Rainy Day Ramblings

Friday Forecast September 2-8 Cover Reveal for Tirade by Cambria Hebert

Yikes! Here we are the last official week of summer. Labor weekend is at hand! Where did the summer go?  I am not ready for Fall, yet! Well, summer is going out with a bang. I have a bushel basket full of books to share with you.  Here are the highlights of next week's bumper crop, along with the weather forecast for Portland, Oregon.  What books are you splurging on this week?  How is the weather where you live? (Click on the covers for all the details)

Guess what? I have another cover reveal for you today. Courtesy of Cambria Hebert.  It is for the third book Tirade in the Heven and Hell series.  Be sure to check it out at the end of the forecast!

Forecast September 2nd-8th

Whew! A huge bunch of books coming out next week! What books are you grabbing?

Weather Forecast for Portland, Oregon

Saturday: H76L55  Sunny                                             Sunday: H78  L53 Sunny 

Enjoy the holiday Weekend Everyone! Be Safe! 

Okay are you ready for another fantastic reveal?  Here is the cover for the upcoming Tirade (Heven and Hell #3) by Cambria Hebert.

And the Back:

Wow! Another Stunning Cover courtesy of Regina Wamba at Mae I Designs. 

Watch for Tirade on November 30th. Here is the synopsis:

Betrayal burns. Death hurts and the clock ticks…

Minutes and hours stretch into days. How long can Sam survive being confined in Hell? I have a plan… a plan with a lot of holes. I need someone who can make up for my weaknesses, someone who possesses the power that I lack. Riley is supposed to be off limits. He’s dangerous, he’s mean and he’s not to be trusted. But I do. 

Beelzebub is on a tirade, bent on revenge. I took what he wants and sent him into the flames. I will wear the scars of his punishments forever. But scars don’t scare me anymore.

On my way to free Sam I find my true path, a secret place and new allies. But in Hell nothing is easy… and everything is cruel. The only thing left to do is survive.

 Here is the trailer:

First Grave on the Right Wrap Up and Guest Post with author Darynda Jones

I can't believe that the First Grave on the Right Read Along is over after months of planning.  A big thank you to all the bloggers who particpated in the month long event. I hope you had as much fun as I did.  Most of all I hope that you are all big fans of Darynda Jones.  I love her books.  If you have not read one of her books, what are you waiting for?  They are so fun! To cap off a great month I have the lovely Darynda Jones here today to answer questions that were submitted during the read along.  Stay tuned at the end for the prize announcements! Here is Darynda Jones with her answers to your questions!

1. Can I have Reyes? ;D

Why certainly! Charley might have a  problem with it though. :)

2. Does Darynda have her own Green Chili recipe (it's a southwestern thing and in the book... ) :) ?

Do you mean green chile stew? Charley makes it without actually measuring anything, but here is a pretty good recipe. The only difference is Charley uses WAAAAY more green chile than this recipe calls for. She often uses an entire 16 oz tub of Bueno green chile. But this will give you a basic idea.

 NM Green Chile Stew

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds cubed beef stew meat (or chicken)

1 onion, chopped

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

1 1/2 cups beef (or chicken) broth

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

1 tsp. garlic salt

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions: In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and brown the stew meat (or cook the chicken fully) and the onions until onions are translucent; about 5 minutes.
Pour in the diced tomatoes with chiles, beef (or chicken) broth and chile peppers. Stir in the garlic salt. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add a little more beef broth or water if needed during simmering.
Stir in cubed potatoes to the mixture and simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
This is a New Mexico favorite and is delightful made with either beef or chicken. Add a bit of Devil’s Dust to spice up this warm dish even more.

3.  What inspired you to write Charley's character?

I was wracking my brain trying to come up with my next story. I knew I wanted to write paranormal and I knew I wanted it to feature a strong heroine, but what KIND of heroine? There are so many. I decided almost immediately that I wanted her to be fun and to not take life or anything in it too seriously. I wanted her to live in a paranormal world but I didn’t want her to think of it as this huge burden. (I can’t stand whiners. LOL) I wanted her to enjoy it and have fun with it and treat it as just an everyday thing even when it does turn dark and serious. I also knew I wanted her to be a little bit Buffy and a little bit Lorelei Gilmore from the Gilmore Girls. Just sassy with a comeback at every turn. (This is SO not like me. I am not witty in the least, unfortunately.) And giving her ADD just seemed like the right thing to do.

4.  How did Reyes know when she will be born?

I just left that up to the fact that he is a supernatural entity and has access to certain kinds of information our there in the universe that we do not. In my mind, I envisioned him seeing her as she was sent to Earth and he knew it was her time.

5.  Questions for Charley: Who was your first boyfriend? I somehow don't see you with a straight A student who's aiming to be the next president of the US :D

Wow, that’s so weird. You seem to know me so well. Hehehe. My first boyfriend was a kid named Charles. I was five. He was six. And since our names were almost identical, we knew were destined to be together forever. We were hitched for two weeks before he moved. I didn’t find out until much later that his parents had abandoned him and the state sent him to stay with a foster family down the street from us until a permanent home could be found. I think he was sent to live with an aunt. I never saw him again, but I’ve never forgotten him. The first time we met, he had a black eye, and I was in love. I seem drawn to the tortured ones.

6. Why can't you trust the man you love more?

I think I have trust issues in general. Growing up, every time I’ve trusted someone with who I am, what I am, it’s almost always backfired. Then again, the man I love IS the son of Satan. I don’t think my hesitation is unwarranted. :)

7. I love how witty and sarcastic Charley is, I would love to know if Darynda is that way too in real life or if Charley was based off of anyone she knows?

I can be a tad sarcastic, but I don't see myself as witty at all. I’ve never had that quick wit I’ve always longed for. I think people like that have some kind of supernatural power. My mind just doesn’t work like that. Odd that Charley’s does.

8.  Also, this might be answered somewhere else already (like on her blog) but

I would like to know how many books there will be in the series?
The series is open-ended, so the sky’s the limit! LOL.

9. The breasts and ovaries names are Star Trek and Lost in Space throwbacks..why did you pick those particular names? 

I am a huge science fiction fan and wanted to share a bit of my obsession with Charley.

10. What can fans expect from Darynda Jones in the future?

Besides more Charley books, I have a new YA series coming out starting in October. The first of the Darklight trilogy, Death and the Girl Next Door, drops October 2^nd. It’s about a girl whose life is irrevocably changed when the Angel of Death starts high school in her small town.

11. Who was your real life inspiration for Reyes?

In reality, I just see that archetype as the ultimate alpha hero, though I will admit, the scene where Charley thinks back to when she first met him, when he was being abused by Earl Walker, I very much had in mind actor Jason Behr. I think he’s super pretty.

 12. Will Reyes continue to be difficult or as the reader put it... a bastard?

Um, probably, yeah. Although in Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, his actions are more justifiable and we begin to understand exactly what he is up against. Trying to keep Charley alive is a full-time job and he does what he has to to keep her that way.

13.  Do you come up with the t-shirt and bumper sticker quotes?

Some are mine but most are actual bumper stickers and T-shirts. I only wish I were that funny all the time. 

A huge thanks to Darynda for stopping by today and answering all your questions!  I hope you are as eager as I am for more Darynda Jones Charley Davidson books and her new YA series!  You can find out more about Darynda on her blog, website, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter and be sure to check out her Grimlets Street Team.

A big thank you again to everyone for joining in the read along.  I wish you could all receive prizes! 

 

 

The winners are:

 

Third Prize: A copy of Second Grave on the Left: Heather@Bewitched Bookworms

 

 

 

Second Prize: A copy of Third Grave Dead Ahead: Jennifer@Some Like It Paranormal

 

 

 

First Place: A coveted copy of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet: Amy@Book Goonie

 

 

Congratulations to all the winners! Be sure to preorder your copies of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet out on October 30th and the first title in Darynda's new YA series: Death and the Girl Next Door available on October 2nd

Thank you to Darynda for all of her support for this read along.  Please stay tuned for another guest appearance from Darynda here on Rainy Day Ramblings at the end of The Something Wicked Comes event that will be running throughout October.  If you haven't signed up, yet there is still plenty of time.  Click on the button for the details!

 

 

The Color of Snow by Brenda Stanley

Can a troubled young girl reenter society after living in isolation?

When a beautiful 16-year-old girl named Sophie is found sequestered in a cage-like room in a rundown house in the desolate hills of Arbon Valley, Idaho, the entire community is shocked to learn she is the legendary Callidora--a baby girl who was kidnapped from her crib almost seventeen years ago and canonized in missing posters with portraits of what the fabled girl might resemble. Authorities soon learn that the cage was there to protect people from Sophie, because her biological father believes she is cursed.

Sophie is discovered after the man she knows as Papa, shoots and injures Damien, a young man who is trying to rescue her. Now, unsocialized and thrust into the world, and into a family she has never met, Sophie must decide whether she should accept her Papa’s claims that she is cursed and he was only trying to protect others, or trust the new people in her life who have their own agendas. Guided by a wise cousin, Sophie realizes that her most heartbreaking challenge is to decide if her love for Damien will destroy him like her Papa claims, or free her from past demons that haunt her mind. 
ebook, 413 pages 
Published June 1st 2012 by Tribute Books.

Three Stars: An enthralling read about old secrets and a girl hidden away for years trying to find her footing in the real world.

The loud banging reverberates through the small house.  Sophie’s father hands her the gun and tells her it is up to her now to finish it.  The police are at the door.  He tells her again that everything he has done was to protect her from the harm that exists in the outside world, and reminds her that he loves her.  The police woman barges in and finds seventeen year old Sophie huddled in her closet.  Papa is hauled away and Sophie learns that she is the missing baby known throughout Idaho as Callidora.  She was kidnapped by her father from her maternal grandparents when she was just a few days old.  For seventeen years her father hid her away in the quiet hills of Arbon Valley.  Sophie has been alone with no friends, except Damien and Donnie the boys that used to come and play when she was eleven.  Now, Sophie is going to live with her grandparents and try to find her way in the real world.  Can she really find love or is she truly under a curse?

What I Liked:

• I knew the minute I saw the synopsis that I had to read this one because it is set in Idaho, the state where I grew up.  I am familiar with every single location in the book having traveled there on numerous occasions.  The author does a wonderful job of bringing the Idaho setting to life.  From the rural farm lands, the small towns and the culture right down to the green jello with carrots, a Mormon staple.  I especially appreciated how she showed how difficult life can be in a small town that is predominately Mormon for an outsider due to prejudices.  
• I was fascinated by the entire story and eagerly flipped the pages to learn how everything plays out.  The book relates the tale of a young couple who engage in a forbidden love back in the early 1990’s.  Fate tears them apart and they are separated.  Each never forgetting the other, but the world is cruel and circumstances keep them away from each other until the fateful day of the birth of their illegitimate child.  The girl is reared in a small house in the sequestered hills of the Arbon Valley.  Not knowing that she was kidnapped.  The reader sees the world from her sheltered and naive eyes, as she slowly tries to acclimate herself to her new surroundings.  Sophie is convinced that she is cursed and that everyone who loves her and shows affection toward her will die.  Imagine never having contact with anyone and being forced to live a strict lifestyle.  Her story is engaging and interesting. 
• I admired Stephanie, Sophie’s step cousin.  She is a girl who attempts to rehabilitate Sophie and show her that some of the religious dogma she has beens spoon fed by her father is erroneous, along with the idea that Sophie is cursed.  She tries to show Sophie the good in the world and shelter her from the evil that is roosting in her own home.  I was heartbroken when I found out the truth about her past and why she almost ended her life.  She is a strong and admirable young lady, who not only is fighting from the horror in her own life, but also against the prejudices that come from not being a part of the Mormon in-crowd that is the majority of the small town.  
• I loved how Ms. Stanley was able to weave together the events of the past with the present in order to give the reader a full understanding of all the secrets, betrayals, heartache, mental illness and misfortune that led to Sophie’s kidnapping.  In the end, the reader is presented with a fascinating, complex read with some surprising twists. I truly raced through the pages wondering how everything would come out for Sophie in the end.  Could a girl surrounded by so much heartache and sadness find a bit a peace and happiness? 

And The Not So Much:

• While I appreciated the author relaying the history and backstory behind the events, it was a little jumbled in its delivery.  For instance, the story would flash back from present day to the early 1990’s and then to the mid 2000 years and then forward.  There was no pattern for the glances to the past, and it tended to jump around a bit.  
• The narration shifts from Sophie’s first person narration to a third person narration with a couple of strange interjections at the beginning of the chapters that were Sophie’s voice in present day looking back.  I wish the book had stayed with one type of narration.
• I was disappointed that I didn’t get completion on the back story of Sophie’s Aunt Elise.  She has a hand in the events that ultimately tear the young couple apart and it seems that she is haunted by her role.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t any further expansion on her story.  I wanted to know why she disliked Sophie, was it because of her guilt?  What happened to Elise after Vee dies how did she deal with all the aftermath?  
• I was very confused over a scene that occurs when Sophie attends a youth stake dance.  There is a moment where it seems that there is some type of paranormal activity that leads her to Damien, but it is never explained.  I was left scratching my head over that one and wondered just exactly what happened.
• There are some dark themes in this one such as suicide, sexual abuse, mental illness, betrayals and lies.  A few times I feared that it was going to get uncomfortable as the story delved into some dark subjects.  Thankfully, the author steers clear of the details and just eludes to the bleak material.
• I am not sure that I completely agreed with Sophie’s sudden change of heart at the end.  She spends the entire book questioning her full existence and then it seems she is able to let it all go and just move on.  I felt that her actions weren’t quite in line with her previous thinking and behavior.  Furthermore, I was a little bothered by the fact that Sophie never received any kind of professional mental care after spending her entire life sequestered away.  I think trying to acclimate a young girl to the outside world would definitely require the intervention of a mental health professional.
• Another storyline that was dropped and not finished was the involvement of the detective Carpo who worked on Sophie’s kidnapping case.  He has an ulterior motive in trying to get Sophie’s story, and at one point he ends up driving her to Boise to see her father and then he just disappears after that leaving me wondering why he was even a part of the story.

The Color of Snow is a book that lingered with me for days after I finished reading it.  This is a haunting and powerful story that covers so many different angles and events that snowball into heartbreak.  Can a girl overcome her burdensome, lonely childhood and step into the real world and find a chance at love?  It truly is a thought provoking read.  

Favorite Quotations:

“I felt my body collapse into her.  The relief was like a warm blanket on a windy night.”

“Just because she goes to church doesn’t mean she’s a good girl.”

“It rained all day; the sky was exceptionally gray.  It was as if the weather was scripted for a day of sorrow.”

“I felt my secret was slowly killing me, and the only way I could get relief was to talk about it.  I was still scared that once it was out, it would sprout wings and fly out of control.”

“These people are pathetic.  They are so small town that they aren’t happy unless they are feeding off someone else’s pain.  If you lived somewhere else, you wouldn’t have to deal with this.”

“One of these days you’ve got to just go for it.  Hold your head high and don’t care about what people think or say.”

“People need religion because they need something to blame terrible things on, or give credit for the good.  It’s used to make people feel guilty so they do what’s right.”

“It seems the more I learn about my life the more complicated and difficult it becomes.”

“That is life.  You can either accept it or bury your head in the sand, but either way, eventually you must face it.  It does no good pretending things will go away.”

 

A big thanks to Nicole at Tribute Books for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.  Be sure to visit Tribute Books for more information on this title and many others.  Click on the tour banner to visit other stops on the tour.

Tell Me Something Tuesday #33

Here it is the last Tuesday in August.  Back to school time is here.  So let's talk about books.  I have a question courtesy of Cambria Hebert the hostess of Tell Me Something Tuesday,  Head over to her blog if you want to participate.

This week's question:

 Is your TBR out of control and how do you plan to control it?

Many of you out there may not even know what TBR stands for, but for those involved in reading and reviewing it is the abbreviation for what all too often becomes our nemesis: the To Be Read Pile.  That's right a towering stack of books that require you to read and review them.  As a new blogger, I admit my eyes got to big and I took on way too many books.  Many of you may laugh thinking that there could never be too many books to read, I used to think that as well. Unfortunately, due to my lack of self control I am now buried under a stack of books.  This tower of demands has admittedly caused my enthusiasm to wane.  The reason: I am unable to read anything I want to anymore.  I am a slave to the demands of my commitments.  So when I visit all my friends' blogs and I read their rave reviews, I am sad that I won't be able to read that book in the near future.  Yes, my out of control acceptance of books whether it be Netgalley (shaking fist), requests or tours has caused me a great deal of stress. 

So what I am going to do about the TBR? I have endeavored to not accept anymore requests, to not peruse Netgalley weekly looking for new titles and limit my participation in tours from now until the end of the year.  I have about fifty books I have committed

to review.  Yes, that sounds like a lot but I have four months to complete this task.  That means I have to read twelve books a month which is doable.  Starting next year, I am putting myself on a strict schedule: I will not accept anymore than seven to eight books per month, which will leave me time to read more of the books I want to read.  A strict schedule and limited number of commitments will make a make a happier reader and blogger.  Now in order to make sure that I reach my goal I am going to host a TBR Intervention, in hopes that you all will want to join in and encourage me to get through the books.  If you want to participate add your name and feel free to grab a button ( a big thanks to Cambria Hebert for designing my buttons).  To motivate you all to read your books I am going to hold a contest.  For every title you read add your link into the rafflecopter. At the end of the month I will choose a lucky winner.  You will receive a $20.00 gift card to Amazon or The Book Depository! So get reading.  The more reviews you post the more chances to win.  You don't have to be a blogger to participate. Just include your link to a review that is posted for the  month of September only. The link can be to any outlet: Amazon, Goodreads, Library Thing etc.  Now let's get some books read! 

(Note the Rafflecopter will be accepting entires starting September 1st.)

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Forecast August 26-September 1st and Cover Reveal for Cambria Hebert's novella Betwitched

I can't believe we are already headed into the last week of August.  Soon the days of summer will be giving away to those first crisp days of Fall.  Apples and spice and comfy blankets and good books! I have a HUGE Forecast of the bumper crop of books coming out next week and I am barely scratching the surface!  As always tell me what you are grabbing and how the weather is treating you! (Click on the covers for details).

Be sure to check out the cover reveal at the end for Cambria Hebert's latest novella Betwitched(Heven and Hell Series #2.5).

Book Releases August 26-September 1st

Wow! So many books! So what are you getting? 

Weather for Portland, OR

Saturday:H80  L50                                                                           Sunday: H82  L59

Now for the big Cover Reveal! I am pleased to present the latest cover for Cambria Hebert's Betwitched Novella.

 
Very Pretty! The design is by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design.  Again you know her from my blog banner and some other covers. Including all the book covers in the Heven and Hell series.  Be sure to head to her website and check out all of her designs. 

Here is the info and synopsis for Bewitched:

Title: Bewitched (Heven and Hell #2.5)

Genre: YA paranormal

Publisher: Cambria Hebert

Release date: October 5, 2012

Format: Ebook only (for now)

For years, I accepted that Heven was more popular than me. I never liked it but I lived with it. I walked in her shadow, I stood by her when no one else would. When I finally thought her spotlight was mine things began to change. She began to change. Now she hardly ever calls me back, she spends all her time with her hot new boyfriend and everyone at school thinks she’s back on top. She had it all. But apparently she wants more. She wants Cole – my boyfriend. What’s worse is that it looks like she got him. I’ve had enough and she’s going to be sorry. Why? 

Because I am bewitched.

Exciting! Here is the Book Trailer:

Have I convinced you to read this book, yet? No!? Well how about an excerpt:

Working out was for jocks. Homework was for nerds and I wasn’t a jock or a nerd. Yet, here I was, sweating through my favorite Victoria Secret yoga pants and tank with a headache the size of Macy’s. Learning about my powers was hard work. I thought it would come naturally. My brain was hurting from concentrating and my muscles were actually sore from effort. I thought longingly of the potion in the green bottle that Hecate had given me—a little sip would make it that much easier to use my powers, but she took it away. Apparently, I had all the power she wanted me to have. It kind of pissed me off.

   In fact, I was feeling pretty disgruntled all around. 

   I was hot, I was sweaty, my head hurt and my hair was frizzy. Not to mention I had been wearing sneakers far too long. Thank goodness Hecate was gone. I actually had been glad not to be alone after the “bone incident,” but now I was ready for some alone time. I felt stronger. 

   Feeling strong plus feeling disgruntled equaled somebody was gonna get hurt.

   I was standing in my yard near the lake and I glanced up at the moon before heading inside. It was low and swollen tonight—a haunting moon. It sent a shiver up my spine. I thought briefly about going to Heven’s and treating her to a little of what she deserved. I even looked toward the driveway as I walked, but I wasn’t going anywhere looking like this. 

   I went into the house and began climbing the stairs. Halfway up, I heard a noise in the kitchen and I paused. My parents were still out of town. It wasn’t the maid’s day to be here… unless she came early. Another thud in the kitchen had me spinning on the stairs to see what it was.

   “Mary?” I called out. “Is that you?” Maybe she switched her schedule around and I didn’t know about it. Maybe I could get her to make me a latté.

  No one answered, and the noises in the kitchen fell silent. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened, wondering if I had heard anything at all. “Hello?” I called again, this time more unsure. This time a fine chill raced up my back. 

   Suddenly being alone in this big house was scary.

   Clink, clink, clink.

   Okay, I wasn’t hearing things. Someone was there. 

   I stepped off the stairs and walked through the foyer in the direction of the kitchen. I heard the cat hiss and I paused again. Clover was too lazy to hiss at a mouse. Something in my stomach turned cold and hard.

   I looked over my shoulder at the massive front doors to the alarm keypad and the distress button. 

    But it was too late for pressing buttons.

    Clover burst around the corner with a hideous screech and barreled into me, hitting me in the knees and causing me to stumble. The cat didn’t even stop. I could hear his claws scraping frantically across the tiles. “What the…” I began as I straightened, but then something lurched around the corner after the cat.

     It was hideous.

     It stood about a foot taller than me with wide shoulders that were uneven looking—one was lower than the other—and a wild mane of bushy orange hair that seemed to create a cloud around its pasty, white face. Its lips were black and it had a nasty row of teeth that had seen a lot of decay. It had large purple circles around its eyes, which seemed to have no color at all. 

    It looked like a psychotic clown. 

    I screamed and took a step backward, and the thing grinned. I went running but it lunged and caught me around the wrist, pulling me back. I struggled, kicking out, but it was no use, his grip was too strong.

     Without any warning it reached up and snatched my silver pendant right off my neck. “Hey!” I screamed as it shoved me away. I fell onto my butt and stared up at the glittering silver heart as it dangled from the nasty clown’s hands. 

    Cole had given that to me. It was the last gift he had given me before we broke up.

    Anger surged into my chest, making me hot. “Give that back.”

    Freaky Clown gave me another frightening grin and ran back into the kitchen, disappearing from sight. I ran after it, running into a solid wall of… offensiveness.

Thanks to Cambria for sharing today! Be on the lookout for Bewitched in October.  

 

First Grave on the Right Final Week

Week One August 2nd: Chapters 1-5 hosted byChristy@ Loves Books. 

 Week Two August 9th: Chapters 6-10 hosted by Lila@ Babbling About Books and Stuff.

Week Three August 16th: Chapters 11-15 hosted by Jen @ In the Closet with a Bibliophile.

Week Four: August 23rd Chapters 16-21 hosted by Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings. 

August 30th will be the final wrap up with a special guest post by the author herself, Darynda Jones along with the prize announcements.

Click on the banner to see the list of prizes!  There are good ones! To enhance your

read along experience try to visit as many of the participating blogs as possible, if you are short on time, please be courteous and at least return the comments that you receive.  To make it easier to leave comments please turn off your captcha if only just for the day.  Most of all have fun.  

This Week's Questions:

1.  One of my favorite aspects of this book are the witty snippets at the beginning of every chapter.  I especially like the t shirt quotes.  My favorites are:
Jenius 
Sarcasm. Only one of the services offered. 
Do not disturb.  Already there.
What is the funniest t-shirt or bumper sticker you have encountered? What t-shirt saying best describes your personality?  

I am always on the lookout for great t shirts.  Some of the favorites I have run across are: Does Not Play Well With Others, I Tried It At Home, If At First You Don't Succeed Then Maybe You Suck! My Kid Can Beat Up Your Honor Student. Of course there are many more that are too colorful to share on the blog!

As far as a t shirt to describe me, I have to go with Runs with Scissors and Colors Outside the Lines.

2. Charley is constantly helping ghosts throughout the book.  Would you like to be able to talk to ghosts and bring closure to their loved ones?  How would you feel about all the ghosts popping up at all times day or night?  Would you like to have a ghost like Mr. Wong in your house?

I love all the ways that Charley is able to help the ghosts and provide their loved ones some closure and insight. I am sure it is a very rewarding job.  Would I like to be able to talk to the dead?  Part of me wants to say yes, but then on the other hand I would hate to go around like Charley constantly bombarded day and night with ghosts popping in everywhere.  Thanks goodness for cell phones, otherwise everyone would think she is a freak talking to herself all the time.  I would also be a bit scared to see all the dead.  Now, perhaps if I could just see the occasional ghost and make it s friendly ghost at that, then I would love it.  I adore Mr. Wong, he might not be a conversationalist but he makes me laugh! 

3.  Kim reveals some rather shocking and sad details about Reyes' past.  Do you agree with her decision to adhere to her promise and not intervene?  Would you be willing to keep your word and let a loved one die if it was their wish?

This is a tough question.  It is like a "Do Not Resuscitate Order" it is hard to think of a loved one being in a situation where you could potentially help them and bring them back but knowing it is against their wishes.  I guess it would just depend on the situation.  If it was me bringing back a loved one for selfish reasons, knowing they would still suffer, then I would have to adhere to their wishes.  On the other hand, in Reyes case, having someone who protected me my whole life, I don't think I could be like Kim and not step and save him.

4. In Chapter 19 Charley confronts the bad guy and finds herself in yet another situation where she gets her ass kicked.  Do you like the fact that Charley consistently ends up getting her butt handed to her?  What are your overall thoughts on Charley? 

I am a big fan of kick butt heroines. I do love the fact, though, that Charley does not always kick butt and take names.  All her bumps and bruises make me love her even more.  She needs a life time supply of bandaids at this rate.  I admire the way she jumps head first in a situation without always thinking things through.  Aside from her head strong nature and her ghost whispering abilities, I absolutely love her snarky, sarcastic commentary.  This girl makes me laugh!  She has become one of my favorite female leads of all time!

5.  Chapter 20 is a big, hot, smoking chapter.  We finally get some answers on Reyes.  Does the revelation change your opinion of him?  Do you think he can overcome his "nature" and be a good person or is Charley in big trouble?  

Whew! Get the fan out! That chapter packed some heat!  I was stunned at Reyes admission.  Yet, it didn't change the way I felt about him.  After witnessing the way he protected Charley and his sister, I can't help but love him.  Also knowing that he is fighting against his heritage, trying to be good.  I think that Charley will have her hands full with him and I expect some sizzling tension. I am not ruling out Garrett either, he seems to be able to go toe to toe with Charley.

6.  Did you enjoy this book?  Will you be continuing the series?  

Absolutely! I love this series, the snark and funny banter were so much fun. Charley is a great character and I enjoy all the ghosts that pop in and out.  You never know what to expect from chapter to chapter.  Darynda Jones is an awesome writer.  I will be reading and reviewing all three of the subsequent books in this series as well as her new YA title Death and the Girl Next Door! You can read my review for First Grave on the Right here.

Thank you everyone for participating in the read along. I hope you had as much as I did and more than that, I hope you have all become new fans of Darynda Jones.  Be sure to come back next week for Darynda's guest post and the winner's announcement! For more on Darynda visit her on her website, blog, twitter, Facebook, Grimlet Street Team and Goodreads.  

 

 Link Up and be sure to leave a comment when you add your link:

For those of you looking for your next read along fix...consider the upcoming Charade Read Along.  Set aside Mondays in November for this exciting read along and grab your copies now.  More information and sign ups coming soon!

Send by Patty Blount Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

Hi everyone! Today I am pleased to welcome author Patty Blount . She recently released a book called Send, which tells the tale of how one bad moment of judgement changed so many lives.  A thirteen year boy posts a picture of a classmate on the internet, which leads to a suicide and shattered lives.  Patty is here to share with us how she managed to bring us the voice of a male bully.  Please stick around for my review of her powerful book and a giveaway! 

Here is Patty:

Behind the Bully

People often wonder how I got the idea for Send and why I wrote it from the bully’s perspective. The answer to this question is a complicated one – actually, it is an answer with several parts that converged into what would ultimately become Dan Ellison’s story.

First, let me tell you about my son. When my oldest boy, Rob, was in sixth grade, he broke down in tears one gloomy night in April and told me he no longer wanted to live. To say I was surprised would be the biggest understatement in history. Turns out, he’d been the victim of bullies since the term began the previous September. I had no clue he was being tormented. I had no idea he was even unhappy. He was twelve years old and suffering through an early puberty. His classmates tormented him over his body hair, his acne, his deep voice and made him feel so freakish, he actually believed he was not normal. We got him help and spoke to his teachers and principal and my son finished out the year with no further incidents. He’s now in college but his scars are deep.

The second contributing factor occurred the following year, when Rob was in seventh grade. I’d left the house early one Saturday morning to run errands with my youngest son in tow. Rob was still sleeping when I left. When I returned to my house, I saw some guy hanging by his fingertips from my living room window. This guy turned out to be the older and very muscular brother of a classmate who claimed Rob was now bullying him. He came over to ‘talk some sense into him,’ which – judging by his confrontational demeanor – was code for ‘see how he likes it.’

I’ve been a parent for a long time now and I KNOW most of us are oblivious to our kids’ shortcomings and faults. I have seen so much denial in my life but trust me on this – the word ‘disbelief’ doesn’t even come close to describing my reaction. How could the same boy in so much pain barely a year earlier turn around and cause that same pain in someone else? Near as I was able to determine, since the child would not directly address us, Rob intimidated this child without meaning to. Rob is large:  by sixth grade, he was shaving, had reached five foot nine inches tall, which put him about a foot and a half higher than most of his classmates. What he thought was fooling around or playing was perceived as something entirely different by this boy. Judging by the depth of Rob’s guilt after hearing the accusations from this boy’s family, I have to believe he never meant to intimidate or threaten anybody. His despair over this runs nearly as deep as his scars from sixth grade.

I’d been writing all my life and after Rob’s sixth and seventh grade ordeals, put all that on hold for a while. I picked it up again to write a contemporary romantic trilogy that had been burning in my brain for a few years. I’d finished book 1 and had books 2 and 3 outlined. That brings me to the next significant event – my day job. I write software instruction guides and several years ago, a new executive directed us to start using social media in our work. I didn’t even know what sites like Twitter were. So I started doing the research. I learned not only how people use these sites, but also how they abuse them. And somewhere in the back of my brain, a little voice whispered, “I did that.”

I became obsessed with the idea of guilt – or more specifically, living with that degree of guilt and wondered how a kid who’d done something without understanding the permanence or the reach of his action could endure such guilt. And that little voice replied, “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

This voice would not shut up. I’ll be honest, he really pissed me off. I wanted to write book 2 in my trilogy, not turn a bully into a tragic hero. It felt wrong – distasteful – disrespectful – even disloyal to my son. I wasn’t ready to forgive Rob’s bullies. I wasn’t sure I could especially since I knew forgiveness would be an important theme in this novel. The idea of torturing this character in effigy did hold a certain amount of appeal. I gave it a shot and found that the deeper I dove into Dan’s story, the more I actually liked him. The duality of Dan/Kenny was a nod to that persistent voice in my own head that compelled me to write this story – sort of an inside joke. 

 

Thank you so much Patty for sharing that with us today. You can find Patty on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads.  Her book is available now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please check it out. Let's do our part to take a stand against bullying and make the world a better place. Patty is offering a paperback copy of her book Send for U.S. residents only. Fill out the Rafflecopter to enter. See Contest Policies for details.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is my review:

Send by Patty Blount

To keep his secrets, all he has to do is listen to the voice in his head and just walk away... On his first day at his new high school, Dan stops a bully from beating up a kid half his size. He didn't want to get involved. All he wants out of his senior year is to fly under the radar. But Dan knows what it's like to be terrorized by a bully-he used to be one. Now the whole school thinks he's some kind of hero, except Julie Murphy, the prettiest girl on campus. She looks at him like she knows he has a secret. Like she knows his name isn't really Daniel.
Paperback, 291 pages 
Published August 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Four Stars: A look at how one thoughtless act can destroy so many lives.

Dan wants a clean start at his new school for his senior year.  He is desperately trying to  move beyond the horrors that have plagued him for the last five years.  When he was thirteen, Dan was a young boy named Kenny who posted a picture of a fellow classmate in cartoon underwear on the internet.  That one thoughtless act resulted in the boy's suicide.  Kenny was sent to juvenile detention and has paid dearly for his mistake.  Now at eighteen his family has moved numerous times, sacrificed tremendously and tried in vain to put their lives back together.  Kenny changed his name to Dan and his family has moved to another home in hopes of a new beginning.  The only problem, this one juvenile act not only cost the life of the victim, but it has destroyed the lives of countless others.  Dan hopes that he can fly below the radar and graduate.  All his plans of remaining incognito go out the window when he arrives at his new school and finds a bully picking a fight with another student in the parking lot.  When no one intervenes, Dan jumps in and breaks up the fight.  Can he somehow help this fellow student?  Can he ever make amends for his online mistake? 

What I Liked:

• I am a big fan of books that take on the troubling topic of bullying, whether it be physical, verbal, or online abuse.  I think that the old school thinking that bullying is part of growing up is wrong.  Things are far worse these days when kids can go online and post vicious attacks against a fellow student under the guise of anonymity.  Abusing another human is unacceptable and it is time we all realize this and take a stand.  I applaud Ms. Blount's efforts to call attention to this hot issue.  Her book, Send, brings us the story of a young man who at thirteen made a huge mistake in posting a picture of a fellow student he was bullying.  His seemingly stupid act destroyed so many lives.  This book discusses the far reaching consequences of his juvenile mistake.  
• I appreciated that this book not only discusses the consequences for the victim but it takes a realistic and in depth look at what happens to the perpetrator and their family.  Can you imagine ruining the life of not only your victim but their family and your family not to mention the destruction of your future and your dreams?  This book will make you sit up and take notice of how one act whether it was meant to be a harmless prank or something worse can be like a pebble tossed into a clear, glassy lake. That one small pebble will create ripples and waves that reach far across the water.  Just like one stupid moment can devastate so many lives. I shudder to think of all the stupid things that we all do as we grow up.  I hope that this book will help kids to realize that posting harmful things on the internet is something that can haunt their lives forever.
• I was surprised to find that I strongly sympathized with Dan.  Yes, he was a bully who made a stupid mistake, but it cost him dearly.  Seeing the guilt that he carries is heart breaking.  Dan has the support of an amazing family that help pull him through.  Without his family, things would have been far worse, and trust me they are bad enough.  Watching Dan struggle to put his life back together was an eye opening experience.  Of course, we all tend to sympathize with the victim, but this book brings to light the other side of the coin.  Bullying is horrible for everyone involved.  In the end, I was glad to see that Dan was trying to be a better person by his actions: stopping a bullying incident and helping a victim. 

And The Not So Much:

• I have a few small considerations for this book.  I wished that the actual event was discussed a bit more.  The reader pieces together the story from splices of flashbacks and such but a firm, clear picture of what happened does not materialize until the final chapters.  I think a more thorough depiction of the event early on would have elicited a more profound emotional impact. 
• The big twist and reveal was not a surprise, it was fairly obvious from the beginning what was going on.  I liked Dan's  involvement with Julie, but at the end I almost felt that the whole situation was a bit unrealistic.  Nevertheless, the development makes an impact in that it shows how bullying devastates so many lives.
• The ending is open ended and I found myself a bit disappointed in that I didn't get so see a little further down the path to see how everything turns out for Dan.  I was also a bit frustrated that the situation between Brandon and his bully wasn't completely laid out.  It was inferred that everything worked out, but I would love to see how the two diffused the situation and how they made amends.

Send is a book that will stick with me.  The story packs a big emotional punch and it opens your eyes to the dangerous, far reaching consequences of bullying online and in person.  This a book that everyone should read as it brings up so many important 

points.  I urge you to pick this one up and share it with the teenage readers in your life.  Let's see if we can help put an end to this rise in bullying! Try to make the world a better place!  

Favorite Quotations:

"For most people, the little voice in their heads was the voice of reason, a conscience or something.  But mine was more like a mirror that reflected the things about me I wished nobody could ever see."

"But eventually, everybody looks back on the stuff they used to do and winces."

"The fist that connected with my face clinched it for me.  God was bullied as a kid."

"As she led me down the first corridor, she shot me a look so cold I was willing to bet it could freeze a nuclear explosion mid-mushroom cloud and still have enough power left over for the fires or Hell."

"The days piled up, one on top of the other, the way they do when you fall into a routine.  September bled into October with warm days, but the air lost that heavy wetness that made you feel like you were trying to breathe underwater."

"So I sat by a rickety picnic table while summer hung on by its thumbs, slurping my cake flavored ice, imagining how I could fix all the crap in my life."

"My God, was there anything women did not carry in their bags?"

"Eighteen year old men did not cry or admit to having cried.  Ever."

"When you're sure....when you feel it deep down in your gut...when you'd rather suffer in hell sitting through back-to-back chick flicks or enduring endless hours of shopping, holding her bags just so you wouldn't have to live a day without her, that's how you know it's real."

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I received no compensation and all opinions expressed are my own.

The Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater New Covers Reveal

Hi Everyone! Today I have something fun and a little different for you! I recently won a copy of one of Rhiannon Frater's books.  She was delightful when she emailed The Last Bastion of the Living to me.  I invited her to be on the blog and she will be featured here several times in the upcoming months.  Many of you already know Rhiannon Frater from her As the World Dies Triology.  Of course she has many other books that are getting new life.  Two of these books are in her Vampire Bride Series.  She has revamped the books and dressed them up with some new covers which I get to share with you today! First though, let me turn the blog over to Rhiannon and let her tell you about the books and the original covers.

Here is Rhinnaon Frater:

The History of the Series
The Vampire Bride series was born out of a dream I had in 1996.  I originally wrote most of the novel in first person, but was bothered by the intimacy of the viewpoint, so rewrote it in third person.  That didn't work either, so I set it aside until 2005.  I again rewrote the novel, this time in first person and finally finished the last ten chapters, completing the manuscript.  A small press had been interested in the series, but it closed before I finished the novel.  Though I was very successful selling the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy when I self-published, I discovered that self-publishing a vampire novel would be a lot more difficult.  I had self-published PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES, but had a lot of difficulty finding reviewers willing to read an Indie Author.  I approached a friend who ran a small press and he ended up publishing The Tale of the Vampire Bride under his imprint Library of Horror Press. Sadly, I still had difficulty finding reviewers and it would take a long time for The Vampire Bride series to find its audience.

I ended up self-publishing the sequel to the first book myself and just a few months ago the rights to the first book were returned to me.  Though there is a small and very ardent fandom for the novels, I'm hoping to reach out to a much wider audience now that scary vampires are back in vogue thanks to True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.

To do that, I realized the covers needed to change.

The History of the Covers
The first cover for The Tale of the Vampire Bride was done by Detra. He created the original covers for the self-published versions of the AS THE WORLD DIES trilogy. Because those covers received such high praise, I commissioned him for my gothic horror novel.  Though I loved the goth feel of the cover, it was heavily maligned by reviewers on amazon and other sites.  In fact, a few people said they almost didn't read the book because of the cover.    So I asked Philip Rogers, who had done the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES covers to redo the first book and create the second. Again, I loved the new covers and thought they both beautifully portrayed the gothic horror feel of the novels,  but again there was a lot of negative comments made about the artwork.

I realized that though The Vampire Bride Series is gothic horror, it was being read by many PNR/UF fans as well.  Most covers in those two genres are photo manipulations/digital painting. After long discussions with some blogger friends, my husband, and some readers, I decided to redo the covers again, this time utilizing Claudia McKinney of Phat Puppy Art. She suggested that I do an original photoshoot for the covers so that the look would be wholly original and not resemble other covers.  My friend Helena Cruz was the photographer on the shoot and my fan (now friend) Megan Young posed as Glynis.  Claudia did an amazing job taking those photos and making them into truly beautiful new covers.  The new covers will be going live on August 20th for the ebook formats.

Interior Formatting Overhaul
Kody Boye is doing a complete overhaul of the interior of the paperback book.  We decided we wanted to go for a very old world/gothic horror feel.  So far it's GORGEOUS.  Since ebooks have become so popular because of the lower price, we want to make the trade paperbacks extra special.  
Check out the samples below.  

Future of the Series
At this time the series is open-ended. I have at least six ideas bumping around in my head.  The series is a period piece, so it entails a lot of research.  I'm trying to release a book every other year in this series, if it is possible depending on my contractual obligations to Tor and other publishers. I plan to retain full rights to the series for the time being.

TV Show
Another reason why I'm trying to drum up more interest in the series is because a producer is shopping a TV show based on the novels to not only US networks/cable channels, but those abroad. The more buzz I can get on the series, the better.  Ten episodes are already written and ready to film.

The Next Novel
THE LAMENT OF THE VAMPIRE BRIDE will be released next year. I plan to write it during November/December. The cover by Claudia McKinney is already done and it's beautiful. I plan to do a cover reveal for that cover closer to its publication date in 2013 and hope to have a blog tour for it as well.

Thanks Rhiannon!  Best of luck with the re-release! Now here are the new covers:

Photographer: Helena Cruz
Model: Megan Young
Cover Artwork: Claudia McKinney
Typography: Ashley of The Bookish Brunette Designs

Click on the covers for synopsis and purchase information.

Very Pretty! What do you all think?  Rhiannon will be back in October during Something Wicked Comes!  Watch for her then!  

Tell Me Something Tuesday #32

Happy Tuesday! Time for another question courtesy of Cambria Hebert, hostess of Tell Me Something Tuesday.  Visit her blog to link up and grab next week's question.

This week's question:

Were you ever bullied in school? Do you think its worse now and what do you think about that?

This is a troubling topic.  I was thankfully never bullied in school.  I am sure we have all experienced the pangs of growing up.  It is never an easy road and there are sure to be plenty of bumps along the way to adulthood. Yet, for so many people out there, those bumps have turned into mountains as they are constantly exposed to vicious attacks and bullying incidents.  I think bullying was once just considered to be a part of growing up.  Everyone was sure to encounter the mean boy or girl in the school yard.  Tangling with a bully was sure to thicken your skin and it was best to adopt the old adage: Sticks and Stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.  The problem is: names do hurt.  Constantly subjecting someone to name calling over time can be detrimental.  So much so that it can lead to depression, anxiety, cutting, suicidal thoughts and death.  I know we have all seen the headlines and heard the stories of teen and even preteen suicides that are the result of bullying.  Today it is even worse with social media.  Youth like never before can be intimidated and made fun of online by anonymous attackers.  Imagine being bullied everyday but an unknown assailant?  Even worse being bullied by an faceless enemy on a public stage?  It is a sickening thought!  

So what can we do?  Take a stand. Start fighting against the bullies.  Monitor your kids, especially their online activity.  Make sure they aren't participating in these heinous acts or worse that they are the victims.  Talk to your kids, make it known that it is not okay to bully and be mean.  Teach them to walk away and not partake in bullying and get help for someone in trouble.  Furthermore, lead by example.  Keep your thoughts and tongue in check, in your personal, public and online life.  Do not support bullying in anyway.  

I think as a blogger one of the things that bothers me the most when reading books especially in the YA genre is the constant use of the mean kid theme.  It is alright to a point, but I have read numerous books where the mean kid does not see the consequences of their behavior or the protagonist keeps quiet and watches others bully.  I am not okay with books that let this issue slide.  An author has a chance to speak out and let their message be heard.  No one should sit idly by and watch others terrorize someone. No one deserves to be tortured and made to feel inadequate.  Let's start working together to change this behavior.  If you know someone who is being bullied speak up. There are plenty of resources online that you can utilize to help with anti-bullying. 

On that note, I know that many authors have used their books to speak out on the wrongs of bullying. Goodreads has a list on bullying books you can see it here.  Other recent titles are: Dear Bully Anthology, Keep Holding On by Susanne Colasanti, Send by Patty Blount and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, to name a few.

Please weigh in share your thoughts on how we can stop bullying and share titles that you know of that address this topic! I will be reviewing Send by Patty Blount tomorrow! 

 

Inbetween (Kissed by Death #1) by Tara Fuller Tour Stop

I am happy to be participating in the Inbetween Tour hosted by Shane at Itching for Books.  For my spot today I have a review and a chance to win a signed copy of Inbetween by Tara Fuller.  Make sure to enter at the end of the post.

Inbetween (Kissed by Death #1) by Tara Fuller

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul. 
Paperback, 400 pages
 Expected publication: August 28th 2012 by Entangled Teen.

1/2

Three and a half Stars: A love story that defies the odds!

Finn feels the pull indicating it is time to reap another soul.  When he arrives on scene he instantly feels that something is wrong.  Then he sees her.  After seventeen long years he has found her again.  He can't take her soul, not after all this time.  A wicked laugh shrills through the air.  Maeve is here to steal back the body that should have been hers.  Finn begs Emma to fight to live.  Emma crawls from the car and survives.  Three years later, Finn has become her constant, ghostly protector.  He fears that Maeve will make good on her promise and destroy the soul of the only girl he has ever loved.  Finn refuses to let that happen even if that means he must risk his own eternal future, even if he ends up in the pits of Hell, it would be worth it to protect his girl.  Meanwhile, Emma is struggling with her sanity.  She feels like someone is always watching her and she has dreams she cannot explain.  Not to mention all the near death misses she has survived over the last three years.  Can true love transcend time and eternity?  Will a reaper risk everything for this one girl?

What I Liked:

• I enjoyed the sweet romance that is at the heart of this story.  Finn and Emma rekindle their love that sparked when Emma was Allison, a soul stuck in the Inbetween.  The two fall in love despite the fact that a relationship between a reaper and a soul is forbidden.  Then Finn makes a hasty move and shoves Allison into another body so he can ensure that she will have a future.  Seventeen years passes before the sparks reignite. It is a romance that defies the odds and survives the passage of time and the forgetfulness of reincarnation.  I loved the romantic element in this one.
• I liked the different reapers.  Finn is a reaper that brings souls to the Inbetween, a place where souls go to hopefully earn another chance at life.  Then there are reapers who ferry souls to Heaven while others take them to Hell.  I was drawn to Easton the reaper who collects the souls of the damned.  He is fun and caring and a loyal friend in spite of the fact that he spends his days picking up the deceased scum of the earth.  You would think a reaper in his position would be cold and cruel, but that is not the case with Easton.  Anaya his counterpart who takes the dead to Heaven is also a terrific friend to Finn.
• Cash, Emma's best friend, was my favorite secondary character.  He and Emma have been best friends since they were six years old.  He is handsome, sarcastic and above all a best friend to Emma through thick and thin.  I love books that feature a boy and girl friendship.  
• I loved that this book refrains from a love triangle and a cliffhanger ending!
• I enjoyed Ms. Fullmer's lovely writing.  She presents many rich descriptions and her story flows nicely. 

And The Not So Much:

• My biggest complaint for this book was lack of development and details.  The secondary characters were all underdeveloped.  I longed for the tiny details and descriptions that would give me a better understanding of the characters.  For instance, who exactly is Balthasar? Obviously he is in a commanding position, but where does he fall in the whole Heaven and Hell hierarchy?  How did Easton, Finn and Anaya get their reaper positions?  Emma's mother Rachel was extremely underdeveloped.  She makes the typical random motherly appearances but the reader never gets a sense of how she dealt with the death of Emma's father.  Finally, Maeve the villain, a better understanding of her character was needed. 
• The book opens with a car crash that kills Emma's father and then it skips ahead three years without filling in the gaps.  What happened to Emma after the car crash? Why did she end up in a mental hospital? How did she cope with her father's death?  How many near death experiences did she have? 
• As much as I liked Finn, I felt like I was missing something.  Mostly I longed to know more about his life and death and what happened to him after he died and how he became a reaper for the Inbetween.  
• This book presents some interesting ideas on the afterlife, but again they are not fully realized.  When a soul dies it is reaped and taken to Heaven, Hell or the Inbetween. The Inbetween is a holding area for those souls who passed away at a young age and  did not have chance to fully develop.  It seems that they are contained in limbo until they are chosen to be reborn.  Sometimes they are not picked to reincarnate and their is a brief mention of the soul residing in the shadow lands and it didn't seem to be a nice place.  Again I needed details.....How long can a soul stay in the Inbetween?  What is the shadowlands?  What happens to a soul once it is sent to the shadowlands?  I loved the ideas presented but they lacked in the execution. 

Inbetween is an enjoyable read that presents you with a complicated love story that extends beyond death and shows how much someone is willing to sacrifice to protect the one he loves.  Finn is a remarkable character with a genuine good heart.  If you are looking for a book that features reapers and a sweet romance give this book a try.

Favorite Quotations:

"I could see the neat row of cookbooks, nestled together like a family, holding all of the secrets Emma created in the kitchen.  They smelled like flour and sugar and home."

"Emma had so many words insider her.  I was surprised they didn't fall out while she was sleeping."

"The sunrise, just a pale echo of summer, edged over the horizon and poured through my translucent body, refusing to acknowledge my existence with a shadow."

"The crackling hiss of a bonfire and the tawny glow that suffused the trees led the way.  I glanced around at the melting shadows that dripped from the dying hemlocks and sturdy pines.  Under the safe blanket of daylight, the mountains here were beautiful.  But here in the dark, all I saw was a thousand ways to die."

"Something in me said to stay.  Something in me said to run.  And every inch of me wanted to touch him."

"Nothing always means something with girls."

 "The needle gave life to the music, and Billie Holliday's butterscotch-rich voice wafted into the air around me.  I swayed, unable to stop myself.  I remembered the smell of flour and sugar on Mama's hands, the cadence of Henry's laughter as it mixed with mine."

"I lost myself in the moment.  Lips tangling, our breaths mixing and melting on my tongue.  His kisses felt so good, his lips so gloriously solid against mine, it took my breath away."

"Please don't tell me you met him on the internet.  Have you  even met the guy in person?  They never look like their pictures.  He could have a mullet.  He could have a third nipple or something--."

"Snowflakes probably.  Even from my bed I could see the eerie ballet of white dust against the black velvet sky outside."

"You lit up my whole world, like the sun bursting through the clouds on a stormy day.  You made me remember what it was like to feel alive.  You made me believe I was something more than death.  You made me believe in something I didn't think existed anymore."

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review. A big thanks to Shane for allowing me to particpate in the tour.  Now for the giveaway.  Please fill out the rafflecopter for your chance to win!  Good Luck!

 

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Tara Fuller writes novels; some about grim reapers and some about witches. All of course are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing. Tara grew up in a one stop light town in Oklahoma where once upon a time she stayed up with a flash light reading RL Stine novels and only dreamed of becoming a writer. She has a slight obsession with music and a shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater, and black and white mochas. Tara no longer lives in a one stop light town. Now she lives with her family in a slightly larger town in North Carolina where they have at least three stoplights.

www.tarafuller.com | @Tara25Fuller

Inbetween will be available to purchase August 28th:

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