Audiobook Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Title:  Alice in Zombieland
Author:  Gena Showalter
Narrator:  Natalie Gold
Series:  White Rabbit Chronicles #1
Publisher:  Harlequin Teen
Publication Date:  September 25, 2012
Source:  purchased
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real…

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies…


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish...Yeah, I wish.

If, like me, you were expecting a zombie-rific retelling of Alice in Wonderland, you might be disappointed in that respect.  There are several references to the classic story, and Ali does "chase" a white rabbit with a clock, but Alice in Zombieland stops short of trying to emulate the original story and instead only alludes to it at times -- especially in the chapter titles, which I actually found clever.  Also, these aren't your typical zombies.  They're of the spirit world -- yeah -- which means not every one has the ability to see them.  But despite the fact that this novel wasn't quite what I was expecting (or hoping for), I still found it fun and entertaining.

I haven't actually had the pleasure of listening to any of Natalie Gold's prior audiobook recordings, so I had no idea what to expect from her narration of Alice in Zombieland.  But I can tell you after listening to her rendition of this novel that I would listen to the rest of her repertoire in a heartbeat.  Her voice is perfect to portray the teenaged Alice Bell, and she hit all the right notes where Ali's wry sense of humor was concerned.  It was also easy to distinguish between the characters just by the simple variations in her tone of voice.  Plus, she made Cole sound as sexy and sultry as I imagined him in my head.  =)

Speaking of Cole...why does every guy named Cole in YA have to be the dark and brooding type but ultimately sexy as all get-out?  I've never known anyone named Cole, so I can't speak to the truth of this in reality, but it seems to me that not every single guy with this name would fit this stereotype.  Right?  I don't know...it's just, well, the second I saw the name Cole in the synopsis, I knew how this would eventually play out:  brooding but sexy guy is drawn to protagonist but pushes her away "for her own good" but then plays hot and cold with her feelings for most of the story.  Sooo...maybe this story did play out a little like I was expecting.  That's not to say I didn't enjoy it...it was just a tad predictable.

Just like Alice in the original story, Ali is very inquisitive and more than a little curious by nature.  Like the Alice in Tim Burton's remake, Ali is fierce, and with a little convincing, ready for a fight.  Ali is funny and sincere and overall endearing, even in the way she handles her frienemies.  But the way she is with her newly acquired friend Kat shows just what kind of person she is.  While all others have abandoned Kat for her romantic associations, Ali finds herself even closer to Kat, not simply because she, too, has been ostracized for who she associates with, but also because she genuinely likes Kat.  Kat could never replace the sister Ali lost, but she definitely makes the loss easier to bear.

This was my first ever Gena Showalter novel -- gasp! I know! -- but I'd definitely call myself a fan now.  I found Alice in Zombieland clever and humorous and it was an all around good time.  I finished the audio in record-time, even doing some extra chores just for extra listening time, and I can't wait to see what's next for Ali and the rest of the slayers.

Rating: 

Dystopian Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Dystopian Giveaway Hop

November 1st to 7th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & My Shelf Confessions

All of the giveaways on this hop will feature dystopian novels:

  

dys·to·pi·a

noun

a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and

overcrowding.

For my stop, I'm giving away a paperback of one of my favorite dystopian reads and also the winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book of 2011:

Rules:

• This giveaway is international. 
• One entry per household.
• All entries will be verified.  Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
• Winner will be notified via email.  Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.  And, people, check your SPAM folders...I've had to reach out more than once to some winners because they "didn't get the first email."  I don't want to, but I'm going to have to start just picking new winners.  :C
• I am not responsible for lost packages.

And now on to the fun stuff!  You only have to follow my blog to enter, but all other entries/follows are appreciated!  :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now that you've entered here, be sure to check out the other 100+ giveaway stops on this blog hop:

Good luck & happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title:  Everbound
Author:  Brodi Ashton
Series:  Everneath, book #2
Publisher:  Balzer + Bray
Publication Date:  January 22, 2013

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

Why I'm waiting:  After reading and loving Everneath, but especially after that shocking ending, I want this book yesterday.  I love retellings of the Persephone myth, but I think this series might just be my favorite because it pushes the boundaries a bit and branches off from the original story enough to stand on its own.  I'm very much a fan of Jack and the sacrifice he made for Nikki, but I'm also interested in Cole's intentions because I sense that there is good in him yet.

Review: Rebel Heart by Moira Young

Title:  Rebel Heart
Author:  Moira Young
Series:  Dust Lands, Book #2
Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry
Publication Date:  October 30, 2012
Source:  ARC from publisher
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Nothing is certain and no one is safe in the second book in the highly praised Dust Lands trilogy, which MTV’s Hollywood Crush blog called “better than The Hunger Games.”

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

Hurt.

Betrayed.

Deceived.

Those are the last three words of this book, but they sum up the whole of this novel beautifully.  Those same words appear over and over in the novel, and the characters feel them time and again.  I think every reader will come to know them as truth by the end, as well.  (I know I felt gutted by the time I finished, anyway.)

If Blood Red Road was a strong debut, then Rebel Heart is an epic sequel.  Remember all the crazy from BRR?  The cage-fighting?  The giant sand worms a la Beetlejuice?  The epic battle for freedom?  Young does not disappoint with her follow-up novel.  In fact, I may have enjoyed Rebel Heart even more than Blood Red Road, if that's even possible.  It was an emotional crazy, in addition to all of the other epic craziness.

I truly love books centered around a quest...especially quests to find loved ones.  That's why I loved BRR in the first place.  But Saba's on a new quest now.  And she's truly finding herself along the way, even if the path is a little bumpy.  Okay, A LOT bumpy.  Saba is a truly flawed character:  she's gutsy but impetuous and she often causes trouble for herself and her companions because of that combination.  She's grown even more as a character in Rebel Heart, but that girl has a lot of growing yet to do.  And boy does Lugh like to remind her of that.  As if he'd have had the fortitude to rescue her had she been the one taken instead.

By the end of the book, everything that's happened becomes Saba's fault.  Maybe she did set everything that's happening in motion, but she's plagued by ghosts of her own.  Lugh's got a serious chip on his shoulder throughout this book, and there were times when I wanted to grab him by the collar of his shirt and give him a few good shakes.  Does he not remember that he'd possibly maybe probably be dead if it weren't for his sister?

Another thing I loved about this sequel is that the secondary cast of characters gets a lot of attention, even that stubborn, pig-headed Lugh.  Oh, oh, oh...also, DeMalo.  Yep.  You didn't think we'd seen the last of him, did you?  His character, although a bit player in the first book, intrigued me to no end.  That intense look he shared with Saba...what was that all about?  Maybe you'll find out in Rebel Heart and maybe you won't...you'll just have to read it to find out.  :P  There are some new characters that I took a real shine, too, as well, including a large man wearing a frilly pink dress.  (The story on that one was quite entertaining.)

Rebel Heart might have been a bit slow-going in the very beginning with only sporadic action sequences, but once that pony sets her pace, she is off on a gallop and you won't know what hit you!  This novel was engaging and humorous and ruthless and tragic, and I cannot believe I have to wait another year for the next installment.  Also, I still can't tell you for sure if that's Jack on the cover.  That would be my best guess since Lugh has long hair when we meet him, but we all know that the cover models don't always mirror the description in the text of the book.  At any rate, the new covers have grown on me, much as the dialect and rugged nature of the books did.  These are some of my favorite books to see sitting on my shelves.

Favorite quotes:

"If restless spirits ride the Wraithway, they ain't Wreckers.  They're nature spirits.  The spirits of earth an water.  Of air an plants an creatures.  With every right to ride vengeance on men."

"An all the time, Lugh's goin, Yer the boss, Maev.  Yer the daddy.  Maev knows what she's doin, Lugh.  Hijackin an horse stealin's her business.  Newsflash, girls.  This ain't no horse.  It's a gawdamn camel!"

"Fleas plague you, she says.  Swamp skitters can kill you, an a little thorn--so small you hardly notice--it can work its way unner the skin an after a bit, yer hand's infected.  Maybe you lose a couple of fingers, maybe the whole hand.  Maybe yer blood goes bad an you die.  Tiny things can cause plenty of trouble.  Cheer up, people!"

Rating: 

Teaser Tuesday #30: What Happens Next

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser comes from the following book:

Title:  What Happens Next
Author:  Colleen Clayton
Series:  stand-alone
Publisher:  Poppy
Publication Date:  October 9, 2012
Source:  Southern Book Bloggers ARC Tour
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.

My teaser:

"We are no longer Former Cheerleader Turned Gingerbitch Slut and Drug Dealer Turned AV Shop Rat.  Now, we are Sid and Corey, official human beings, guests at a farewell pastry party, breaking bread, and In This Together Now.  We are two people who actually have some things in common and could possibly even be (gak!) friends." -- p. 131 of ARC

I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to get my hands on this book.  I stalked the ARC tour page to see where it was headed next and when I was going to get it.  Sure, I could have bought my own copy by now, but the anticipation is undoubtedly going to be worth it.  I just know it.  =)  I already love what I've read.  It's a tough subject, but the writing is brills!

Something Wicked Comes: Halloween Blog Tour/Giveaway Hop

Yay!  It's finally my turn!!!  =)  So, I posted my giveaway earlier this month to get maximum exposure and give you guys extra time to enter.  But now it's time for the guts of my post.  ;-)

If you've visited the giveaway post, you know I'm featuring the Anna books by Kendare Blake.  This series (can it be called that when there's only two books?) is an absolute favorite of mine.  I don't think any other books have ever given me so many sleepless, nightmare-filled nights.  But don't let that deter you from reading these awesome books.  The fact that they can create that type of response in a reader is proof enough that they are Halloween-worthy reading material.

With Kendare's help, I was able to wrangle the Cas Lowood into playing a little This or That with us.  As always, he doesn't mince words, but that's one of the things we love about him, right?

Chocolate or Fruity Pebbles?
Chocolate. And that goes for Pebbles too. Cocoa is the way to go.

Books or Movies?
Books. Also, movies. One shouldn't have to choose.

Truth or Dare?
Dare. Truth is sort of irritating.

Reality or Fantasy?
I don't see the difference.

Fight or Flight?
Fight. Easy choice.

Fast or Slow?
Fast.

Home or Away?
Away. What is this "home" you speak of?

Glass half-empty or Half-full?
The glass has liquid in it. The liquid is probably vodka. I guess you could say I'm a realist.

Old or New?
Old, if it's magic. New, if it's...I don't know. Food.

Public or Private?
Private. So why am I doing this interview?

Black & white or Somewhere in the middle?
Black, white and everything in between.

Ketchup or Mustard?
On what? Bologna? Then mustard. Pretty much ketchup for anything else.

Country or City?
I see plenty of both, and either one can kill you.

Noisy or quiet?
Same answer as above.

Light or Dark?
Dark.

Love it!  Thanks so much for stopping by, Cas!

Don't forget, guys, that I'm giving away both books in this series. You can check out my original post for details and enter below for your chance to win.

Rules:

• This giveaway is international.  As long as The Book Depository ships to your location, you are good to go.  (You can double-check that here.)  [Button will be shipped separately if winner is international.]
• One entry per household.
• All entries will be verified.  Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant.
• Winner will be notified via email.  Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.  And, people, check your SPAM folders...I've had to reach out more than once to some winners because they "didn't get the first email."  I don't want to, but I'm going to have to start just picking new winners.  :C
• I am not responsible for lost packages.

And now on to the fun stuff!  You only have to follow my blog to enter, but all other entries/follows are appreciated!  :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck & happy reading!

Blog Tour: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick - Guest Post

The Apocalypse does not end.
The Changed will grow in numbers.
The Spared may not survive.

Today, I have the extreme pleasure of hosting Ilsa J. Bick as part of the Shadows Blog Tour hosted by Egmont USA.  I am absolutely enthralled with this series and am so excited to have Ilsa stop by for a chat about her typical day.  First, here's a little bit about the books:

Title:  Ashes

Author:  Ilsa J. Bick
Series:  Ashes Trilogy, book #1

Publisher:  Egmont USA
Publication Date:  September 6, 2011

Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

My review of Ashes can be found here.  Also, Ilsa wanted me to direct you to a recap she put together on her site so you're prepared for all of the Shadows awesomeness:  So You Read Ashes a Year Ago...

Title:  Shadows
Author:  Ilsa J. Bick
Series:  Ashes Trilogy, book #2
Publisher:  Egmont USA
Publication Date:  September 25, 2012
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love. But she was wrong.

Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.

Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.

My review of Shadows can be found here.

For my stop on the Shadows Blog Tour, Ilsa has graciously agreed to tell us how she spends her writerly day:

For me, writing is all consuming. In some ways, I lead an extremely boring life because all I do is work. I’m either writing, thinking about writing, reading books related to my writing, or reading to get an idea of what other people are doing. I am a drudge, pure and simple. Blame it on my medical training and all those years of slogging through school, plus my work-for-hire days where it was all about hitting that deadline and being organized and developing good work ethic.

Writing is . . . you know, I don’t want this to sound bleak because it’s not, but writing is, yes, creative, but it is also a job. I have to show up for work, and I have to show up for work on time. I have to produce product on time, which means I have to watch my productivity; see what interferes with me getting my work done.

This means: I get up (usually by 6 a.m.); I have coffee; I answer some email or read a bit of the news; and then I start working. If I am drafting an outline or writing a book, it’s no different; I have goals for each day that must be met, and I don’t go to bed until I meet those goals. Sometimes that means I’m done in five hours; sometime that means I work for fourteen. For this last big deadline I had, I was working for the last six weeks of it pretty much non-stop, seven days a week, more than twelve hours a day. I have no idea what happened in the world other than it didn’t end, and my husband didn’t eat a cat.

Now does that mean I had a terrible time? No. I love my job. One of the great things about my job is I get to make things up; I live, eat, and breathe my characters and their world. I go through a lot of Kleenex. And I love learning new things; that’s one of the great perks of being a writer: research, although for this trilogy, I didn’t need to so very much because, you know, I’m a doctor; I studied science; I went to school for thirteen years to be a doc, so all that went into the making of the trilogy.

But even after you’ve got the book out the door, the work doesn’t stop. I feel terrible and empty as soon as that puppy’s out of here, and so I’m immediately moving on in my head and otherwise to the next project. I’m all about what’s next.

In between, though, there are blogs to do, emails to answer, some social networking to cram into the day. Any of that kind of writing, I normally do either first thing (just email, really) and then only at the end of the creative part of the day (and only if there’s time). Writing a blog is very different than crafting a novel, and I don’t want to mess myself up. But when I’m on deadline, all that is secondary, too. The book is, first and foremost, my primary concern.

So, yeah . . . I’m a workaholic.

Workaholic or not, we're glad for it!  I'm curious about the mention of the cat...wondering if there was an incident there.  :)  Also, Ilsa sounds about writing like I am about reading.  I'm so sad to see one book end that I immediately pick up another and slack off on reviews in-between.  :-|

About the author:

Among other things, I was an English major in college and so I know that I’m supposed to write things like,”Ilsa J. Bick is.” Except I hate writing about myself like I’m not in the room.

Helloooo, I’m right here … So let’s just say that I’m a child psychiatrist (yeah, you read that right) and an award-winning, best-selling author of short stories, ebooks and novels.

Believe me, no one is more shocked about this than I … unless you talk to my mother.

Find Ilsa & her books on her website & on Twitter.

Big, big thanks to Ilsa J. Bick and Egmont USA for putting this tour together.  I can't wait to see what else is in store for Alex and the others in Monsters, the final book in the series!  In response to a comment on her site, Ilsa says this:  "MONSTERS Spoiler: Things get worse: much, much worse."  Is that even possible?!?

The Sunday Symposium: Z-Day is Upon Us

The Sunday Symposium is a weekly feature in which I'll be discussing various bookish topics and asking for your commentary, as well.  This week's special Halloween edition features a topic  that actually came about after a very animated discussion with my husband after watching Zombieland:  what would you most miss eating when the world as we know it is gone?

Actually, this post started because of this discussion:  my husband says to me, "Woody sure does like his Twinkies.  What would you crave when the Apocalypse hits?  Not at first, but say two years later?  Like, it has to have a good, long shelf-life." 

This gave me pause.  First, because he said when...meaning he's finally given in and accepted that my theory that the world will definitely end up overrun with zombies is entirely plausible.  Win for me.  But also because I'm not the biggest fan of pre-packaged food.  I like fresh, home-cooked edibles.  But, by the time the zombie apocalypse arrives, I probably won't really care all that much, right?  I think my husband's answer was beef jerkey, which makes sense because dayum that man can put away some beef jerkey.

So, at this point, I'm mentally walking around the grocery store, thinking of all the possibilities.  Initially, I wanted to say Pringles.  Those would be a great snack after all that zombie killing, but the shelf life of a bag of potato chips is only 2-3 weeks, so I can't imagine it's that much more for a can of Pringles.  Actually, I know it's not.  Friends, this Eat by Date site is going to come in handy as we prepare for our showdown with the zombies.  Anyway, since all the chips will be stale by then, I've moved on to soft drinks.  The caffeine will help keep me on the go, too.  The shelf life for sodas is only 6-9 months in the pantry, though, and I do prefer my soda at least chilled, so maybe not.  That leaves my number one favorite snack from my childhood:  pickles.  Those things definitely last for a couple of years.

What will you be craving at the end of the world?  Sweets, like our good pal Woody?  Or something more substantial, like my husband?  Either way, you'd better make sure to stock up on it so you're prepared.  =)

I hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!  Don't eat too much candy!!!  :D  Wait, wait, wait...I just changed my answer.  CANDY CORN!  I love that stuff!  Even if Moose doesn't.  :P

In My Mailbox #54

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  It's a weekly meme where we all get to brag about the books and swag we got in the mail, for review, won in contests, etc.

Another busy week here at The Starry-Eyed Revue.  And I got a makeover!  :D  So, that didn't leave a lot of time for anything else, but I did get a couple of my pre-ordered books in on Wednesday, plus I won a little something.

Won:

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence - I won an ARC from the amazing Jen at YA Romantics.  (Her review can be found here.)  I love books that feature memory loss because they promise lots of unexpected craziness.  At least, that's what I'm hoping comes out of this book.  Bring on the crazy twists and turns!





Purchased:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - I loved The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer...it was confusing and mystifying, and I still don't know if Mara is crazy or not.  Can't wait to find out more about what's happening to her.  Even though I have a huge "must read next" pile, I think I'm going to read this one next so I can satisfy my curiosity.  :D

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick - I know.  You don't have to tell me.  But I just can't NOT finish it.  And once I'm done, I'll probably end up giving away the whole series.  Because, yes, I bought the hardcovers of each book.  Like a stalker.  Like a stalker.  *still shaking head at self*  (Let's call it what it is...a guilty pleasure.  One that I almost didn't admit to buying.)






I'm going to call this week's haul the dreary edition just because of all the blues and grays on the covers.  :P

The Week in Review:

Reviews:  Everneath (audio) & Gravity

Current Giveaways:
*Win an ARC of I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga -- ends 10/31!
*Win an ARC of Starcrossed & a PB of Dreaming Awake -- ends 11/4!
*Win BOTH Anna books by Kendare Blake -- ends 10/31!
*Win a SIGNED copy of Gravity by Melissa West!

Recent Winners:  Angela Braun won a copy of Daughter of Smoke & Bone in the Fall into Fantasy Giveaway Hop!

Blog Tours:  Gravity by Melissa West

Cover Reveals:  Unresisting & Embers in a Dark Frost

Also, I'm participating in the Sweet Evil Read Along all month long!  This week's post centered around Halloween, a pivotal point in the book.  Stop by to see some really cute pics of my daughter's past Halloween costumes in my Week 4 post.  :D

The Week Ahead:

In this week's special Halloween edition of the Sunday Symposium feature, we'll be discussing the Zombie Apocalypse.

The Shadows Blog Tour stops by tomorrow, and the Something Wicked Comes Blog Tour stops by on Monday!

Also, I hope you'll stop by and enter yet another giveaway starting this week:  the Dystopian Giveaway Hop.

Official Cover Reveal: Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

Hello, dear readers!  I am sooo excited today to bring you the cover for Kelly Keaton's newest book Embers in a Dark Frost.  In the author's own words, "the book is fantasy. It’d be categorized in the store as Adult Fantasy. It’s heroine driven. Inspired by Irish mythology. It's a quest/self discovery type of story that also includes a romantic/sensual storyline. The book is not YA or Happily Ever After romance. So they’d have to like the fantasy genre, adult fiction, and be okay with the sexual content. (It is NOT erotica), but there are a couple sex scenes."  I've been told that the story might fall in that new category new adult we've all been hearing so much about...or devouring, as the case may be.  :)  This cover is gorgeous and I hope you all agree:

*Cover by PhatPuppy Art*

Here's a little more about the book:

Title: EMBERS IN A DARK FROST

Author: Kelly Keaton

ISBN-13: 978-0-9885225-0-3
ISBN-10: 0988522500

Release Date: November 15, 2012

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

So, what's the book about?

The Fire Breathers have come. The Underworld calls. A choice must be made…

With her feared half blood and flame-colored hair, DEIRA D'ANU is a constant reminder of human betrayal and the war that claimed the light from Innis Fail. Now, darkness and frost creep across the land, strengthening the Lord of the Underworld. War is imminent—an allegiance with the Fire Breathers is vital. When their champion, Balen, sees Deira, he believes she is the key to finding the light and stopping the dark frost. But the Underworld calls to Deira, tempting her to turn her back on a world that never cared and betray the champion willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe and save his world from darkness.

About the author:

Kelly is a multi-published author with six novels currently in print. She writes the YA series, Gods & Monsters (Simon & Schuster), and the Charlie Madigan series (Pocket Books), which are written as Kelly Gay. She is a two-time RITA nominee, an ARRA nominee, a Goodreads Choice Award finalist, and has landed on the Southern Independent Bookseller's Alliance's Book Awards Long List and their Okra Picks List. Kelly is also a three-time Golden Heart Finalist and a recipient of North Carolina Arts Council's fellowship grant in Literature.

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So, what do you guys think?  Beautiful, right?  And doesn't the premise sound great, too?  I haven't read Gods & Monsters yet, but it's on my list.  Have any of you read it?  What did you think?