Dreamland Book Blog: 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011 8 comments

Friday, December 30, 2011 17 comments

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Published : 18th October 2011

Some choices are difficult……others are deadly.

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Locusts, heat, and storm ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena’s Claiming. As time passes, one question becomes clear : What -- or who-- will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He’s gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn’t know why, and most day’s he’s too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn’t just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there’s no going back. And this time there won’t be a happy ending.

The gothic, mythical world of Casters in Gatlin County is strangely alluring and addictive, and Beautiful Chaos proved just how much more unique Casters could be.

Beautiful Creatures was my very first book after Twilight, and the very book that got me into exploring the enormous sea of books, therefore the Caster Chronicles held a significant meaning in my reader’s life. I remembered the bad days when I was frustrated because I couldn’t find a copy of Beautiful Creatures, but all the effort was worth it. The entire series was worth it!

Beautiful Creatures left me with a tingling feeling, Beautiful Darkness made me want to hurl rocks, let’s just say Beautiful Chaos was a bit of both, AND so much more. The Caster Chronicles have never let me down, the story was always intense, the writing was always so sophisticated and professional that reading the book always make me felt smarter. Beautiful Chaos made me feel like I just earned my phD!

“Gorgeously crafted, atmospheric and original” Melissa Marr couldn’t have described it better. If you think the previous books was epic, they pale in comparison to what Beautiful Chaos had in stores. After Lena’s Claiming, the ‘End of Days’ is near, things are changing, people are changing, both the Mortal and Casters world were changing, and unless a New Order is restored, the apocalypse will be the dawn of both man and Caster kind alike.

What I like about Beautiful Chaos:

There is always one thing similar in the books, they were all a bit hard to get into, but it really picked up later on. However, I have to say it was not that same for Beautiful Chaos. I was instantly pulled into the story, maybe it was nostalgia, or maybe it was just that good. I love a book with a good opening!

And how could I ignore the intensity of Ethan and Lena’s relationship? It never fails to amaze me how much Ethan and Lena loved each other. Love Before First sight as they liked to call it. I enjoyed reading through Ethan’s POV because that is as close as I get to be getting into a guy’s mind! Ha! And I praised for the originality of Kelting, an intimate common they shared. In a typical story, a mortal girl fell in love with supernatural guy. In this series, Ethan was the mortal, and I liked reading how he dealt with his vulnerability and insecurities of having a Caster as a girlfriend.

The other thing that I love about the Beautiful Chaos is the originality. How Kami and Margaret created a whole new Gatlin amazes me, take a normal Southern town and turned it into the center point of supernatural battles and happening. I loved the idea that the authors came up with, from the Book of Moons, to the Caster Chronicles, and Lunae Libri, they were inspiring, and the most profound part of all is the Shadowing Song. When I was reading Beautiful Chaos, I was at loss because I failed at guessing. Every turn of page was unexpected and surprising, and I was good at predicting!

Besides that, the characters were so distinctive and unique they made the story whole. In the series, everyone is the main character, from philosophical and superstitious Amma to Linkubus aka Slinky-Dink, I couldn’t imagine a story without them. Each of them holds a piece of the puzzle in this labyrinth of mystery.

But apart from that, I loved Beautiful Chaos because it was such a turn of events it made me jaw-drop and gave me goosebumps. I even remembered crying over some insignificant part in the story. It was such a roller coaster ride. Beautiful Chaos was a huge CHANGE from what I read previously in Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness, it was much more mature, much more intense, much more adrenaline junkie and much more bigger.

In Beautiful Chaos, some secrets are unraveled, and some mysteries are solved, but it all comes down to one choice, a choice that could save and destroy all….

Reviewed by,

Thursday, December 29, 2011 2 comments

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 3 comments

Silence (Hush Hush #3) - Becca Fitzpatrick
Published : October 4th, 2011

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Before I start my review, YAY! I finally read Silence after months of waiting! And I got the hardcover edition for a paperback price, what a steal!

Having forgotten what happened at the end of Crescendo, I was blindly entering Silence, but somehow I was glad of that because I got to reconnect with the characters and get to know them all over again. And the most prominent character that left me with such a profound impression was Nora.

In the previous books, I was all Patch-y, Patchtastic, eye-Patch etc, and I mostly paid attention to the romance more than the fighting scenes (can't help it, I'm a softy for romance), however in Silence, I would describe it as more 'political' (angel politics) and much more intense, the writing was different from what I remembered from the previous books and it was just plain amazing. The writing became much more mature, probably because I was seeing a whole new side of Nora.

In Silence, Nora was different person, after waking up in a cemetery after weeks of being missing and have no memory of the past five months of her life, she was stuggling to make sense of what have happened and tried to go back to her normal life. To be honest, I like Silence Nora, she was much more curious and determined enough to search for answers to reassemble the missing pieces of her memory, and she was rebellious, something surprising in Nora. Nora was indeed a bit whiny in Silence, but it was also surprising to me that it did not get on my nerves. I was excited to be reading through Nora's POV because everything was back to zero basis and I was relearning the facts of angels.

I am a huge Patch fan, but Silence also inroduced me to a character that I never thought I will get to know. Jev. Patch was an angel jock, but Jev was a matured, surpressed man. He was Still-Hot and All-Business, not Patch at all, but somehow I detected an edge to his character, he was a man of loss, and this was the first time that I've seen Patch/Jev seemed so vulnerable. In other words, I fell in love with Patch's alternate soft side, Jev.

There was more mystery in viciousness in Silence and it was definitely much more action packed. Praises for the writing!

However, I rated it four stars because I wished there was more romance in it,the romance was still very intense, but I find it lacking. That's just me, I couldn't live without the romance, as for the plot, I have no complains, I love Silence. Period.

Reviewed by,

PS. Also a huge Patch / Hush Hush fan....

Monday, December 26, 2011 4 comments

Monday, December 26, 2011 No comments

Yes, it's 5 days to Christmas and aren't we all excited?

And I'm even more excited that Alexandra Lanc, the author of Clara Claus had agreed to do an interview with me (not to mention tolerating my infinite questions) to talk about her Christmas themed book Clara Claus, which is the perfect book to pick up for Christmas!

Here's a short synopsis of Clara Claus and my review:

"The world was given the greatest gift, and that's what started Christmas."

Jack Frost has done it again! He's tried to destroy Christmas, and now he's going to loose his job--for good. And the only thing that can save him is something he doesn't want...to fall in love with a human before sunrise on Christmas morn.

As Christmas draws nearer and Jack's time ticks by, Santa's granddaughter Clara arrives in the North Pole. Playing the role of "tour guide", Jack feels drawn to the snow obsessed girl, who sees things as no one else does.

But when faced with the chance to leave the past behind, will the prince of winter choose to look towards the future? Will Jack's new plan to destroy Christmas prove fatal for the North Pole and its holiday, or can Clara finally melt his icy heart?

In this fantastical Holiday novel, the first in the Snowflake Triplet series, author Alexandra Lanc explores the wonder of Christmas and reveals the truth about hope.

This novel is recommended for ages 12 and up, and contains: very brief/slight alcohol reference. Does not contain: drug abuse, sexual content, or language.

My Reiew : Clara Claus - Alexandra Lanc

And, I'm also happy to have the one and only Jack Frost present today, gosh, I'm starstuck...

Without further adue, here's my interview with Alexandra and Jack: (yes!)

Interview with Jack Frost

Hi Jack! I'm delighted to have you here! How are things between you and Clara? Last I heard you saved her from a terrible storm…

Why, hello...it’s Natasha, right? Lovely name. I’m sure you are delighted to have me here. I’m awfully busy this time of year, so I don’t normally get to do things like this...and before someone berates me, I’ll say “thank you” for having me.

Alexandra (the scribe for my story) is glaring at me. I’m being honest, you know! I’m honestly grateful that Natasha invited me!

Anyway…

Clara and I are fine. Wonderful, in fact -- not to sound sappy. Things have been difficult these past two years, since I met Clara, but...I can’t really go into the details, or the author will hate me forever. Something about giving away the story for Clara Claus and Clara Frost -- great names, aren’t they? Oh, well. Let’s just say that these last two years have been very eventful, and that I’m glad to have Clara back -- oops, I went and said too much...darn.

Alexandra, stop glaring at me!

Hmm Clara Frost, I like the sound of it.....you can send me a PM about that!

So we know that Christmas is just around the corner, is Santa as busy as always? Are you helping out?

Me? Help Santa? Don’t be ridiculous. I have a job, too, you know, and all he has to do is fly in a sleigh and deliver presents. Not that hard -- I have to distribute frost to the whole world. As you can imagine, I spend a lot of time on planes. I have so many frequent flier miles, I don’t know what to do with them.

But, Clara and I are going to help someone else this year -- or, well, a few someones. We found this great charity, and since Santa’s still getting into gear with the whole “changing Christmas back to what it used to be” plan, we’ve figured helping out there would be more useful -- after all, I’d personally rather give things that people actually need, instead of toys and gadgets. I’ll leave that to the fat man.

That's very kind of you guys! You and Clara definitely make a great team! In the meantime, I will be waiting patiently for the fat man's arrival, hehe....

I am curious, you used to hate Christmas but now that you are no longer planning to destroy Christmas, what are you going to do on that day?? Any celebration plans??

Well, as I said, Clara and I are going to help out at the charity we found. And after that, we’ll probably spend Christmas together, so at least something good will come out of the day -- yes, I’m still a little abhorrent of Christmas...I’m getting better about it, though. Maybe we’ll have a party, and then we can invite North and his -- Alexandra is glaring at me again. I can’t give away the story. How am I supposed to answer any of these questions!

North and his ~bites lips~ PM Me!

What are you getting Clara? I can keep a secret.....shhhhhh.....

What am I getting Clara? Hmmm...well, I got her something pretty big two years ago, and then last year, well...I’m going to give away the story again! This is cruelty! These questions are too hard!

Anyway...I’ve been thinking of getting her a big book on snowflakes. I’ve heard that she used to have one, but it got lost sometime when she was moving. It’s adorable how obsessed she is with snow. I’m sure she’d love it. (grins)

That's very thoughtful of you, Clara is lucky to have you ~smiles~

Hey Jack, is North still single?? (I'm interested, though he might be a bit mono-toned, still....) And can you let me in in some guy gossip? What do you and North do as male bonding time?

Is North single? What, are you wanting to date him? (laughs) I’d feel bad for you if you did. He’s so obnoxious. Nothing like me. Not at all.

Half of the time I have no idea what North is thinking, so he could be dating someone. I don’t know. He’s been acting awfully strange lately...so...maybe.

As far as “bonding time”, well, we seem to visit coffee shops a lot. I’m more prone to tea myself, but I love those peppermint mochas that Starbucks makes. And North likes black coffee, even though it’s disgusting. I can’t see how he can stand it. But then again, North is strange on the best of days.

I'm blowing raspberries at you.....Are you making me jealous? But I forgive you when you say peppermint and Starbucks...I love them!

I know guys are all he-man and doesn't show emotions as obvious as us girls, but what were you feeling when you found out that you're in love with Clara?

This is...an awkward question. (starts to sweat) Why are you asking me this?

Alexandra is glaring again. I guess I have to answer. She is such a pain…but, she writes my books, so I can’t complain.

Well, it was a shock, quite honestly. But, then again, not really, because this is Clara we’re talking about -- and can I help it if she’s amazing, and wonderful, and sweet, and kind, and beautiful, and -- oh my God, I’m starting to rant. Next question, please! Hurry, before I embarrass myself!

I'm going to cry!

Do you have a favourite quote? A favourite movie? A favourite song?

Honestly, I don’t really pay much attention to things like that anymore. When I was growing up, movies, music, and quotes were so much better than they are now -- and don’t gasp in shock or roll your eyes, because you may have CGI, but we had actual plots and good lines in our movies!

So, I’d have to say, my favorite movie would probably be “Forbidden Planet”. It’s an old sci-fi flick, and it’s mostly ridiculous, but I love it.

As far as music, I mostly like music without lyrics -- old piano music, like Beethoven, though I like the soundtracks from musicals, too -- anyone heard of Phantom of the Opera? Genius.

I’m not big on quotes though, unless they’re mine. (grins)

Do you believe me when I wanted to punch Christine for choosing Raoul over Erik? Okay, I'm a huge Phantom fan.

Eh, I never figured you to be funny Jack, hehe.

Where do you imagine yourself 100 years from now?

I imagine myself to be exactly where I am now, with Christmas hopefully a little less ridiculous -- okay, more than less ridiculous, hopefully back to how it used to be, when it wasn’t so commercial. I hate commercialism.

So much.

And of course, Clara will be there, and North, and...everyone else who I can’t mention, for fear of giving away the story of the next two books! But yes, I picture me -- and then my friends, and my family. Sappy, maybe, but...oh, well. I’ll live.

So now, from the bottom of my heart -- which I do have, despite what some people may think -- I’d like to say thank you for having me, dear Natasha. And to everyone reading -- if you haven’t read my book, then what are you waiting for? I’m Immortal -- I don’t have forever to hear what you think!

That's so sweet!!

Thanks Jack for being here today! You just made my day!

Interview with Alexandra:

I love the title of the book but I was curious on why you would choose Clara Claus as the title instead of Jack Frost seemingly the story centered mostly around Jack.

Honestly, I couldn’t think of naming it anything else. The story is more about Jack than it is about Clara, but it’s also about Clara, and she was the catalyst for Jack’s change, so it seemed fitting to name the book after her. Plus...I just love the sound of the title, and it makes sense when you match it with the other two books in the series (Clara Snow and Clara Frost).

Do you have writer's block while writing this book? Which part was the hardest and easiest to write?

As an amature writer, I often come across a writer's wall (that was the reason behind my many abandoned stories), how did you overcome that obstacle and do you have any advice to anyone who wanted to become a writer?

I actually didn’t have much writer’s block when writing Clara Claus. The story honestly just flowed out of me. But, that doesn’t always happen. Other books I have written have taken longer, and I’ve had horribly bad cases of writer’s block before. I find that the best way to deal with it is to step away from the story for a little while and give yourself time to relax -- writing is fun and enjoyable, but it’s also work, and if you don’t take a break, it can overwhelm you.

Why is Clara obsessed with snow?

Clara is obsessed with snow because I am. It’s something that we share. Whenever I write a character, they always have some part of me (sometimes big, and sometimes minute) in them, and that is the part that Clara inherited.

As to why I love snow...well, I think it’s beautiful and magical, and I’ve also never seen it (living in Florida, where it’s hot, humid, and the “norm” is a horrible sunburn). So, that makes it even more magical and mysterious. Plus, snow helps Clara to grow, in a way (I don’t want to spoil the story in any way; Jack did enough of that...sigh).

I have to say the idea of Santa's employees (as I call it) being immortals were unique and creative! And Santa's working system was very peculiar! How did you came up with such brilliant idea?

Well, I really wanted this book to be different than any Christmas book (or show) that I had seen, and I thought it would be fun to add all of the “winter characters” into the plot, especially since I was adding Jack. I basically started with the idea that Jack had to have someone to punish him for trying to destroy Christmas, and instead of Santa having all of the power, I figured that it would be nice for others to vote on what happened to him...which led to me stitching together the Winter Council (Santa’s “employees”).

I have taken up a fair amount of interest on North, although he was just a minor character in the book. If you were to write a sequel or a spin-off novella, would you write about North as the main character?

Well, North will appear in both of the other books in the Snowflake Triplet series (Clara Snow and Clara Frost), and will have his own short stories at the back of each paperback as an added bonus (the first short, “North Of Perfect”, is available in the paperback edition of Clara Claus). As far as a novella...well, that might be fun! I love North, and I would love to write more about him, though he is very hard to write, I must admit. We will have to see what happens…

Who designed the cover? It looks so pretty!

Thank you! I actually designed the cover myself. I design all of my covers, in fact. I basically drew up the snowflake design, using charcoal as a medium, and then scanned the picture and put it into Photoshop, and then went from there. I have to say that it’s probably my favorite of the covers that I’ve designed so far.

I loved asking this question! After reading Clara Claus, I was hoping that it would be made into a movie, I would certainly watch it especially during Christmas! Do you have any actors in mind for the role of Santa, Clara, Jack and North?

Wow, I actually hadn’t thought of that! Of course, it would be amazing to see Clara Claus as a movie (I’m writing a script for it, in fact, though right now, it’s only for fun). I honestly can’t clearly picture anyone playing the roles, though. I’ve always thought that there is so much untapped talent in the world, so if it were to be a movie, I’d probably want to hold an open audition, and have the director, producer and I sit down and choose who would play the characters.

On a side note, though, I think that Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy, anyone?) would be a great Jack, though he would have to lose the English accent...which would be a shame.

Now for some off-topic question. Can you tell us about your new novella releasing in January, as well as the first in your Foxfire Chronicles series?

Of course!

The new novella is called Lyrics of the Heart, and is basically a short story/poetry book about Kristi, a girl whose dad has just been in a horrible accident, and how she deals with the fact that he may never wake up again. It came from one of my own experiences, and was honestly a little hard to write, looking back on that time in my life, but I’m very proud of it, and think that everyone will enjoy reading it. I love poetry, and it was good to write something short. The best part, though, is that I’m going to be running a charity donation with the novella, in honor of my brother: for the first sales week (January 23rd -- 29th), proceeds from every Lyrics of the Heart book sold will be donated to the Red Cross.

Now, the first book in my Foxfire Chronicles series, Shadows of Past Memories, is actually kin to Lyrics of the Heart, because I started writing it directly in the middle of the time in my life that spawned the idea for Lyrics of the Heart. This story is about two best friends, Aura and Terren, who are about to graduate and move forward with their lives, when they are suddenly attacked by otherworldly creatures, and both of them have to face their pasts -- one that was kept hidden, and one that was run away from. This book took me a total of four years to write and finish, and I’m so very happy that it’s out now, and I can’t wait to write the rest of the series (though I’ve finished writing the next book, a novella companion to SOPM called Shadows at Midnight, which will hopefully come out sometime in 2012). It’s going to be a great series, so I hope you’ll check it out!

I’ll be running a Blog Tour in January showcasing both books, so please stop by my blog (http://www.wordsoftheworlds.blogspot.com) and join in on the fun -- also, this wonderful blog here, run by the equally wonderful Nat, will be part of the tour as well!

How about a Christmas shout-out to everyone!

Wonderful!

Well, everyone, this Christmas, I hope that you get everything you’ve been wishing for -- and not just presents, but time with family, fun, and a reminder of the Hope that Christmas is all about.

Thank you so much to Nat for having me here on her blog, and --

Jack: Hey, wait, don’t forget about me!

Alexandra: Oh, sorry, Jack. Do you have something else you’d like to say?

Jack: Yes. (turns to audience) So, in case you missed it earlier, my book is --

Alexandra: This isn’t marketing time, Jack!

Jack: Why not?

Alexandra: Because --

Jack: I was going to say that my book, named after my oh-so-wonderful Clara, is free December 20th through Christmas, as my present to you.

Alexandra: Um, I wrote the book. Don’t I have some part in this?

Jack: Whatever! The point is, it’s free for Christmas -- because Christmas is about giving, and about Hope, just like Clara said.

Alexandra: (smiles) You’re right. So please, everyone, share this free gift with your friends and family. Go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95898 to grab your free ebook, and we hope you have a wonderful, Hope-filled Christmas.

Jack: And don’t forget to leave a review.

Alexandra: Jack!

Thank you Alexandra for the lovely interview, I am so happy that you agreed to it! And you made me laughed so hard! You and your awesomeness! And what is Christmas without a bit of sharing and giving right? Thank you for giving out free copies of Clara Claus. I also posted the Clara Claus button at my sidebar!

What are you guys waiting for? Head over to get one now! Spread the Christmas spirit!

Merry Christmas everyone!

You can also find Alexandra Lanc at:

Her blog Words of the Worlds
Her Twitter Alexandra Lanc
Goodreads Alexandra Lanc

And for more great news, I am also excited to be participating in The Foxfire Book Tour next month! Thanks again Alexandra for the great opportunity!

Posted by,

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 3 comments

Exciting news!

Patti Roberts, author of the Paradox series is running a Christmas Eve Giveaway by giving away a :

T- shirt
Tote bag

Visit her blog The angels are here for more information on how to win such amazing prizes !

Extra:

If you are not familiar with the series, here's a brief summary of it:

Book #1

Paradox #1 - Patti Roberts

Nine hundred years ago, I died...

A little girl's world is turned upside down by a visitor,the Angel of Death. She finds herself trapped in a nightmare, consumed by her paralyzing loss and overwhelming grief. The haunting visions and untimely deaths of others are a constant reminder that life and death are only a heartbeat away.

A journey crossing Two Worlds. One Ancient - One New.

How do the heartbreaking visions experienced by a little girl fit into this Ancient World of Angels, Myth & Legend?

Where lives are bound by blood - and nothing is as it seems. In a World where there are more questions than answers. This journey will leave you wanting and have you asking... Who, When, Where?

Is your Guardian Angel From Heaven or Hell...?

My Review : Paradox by Patti Roberts

Book #2

Progeny of Innocence - Patti Roberts

Two Worlds. One Ancient... still reeling from the ravages of War. A World where powerful Beings from Ancient Civilizations still rule. A Realm Where Gods, Angels, Myths and Magic still exists. And a New World...

And somewhere trapped in between these two worlds, is Grace. A young girl searching for answers, happiness, love....

So when the charismatic Damon Draco begins to take an interest in her, it doesn’t take long before Grace falls for his alluring charm. A charm she doesn't quite understand.

However, when Riley Rivers turns up in Grace's class one day, she starts to question the feelings she has for Damon.

Then death comes knocking... again... and when three of Grace’s school friends are found burned to death, and their parents die in a fatal car accident that same weekend, some start to wonder if it really was just a coincidence, or a contrived plan to wipe out an entire family?

And if so, why, and by whom? And more importantly, will evil strike again?

You can bet your soul on it!

I am currently reading Progeny of Innocence, review to be added later.

Posted by,

Sunday, December 18, 2011 No comments

Blood Warrior - H.D. Gordon
Published in September 5, 2011

When her home is attacked by murderous vampires, 17-year-old Alexa is forced to leave her mother for dead in order to save her sister. She soon learns that she is the last known member of an elite race of supernatural Warriors, and is thrust into a world full of vampires and werewolves who all seem to regard her as some sort of savior. Meanwhile, Alexa battles a monster within herself that seeks to gain control; a monster that seeks blood.

The hidden city she finds herself in appears perfect, but Alexa's instincts tell her that all is not right within its walls. When she is asked to attend a school of fighters, whose exams consist of gladiator-style competitions, she must decide who she can trust among the smiling faces. And, when she meets Kayden, a vampire she feels undeniably drawn to, she must decide if she can trust herself.

Enchanting and absorbing.

I was excited to read this book after I heard how much my friends loved it and got so psyched up at the mention of Blood Warrior, however when I was reading it myself, I was a bit let down because the chapters were too short and the story was not properly elaborated. But, I was assured that I would be at the edge of my seat when I reached the later chapters.

Boy, was I hysterical.

The turn of events was such a surprise and I had a few jaw dropping moments, though the chapters were still a bit too short, the writing got so much more better and I really praised the author for her creativity. I also loved her characters!

Alexa, the main character in the story was another tough protagonist that I know I will admire. (Note: She has a hot temper and a thick wall) I am always particularly picky in liking girl protagonists and I tend to dislike hot headed girls, but Alexa was an exception. I couldn't picture her without her sassiness. Although I am slightly annoyed by the fact that she loved two guys, Kayden and Jackson, (don't get me wrong, love triangles are my thing) I was afraid that the story will turn too cliche from that point. I've read too many love triangles and was hoping that I would discover something new out of the usual.

Another character I came to adore is Kayden, so I guess I can say that I am on Team Kayden. Kayden is a perfect addition to the story, he has incredible fighting skills, unreadable expression and my favourite thing about him : maturity. Kayden was like Dimitri (Vampire Academy), mysterious, sexy, protective, and mature, this can be proved through his actions!

The entire story was fast paced and adrenaline junkie, and I think the author just created a new line of vampires! The fighting scenes were vivid it made me sweat, not to mention I had tears brimming in my eyes too.

Blood Warrior was amazing! I would recommend this to anyone who look for these criterias in a book:

Fast paced
Quick read
Thrilling fighting scenes
'Blossoming' romance

Reviewed by,

Sunday, December 18, 2011 No comments

Friday, December 16, 2011 12 comments

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 2 comments

Monday, December 12, 2011 4 comments

Clara Claus - Alexandra Lanc

What is the true meaning of Christmas?

"The world was given the greatest gift, and that's what started Christmas."

Jack Frost has done it again! He's tried to destroy Christmas, and now he's going to loose his job--for good. And the only thing that can save him is something he doesn't want...to fall in love with a human before sunrise on Christmas morn.

As Christmas draws nearer and Jack's time ticks by, Santa's granddaughter Clara arrives in the North Pole. Playing the role of "tour guide", Jack feels drawn to the snow obsessed girl, who sees things as no one else does.

But when faced with the chance to leave the past behind, will the prince of winter choose to look towards the future? Will Jack's new plan to destroy Christmas prove fatal for the North Pole and its holiday, or can Clara finally melt his icy heart?

In this fantastical Holiday novel, author Alexandra Lanc explores the wonder of Christmas and reveals the truth about hope.

What else could be more perfect than to spark your Christmas mood with a romantic story of actual Christmas characters?

Quote from the Author's note: Even though it’s called Clara Claus, the story is truly about Jack Frost.

Christmas has been my favourite holiday in the year, and I enjoyed everything related to Christmas. I've eaten turkey, I've opened presents, I've watched Jim Carrey as Scrooge, but Clara Claus was as good as all the other movies I've watched (perhaps better) and I was completely smittened by the story.

Though the book was titled Clara Claus, the story centered around Jack Frost (do you know the 'blue' man in Christmas shows? But Jack was not blue here though ~grins~), who was one of Santa's employee that hated Christmas and tried to destroy this festive day in numeral occasions. He was going to be banished from the North Pole if he did not find 'love' in one week. Having being bitter and cold for the past few years because of a horrific tragedy that happened because of Christmas, Jack thought the task was absurd and tried to come up yet with another plan to destroy Christmas. Until he was given an even more ridiculous task, he was appointed to be Santa's granddaughter's tour guide, in short, Clara's babysitter. The horror! But Jack had figured that he could use Clara for his own expense, he would change her mind on Christmas (and Santa) and make her carry out his masterplan. The question is, did Jack changed Clara or did Clara changed Jack....

I just have to praise Alexandra for coming up with this brilliant story plot! I never came across a Jack Frost's story (not to mention I have not read any Christmas-related book) and was actually amazed that Alexandra decided to dedicate her first book to a not-so-recognized character in Christmas tradition. If I were to ask my friends who Jack Frost was, they would probably answer 'Isn't he the snow man?' Close, but still...Frost and snow are two completely different things aren't they?

Clara Claus was a touching, humorous and satisfying read, and often I found myself to be biting my lips and trying to quench the ache I felt when reading the bitter story that happened to both Clara and Jack. Often I was overwhelmed with the deisre to give them a huge hug!

Jack was probably my favourite character in the story (not trying to be cliche for falling in love with the main character:P). At first, he was hot tempered and full of anger and was extremely 'Frosty', but I always laughed at his overreaction and outburst, despite being such a/an (adorable) kid, I find him funny. Yet throughout the book, I had watched him mature and accept love, although love had been something he could not comprehend. I love reading abouthis journey of discovering love, and discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

I am always picky with the girl characters I read about in stories, but there was nothing I would complain about with Clara, she might have just faced a tragedy, and was controlled by her Cinderella-stepmother, but she was strong, and she wouldn't let that define her. I respected her because she has such a good heart and she was not easiy detered from getting to know Jack.

Of course, the beautiful snowy and Christmas-ish setting also painted a graphic image in my mind (I was a click away from booking myself a ticket to North Pole) and the story would not be the same if we don't have Santa and St.Nick (TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE!) and other characters that made the story alive! Furthermore, this story was creative because (I try to give as little spoilers as possible):

1. Who would have thought of Santa's 'business' has a company-like system?

2. Santa's entourage were immortals!

3. That Santa's employees don't only make toys but actually has cool superpowers as well?

Like Jack Frost who created Frost, North who is responsible for the North Wind, and, oh you get the idea....

A Christmas story with a fairytale and romantic twist retold in a moden adaptation just for everyone! Perfect way to welcome Christmas, even if you don't celebrate it!

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Sunday, December 11, 2011 4 comments

I have so many things to say!

1. First, you have to forgive my enthusiasm because I will be using a lot of exclamation marks.

2. I would like to thank the wonderful author of Masquerade, Cambria Hebert for letting me participate in this blog tour (not to mention my first blog tour ever!)

3. Because this is my first blog tour, I hope I'm doing it right, I am putting a lot of thought into this post....

4. I love Masquerade so I hope you will pick it up too!

Getting acquainted with the book (please click on the image to be redirected to the synopsis)

You can also check out my review of Masquerade and Before

Author. Blogger. Late Sipper.

Cambria Hebert is an author who wrote her first book at the age of fifteen. It was terrible. But the passion for writing never went away so years later when she opened her laptop and started typing she worked until she wrote a book that she hopes everyone will be as excited as she is.

Cambria is obsessed with werewolves and is terrified of chickens (they are creepy!) She is an animal lover that would choose coffee over food and her favourite TV show is the Vampire Diaries (Hell-O Damon!)

Please visit her blog at http://www.theunlockeddiary.blogspot.com/

And her author site at http://www.cambriahebert.com/

Now, enjoy the interview!

1. I love your story, your book cover and your writing, but one other 'trait' that appeals to me the most is the unique names of the characters. What was your inspiration to come up with such names?

Thanks! Well, some of my characters do have unique names and a few are not so unique. Heven, I think is the most unique and it fits the character so well. I actually got that name from a friend who has a daughter named Heven. All the other names Kimber, Airis… etc I just kind of pulled out of my magic hat. LOL. I have always loved unique names so when I was writing I knew I wanted to incorporate that into the story… the names just kind of fit them and popped into my head. *shrugs* I had planned on a different, cool name for Sam but nothing I picked seemed to fit him. He kind of just said “Hey look, this is my name. I don’t need a unique name bc I AM unique….” LOL.

I love the name Sam (Sam is also my dad's name so I must like that name, LOL) but Heven and Sam will be forever unique! Woohoo!

2. How would you describe Masquerade?

Well, for interviews like this I describe Masquerade as a YA paranormal novel about a young girl who’s life is changed forever when she wakes up in the hospital and is disfigured and doesn’t know how she got that way.

In my heart… I think of Masquerade as something amazing that I managed to do. It’s my chance to give the characters inside my head recognition and also a chance for me to (hopefully) give a reader an escape from their day and some entertainment.

It did, it was my ticket out of stressville and was my dreamland for at least a few hours. (excluding the aftereffects) Masquerade was one of the best 'ball' I've been to! What a thrill ride!

3. Which character you had most fun writing?

That’s hard!! I really enjoyed writing Heven because she evolves so much in the story. She grows and changes in great ways. I also really liked writing Sam because some of the things he did… lol. I was like wow, I never thought I would be writing about body parts. Lol.

You can give Saw a run for its money!

4. Do you have anyone in mind that would be perfect casts for Heven and Sam?

Agh! People ask me this a lot and I have wracked my brain. I see Sam and Heven so clearly in my mind that finding an actor/actress to match that would be hard. I have thought of a lot of blond girls to play Heven, such as Amanda Seyfreid but it isn’t quite right… I think whoever plays Heven will have to really transform themselves into the character to play her right. For Sam…. I was thinking about Cam Gigandet.

I am also extremely picky when it comes to picking the perfect girl cast (that's why I always vote for the guys:P)...Cam Gigandet ~drools~ Someone hand me a bucket!

5. This question might have been asked repeatedly. What was your main source of inspiration for the story?

Well, one day I thought to myself… I want to write a book about a disfigured girl, someone who doesn’t want to look in the mirror, someone who really has to try just to make it through the day and someone who really just feels like a shell of herself. Then, I thought how did she get disfigured? Masquerade was born.

6. What should readers expect from Masquerade?

Action, character growth, twists and turns and hopefully some surprises!

Oh, Masquerade did deliver!

7. How about a shout out to your fans??

The response to Masquerade has been overwhelming. I truly appreciate all the support that I have been getting. It’s humbling and I feel very lucky. I LOVE my fans and I will always try my best to deliver something that will entertain. I try to answer every email and I love to hear from people who have read Masquerade. I just really want to thank everyone for the support and well wishes.

We thank you too for writing such an awesome story! You bet we will be supporting you till the end! Keep on writing!

Thank you for joining me today for my interview with Cambria Hebert! Buy your ticket to the 'Masquerade' Ball starting 16th December 2011! Don't miss out!

Visit Babbling about books and stuff for more exclusive interviews with Cambria tomorrow!

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