oooo! Cheetahs are freakin’ awesome! And I am highly impatient so being able to get somewhere fast would be fabulous. My impatience is the reason I have had so many speeding tickets and my license was taken away when I was 17.”

PhotobucketMirko: "Ah, well first, I would consider slashing each group member's throat. But if that was out of the question, I would have to choose a crocodile. They've been around for ages, so they have the whole survival thing down. They're basically running around all the time with shields, you know, because their skin is so rough and they have the plates along their head and backs for protection. And they run fast. They're mostly water creatures, but they still do a top job of surviving on land. Crocodiles are also fierce animals. They have been known to attack and kill sharks. That's how I would want to be known if I were an animal. Fierce."
Mindy’s comment channeling Steve Irwin: “Crikey mate!! She’s a beauty!”

PhotobucketKaitlynn: "I would have to brain storm with Brooke to make sure we chose the same thing. But I would suggest that we both become meerkats. Have you seen that show, Meerkat Manor? They have a social structure and everything. Their like little humans, but with fur and claws. And they appear to be pretty smart animals, too."
Mindy’s comment: “I haven’t seen Meerkat Manor but I found a trailer and it made me chuckle so I added it below.”

PhotobucketAngeline's Fear: Okay, so what animal would I fear to be turned into? There are a lot of animals that I would hate to be, but I would have to say a sloth beats out all of them. They are so slow, and their whole day is spent searching for food and eating it, just so they can maintain the treacherous searches for food. You know that mid-afternoon crash you get? Where all you can think about is putting your head down on your desk and passing out, and it takes every ounce of strength to keep your eyes from fluttering and then closing for good? Well, that's how I imagine a life as a sloth would be. All day long. Every, single day. I would probably just give up and go to sleep for good. Screw that struggle. That would be torture.
Mindy’s comment: “PMg! I don’t think I could handle a life like that! I think I would rather lay down and starve to death!”

Thank you so much for having me, Mindy! You always come up with the most creative things for your blog tours, and it has certainly been an honor for me to stop here today.

It's me Mindy again! Isn't she fabulous and super creative! I ♥ Angeline Kace and I think we could be life long buddies. Hopefully we can meet one day. So be sure to check our Angeline’s blog at http://www.anglinekace.com/ and twitter.com/Angeline_Kace and grab a copy of Descended by Blood!

AND...Don't forget to enter her giveaway by going to HERE!



Follow the rest of Angeline Kace' Descended by Blood Tour here!


Here's that Meerkat Manor trailer I was talking about!


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Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

Summary: Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. Thrown into a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it.





Trailer


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Descended by Blood Blog Tour Giveaway!

Now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Descended by Blood, signed by Angeline Kace, as well as a signed bookmark and nail polish! Thanks Angeline! And look at that beautiful cover! Man, those guys on the bookmark are HOT (I’ve saved a few of those hot guy bookmarks for myself.) Yay!

This giveaway will run until 11:59pm MST August 30th! Open for US Shipping ONLY! Only 2 days to enter...so make sure you enter now. To enter the giveaway fill out the form and there are 2 options for additional entries. One additional entry is if you leave a question or comment for Angeline Kace on her guest post and/or one additional entry if you tweet about the blog tour stop!  Please read over Magical Urban Fantasy Reads terms for Contest and Giveaways HERE!

Giveaway Form ENDED!
AND THE WINNER IS....Kelli!
Congrats!

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August 26, 2011

Hey Ya'll Check out Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent


The official blurb: By blood, by word, by magic…

Most can’t touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.

Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.

But when her friend’s daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can’t rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.

Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.

And more blood will be spilled before it’s over…



There were several fabulous books released this week and Blood Bound was one of them! Doesn't it sound super good? I just purchased the Soul Screamers Series because I have heard nothing but fabulous stuff about them...particularly from Fiktshun. And I'm also super excited to see Rachel Vincent at the Smart Chicks Kick It tour that I will be going to in Seattle on October 2nd!  So I am really looking forward to getting my own copy of Blood Bound as well!



You can purchase Blood Bound at BN.com by clicking on the image below!


Watch the trailer here!


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August 25, 2011

Angels Gather Here Tour

Linda Poitevin has released the info for her Angels Gather Here Tour for her book Sins of the Angels that will be released September 27th!
Linda Poitevin will stopping by Magical Urban Fantasy Reads
on November 3rd
Angels Gather Here Blog Tour - Click to view schedule







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Winners for the Show Me Your Teeth Giveaway!

I have released the winners to the Show Me Your Teeth giveaway! Thank you all that entered and I hope I will be able to do another one soon!

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Show Me Your Teeth Giveaway Hop!

PLEASE READ Magical Urban Fantasy Reads Contests and Giveaway rules HERE If you have signed up for a giveaway hosted by Bookluvr Mindy, you are agreeing to Magical Urban Fantasy Reads Contest and Giveaway Rules



The Show Me Your Teeth giveaway hop is running from August 15th and will stop at 11:59pm on August 23rd CST. Ended!

1st giveaway option is open International!

Winners will receive an eBook of Anathema by K.A. Tucker
  • Nikki O.
  • Natalie
  • Brenna
  • Nikki A.
  • Martina
5 Winners will receive an eBook of Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace
  • Ifrah
  • Martina
  • Kristi
  • Adva
  • Shannon
5 Winners will receive an eBook of both: The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Part I & The Birth of Jaiden by Jennifer Malone Wright
  • Diana
  • Tamara
  • Alice X
  • Martina
  • Aleksandra





    Click on this picture to Enter!  EndedPhotobucket


    2nd & 3rd giveaway options:  See Below
    Each book cover below can enter you into a drawing to win a Signed Paperback of that book or you can be a winner of 5 bookmarks! YOU MAY ENTER BOTH! BUT Anathema is only open to US or Canada shipping and Descended by Blood is only open for US shipping.




    Click on EACH book cover to ENTER  Ended!
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    Anathema by K.A. Tucker signed paperback winner is Vivian!
    Descended by Blood signed paperback winner is Ashley!

    Bookmark winners:
    Anathema by K.A. Tucker
    • Alisia
    • Krystal
    • Vivian
    • Sherry
    • Angela
    Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace
    • Julie
    • Maria
    • Judy
    • Nikki
    • Sapphyria


    Follow along with the Show Me Your Teeth Giveaway Hop here!
    Show Me Your Teeth





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    August 23, 2011

    Divergent by Veronica Roth

    Publisher's Summary: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

    During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

    Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

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    My Take: WOW! That was an amazing, awesome, compelling, mind boggling and intense book! Divergent is by far one of the best books I have read this year! I had finished this book a couple weeks ago and right away I knew it would be difficult to review because I absolutely did not want to give any part of the story away. So this little issue left me with some MAJOR pondering. I have been struggling with the thought of how little detail or even emotion that I could express! Grrrr…. So I had to find a way to write my review with very little detail because I think each reader needs to begin this book as completely blind about the story as possible. That’s the way "I" approached Divergent and I am happy I stuck to this philosophy because it kept every moment in the book a mystery. Well, accept that everyone I know who read it talked about how much they loved Four and I have now joined the bandwagon with my infatuation.

    When I first picked up Divergent I was immediately sucked into the story and I was really intrigued by the bizarre standard of living that the people in this dystopia novel endured. The beginning of the book is what really set the tone for me when Beatrice’ (who later changes her name to Tris) mother is cutting her hair and it is the first time in 6 weeks since she has been able to see herself in a mirror; otherwise the mirror is always kept covered! This is because her family is in the Abnegation (selfless) faction (a faction is a specific lifestyle you must live out to the fullest!) so she can’t look at herself too long or that would be considered vain. Weird! Right?

    Each year, all 16 year olds are put through a simulation and the results of the simulation may ultimately help them decide the faction they end up choosing. After the simulation they have one day to decide the faction they will live in for the rest of their lives. Tris and her brother happened to turn 16 in the same year, so they are going in this together. Tris hasn’t done very well at being selfless…unlike her brother, so she is certain that her brother will be staying to live with their parents and she will be moving on to one of the other 4 factions.

    This is when the story starts to get really good!

    Tris meets a whole set of new kids her age and through this bunch of kids she makes several new friends that I grew to love. But then she also has to deal with some really evil kids and a horrible betrayal (one I least suspected!) I am still shocked by this betrayal; this is something I did not foresee coming at all! And then there is Four! How could you not fall in love with Four! I need to start taking notes of all the fictional characters I’m in love with.

    While reading Divergent I knew there would be much more to the story than just reading about Tris and her new faction. I knew there was something big that was going to go down, but I was still completely caught off guard by what happens in the end. It was totally crazy! There are things that happen in the end that didn’t sit well with me…well, actually, I was really upset. But it was still a phenomenal ending and I can’t wait to see what will happen next!


    This book was purchased with my own money.

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    August 21, 2011

    Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

    Summary:  Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

    That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

    Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

    But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

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    My Take: Whoa! That was one big bang of an ending. It was also an awfully amazing cliffhanger and I am SERIOUSLY craving for more. I can't even go to bed right now because my mind is still reeling. The ending pretty much felt like a major explosion of fireworks! You know, when you are watching the finale at the end of a firework show and it is so crazy that you almost feel like you can't handle it? Yeah, that is how it made me feel! I can still feel the high.

    If you haven't read Hex Hall, then I want to warn you that there will be some spoilers of Hex Hall in this review.

    Literally, right after I finished Hex Hall I picked up Demonglass. I was determined to find out if she was really going to have her powers stripped and what the heck happened with Archer! What a twist! Were Archer's feelings for Sophie real or was it an assignment?

    Sophie's father takes Sophie, Jenna and Cal with him back to London. Ahhhh Cal...I ♥ him! And I am thrilled he is featured more in this book. But even though he is a hunk and I have the major hots for him, I found that one particular part in the book made him a little bit of a wuss. Seriously? He has this amazing power to heal and his obsession is to heal plants? There is a part in the book where he is holding a plant gingerly in his hands after trying to teach Sophie how to heal it and after the pot holding the plant broke. I'm sitting here thinking, "If you’ve got this amazing gift, wouldn't you be hanging out in some Prodigium hospital to cure some magical creatures? Why the heck are you so freakin' obsessed with plants? " But other than that, Cal is totally hot!

    I loved in this book how truly powerful Sophie is and can be. I don't want to give up too much, but it was fabulous and the ending had some more freakin' crazy twists! I was thinking, "Where the heck is this heading?!?" And I am still thinking that!

    I have only had this happen with one other book, but right before the crazy ending, I was thinking about how I would rate Demonglass. At that point I thought I would be giving it only 4 stars . . . but after THAT ending...I HAD to give it 5 stars! I highly recommend this series.

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    August 20, 2011

    My Moral Dilemma

    I started book blogging in March of this year and so far it has been an amazing experience. For the most part it has been a lot fun. Before I started my blog, I became obsessed with reading and writing reviews on goodreads. After doing this for a long period of time, I then decided that I would start up my own blog. I can honestly say that this has been by far my favorite hobby. I have grown to love many fun and fabulous Indie authors and I have met some amazing bloggers that I would consider my friends. Through these bloggers and authors, I have also stumbled across a mountain of amazing books to read and I can’t read them fast enough. I no longer read books that I think are just OK. If I’m not “feeling” the book, then I just don’t finish it. There are just way too many fabulous books to spend those precious hours reading.

    But then I have had some horrible and heartbreaking experiences. A short time ago, I was contacted by another blogger who told me that one of my reviews had been plagiarized. I confirmed the plagiarism, but my first thoughts were that it was some stupid teen who wanted to copy my review because they were too lazy to read or review the book and they wanted to use other bloggers’ reviews to gain a history in their own blog to get free books. But after doing some major research, I found that this person was actually a Kindergarten teacher. This upset me even more when I found this out. I felt violated. My oldest son is now in first grade and my youngest will start kindergarten next year. So the thought that a teacher who is stealing other’s hard work (claiming it as her own) is also out there influencing young minds really bugs me. Apparently, she is still able to sleep at night knowing that she stole other’s hard work. To me, she obviously doesn’t have the proper morals to be a teacher.

    And now I have a new dilemma! As you can tell, morals are important to me. So, there is this book that I received to review for an Indie author that was absolutely fabulous! It was my first favorite Indie book as a book blogger, and I have been anxiously waiting to read her next book. I loved her book so much I have been pimping it out to many others. So, obviously, I was VERY passionate about her book. I even referred to the main character in her book as my new BFF. Everyone else I knew who read her book loved it as well.

    Well, about 2 months ago I was having a really hard time getting a hold of her. I knew that the next book in her series should be released shortly and I also wanted to include her in my big birthday giveaway. When I first told her about the giveaway she was super excited. She had all these amazing ideas of what she wanted to include in the giveaway but after that she just disappeared off of the face of the earth. She wasn’t returning any of my emails or tweets. I then noticed that she wasn’t tweeting at all and she hadn’t posted anything on her blog. At that point I removed her from my giveaway. I later received a Direct Message on twitter from her telling me that she had just delivered twins and that her babies were still in ICU. I then reassured her not to worry, that I had already removed her from my giveaway and told her to take care of herself and her twins.

    But I have never heard from her since. For the last month I started to get really worried about her. I was trying really hard to get ahold of her to see how she and her babies were doing and I got no reply. I then thought that maybe she purposely separated herself from the outside world and was taking care of her family. So I then decided to get in contact with a blogger I knew who worked with her quite often. My blogger friend provided an article about this author and I was completely shocked! I am still having a hard time believing it is true. But after doing some extensive research and with the help a blogger friend, I found out that the articles are truly about this author, and the story is horrifying to me.

    This author is currently in prison and has been charged with felony theft for a craigslist rental scam that’s hit at least 22 victims, the majority of which were military families. She would take a deposit and the first month’s rent that ranged anywhere from $400 to $2200 per victim. The renter would then show up to the property with all his or her belongings to discover that the property was already occupied.

    So here is my moral dilemma. Do I remove my reviews from my blog and from anywhere else they are posted? Morally, I know and have always known the right answer. But the devil inside me took over for a while and, after re-reading my review and pondering how much I like the book, I avoided my moral obligation. I kept telling myself, “I still feel the same about the book, no matter who the author is or what she’s done!” And it was especially easy to tell myself it was no big deal because with any author or book I read, I might love the author but dislike the book or I, obviously, might love the book but dislike the author. But I know with this author it’s more than just simple dislike because she has really hurt people, and I shouldn’t help her become successful any longer. So today, I will be going through all the websites that I can think of where I may have posted my review, and I will remove them all.

    My last dilemma as a blogger is letting Indie authors down when I am not “feeling” their book. I hate to give Indie authors bad reviews because I know that they put so much time and effort into their work and a lot of their success can stem from positive exposure. So I think I have now decided that if I accept a review from an Indie author and discover, while reading the book, that I probably will not give the book a good review or rating, I will stop reading the book so I do not feel obligated to review it.

    ***UPDATE*** I ended up deleting my review of the author's book that stole that money from those military families.  I honestly can't support someone that would do something so horrible to someone.

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    August 19, 2011

    Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

    Publisher's Summary: Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father?an elusive European warlock?only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

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    My Take: After I had already put my copy of Hex Hall off to the side as my next read, I thought maybe I should first take a quick glance to get a little taste of what I would eventually be diving into. Well, I read the Prologue and I KNEW this book would be fabulous and I KNEW I would love the main character. And oh boy was I right! The Prologue is freakin' hilarious! And guess what? You can read it here - Hex Hall Prologue. What did you think? Isn't it freakin’ awesome sauce? And don’t you just love Sophie? She rocks!

    Because Sophie cast that fabulous Love Spell, she is sentenced to go to school at Hecate Hall (or as Jenna, Sophie’s roommate, would say "Hex Hall") to avoid more exposure. When Sophie is first introduced to Jenna, her first impression of Jenna is pink! EVERYTHING in her side of the room was hot pink, including the streak in her hair. Can you get anymore sweetly innocent and girly than that? Well, Jenna’s a vamp and the rest of the school thinks she is a monster. So when girls at school keep getting attacked, drained of most or all of their blood and finding holes in their necks, who do you think is the only suspect? Only no one has proof and, besides, a vamp’s bite is normally much more rapacious.

    The majority of the story is about Sophie trying to adjust to a lifestyle she has never been a part of, learning about and going to school with Warlocks, Witches, Faeries, Shapeshifters, Werewolves and a Vampire. And most of all, just trying to fit in! Only, when she finds out who her father is, this doesn’t help…it only makes things worse.

    Of course there is "the guy" that I, along with probably every other reader, wants Sophie to be with. Only Archer is the boyfriend of the leader of the "Mean Girls." Yep, there are truly Mean Girls in Hex Hall and when Sophie refuses to join their group, she has to suffer their wrath. Knowing that Archer is with this chick was really bugging me. “You have to get to know her.” Yeah right! There is nothing nice about that mean chick.

    With all the magical fun, romance and mystery of trying to figure out who is attacking these girls…by far the best parts were the twists at the end! I was like, “What? I didn’t see that coming!” and then I was like, “WHAT? I didn’t see that coming either!” Yeah! There are more than a couple twists.

    In all, I have to once again say that this book was a fabulous read!

    Purchased with my own money.

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    August 15, 2011

    Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

    Publisher's Summary: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi—pure-bloods—have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals—well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

    Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:
    Unfortunately, she’s crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn’t her biggest problem—staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden.

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    My Take: After reading Daimon, I just knew that Half-Blood was going to be amazing, and I was MORE than satisfied! It was Fab-Tab-U-Lous! Reading the highly intense, action-packed Daimon left me wanting to know all about this world Jennifer L. Armentrout has created, and Jennifer did not disappoint in Half-Blood which picked right up where Daimon left off. Good thing too because after reading Daimon, I had tons of questions like: “What are these evil creatures that are after Alex and that killed her mother?” ”What are Pure Bloods?” ”Why did Alex’s mom run away from the Covenant?” ”Why are the Daimon’s saying, “What are you?”” “Who is this boy that Alex has always had a crush on?” And one of the things that I loved most about Half-Blood is that ALL of my questions were answered. Yes…of course, even more doors are opened with this book (hello it’s a series!), but it’s an amazing standalone book on its own.

    One thing I decided for sure is that I cannot stand the Covenant’s rules/laws; they truly drove me NUTTY! I won’t go into the details of why they drove me nutty because that is left for you (the reader) to figure out! I wanted to scream in the book, “What the heck is wrong with you people?” But I will give this hint; the rules don’t benefit the Half-bloods, and what I hated most is that even though Half-bloods are treated so horribly, they just go along with it and simply accept that this is how it is! It’s obvious that Alex only knows better because she has lived outside the Covenant in human society and knows that life can be lived differently. The Gods have turned their backs on the Pures, and I am almost wondering if it is because of the way the Pures are living their lives. My thoughts are that the Gods don’t agree with the way the Pures are living and the way they treat their offspring.

    When it comes to the romance in Half-Blood, anything that had to do with Aiden was totally HOT! But he’s forbidden. Grrrr!!! Hmm…but does Alex really listen to the (or any) rules? Only, of course, Aiden HAS to be a saint. Now even though I loved reading about the Aiden and Alex romance and wanted so badly for them to be together, I am starting to wonder if I like Seth more! I think I might be Team Seth! (Yummy) Weird, huh? Maybe it’s because I just want Seth for myself! Should I tell Alex that she can have Aiden and I can have Seth? Why the heck do I get all goo-goo-gah-gah over guys that only exist in books?! Maybe I should require that my husband start reading my books so he can get some tips? Nevermind, it just wouldn’t be the same because I love the fantasy!

    There is a horrible but fabulous ending to this book, and I am left wondering, “How the heck is Jennifer going to be able to compete with this book in future books?” Well I am more than excited to see where this series leads, and I am more than a little excited to read more about Seth! Woot! Woot!

    Half-Blood Trailer


    Half-Blood Trailer #2


    Provided to me to review by:

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    August 6, 2011

    My husband is going down!!!!

    This morning my husband pulled a horribly evil prank and I am determined to get him back! So I NEED your help!

    First, I want to tell you that I am probably the worst morning person ever (stay away or I might eat you alive.) My husband knows this more than anyone and he is the complete opposite. To make matters even worse, I was up until 3am reading the fabulous Divergent and he know this as well!

    Anyways, I was supposed to be at work this morning by 8:45am, which means I should leave my house no later than 8:35. It is REALLY more than important that I’m at work BEFORE 9am.

    So, this morning my husband snuggles up to me and says, “What time are you supposed to leave for work?” Through squinted eyes I look at my alarm clock (it’s about 20 minutes fast to guarantee that I get up on time), and it says 9:16!!! So I jump out of bed and run into the kitchen and look at the microwave clock at it says 8:55 and I say “Crap!" I screamed, "My alarm didn’t go off! I’m dead! I’m sooooo late!!!!” I start throwing on the first pieces of clothing that I can find. I’m running all over the house, I go to the restroom, brush my teeth and put on some deodorant. I grab my purse and phone and start running for the door.

    But then I look at my phone and it says, "6:55!" PMg!?!?!? (PMg is Angeline Kace and my OMG) So...PMg!!! I say, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” No wonder why my husband was staring at me while I was going to the restroom. Immediately he starts laughing is butt off! I walk over to the microwave and the clock says 9:05am and my bedroom clock says 9:21! Can you believe it? He changed the freakin’ clocks on purpose! I am so MAD! My sleep in the morning is precious!

    Now it is my turn to get him back! (Locking him out of the house this morning doesn’t count.) Luckily, he NEVER visits my blog, he barely checks his facebook page (maybe twice a month) and he never checks his email. So I am asking, “Please, please help me get him back!” I need something outrageously good. And it has to be logical…something that I can really pull off. And, as a reward, whoever gives me the best idea that I can actually use, will receive a swag pack from me. The swag pack can only be mailed to a US shipping address (I don't have the money otherwise), but I would still like to hear from the brilliant minds outside the US. If you are outside the US, maybe I’ll buy you a Kindle book if your idea is really good!

    The SWAG

    So please leave a comment(s) on this post of your idea and make sure include your contact info and state if you are US or International. I will make my decision by tomorrow night at 8/6/11 at 8pm PST. And I will keep you posted on how the prank played out!

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    August 4, 2011

    Vanish by Sophie Jordan

    Publisher's Summary:
    An Impossible Romance.
    Bitter Rivalries.
    Deadly Choices.

    To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

    Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

    In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

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    My Take: Yay!! Vanish ended in the perfect spot possible and it still leaves me anticipating the next book and it’s release date. I want to know the date now!  It's so bad that I am searching all over the internet trying to find it! Grrrrr!!!!  If someone knows, please tell me! Firelight had such a crazy cliff-hanger that I was really worried that Vanish would end with the same type of cliff-hanger…or worse. But I am more than satisfied with the direction Sophie Jordan is taking with this trilogy.

    Just like Firelight, I was completely sucked into Vanish, and the beginning of the book totally ROCKED! I was a little concerned that I was starting to have ill feelings for Jacinda due to her thoughtless actions and decisions. Especially the lying!  But she totally redeemed herself. There is still one particular thing that she did that really bothers me, but I guess I'll let it slide...  But I woudn't be surprised if it bites her a** in the last book.  Oh boy will that cause drama!.!.!

    I ♥ Tamra now. Just thinking about her makes me think, "ahhhh!". In Firelight, Jacinda and Tamra’s selfishness was getting on my frickin' nerves.  I was really starting to get worried that the characters are nothing but Debbie Downers.  But just like Jacinda, Tamara proves that she's worth the love. Overall, even if they did have their self-pity moments, they would still think of how their actions affected others. I have also grown to have a soft spot in my heart for both Cassian and Az.

    I’m also really happy that I was able to learn more about the pride in Vanish. It helped me get a better understanding of the pride people’s dynamics and understand why Tamra was happy to leave them in the beginning of Firelight. There is a twist at the end of Firelight about Will (I won’t say so I don’t spoil Firelight) but I was thrilled when I learned more about that twist at the end of Vanish.

    I really love this series! I feel like I was able to get my young adult urban fantasy romance fix and I never had any of those annoying moments like I see in a lot of YA UF books these days...when I feel like I have already read it in another book. Now I am super excited and eager to learn about this supposed “enkros” (I hope I spelled that right.)

    This is a series that I will be pimping out!

    I'm going on a road trip with some friends up to Seattle to the Smart Chicks Kick It! tour.  So I need to make sure I get myself a copy of Vanish so I can get it signed by Sophie Jordan in October.  Yay...I'm so excited!
    Received eGalley from:


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    August 2, 2011

    Firelight by Sophie Jordan

    Publisher's Summary:
    A hidden truth.
    Mortal enemies.
    Doomed love.

    Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

    Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

    Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

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    My Take: I’m freaking out here! Seriously. What an anxiety inducing cliff-hanger at the end of Firelight! Luckily I have an eGalley copy of Vanish (the second book in this series) waiting for me, and I am dying to start reading it RIGHT now!

    Oh, my, gosh! This book was amazing! I love a YA romance that gives me the tingles, gives my stomach butterflies and does a couple flips; and this one causes all these tingling emotions throughout the whole book. And even better, this romance story is set in a completely new type of fantasy world where humans can shift into a dragon-like form (they’re called “draki”.) The main character in this trilogy is Jacinda, and when she first manifests her draki, her people discover that she is a fire-breathing draki, the first in generations. Her people believed fire-breathing draki were extinct, so she is very important to the pride (the society of draki people), and the pride is determined to see her conceive more fire-breathing draki.

    In the very beginning of Firelight, Jacinda goes on a rebellious daylight flying adventure with her draki friend, Az, which ends in a near disastrous draki-hunter attack. But during Jacinda and Az’s desperate escape attempt, one of the hunters, Will, finds Jacinda (in her draki form) hidden in a cave. Will (my heart *tap, tap, tap*) is mesmerized by the beauty of Jacinda’s draki form and tells the other hunters there’s nothing in the cave, essentially saving Jacinda’s life.

    But after the hunter attack, the draki pride is so upset at Jacinda’s foolishness and near-death experience that they are determined to see that Jacinda never has the chance to put her life in danger again (so she can breed more fire-breathing draki!) So, Jacinda’s mom takes Jacinda and her twin sister, Tamra, and runs from the only life they’ve ever known.

    While reading, I kept debating with myself over which sister was the most selfish. Jacinda is extremely upset they needed to run from the pride, but Tamra is thrilled (you’ll find out why when you read Firelight!) Yeah, they’re both extremely selfish but I understand Tamra’s point of view, and, at the same time, I also felt really bad for Jacinda.

    This is a book that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good YA Urban Fantasy Romance. So, read up and enjoy!

    Buy it here:
    AmazonBarnes & NobleBook Depository




    This book was purchased with my own money.

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    Dear followers, fans and peeps! Some of the books I review on Magical Urban Fantasy Reads are provided to me for free by either the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. Please know that I am in NO WAY compensated for my reviews. All opinions are mine and I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for a free book! But some of the purchase links on my blog are monetized through places like Amazon, Book Depository or Barnes & Noble.