LOANS, BUYS AND CONFESSIONS!

I went to the library to pick up few books to read, all turned out to be YA this time but I also went by the store and got Christina Aguilera's Royal Desire Eau de Parfum - first it smells of blackberries and mandarin and after the intial burst of fruitness it smells subtly of honeysuckle and marshamallows, which is delicous! Yum! I wish you could smell it! Next time you walk past the parfum isle give it a sniff. ;)

Except review of those to come up soon!

I also have a confession to make. I am scared of zombies, every time I see a zombie movie I have nightmares so I had to... ummm... don't laugh now... return Rot and Ruin after few pages. Zombies freak me out! LOL!

REVIEW - VAMPIRE ACADEMY

Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 332 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: August, 2007
Form: Paperback
Series: Vampire Academy #1
Book Depository: Buy
Adlibris: Buy

A world of living vampires where the good go to school to learn elemental magic, where the dead hunt the living for their powerful living vampire blood – and where Guardians are standing between the two.
Rose is a guardian in training or she was until she escaped with her best friend Lissa a living vampire called the Moroi. Their two year escape has come to an end as Dimitri, a Guardian, finds them and brings them back to the Academy where they are protected against the Strigoi, the vampires who kill and feed on the Moroi, with spells and wards.

As safe as St. Vladimir’s Academy is there are still dark forces stirring trouble for Lissa and Rose, the trouble they originally escaped. And trouble that has been waiting for them to return, not everyone is happy they are back, and schools are notoriously catty, and there is the wicked tongues spreading gossip and rumors and causing trouble for both the quiet and timid Lissa and bad tempered, not-shy-to-sock-you Rose. While Rose has to tip toe around the evil “high school” students and their malicious plans, to stay with Lissa, whom she has a special bond with, see they cannot be apart for Rose can feel Lissa’s emotions and more which makes her her ideal guardian to come.

This bond comes in handy when things begin to go seriously awry, dead animals show up on Lissa’s life someone trying to shock her and make her reveal that there is more to Lissa than a timid observer of events – she might have not specialized in one elemental magic yet but there is something about her…

Dimitri who originally took them back to school, also has Rose’s extra training in his hands, she has two years to catch up to, and also he’s appointed Lissa’s Guardian while she’s in school, which means Rose and Dimitri spend a lot of time together and it’s hard to stay completely professional, which is really all they can ever be, but there is electricity between them and it grows harder and harder to ignore.

So I suggested to Dimitri that maybe he should let me off this time. He laughed, and I was pretty sure it was at me and not with me.
"Why is that funny?”
"Oh," He said, his smile dropping. "You were serious.”
"Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for two days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed," I whined. "It's just one hour.”
He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love. "How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?”
"I hurt like hell.”
"You'll feel worse tomorrow.”
"So?”
"So, better to jump in now while you still feel…not as bad.”
"What kind of logic is that?" I retorted.
But I didn't argue anymore as he led me into the weightroom. He showed me the weights and reps he wanted me to do, then sprawled in a corner with a battered Western novel. Some god.

Fan Art by Me

I highly recommend this book! It’s a school of vampires who live like teenagers do with the drama of who slept with who, whose parents are scum, whose life is all drama and who are the cool kids or in their case The Royals - but they also deal with the constant threat of Strigoi and the heavy training schedule of the twining race of Dhamphir, half-vampire, Guardians.

Very entertaining Young Adult read even for a us who are getting closer to thirty!

If you see me in the library today it’s because I’m picking up “Frostbite” the Book #2 of Vampire Academy series.

Rating :

Fan Art by Me

~Excerpt~

“Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was him, the guy I’d seen across the street watching me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I’d figured, probably 6’6” or 6’7”. And under different circumstances - say, when he wasn’t holding up our desperate escape - I would have thought he was hot. Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back into a short pony-tail. Dark brown eyes. A long, brown coat like horse riders wore, not quite a trench coat. A duster, I thought it was called.
But his hotness was irrelevant now. He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They’d sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn’t believe it. The queen herself didn’t travel with that many.
Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader.
“Leave her alone,” I growled. “Don’t touch her.”
His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate.
“I’m not going to—”
He took a step forward. Too close.
I attacked him, leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn’t used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn’t finished her training. He also wasn’t weak and on the verge of passing out.
And man, was he fast. I’d forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I don’t think he meant to strike that hard—probably just intended to keep me away—but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A lot.
Only it didn’t.
Just as quickly as he’d blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I’d steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me - or, more precisely, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didn’t get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. It was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I’d grown it out for precisely this reason.
The guy’s dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he’d wanted. Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I backed toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught a hold of mine. “Rose,” she said quietly. “Don’t.”
Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across through the bond . It wasn’t exactly compulsion—she wouldn’t use that on me—but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew this would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat.
Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height. “My name is Dimitri Belikov,” he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. “I’ve come to take you back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, Princess.”

Read Chapter 1 HERE.

RANDOM ACT OF KINDESS! ♥ THE HUNGER GAMES

I recently met a lady online who participated in RAK and she offered to get me the book I mentioned I have been meaning to read for ages now, that being The Hunger Games! Now my Book pile is bigger and I can't help but feel happy and want to immediately pay it forward! Share the love! Well, luckily I soon have 100 Follower Giveaway going on which I had few planning hours invested to - to make it special! ♥
And do go visit  Esther's Ever After Blog when you got a chance. :)

The Hunger Games

A young girl volunteers to take her sister's place in a fight to the death in a dystopian future.

"What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. “They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet,” she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch."

--Publishers Weekly, Megan Whalen Turner, STARRED REVIEW

AWESOME GIVEAWAY @ MISSY'S READS & REVIEWS

You still have few days to go see an awesome 3+ book Giveaway @ Missy's Read's & Reviews!
You don't want to miss out on the books that might drop in your main box from Book Depositary - that also means the Giveaway is international! If you blog, or read go have a look! Open until September 4th!

"I always like having excuses to have super awesome giveaways on here, so I promised myself that reaching 1000 Followers would be no exception to the rule. My 1st Annual Anniversary Celebration was pretty incredible and I wanted this one to be just as great, so I decided to wait until after my beach trip to announce this one -- that way, I'd have more time to brainstorm. I think I came up with some decent prize packs that you can win. So, are you ready? Let's get started!
Prize Packs
There are going to be FIVE themed prize packs that you can choose from. It's up to you how many you'd like to enter to win, so enter just one... or a few... or all of them! Each one has a specific theme and all the books in the prizes will come brand-spanking-new from Book Depository, which makes each and every one eligible to be INTERNATIONAL."

FOLLOW FRIDAY #6 & PNR GIVEAWAY

Friday Follow is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, this weeks feature is Caught in the Pages!
Anyone can join at either the hostesse's page, let's begin!

Question : In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

Answer : Oh fun! Let's think, it's a given that vampires would be amazing, but I doubt they'd be the paranormal Romance kind so that's nixed. Werewolves, bit too brutal. Ummm... I think I'd love to see angels, but I already know they are real so still searching... Shapeshifters! Yes, definately, people who can shift their shape to whatever they want (or with limitations that's good as well). Yes, if I had to pick one it'd be that, they are less likely to go nuts and kill a bunch of people. ;)
See the guy on the right, harmless right? ;D

What would be your choice?

Before you depart I'd like to mention I have a my first Giveaway ever on "For The Love of Reading!" that needs participants! It's a historical vampire PNR called "Caressed by Moonlight", a story of regency London, a woman, Victoria, desparate to marry so she can keep her little sister from falling in the hands of their wicked Aunt after their parents die, and of  a man, a vampire king who is dead set on getting Victoria into his bed. 5 e-books to giveaway! The International Giveaway is on until 14th of September.

Visit this page for Author Interview and the Giveaway! And good luck!

REVIEW - THE VOW

Author: Juliana Garnett
Pages: 280 pages
Publisher: Loveswept / Random House Publishing Group
Published: August, 2011
Form: E-Book (Review Copy through NetGalley)
Amazon: Buy

"Sent by William of Normandy to quell a brazen Saxon rebellion, Luc Louvat believed his mission would be easily accomplished. For what foolish Saxon lord had any hope of triumphing against an army of seasoned Norman knights? But the great warrior was in for a shock. First he is surprised by the ferocious battle that had been waged and then by his adversary--a beautiful princess. Suddenly, Luc finds he's waging a dangerous new war--the war that threaten's the warrior's heart." ~Goodreads

1062. At sixteen Ceara is a woman in the eyes of countrymen but she is also considered a bad tempered she-wolf and possibly a women who conspires with the devil because of her bad temper and wicked tongue. She’s not pleased of the shaky truce with the Normans and tries to convince her father so, but for her being a woman she isn’t listened.

So the day comes when the Normans do arrive lead by Luc Louvat, a Knight without land, a bastard son of a Lord, if he can win Wulfridge from the stubborn Saxons he can keep it. But Wulfridge doesn’t fall easily, and it isn’t until the cunning wit of the Knight that they infiltrate the castle only to notice that they’d battled not against a Lord, but a Lord’s wicked daughter.

Ceara belittles and smites Luc with her wicked tongue and seriously tries his patience and gets him angrier than he has ever been, but there is something else about the fair-haired maiden that raises emotions, but it isn’t anything he wants to further explore. With as many tricks as Ceara has in her pocket he’s wise to be cautious as he begins to transport the Lord’s daughter to the King's court to lay her at his mercy.

But it turns out it’s not so easy to hate when you feel more elaborate emotions, electricity running between them drawing the two stubborn together, and the two fight to figure out what they want and what they need and wither those two just might intersect eventually and what would have to be sacrificed for that.

Ceara does seem her age in her emotions of invulnerability and in her teenage hormones, but she also has the side of a woman who has been through war and seen blood, and not being a stranger to a sword. She's not your frail maiden type, but an honest to god saxon warrior princess.
Luc comes off harsh and controlled but it’s yummy to read his resolves crack around her and her temper. She keeps tempting him, shunning him and purring for pleasure and it’s fun to see him control on how to react to her.

I love historical novels, there is something about the brute ways and swords and the knights taking what belongs to them, but doing it while falling in love with the heroine!

A temper filled, headstrong journey with passion that simmers to a boil as fast as you can draw your sword and hack down the enemy.

Rating :

Started Reading : 12th of Aug. 2011
Finished Reading : 25th of Aug. 2011

REVIEW - DOCTOR WHO II VOLUME 1

"The Eleventh Doctor era begins here!
Join the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor and his latest companions, Amy Pond and her husband Rory Williams, as they travel to the far reaches of space - a planet populated by holograms - and the distant past - where they become embroiled in the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian London.
This book collects the first four issues of the ongoing series, written by Tony Lee (Doctor Who: The Forgotten), with art by Andrew Currie (The Ultimates), Richard Piers Rayner (Road to Perdition), and Tim Hamilton (Fahrenheit 451).
 Doctor Who: The Ripper is now available in stores."

We do not get quite to The Ripper yet, this story begins with Rory's use of off the limit phone to check out what people said about their wedding (his and Amy's) but it turns out things escape through the connection and random characters all over the net pop by for a long term visit. From facebook requests to helpful stablers. And it's up to the doctor to figure out what to do with Rory's fub up.

Fun read! But I was expecting Jack the Ripper and this first part doesn't quite get that far yet. It's nice to see recently married Amy and Rory though!

Rating :

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET THURSDAY & BOOKING THROUGH THRUSDAY

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets.  We hope that you will all join us!

This weeks question:

"Who is your secret celebrity girl crush?"

You know I really do not have one... Seriously? Yeah, seriously... But I'll share who I think is utterly stunning, how about that? Miranda Kerr, she is just so CUTE, with those dimples. Awww... but with a rocking body!

 ~☯~

Booking Through Thursdays

This weeks question:

When is the last time you read a history book? Historical biography?

You know, something that took place in the past, but was REAL.

The last history book I read was in the beginning of June, about Madame de Pompadour and it was amazing! The book is a biography of the official mistress of Louis XV. I loved it and fully engrosed in her life. She started from middle class and worked her charming unorthodox way of life to the court and charmed the king for years to come. She was a woman out of place, knew many arts, how to act, decorate, sing, garden and make love better than her many companion of that time. The History book gave a real face to her, a real life. I highly recommend it. Madame de Pompadour by Nancy Mitford - read the foreword.

What would you answer?

Oh! And don't forget to check out the First Ever Giveaway at "For The Love of Reading!" 

It's the historical paranormal romance "Caressed by Moonlight".

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY - AMANDA J. GREENE - CARESSED BY MOONLIGHT

I have the pleasure of having Amanda J. Greene with me today, she’s the author of her debut novel Caressed by Moonlight! 

Amanda is also sharing a whopping 5 e-books of Caressed by Moonlight with 5 lucky readers/followers who comment in this entry according to the direction at the end of the Interview.
The Giveaway will run from August 24th - 14th of Septermber 2011 ( so no one has to wait too long! ) & it's International!

Want to read the Review on Caressed by Moonlight first? ( it includes a steamy, good length excerpt )

Now, let’s begin!

Niina : Welcome Amanda! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Amanda : Hi everyone, I am Amanda J. Greene. I was born, raised, and live in southern California. I just turned 23 this past weekend. My husband is in the military and I’m a full time university student and I work part time. I am of Italian heritage therefore I LOVE cooking and eating Italian food. My favorite hobbies are: reading, writing, traveling, and of course, spending time with my fabulously supportive family. I am a hopeless romantic and I treat my condition with heavy doses of romance novels, old/classic films – Sabrina, every cute Fred and Ginger movie, Gone With The Wind (I adore Clark Gable. He is swoon worthy), to name a few (since I could go on and on). On a side note, I’m a huge John Wayne fan, I own every Western he has ever done that has been put to DVD. (Like my grandma says, I’m an old soul) I am really into the Rat Pack, Classic Rock, 80s Big Hair Bands, new club music, and I think Tech Nine is amazing.

Niina : Now can you tell us a little about Caressed By Moonlight?

Amanda : Caressed by Moonlight is the first novel within the Rulers of Darkness series. Taking place in regency London, it features a young woman, Victoria, who is desperate need of a husband. If she does not marry, she will never be able to see the last true member of her family, her younger sister, ever again.

Dorian is a vampire king, hell bent on saving his clan from the destructive, murderous witches that hunt them. He goes to London, using himself as bate, he hopes to draw the hunters away from his people.

Dorian and Victoria meet at a ball and sparks fly. She tries her best to resist his charm, but quickly becomes his prey of passion. She is his salvation and he is her victorious knight. Together, they must fight for their lives and save his people, or all will be lost to chaos.

 

Niina : What made you choose early 1800’s instead of modern day?

Amanda : I wrote the original draft of this book years ago. At that point it was a historical paranormal romance and I intended it to be a single title. However, as I was going through it, polishing up, I decided to change it into a series. I kept with the historical backdrop because I felt it was romantic, it fit my characters personalities well and because it would establish a time from for the books to follow.

Caressed by Moonlight will be the only novel within the series to be historical.

Niina : So, How much fun was it creating a handsome, enticing ( and absolutely hot and sexy!) Vampire King? What/who was your inspiration?

Amanda : I came up with Dorian’s character first, I knew I wanted him to be handsome, intriguing, and powerful. I created him years ago and don’t recall having any inspiration for his character. The task was, after I made Dorian, I had to create the heroine. I knew she would have to be strong and single minded to be a good match for him. I think Dorian and Victoria work very well together.

 

Niina : What chapter did you most enjoyed writing and why?

Amanda : My favorite to write was the epilogue. I don’t want to give anything away, but I was excited when I wrote it – leaving it open for the next book. Most people I know who’ve read it were shocked and eager for book two, which is what I was going for.

 

Niina : I sure was as well! Now, what is your writing style, do you follow from beginning to end or write a chapter here and one there?

Amanda : I would love to be able to flow from beginning to end but I don’t have the time. I usually write a few pages here and there or, on my days off, I write full chapters.

 

Niina : So, why did you pick Paranormal Romance genre?

Amanda : I am in love with paranormal romance. Dark, mysterious, sexy, dangerous characters are exciting; coupled that with otherworldly power, and bam! I am hooked. My second favorite kind of romance would be historical romance. I am a huge fan of Johanna Lindsey. Caressed by Moonlight is the first and only book that I’ve written that bring my two favorite romance genres together.

 

Niina : Which way are you going with Rules of Darkness Novels?  

Amanda : I am planning on doing five books for this series. Caressed by Moonlight is the foundation of the series, it introduces all the key characters and provides some information of this complex world. As the series goes along, more information about how vampires were created and cursed will be provided. Also, within the coming books shape-shifters and witches will play a larger role.

Niina : What about if you had to choose only four Paranormal Romance novels to read for the rest of your life what would they be? (and why?)

Amanda :

1. Lover Avenged – J.R. Ward (I enjoy her style of writing and I have a huge crush on Rehvenge.)

2. Night Pleasures – Sherrilyn Kenyon (When I first read this book, I was blown away by the fresh idea. She had taken the vampire and put a whole different twist to the mystifying/believed to be evil creature.)

3. Demon in my View – Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (This is a YA book. I read this back in middle school. Aubre is dark, mysterious, and sexy. This book inspired me to start writing YA romance. I am currently working on my first paranormal YA novella, The Darkest Light. I began writing this book in high school and have decided to polish it up.)

4. Dark Magic - Christine Feehan (In my opinion, this is the best book out of the Dark series. Gregori is as powerful, tortured and smack your grandmother type of sexy. His character captivated me, his struggle within himself and I think Feehan gave him the perfect counterpart in his mate, Savannah. This book is romantic, erotic, and I loved every page.)

5. Companions of the Night - Vivian Vande Velde (I had to put this book in the list. This is the very first vampire romance novel I had ever read. It is a YA book and I highly recommend it. I fell in love with vampires in my 7th grade reading class when a friend of mine suggested I read this book. Ethan's character is again, mysterious, brooding, and seemingly off limits...hmm, there seems to be a theme going on here...I like the bad boys. This book has suspense, adventure, and romantic tension - Love it!)

Niina : Now, currently, who is your book boyfriend?

Amanda : If I have to pick only one…I would have to say, Rehvenge, from J.R. Ward’s book, Lover Avenged. That man is all kinds of yummy! I would love to (blank) him all (blank’n) day! Shhh…don’t tell my husband. I am also a sucker for Eric from the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

 

Niina : Mum's the word... How could a girl resist Rehvenge!? ;) Thank you for stopping by!

GIVEAWAY

I’m happy to tell everyone that Amanda has agreed to Giveaway 5 e-book copies of Caressed by Moonlight to 5 lucky followers! So become a Follower, if you aren't already, comment to this entry with your email address included (example: elvenspirit[at]gmail[dot]com) and random.org will be deciding the winners among the commenters.  I will personally email the winner (to the address given here), as well as announce them on my blog!

The “Caressed by Moonlight” Giveaway will be open 24th of August - 14th September 2011! 

Participating is easy just comment below!

Amanda, Thank you. Do you have any parting words before we wrap up? Wisdom or anecdotes to share?

Amanda : I would like to say, thank you, to everyone that has given my book a chance. I hope you all continue to enjoy my stories and grow to love my characters as much as I do.

Thank you, Niina for the review and the interview. 

Read an Excerpt of the book HERE.