In Timepiece we lose Emerson as a narrator, but she still plays an active role in the story.  Although, she is overshadowed by her best friend, Lily Garcia.  I love Lily’s strong personality and supernatural ability to find things.  I just wish Lily could find the temperature gauge to turn up the heat with Kaleb!

There is a hate/hate relationship between Kaleb and Lily, but they can’t keep away from each other when all of their friends and family’s lives are at stake.  Jack is up to no good yet again, and when playing with the time continuum he put everyone in danger.  Jack is elusive through the novel, and I feel his presence, in addition to a few new characters, brings some questions to mind that I hadn’t thought of before… Is Jack really bad?  Is Jack really helping?  Could Jack have a good reason for all his time-travel-shennanigans?

Nah!  Well, I guess we’ll all have to wait and find out!  I really liked reading this part of the story from Kaleb’s perspective.  I’m afraid my expectations of Kaleb, and his hot-and-heavy reputation, were cooled off in Timepiece.  I’m looking forward to reading more, and I’m curious to find out what direction Myra McEntire will take it.  I give the novel 4 books on the bookshelf!

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About the Book:

A threat from the past could destroy the future.

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples–cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers’s return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered–with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most. Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough …

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

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To listen to an interview with the author, Myra McEntire, CLICK HERE!

To read Kallie’s Review of Hourglass, CLICK HERE!

We are once again so happy to bring you more from Victoria Schwab! If you haven’t read The Near Witch yet, you definitely should give it a go. It is haunting and lovely all at the same time. Victoria has given us a glimpse into what her day looks like as an author. Enjoy!

8:00 – Think about getting up.

8:30 – Get up. Stumble into kitchen. Set kettle. Discover I’m out of bananas. Walk to store.

8:45 – 9:00 Back from store. Make tea in narwhal mug. Go in search of laptop. Sit down with laptop, cup of tea, banana, jar of peanut butter, and spoon. Watch Vlogbrothers while eating.

9:00 – 9:30 Email.

To be honest, that’s when the day kind of devolves into a Choose Your Own Adventure game but for the sake of this post, let’s PRETEND that I have any semblance of structure in my life!

The day will take one of two paths, depending on whether I’m currently writing/editing a book, or—god help me—between projects.

If I’m working on a book:

9:30 – 10:30 Intend to start writing. Get distracted by funny tumblr. Get mad at self for wasting precious time.

10:30 – 11:00 THINK about the scene I need to write.

11:00 – 12:00 Turn internet OFF and write.

12:00 – 1:00 Reward self for making words! Eat a cookie. And maybe lunch. Watch TVD.

1:00 – 2:00 Try to write more words. End up writing words…on Twitter.

2:00 – 3:30 Go for a walk, brainstorm next scene. End up at coffee shop with tasty cookies. Turn WiFi OFF and write.

3:30 – 6:30 GYM. VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR SANITY/COOKIE CONSUMPTION.

7:00 – 8:00 Food again! Yay!

8:00 – 10:00 Design work. And tea.

10:00 – 1:00AM WRITE WORDS. If working on two book, this is when the second project gets worked on.

If I’m between books:

9:30 – 11:00 Open word documents with various potential projects. Stare.

11:00 — 12:00 Play eenie meanie miney mo. Pick a project. Try working on it. Change mind. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

12:00 – 1:00 Get frustrated. Go for a walk. Eat lunch at intriguing food truck. Buy apple to try and cancel out how unhealthy lunch must have been. Eat chocolate instead.

1:00 – 2:00 Stare at potential projects some more. Finally open new word document and start writing something totally new.

2:00 – 3:00 Gleefully work on new project that is, of course, 1. NOT what I’m supposed to be working on, and 2. COMPLETELY outside my brand.

3:00 – 4:00 Research comic book lore, mythology, 1600’s France, English children’s rhymes, ancient burial culture, libraries, assassins, how to induce cardiac arrest using a bag of ice and a bathtub, etc. Anything that needs researching.

4:00 – 7:00 GYM. VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR SANITY/COOKIE CONSUMPTION.

8:00 – 10:00 Design work.

10:00 – 12:00 Work on shiny new idea.

12:00 – File shiny new idea in potential projects folder, where the next day I will look at it, along with the half dozen others, hesitate, then open a new document, and start again (this goes on for a week or two until I finally force myself to work on the same project for a week, and then I fall in love with it, and together we make a book).

We want to know which paranormal/fantasy ‘being’ is your favorite to read about?

Vampires, werewolves, fairies… Oh my!

Book Expo America (BEA) is an outstanding conference that I’ve attended two years consecutively.  I am looking forward to attending this year, and thought it would be fun to find out ‘WHO‘ is attending.  It is always nice to put a face with a name, but I am not asking for your name today… I’m actually asking ‘WHAT‘, as in ‘WHAT IS IT YOU DO THAT MAKES YOU WHO YOU ARE’?

Are you the PUBLISHER?

Are you the BLOGGER?

Are you the LIBRARIAN?

Are you the TEACHER?

Are you the AGENT?

Are you the AUTHOR?

I hold a few of these titles, and each one of them makes up a bit of who I am at BEA.  My TEACHER bit has me missing some of the BLOGGER bits at BEA, and I am determined to not let it get me down!  Do you find that it’s better to be one or more of these bits?  Who do you hang out with at BEA?  Who do you want to network with most at BEA?

We want to know all about WHO will be at BEA this year, so leave your answer in the comments below!

Book Name and Author:

THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab

Main Character’s Full Name: Cole will do.

What was your life like growing up?

–Painful. But that was another life.

Before your story began, what were your hopes for the future?

–I didn’t have much hope, and only one goal, to not hurt anyone ever again.

What is the one moment in your life that you would want to relive?

–I’ve never understood the notion of reliving. I spend every day trying *not* to look back. Every day.

How would you describe your personality?

–I had a nickname growing up. The Callous Prince. I hated it. I’m not callous, and I’m not cold, but I am careful. I have to be. I have to keep my emotions under control.

How would you describe your looks?

–I take after my mother, mostly, her  black hair, her gray eyes, even though mine are lighter. I’ve always been fair-skinned, more because of the cloudy skies than anything else. Lexi likes to say I’m a bit of black-and-white in a world of color. She smiles when she says it, though.

Who do you love?

–Love is a strong word, one that comes with strong emotions, and those can be dangerous. But I do care, immensely, about life, about Lexi.

What is the one thing you hate that people do, and why?

–Hate is too strong, like love, but it frustrates me, and it saddens me, when people judge without knowing, when they’re so quick to find the source of evil, that they’ll choose anyone who doesn’t belong.

What do you think is going to happen next in your story?

–I don’t know, but I can only hope that, whatever my story holds, Lexi is written on every page.

Yes! You know you want to know more about Cole!! So…I will leave you with this teaser…a picture from Victoria of Cole. Sigh… Go get Cole! Ummm…I mean this book, of course!

You can win the following books from our blog alone:

1. THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (ARC)

2. HOW TO ROCK BRACES AND GLASSES by Meg Haston (ARC)

3. THE LIST by Siobhan Vivian

4. THE GUARDIAN ANGEL DIARY by Grant Schnarr

5. GOING UNDERGROUND by Susan Vaught (ARC)

6. INVASION OF THE DOGNAPPERS by Patrick Jennings (ARC)

7. Signed copy of BRONXWOOD by Coe Booth (ARC)

How do you enter? Just do the following!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And there you have it! This giveaway will be closed at midnight on May 7th. Now go to all of the other blogs participating, and enter to win their prizes too!! That’s right-There are 191 of them!! You can find them all below!

Insurgent, by Veronica Roth, is the second novel in a trilogy that had me rebelling from my traditional reading routine.  I felt inspired by Tris to go with my instincts and took my time to soak up this story.  Divergent, the first book in the series, is a fast paced, peculiar adventure that follows a sixteen year old girl that is warring with her past, present, and future.  Throughout Divergent I felt a constant tug that there was more going on with some of the minor characters, and we get a closer look at said characters, and their suspicious behavior, in Insurgent… Thanks to Tris!

Talk about suspicious, Tris has an affinity for three of the five factions, and we see her true Erudite colors as she second guesses everyone.  While seeking out the truth Tris finds her own way in life, and you’ll be surprised to find out who is with her and who is against her.  I love that Veronica Roth is writing about a young woman not only ‘finding herself’, but this story is also about that woman becoming comfortable and secure with who she is as she changes and grows.  Tris pushes at the fringe of every answer ,seeking more and more truth, while the others around her are happy with getting things ‘back to normal’.  But, is ‘normal’ just a simulation?  Her determination threatens her friendships, and in some situations her sanity.  Everything and everyone comes into questions with Tris in Insurgent, and I love the tension and intensity it brings!

If you love The Hunger Games, Matched, or Legend, you will love Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth!  I am so excited to give this book 5 books on the bookshelf!

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To get Stefanie & Kelly’s thoughts on Divergent, CLICK HERE!

Book Trailer

Insurgent Synopsis:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Author: Veronica Roth

Veronica’s Website 
Veronica’s Facebook 
Veronica’s Twitter

Win a copy of Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter!  You can enter six different ways below, and you have until Friday, May 11, 2012!  If you’re curious about the series, you can check out the book trailer below, or my video review!  If you are not into video, read my review here!  The contest is only open to U.S. and Canada.. Good Luck!
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Interview with Author Aimee Carter…

Goddess Interrupted is the second book in Aimee Carter’s Goddess Test Series.  The book will be release in March of 2012.  The story continues with Kate returning to Henry and the Underworld, after a Summer in Greece with James.  If you’ve read The Goddess Test then you know the tension that the previous sentence holds!  If you don’t know, then go get The Goddess Test, read it, then come back! … I will try to keep this spoiler-free!

Kate is a new goddess, and her Fall and Winter term with Henry begins with a bang!  Aimee Carter starts off this book with events that grab your attention and pull you into the Underworld.  While reading Goddess Interrupted I felt love, hate, and everything in between.  Kate’s husband, Henry, is working hard to make the Underworld safe.  Kate’s best friends, James and Ava, are doing their best to make sure she is happy.  So, when they are all kidnapped Kate has to rely on the help of Henry’s ex-wife, and former goddess, Persephone.

The only critical thing I can say about this book is that I hate that Kate struggles so much with her self-confidence.  With that said, what young woman doesn’t struggle with it?  Kate is finding out who she is and what she wants in life, while being pulled in multiple directions.  Her emotional precariousness is what carried me through the book, and lead me to want more… So no complaints here!

Goddess Interrupted gets 4 books on the bookshelf!

Goddess Interrupted Book Description:

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

The Goddess Test Book Description:

Every girl who has taken the test has failed. 

Now it’s Kate’s turn.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom–and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld–and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy–until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails…

An Interview with the Author, Aimee Carter…

Kady Cross’s second book in The Steampunk Chronicles is The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.  Finley Jayne and the gang are off to save Jasper in New York City.  I was so excited to get more story from Finely, Griffin, and Emily, and was surprised to love Jasper’s backstory!  Action, adventure, super-pow-wahs, angsty-love, cravats, and corsets… I mean collars!  Who could ask for more?  Right?

If it’s possible Kady Cross has written an even better novel than her first (The Girl in the Steel Corset)!  There is more action, more adventure, more super-pow-ahs, more… You get the picture.  One way I knew Clockwork Collar was going to be good was because I couldn’t decide if I loved or hated the villain.  Dalton, the head of a New York gang and Jasper’s arch nemesis, is hot and an evil genius!  We also meet come of Jasper’s past lady-friends… Mei and Cat.  While the story revolves around Jasper’s troubles, Finley and Griffin are still in the spotlight as the main characters.  Finley works to figure out her dark side, and what role it will play in her future.  Griffin is working out his feeling for Finley and how to safely lead the gang.

You definitely need to grab The Girl in the Steel Corset, if you haven’t already… Then you need to get The Girl in the Clockwork Collar!  Barnes & Nobles says it will be available May 22, 2012.  Steampunk makes me happy, and if you love action, sic-fi, romance, and historical you will love The Steampunk Chronicles by Kady Cross!

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar gets 4.5 books on the bookshelf!

Book Description:

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling-or dangerous 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her “straynge band of mysfits” have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him…for the life of the girl Jasper loves.

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei’s neck tightens. And tightens.

From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper’s elusive trail. And they’re about to discover how far they’ll go for friendship.

More than ever, Finley Jayne will rely on powerful English duke Griffin King to balance her dark magic with her good side. Yet Griffin is at war with himself over his secret attraction to Finley…and will risk his life and reputation to save her. Sam, more machine than man, finds his moody heart tested by Irish lass Emily-whose own special abilities are no match for the darkness she discovers on the streets.

Now, to help those she’s come to care for so deeply, Finley Jayne must infiltrate a criminal gang. Only problem is, she might like the dark side a little too much….