Meet the Characters + Contest: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

You guys all know how much I love doing character interviews, but I have to admit, today's is one of my favorite. I didn't get to ask just one, but pretty much the entire cast of Scott Tracey's great debut Witch Eyes! And seriously, these answers are awesome, and the personalities you get from them definitely match what you see in the book right down to the humor and snark. So check it out, because you don't want to miss.



You find Narnia in your closet! What do you do?

Braden: Bolt the door shut. I'm not a fan of ice queens.

Uncle John: Ground my nephew for opening portals to other worlds. Again.

Riley: You had me at exclusive first peek of a whole new world....wait, you didn't say that? Oh, sorry. But seriously, stop and smell the byline, people. 

Trey: Kill it with fire. 

Braden: Uhm...it's a place, not an 'it.'

Trey: Kill it with fire.


Describe your perfect first kiss.

Jade: A lady never kisses and tells.

Braden: What she said.

Riley: What do you mean, never kisses and tells? Pfft. Expertly backlit with just a hint of gold, probably at sunset or another thematically interesting time. Maybe posed against the sky at sunset, so long as our outfits don't clash. If you want to get on the front page of the Local page, you need good composition, so location is important. Shot by something better than the 10 year old Nikon the photographer from the paper uses.....what?

Trey: I don't have to, seeing as how my sister decided to film it and post it on the internet once upon a time.

Jade: *smiles, preens*

Lucien: Kiss.....like with another person?


Which Death Eater, besides Voldemort, would you want to fight?

Trey: All of them. But that werewolf, especially.

Drew: That was my answer! Except not the werewolf part. I think that's racist.

Lucien: Fight? Aren't you precious. Aside from their rather obvious sartorial choices, it's clear that one thing the Death Eaters need help with is their legal issues.

Trey: Are we sure Drew's not a Death Eater? We should kill it with fire just to be sure.

Drew: ...

Who is your celebrity crush? 

Jade: It's not a crush, it's an inevitability. Prince Harry. I mean, I look stunning in royal jewels.

Riley: If I say Anderson Cooper, you're probably going to look at me funny, aren't you?

Lucien: This is the strangest deposition I've ever given.

Drew: Who wouldn't be crushing on me?

Everyone else: That's not what they asked, Drew.

The Platinum Cake, full details here

What kind of cake would you describe yourself as?

Braden: I don't know, red velvet cake? 

Riley: Actually, I like pie. Can that be an option?

Catherine: The Platinum Cake.

Jason: Cake is an extra two hours with my personal trainer. That's time better spent working. 

Drew : Beefcake, of course. 

Everyone else: *groan* 


Thank you, Scott, for sharing your characters, and congrats on the release!

Witch Eyes is officially out today, so make sure you guys all pick it up so you can get even more of these hilarious and awesome characters!

But if you're willing to wait, now is your chance to enter to win a copy of the book.

To enter, just fill out THIS form.

Contest is US/Can only, and ends September 15.

No entries will be accepted through comments, but you should still leave a comment for Scott and his characters.

Author Library: Jennifer Armentrout

While it is always exciting to hear an author talk about their book, we also all have this craving to know what books on lurking on their own shelf. With the release of Jennifer Armentrout's Half Blood coming up October 18, what better way to celebrate than to see what books she's in to?



Some of my favorite books of all time are older books, going back to the days of RL Stine’s Fear Street series (which I still have) and LJ Smith’s Nightword series. I think I just dated myself there. My favorite book is probably LJ Smith’s The Forbidden Game. It was the first book ever to make me cry. My second favorite book is All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarqu. Other than that, I’ve never been a fan of books like Wuthering Heights and I never got the romance of Romeo and Juliet (I know, it’s a play not a book, but hey, you read it, so). Meeting a dude and dying for him days later is not romance. It’s kind of creepy.

Right now my library is out of control. I have a TBR pile that keeps growing and growing, with books ranging from Melissa Marr to an actual demon lexicon (research purposes). And yes, that is a Diagnostic manual for mental illness you see above my TBR pile.

Some of the books I recently loved and YOU will love too are Larissa Ione’s Demonica Series on the adult side, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon, Minder Series by Kate Kaynak, Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver, Personal Demons and Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers, and Leah Clifford’s A Touch Mortal.

And yeah, I have a secret stash of my own books, too. Thank you for having me!





Congrats on the release, and thank you, Jennifer, for sharing that and I agree on a few of your favorites there! 

Character Interview + Contest: Cassian from Vanish

Having a draki around gives new meaning to a hot boy with wings, but Cassian from Sophie Jordan's Vanish can most definitely hold his own in the hot boy arena. Don't believe me? Lucky for you, Vanish hits shelves today, and there is plenty of Cassian in this one. Okay, okay, I know. I'm notoriously more of a Will girl, but that doesn't mean the I didn't jump on the chance to fire off a few questions at Cassian... So let's get right to it!


If you could take Jacinda on a date, where would you go and what would you do?

We’d probably go on a picnic. There’s a spot I love, near the river … We’d walk there and eat, talk and just be … together with no one else around.

How old were you when you had your first kiss?

Twelve. She was older … a hypno draki already bonded to someone else. I can’t be entirely sure whether I wanted to kiss her or if she “compelled” me to kiss her using her talent as a hypno draki … because even then I only had eyes for Jacinda.

So… now that we all know you have some competition for Jacinda’s affections… what makes you think you’re better than Will?

I’ve heard you’ve had a lot to say on this matter, Kari, so let me say, for the record, that you’re rooting for the wrong guy. Jacinda and I have a history together. She can never have that with Will. I’m not saying that makes me the better choice. I’m just the right choice. We make sense. She and Will don’t.

If you and Will battled it out, who do you think would win? I mean, you can fly and all, but he’s got weapons and that rather hot Hummer of his…

Well … yes, his weapons give him a decided advantage … among other skills. I’ll admit he’s not the weak human I first judged him to be. For Jacinda’s sake, I’m trying to think of him in friendlier terms … and not entertain just how easy it would be to annihilate him.

Boxers or Briefs?

Um, commando… Never know when I might need to manifest at a moment’s notice. In general, clothes are a nuisance. 


Okay so I admit it, Cassian has plenty of things going for him too... and I can support any guy who finds clothing a, uh, nuisance...

Ahem. So, congrats Sophie on the release, and make sure you guys all go pick up this book today! Even better? Firelight is out in paperback today as well so if you haven't read it, no worries! It's sort of like a two-fer, and you don't want to miss the story, the writing, or the hotties.

But just in case you're a little low on funds, not to worry. You have the chance to enter for a signed copy of Firelight right now!

To enter, just fill out THIS form.

Contest is US only and ends September 13.

Please note, this is for book 1. But that's okay, because you don't have to wait to buy book 2.

No entries will be accepted through the comments, but you should still leave a comment. I mean, come on, he talks about taking his clothes off...

Character Interview: Cash Sterling from Shut Out

Happy release day to Kody Keplinger with Shut Out, and what better way to celebrate than with an interview with the hottie who tests Lissa the most? So lovelies, I bring you Cash Sterling. Rawr.


When you first heard about Lissa's sex strike, what was your reaction?

Honestly? I was kind of surprised. It just didn't seem like something she'd do. But I was kind of impressed, too. Getting all the girls together like that was really smart. NOT that I was surprised that Lissa was smart - I knew she was, but . . . you know what I mean. I figured maybe she'd read Lysistrata recently. I knew she liked books, and that's a classic play. So when I figured out it was all her idea, I was even more impressed. And . . . kind of happy, too. I was hoping maybe it was a sign that she was finally get fed up with that idiot, Randy.

If you could say anything to Randy, what would it be?

I'd prefer not to say anything to Randy, to be honest. Every time we're in the same room, I'm overcome with the urge to hit him, but he's not worth the drama.

What's it like to kiss Lissa?

Oh man, she'd be so embarrassed if I answered this question. I'll just give the short version and say - amazing.

Boxers or briefs?

*blushes* Well, um, if you must know . . . boxers.

What kind of dinosaur would you describe yourself as?

I like this one. I'd totally be a velociraptor. Don't ask why. I honestly have no idea. But I think they're kind of badass without being too scary. And T-Rexes are kind of a cliche, anyway.


Thank you, Cash, for stopping in and congrats Kody on the release!

Shut Out is out today, so make sure you guys go pick it up! It's a great retelling of Lysistrata and Cash is has swoonworthy as you'd imagine.

In My Mailbox

I was lazy again last week and didn't post and IMM, so this is two week's worth. I also did some online book shopping, and hit up a closing Borders. So. Yes.

 For Review: 

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

The School for the Insanely Gifted by Dan Elish

Ladybird Ladybird by Abra Ebner

Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Emory's Gift by W. Bruce Cameron
(Huge thanks to Veronica Rossi, Emily M. Danforth, Jill Hathaway, Dan Elish, HarperTeen, Simon & Schuster,  Abra Ebner, Get Red PR, and Tor)

 Bought:

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Clean by Amy Reed

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
I Wanna be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
 Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
What Would Emma Do by Eileen Cook
Jump by Elisa Carbone
The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart

Borders Haul:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Bruiser by Neal Schusterman

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse

Dairy Queen by by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Lifted by Wendy Toliver

Battle Dress by Amy Efaw

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

So that was my two weeks! Let me know what you guys got!

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

SUMMARY: On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.


OPINION: 3 STARS

The Short Version:
Fantastic in concept, though slow in execution, A Beautiful Dark pitches a very interesting twist on angels. With an intelligent protagonist, and a mystery element at least to the first part of the book, the reader will be lured in despite the book's faults. Great writing and witty banter round this one out to be engaging and endearing.

The Extended Version:
Skye was the most compelling of the book, perceptive and intelligent. Despite suddenly finding herself the attention of both Asher and Devin's affections, she didn't just jump right into liking either one, at least at first. Her view of them, and being unsure exactly what to do, came through strongly and went far to develop her character. Despite the unusual things happening around her, and the very plausible explanations she came up with that were far from lame or convenient to ignore an obvious truth, Skye is the kind of girl who wants to not only figure things out on her own, but handle it as well. This didn't mean she was closed off, however, and her interactions with her friends and Aunt made her very realistic.

Asher and Devin come into Skye's life out of nowhere, suddenly seeming to be everywhere. Definitely giving a stalker vibe, they are an early turn off to readers, and though it does take awhile for either one to be particularly compelling, their purpose and what they bring in are one of the best elements of the book. A twisted version of good and bad, and a very teenage note wrapped into them, the deeper implications with each guy adds something that is harder to put into words.

The rest of the cast is relatively small, centering mostly around Skye's group of close friends, including the guy who is hopelessly in love with her. Though there were hints of something between Ian and Skye, her feelings about him were clear even before Asher and Devin came into the picture, giving a nice unrequited love element while not completely ignoring a perfectly viable love interest. Skye's best friend is vivid and memorable, and the connection between the two went far to round out their characters.

The pacing of this one was, overall, slow, though still enjoyable. It was, however, almost discombobulating the way the ending happened, a sudden rush after seemingly no build up towards it. A little too much of the book was a back and forth in Skye's attention towards Devin and Asher, and though there most definitely was clear and deeper meaning in what her choice one way or the other would mean, it still seemed to drag too long. The book does, however, hold a very contemporary element, and much of it is character rather than world driven, forging a great bond between the reader and Skye and making them care about her. Despite this, the pacing is much akin to the lazy river at a water park, lulling yet not boring, but then having an unexpected set of water rapids thrown at the end of said river, and not necessarily in a good way. This one admittedly felt like the ending was thrown in to force a cliff hanger ending, rather than doing something more natural.

Though there are some pacing faults, the concept of this is fantastic and brilliant. The twist on angels is well built, though not in the book as much as this reader would have liked. Though the ending seemed rushed, things are now set up for a fantastic second installment, with the set up out of the way and the explanations started. With just enough of the overall picture hinted at, there is huge intrigue for what is to come and enough interest already built even without the ending to keep readers wanting more.

The writing is well done, giving a strong voice to Skye while also building not only the setting but the mysterious air. With some great and vivid descriptions, and an alluring flow, Davies most definitely showcases her abilities in a way that can only get stronger in all the best ways. Descritive without being overdone, the writing is definitely a noteable element of this book.

Great in premise and concept, though admittedly weak in a few areas of execution, A Beautiful Dark is an intriguing and alluring book. With a great protagonist, an overall well rounded cast of characters, and plenty of wit and humor throughout, this one pitches a nice twist on angels and holds more great qualities than faults.

Details:

Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reading level: Young Adult 

Hardcover: 400 pages 

Publisher: HarperTeen 

Publication Date: September 27, 2011