Blogger Hop!

I just found this amazing thing called Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy for Books.
So I thought to myself go and participate!
If you want to find out more about Blogger Hop go and visit this link to this weeks blogger hop.
And here is the thing: You post your own blog into the linky list and than you go and find some new friends and fellow book bloggers through that list.
What do you have to do first?
Answer a question. This week the question is:


“Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!”

That's a good one ;) I received a book this week, that is a little bit older. It was published in 2008 and has the subtitle "Forbidden memories of the last son of the Nibelung"
I'm a huge fan of the Nibelungen legends so I hope this book is not going to disappoint me (not to mention that  the author grew up not far away from my home) :

The English translation of the title would be "The mists of the morning" unfortunately the description is in German, so not all of you will understand a lot. Quick summary: A retelling of the old Nibelungensong from the viewpoint of the last living Nibelung.
As soon as I read it I'm going to post a review in this blog (and a German review on my site) to make sure you understand what's it about and if you should look out for English versions. I haven't found one yet, but who knows what the future brings...
Here is the official description from GoodReads:

Europa im späten fünften Jahrhundert. Ein Skalde wird von zwei Soldaten entführt und verschleppt. Obwohl der Dichter seit zwei Jahren kein Wort mehr gesprochen hat, ist er für den machtgierigen Auftraggeber der Entführung, einen minderen Burgunderkönig am Rhein, wertvoller als pures Gold. Denn er ist Bryndt Högnisson, das Kind von Königin Brynhild und ihrem heimlichen Geliebten Hagen von Tronje. Und Bryndt ist der Einzige, der die Wahrheit über die namenlose Tragödie im Hunnenland kennt ... 

So I wish you all a lot of fun hoping around on other blogs, maybe you find one you didn't know before :)
Greetings
KJ

Quick news :) #1

Welcome to quick news, where you get some news which are, of course quick, small and very interesting.

First of all Richelle Mead's Bloodlines challenge comes to an end today, so we will be getting the results tomorrow, and hopefully we will get our daily dozes of Adrian, too.
If you don't know what I'm talking about you missed a lot these days so click here for a Who is Richelle Mead? And here for a What kind of challenge?
And tomorrow the new teaser trailer for Bloodlines will come out. I wonder from whose perspective this one is going to be, since the last ones were from Dimitri and Rose.


Kelley Armstrong announced, that she finished the first draft of the third Darkness Rising book. Which left me a little bit like, yeah? What is the second one? I can`t remember posting about that... So here is everything I could find about Darkness Rising 2:

Here is the official description taken from Kelley Armstrong's fabulous site, which you can of course visit here.

You know the big problem with a trilogy? After the first book, it gets really hard to describe the next one without giving away serious spoilers for book one. If you’ve read The Gathering, read the below description of The Calling. If you haven’t read The Gathering, don’t do it!

Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. Plentiful action and romance in this second installment in the Darkness Rising series will keep readers enthralled to the last page.
HarperTeen • Hardcover • April 2012

Also Kelley Armstrong will start her first Australian tour in August, so to the people in Australia: I'm jealous, have a lot of fun :)
And I you don't know who Kelley Armstrong is, than click the label named "Kelley Armstrong" above this blog to find out more about her.

More news to come...  
Greetings to all of you :)
KJ 

A Million Suns description!

It is finally released! The Description for Beth Revis' A Million Suns!

A Million Suns will be released in January 2012 and is the follow up to Across the Universe. Here is the official description:

When Elder learns harrowing news about the space ship Godspeed, he and Amy must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. It all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

If you want to find out how it all started visit this post about Across the Universe. 

Are you as eager for this one as I am?
Greetings
KJ

A Clash of Kings/ Review by Cassy

I actually asked Cassy if I could re-post this wonderful and funny review of A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin and imagine she said yes! If you're on GoodReads make sure to check her out, she writes amazing reviews :) (Click the picture to visit the GoodReads page of the book)

Cassy's review Jul 01, 11
4 of 5 stars

This isn’t going to be a cutesy review. I am well into the third book. I fear that if I don’t blurt out my thoughts about this one soon, then all the books in the series are going to meld together in my memory. Here are my three main impressions:

1. Bleak, dreary, and dismal

Don’t expect any happiness in this book. Martin is merciless with his characters. And if you do see a bright light, don’t trust it. One character learned she won’t have to marry an abusive, horrible guy. She and I were elated. Then someone pointed out that her ex-fiancé could still rape her as he desires and few would be able to stop him. Darn.

2. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe


It occurred to me halfway through a big battle that I didn’t know who I was rooting for. The defender is a cruel king and has a tenuous claim to the throne, but I like a few of the characters in his castle and feared what would happen to them if they lose. The attacker would probably be a fair king, yet he is cold and distant. He has a better claim than most to the throne. However I doubt he could hold it for long. Precisely who did I want to win? It was not a problem of apathy. Martin drew the characters and politics so craftily that I just could not decide. Honestly, instead of picking, I sat back and enjoyed the twists and turns.

3. Better keep up!


The scope of the plot is ever-expanding. I give Martin kudos for having such a grand vision and keeping it all straight. I don't feel that any of the storylines are unnecessary (except, I hate to say it, maybe Arya’s). And I have complete faith that they will culminate in the most amazing way by the end of series. Yet it is inevitable that you will prefer some perspectives over others. I counted the pages in between Daenerys’ chapters – an average of 130 pages! And this is a middle book. There are no cliffhangers, but very little is resolved. If it is resolved, that means someone died. Unless they are only pretending to be dead, of course.

I lied. One more point.

4. Awesomeness



I hope you liked this review as much as I did and Thanks again Cassy :)
If you want to read my review of the first book in this series just click the label of the author
Greetings and best wishes to everyone
KJ
 

Guest Posts Explanation

If you are on GoodReads there is the chance that you saw me running around advertising this little blog and talking about guest posts. Maybe that's what broad you here in the first place (that would be so amazing!)
So the whole guest post thingie:

Like I put it on GoodReads I have this great vision in my mind of a site, where you can find all the latest news about the Books you love and read reviews and discuss those... And I'm working really hard to make this vision come to life (though it is more fun than actual work)
And you dear readers are helping me a lot with it because you are a big part of it and knowing that someone actually reads it makes it even more fun (a huge hello to my first ever follower out there, you just made my day :D)
But I fear that I can't do this alone, because there are so many fabulous books out there and there are so many fabulous authors. Let's face it: I just don't have the time to read everything.
I don't want you guys to miss anything so I'm asking around for guest posts. The post can be about anything book-related, author news, reviews, the stuff I'm mostly posting about.
We had this wonderful review of Passion by Lauren Kate from Chris and we are going to have one more today. I hope there are people out there who will help me make this dream come true :)

Greetings and all the best wishes to you
KJ

Teasers and Giveaway for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyver

Only two more months until Michelle Hodkin publishes her debut novel The Unbecoming of Mara Dyver.
You don't know her book yet? Than you should definitely check it out:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer hits stores everywhere 9.27.11. Pre-order your copy here. Download the widget here. Enter to win an Advanced Reader’s Copy here.


And like this wasn't enough Michelle Hodkin hosts a international giveaway over on her blog The Michelle Show. Makes sure to enter!
 And instead of a released teaser there are many fabulous quotes from the book on GoodReads. So if the summary hasn't convinced you yet make sure to klick this little link and read some of those quotes.
And don't you dare forgetting to tell me what you think about this book :)
A wonderful day to everyone
KJ 

Twinkel stars, fangs and talking ashes...

So today it is again time for a new little Spotlight, the last Spotlight was done a little while ago and was part of What if... a series of posts, which actually has that one post in it. I should really do a series update :)
You can re-read it here: Time Traveling 1 
Basically Spotlight is something we are doing on our website every month. One of us is picking a topic, an author, series, artist or something else we think deserves the attention, and talks about that topic a little bit.
So today I chose one of my favorite topics: Vampires.
But don't be scared away!
We will not talk about that pop-culture phenomenon and about all the hype (though that is surely an interesting topic). We will look at it from a more childish point of view. So this is going to be a little strange. There are two ways in which you can see this following post: First you think it's embarrassing and I should grow up all ready or you think it is interesting and maybe kind of cute.
Tell me in the comments what you are thinking about this, but remember if you think I'm childish that's the best compliment you can give to me, because in 50 years you will all wish to be young again...

So enough with the pre-talk let's start already. May I present to you my most favorite Vampire in history:

Well that is Oskar. And I would put him on one step with Stefan Salvatore and Edward Cullen. Why? Because he has all a pop-culture-vampire-hero needs:

1. He is desperately in love with a beautiful human girl, which he can't have because of his dark Vampire-side
2. He doesn't drink human blood, because he doesn't want to be a monster, and he simply can't stand it

Oskar is the Protagonist in an amazing and really cute little German TvShow called The school of little vampires. 
And what do I love most about this show? Besides the lovely characters and the talking ashes?
Just look at this:

It is a picture of Gary Oldman playing the role of Dracula in the 90's movie Bram Stoker's Dracula
And this is a picture of the headmaster of our little vampire school Count Alerich von Horrificus:

Here we have the lovely Lucy on her funeral in the same Dracula movie:

And a picture of one of the teachers at our little school Lady Kryptina:

You see the resemblance, don't you?
The vampire hunter that plays a very important role in this TVshow is called Polidori. Does that ring any bell? Yeah, you remember him. John Polidori, the good friend of Lord Byron who wrote in 1816 the first story with the modern vampir in it.
I just love how this little show is such a great homage to the beginning of vampire-tales.
You should definitely check it out if you're able to understand a little bit German!
Greetings
KJ

Fever Cover!

Here it finally is the cover of Lauren DeStefano's second novel Fever, which will be released in February 2012:

Fever is the second novel in the Chemical Gardens trilogy which started with Wither:

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Both covers are just stunning and really beautiful. I especially like the horse in the new cover.
Which one do you like more? Are you a fan of the good old eye-catcher and a cover-buyer or do you decide which book comes next under different terms?
Greetings to all of you
KJ

Passion by Lauren Kate/Guest Post by Chris

 So today we are having our first official guest post! So excited :)
So a special thanks goes to Chris, who was nice enough to send me his review of Passion by Lauren Kate, so you could read it :D
If you like his review make sure to check out and follow his lovely blog.

First things first! I want start by thanking Kim for inviting me to guest-blog on this fabulous site. Bookbreath is a beautifully designed, fount of information for not only the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy genres, but for the written word in general. And now...

Gah! I just need to do this already. I've started to write this review about a dozen times. In fact, I've finished two other books since I finished this one and have refused to write the reviews for them until I get this one out of the way! You know what the problem is? Of course not, why should you? Alright, you twisted my arm, I'll tell you. The problem is exactly the same as the problem that I've had with this entire series... I really don't care about it all that much.

I'm not sure why I've continued to read it. This is the third book, of a (rumored) four book series. The fourth (Rapture) and final book's release date has been anounced for some time in 2012. I read Fallen (Book 1) a couple of years ago. I had a tough time getting into it, even tho I really wanted to like it. I originally credited at least part of the problem to the fact that I was listening to it during a drive to Disney World. There were too many distractions with the whole family in the car. Nonetheless, I pushed on and finished it even though I should have waited for a better time. I liked the concept, but wasn't really captivated by any of the characters.

I discovered that the sequel, Torment, had come out about six months ago and decided to give it a shot after seeing that it had received four stars from Amazon. I figured that the distractions were probably the reason I hadn't "bonded" with the characters. Torment was better, but I probly would have let the series go had it not been for the cliff hanger ending. I thought, hmmm, still not sure I care about these characters, but Luce is acting a little crazy and things could get interesting. So I calendared Passion, and waited for my local library to get a copy.

So... Passion...

...

Okay, this isn't the worst book I've ever read. I'm sure I'll calendar and read Rapture. But, yet again, I'm not sure why. The whole thing is strange, and I'm not talking about the plot here. I'm talking about the weird pull these books somehow manage. I would think it was just me, but it's not.

Torment was given four stars by the readers at Amazon and 3.93 at GoodReads. Passion has a 4 star rating at Amazon and a 3.83 at GoodReads. Decent ratings, right? But, if you read the reviews on these sites, you'll detect a pattern in the comments that continues on in those being posted for Rapture (not even released yet) at:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92230...

Now, just a glanced at these remarks shows that there are a fair number of people who don't really like this series and yet continue to read it.

Alright, enough... I'm coming across as a hater I suppose, but I'm not... To me Passion (as well as its predecessors) is a fairly average book. Lauren is a competent writer with a somewhat original idea. Her character portrayals in this series have been respectable if not gripping.

Passion continues the story of Luce who is now tripping thru time in order to discover whether she and Daniel share a true, timeless love or if their feelings are merely a biproduct of the curse that has had them find and lose each other throughout the centuries.

The time travel aspect of this story is pretty clumsy in my opinion, but to really explain this sentiment I'd have to reveal plot points and time mechanics as described in the book.

Lauren does NOT make good use of her supporting characters in this book. Passion is almost exclusively the Luce and Daniel show and while I don't really mind this focus, why have the supporting characters follow Luce at the end of Torment if we aren't really going to see them in Passion?

The "twist" in Passion isn't much of one and I imagine most will find it pretty transparent, but there are some fairly touching moments. If you're reading it for answers, you'll get some, although you may not be entirely satisfied with them. In the end, I think Passion is the best of them so far, so if you liked the early ones, you'll probly like this one. While marginally better, if you haven't liked what has come before, don't expect this one to salvage the series for you.

-Chris

Giveaway and excerpt by Dakota Banks

Dakota Banks the author of the Mortal Path series is hosting a giveaway on Supernatural Underground where you can win both books that have been released in this series.
If you already own both you should check it out anyway because she is posting an excerpt from her new and third novel Deliverance, which will be published on March 27,2012 . And best of all the giveaway is internationally :)

For those of you who don't know the series here is a quick summary of book one:

In the 17th century, a woman is ripped from her husband's arms, thrown in jail, and then set afire as a witch. Saved from the flames by an ancient Sumerian demon, she becomes the Black Ghost, his Ageless assassin gifted with otherworldly skills and superbly trained in martial arts.

Centuries pass before Maliha Crayne finds a way out of the life she hates.

If she achieves a balance between lives taken and lives saved, she'll break the demon's hold on her.

If she fails, she will suffer the demon's torment ... forever.

And if that wasn't enough here is a nice little pull-quote:

"Seductive, sophisticated, and imaginative, DARK TIME has a multi-dimensional quality with beguiling concepts and a labyrinth of fast-paced suspense. There's food for thought on every fascinating page. Dakota Banks is firing on all cylinders." - STEVE BERRY 


Hope your going to check it out :)
Greetings
KJ

The Hunger Games cast...

So you all know the Entertainment weekly issue which had  Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in costume on the cover.
You all know the amazing Hunger Games movie poster.
Are you desperate for more? Well, thanks to Entertainment weekly, once more, you will get another look at the wonderful cast:

You are seeing Josh Hutcherson as Peeta on the Right and Liam Hemsworth as Gale on the left.
The issue titles The man of the Hunger Games, but who was your favorite man? Do you think that they picked the cast well or do you have any other actor-wishes for Gale and Peeta?
For your consideration: A pic of Gale and Katniss:

And just for you here are two more pics of our lovely Katniss, so we can make her a part of our discussion, too:

Best wishes to everyone out there
KJ

Last Sacrifice_Last VA Review

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm honestly not sure what I should say about this book. It is amazing, but if you`re reading this review that maybe means you read the other books and you already know that this series is amazing.

Last Sacrifice is a spellbinding, roller-coaster like ending to a wonderful series.

Though I didn't wanted it to end like it did, Richelle Mead has a wonderful stile of writing and I was totally satisfied with the way she put the end into words. Honestly she could have killed EVERYONE at the end of this novel in a Shakespear-like tragedy and I still would be satisfied because she would have written it in such a wonderful way. I'm just happy she doesn't try to sell washing machines, because I would probably buy a dozen without needing one.

But enough about this fabulous author, let's get back to the book:

The outcome of this book wasn't really forseeable, though there were moments that foreshadowed the ending, but you can recognize them just from looking back already knowing how it will end.
Watching the characters develop through such a lot of action and feelings, which where all perfectly described by the author and came to life within the pages, did never get boring, even not in the sixth book.

Richelle Mead started this series with a BANG and she ended it with a even bigger BADAM!!

And once again: This book is amazing!
Now Bloodlines can come. I'm really determined to find out what happens next to this breathtaking characters.

I wish you all a wonderful week full of words
KJ

View all my reviews

The Vampire Diaries First Look

Oh my gosh! I just wanted to show you guys this, before I head over to fan-girl-heaven...

Yeah, it is what it looks like. The first look at the new (and from this trailer as amazing as the last) TVD season!
This clip has been edited with some scenes from season 2, there are no new scenes (yeah I'm desperate for some new material, too) but it looks like we are headed for a new fantastic vampire year.
So I'm asking you a question again:

What do you prefer? The books or the show?
I use to see them as two different things, because the show is just really far away from the books, but still a wonderful story with wonderful (and hot) actors
Are you as fan-girlie-excited as I am or is TVD just another vampire-flick to you?
Greetings
KJ

Waiting on... Possess

Today we'll continue our new section, in which I'll introduce to you some upcoming books I can't wait to get my hands on.

Possess by Gretchen McNeill that will be published by Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins, August 23, 2011.

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

 Are you eager to read this book or does it not attract you at all?
Tell me your opinion.
Greetings
KJ

Hush Hush Graphic Novel Cover!

Looks like turning bestseller books into Graphic Novels is in these days. Well, I'm fine with that and I will show you the new cover for Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush

Well I can just say, awesome cover, it is really gorgeous.
Are you waiting for this issue, published by SeaLion or do you think there are already enough graphic novels out there?
Hush Hush is the first book in Becca Fitzpatrick's bestselling series and here is the official description:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment... 

Greetings and lots of love
KJ

Chronicles of Nick come to the screen!

Some amazing news for all fans of the Chronicles of Nick and other works by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
The official statement:

"Amber Entertainment has signed a partnership with prolific paranormal novelist Sherrilyn Kenyon to develop and produce films, television and webisodes based on her books."

The article says furthermore that Chronicles of Nick will be the first project to start and that author Sherrilyn Kenyon will serve as a producer.
The author is not only known for this YA-series but also for her Dark Hunter series and the Lords of Avalon which she publishes under the name Kinley MacGregor.
The first book in the Chronicles of Nick series is called Infinity

And as always here is the official description for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about:

 Modern New Orleans

At 14, Nick Gautier is an average kid who runs with the wrong crowd. But on the night he decides to go straight and refuses to mug an innocent tourist, his crew turns on him and just as he thinks his life is over… a new one begins.

Kyrian of Thrace isn’t just a vampire slayer, he’s a Dark-Hunter and he introduces Nick to a world that he never imagined.

With new enemies who make his old ones look like wimps, Nick must either measure up or get sized for a body bag. It’s kill or be killed and this kid who was born on the wrong side finds a strength inside him that he never knew existed.

Now if he can only find someone to help battle the demons that don’t reside inside...

You can read the full article here.
Lots of Greetings and wishes
KJ

Succubus Revealed Chapter 1!

Richelle Mead published the first chapter of her new novel Succubus Revealed the last one in her Georgina Kincaid series. 
To find additional information and the link to the Chapter visit Richelle's blog

Succubus Revealed comes out on August 30 just one week after Bloodlines.
The series started with Succubus Blues and to find out what it is all about read the official description taken from Richelle Mead's site:

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants. The wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven’t stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up complete with whip and wings. And she can’t have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore—free books, all the white chocolate mochas she can drink, and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny…

So here ends another one of Richelle's fabulous series
Best wishes
KJ

House of night comic!

So after Vampire Academy and Storm Born by Richelle Mead another best selling series is turned into a comic:
Dark Horse announced on ComicCon that they teamed up with the fabulous writers of House of Night PC and Kristin Cast to create a House of Night Comic. In November the first of five comics will be released which will be collected in one graphic novel.
Different from the stories named above, it won't just be the books turned into comics, but totally new stories. PC Cast said on her blog:

"The stories will begin between MARKED and BETRAYED and weave ancient vampyre stories into modern day House of Night action! The amazing screenwriter, Kent Dalian, is adapting the stories to comics - AND YOU WILL JUST DIE WHEN YOU SEE THE ART! Joelle Jones is doing all the modern day stuff. She is awesome!"

SO here is the House of Night part of the big Dark Horse wall from ComicCon

The image was taken from PC's blog which you can visit here.  

Are you dying to see the rest of the art? What is your opinion about the new comics? Totally must have's, or not?

Best wishes to all of you and congrats to the Casts for this amazing new part of their House of Night universe

KJ 

Supernaturally Trailer and Tour Dates...

Here is the new official Supernaturally Trailer:

And to celebrate the upcoming release Kiersten White will be on Tour with other authors so visit her blog for additional information and tour dates.
Are you eager to read the new novel? Tell me about it :)
Greetings
KJ

New Spell Bound Cover

Rachel Hawkins just showed us the new cover for Spell Bound the new book in her Hex Hall series.

Here is the official description:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

And if you want to know where it all started visit the Goodreads page of the first novel: (just click the picture)

What do you think of this new cover? Would you buy the book?
Greetings to all of you
KJ

The Hunger Games around the world...

So to celebrate the wonderful movie poster we saw today, we will do something we did with Forgive my Fins last week:
Covers around the World.

So here is the US Cover for the Hunger Games:

The German one:

And last but not least the one Italian one:

Which one do you prefer or like the most? Remember, you can't judge a book by it's cover, but eye-catching is one of the odlest tricks used on the market. Which cover fits the book in your opinion the best?
Honestly, I think the movie poster would be a great book cover, but the Italian one is by far my favorite.
Have a fabulous day full with words
KJ

The end of Strange Angels...

Just like Nelly Furtado said: "All good things come to an end"
That's true, even for most of those amazing book series out there. I never know if I shall be excited about the fact that I will find out how all ends, or sad because of the fact that it ended.
So one of my favourite YA series is going to end this year (besides VA, but hey with Bloodlines on the way, this isn't really an end):

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow.
You don't know what this series is about? Then click the link and read my review of the first book.
And if you love the series as much as I do, follow this link to Penguin between the Lines, to find out what they have to say about it.
So with the series ending now, we can sit back and have a little discussion (not about the story, we don't want to spoiler anything, besides is there more to say than: just amazing?)
Today, we will not talk about the covers as normaly (we're doing that later, with a different book, so just stay tuned) We're talking about the fact why I'm mostly going to miss Dru: Just like Rose from VA she's a tough heroine and as I said before in my little post "A shout out to all the ladies" there are just not enough supernatural girls who could really pick up a fight and win it. Yeah, there are a lot of female protagonists in the YA genre these days, but how many of them are really strong and not just little princesses who wait for their knight in shining armor to rescue them? (Not that I would have something against a nice Prince Charming)
So though it is strange I'm quoting myself today:
And last but not least a shout out to all those supernatural ladies, because the genre would be boring without you and where can we find good looking guys if not in your shadow?

Keep thinking, keep reading, keep living
KJ

Hunger Games movie news...

Do you love the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? Are you as excited as I am about the movie? Well that this news are something for you. The official movie poster has been released!

Follow the link to read an article about the movie and watch this spellbinding and beautiful poster come to life in an amazing animation.
You don't know what the Hunger Games is about? Never mind, that's what I'm here for. Read the official description:

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death - televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
 
And here is Jennifer Lawrence who will play the part of Katniss:

Are you excited about this upcoming movie? What was the first impression you got, when you read the books?
Are you going to read them, if you haven't already, before the movie comes out?
Let me know in the comments :)
Best wishes to all those excited Hunger Games fangirls and fanboys out there :)
KJ

How to... Create a Character Part I

Characters are one of the most important parts of a story, so today we will take a closer look on how a Character should be.

First of all there are three different sorts of Characters:

1. The Protagonist, our lovely hero, who tries to safe the world… well sometimes.
2. The Antagonist, the villain. He doesn’t need to be bad, he just needs to work against the protagonist
3. The Sidekick. Ah, the memorable and funny sidekick. What would Frodo have done, without Sam? Yeah, right. He would have failed.

Because of the variety of different genres this cast of characters is often changed and sometimes you don’t even recognize who is who.

But despite which sort the character belongs to, there are some traits that every character needs. We call a well written character three dimensional because we have the feeling that he comes to life between the pages.

Such a character has a goal, something he fights for. He has a reason, a motivation why he acts like he does and we can understand those motivations. In most times we even recognize a part of ourselves in the character we are reading about. That is the main reason we continue to read the story, we empathize with the character and we want to know how his story ends. That can happen with the protagonist as well as with the antagonist. I remember a lot of times when I felt for the bad guy (like always :) ).

Your character needs a back story. He isn’t born in the first few pages of your story, he lived before and things happened to him. Bad and good things. Those things changed your character, the way he sees life, the way he interacts with others and the way he reacts in different situations. So, to understand the character we, as the reader, have to know something about his past. Not everything of course, that would be too much, but maybe just one little bit of information (why the protagonist and the sidekick are so loyal to each other for example)

So for today we learned, that a character needs Motivation, a Goal and a Background.

What else does a good character need in your opinion?

On the next “How to…” we will talk about that. I’m thinking about doing more How to’s about creative writing (to see the others click here and here) on a regular basis (something like Writing Wednesday). What do you think about that? Tell me about it in the comments

Greetings

KJ

Bloodlines Trailer!

And here is it, just for the fans:
The official Bloodlines book Trailer! *fangirl scream*

Just klick here :)

But remember, the actors in this Trailer are just for the trailer and they have nothing to do with the Vampire Academy movie. If you want to join the cast discussion go to the official Vampire Academy Movie Page and vote for your favorite actor.

Something I wanted to share...

I just headed over to Penguin between the lines 
And found this amazaing thing: Teaser quote of the week
So here is this weeks Teaser quote from Penguin:

"We stood there, looking at each other, saying nothing. But it was the kind of nothing that meant everything. In his eyes, there was no trace of what had happened between us earlier, and I could feel something inside me break.
So that was that. We were finally, finally over.
I looked at him, and I felt so sad, because this thought occurred to me: I will never look at you in the same way ever again. I’ll never be that girl. The girl who comes running back every time you push her away, the girl who loves you anyway. "

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

I read it and I was just like "Oh my gosh, I have to read that book"  So I flew out into the internet to get you all infos about It's Not Summer Without You:

So Jenny Han is the author of The Summer I Turned Pretty and this is her second novel.

And here is the official description:

When something is perfect, you hope it never ends . . .
Isabel's lazy, long hot summers at her family friends' beach house are over.

Conrad – sexy and unavailable - is the only boy she's ever loved. He's left for college, taking her heart with him. Jeremiah, his gorgeous brother, is still Isabel's best friend – but maybe friendship isn't enough for him anymore . . .

Isabel just wants everything to stay the same, because change means moving on. But if she stops looking back, will she find a future she never knew she wanted? 

What do you think about the book and that Teaser-thing? What makes you atracted to books? Cover, title, teaser or description? Tell me about it in the comments :)
Best wishes
KJ

A million Suns Cover...

Here is for you the cover of A Million Suns by Beth Revis, the sequel to her novel Across the Universe:

For more information on the book and the cover go to the official Facebook page.
A Million Suns will be released in January 2012.
If you don't know the series yet, you got to check it out. Here is the official description for the first book:

Amy has left the life she loves for a world 300 years away

Trapped in space and frozen in time, Amy is bound for a new planet. But fifty years before she's due to arrive, she is violently woken, the victim of an attempted murder. Now Amy's lost on board and nothing makes sense - she's never felt so alone.

Yet someone is waiting for her. He wants to protect her; and more if she'll let him. 
But who can she trust amidst the secrets and lies? A killer is out there - and Amy has nowhere to hide . . .

And of course, the book trailer:

And don't forget to stay tuned, because we are just an hour away from the release of the official Bloodlines trailer!
Greetings
KJ

Waiting on... Sweet Venom

Today we'll start a new section, in which I'll introduce to you some upcoming books I can't wait to get my hands on. So we will start with one of the upcoming Harperteen releases:

Sweet Venom by Tara Lynn Shields.
Tera Lynn Shields is the author of Forgive my Fins and Fins are forever (take a look at them here). Both books are about a mermaid living in our world.
So her new book will be released on September 6 by Harperteen. To visit the official book site go here and here is the description:

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Sounds like a new and interesting storyline. I just hope the book holds what it promises, but we'll have to wait another 2 months to find out...
Is Sweet Venom on your Wish list? Tell me about it in the comments.
Greetings
KJ

Cynthian Hand publishes deleted scenes

Three days ago Cynthia Hand, author of Unearthly, bloged about deleted scene from her debut novel. To read why she deleted it and to read the actual scene go to her blog Writing Angels.
The scene is about Wendy and part of a side-story.
You do not know the book?

Unearthly is Cynthia Hand's debut novel and was first published by Harperteen in January this year.

Here is the official Goodreads description:

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

A gorgeous cover for a gorgeous story.
Are you excited about the new scene? What did you think about Unearthly? Tell me about it in the comments.
Best wishes
KJ

Casting Adrian Ivashkov...

As I explained in this post, I'm starting to cast actors for my favorite characters in the universe of Vampire Academy. Since Preger Entertainment announced that they bought the rights for VA and asked about the opinion of the fans their Facebook page is bursting with discussions.
Today we will think a little bit about Adrian Ivashkov.
I already casted him here, and choose Hayden Christensen. But since I'm changing plans and searching for younger actors I thought about someone more like...

Steven R. McQueen...
Yeah, I know he is busy filming The Vampire Diaries, but hello, have you seen him smile?
He got the looks, the charisma, the talent and the age to play an amazing Adrian.

Adrian is a Moroi, and the Queens' nephew. He is 21 years old and a spirit user. He tries to cover the side effects connected to this element with drinking and smoking. He has the reputation of beeing bad and a ladies' man. But after he meets Rose he has an eye on her and does not hide that. So after a while she promises to give him a shot.
Adrian teaches Lissa everything he knows about the element Spirit and learns from her in return. Sometimes he shows how caring he can be, e.g. when he rescues the younger student Jill.

“I’m like a fine wine. I get better with age. The best is yet to come.”
- Adrian Ivashkov (Blood Promise)

What do you think about that choice and who would you cast as the perfect Adrian?
Wish you all the best
KJ

The wait is finally over!

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it *sings and dances*
Today, after months of waiting, it finally arrived in my mailbox:

The German version of Richelle Meads Last Sacrifice. Can you imagine trying to keep up with the latest news about Bloodlines, without reading Spoilers? It was so damn hard.
Why did I wait so long, you may ask? Because Vampire Academy is one of the few series I'm reading in my own language, and they are just looking so cute together:

[insert fangirl scream here]
I'm just glad I wasn't there when the mail came. The mailman would have surly thought I'm totally insane, because it would have been like this:

So I'm up to a lot of reading, don't miss me I will be back soon.
Did you read Last Sacrifice? Did you like it?
Greetings from a totally freaked out KJ

St Martin's Press schedule... Part III

The world of publishing can sometimes be really fast, so I thought I will just give you heads-up for the upcoming release schedule of St. Martin's Press, the publisher of the Immortals Series by Alyson Noel, the House of Night Series by PC and Kristin Cast and many many more...
Because the post would otherwise be too long I split it up.

On August 30 comes to you a new novel by Caroline Bock:

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up? 

But Jimmy was her savior. . .

When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.
The truth must be told. . . 

Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place. 

From now on, you can find informations about upcoming releases on the new Page. 

See you all soon 

KJ  

All information is taken from the Words 'N Stuff Newsletter -July 2011 and St Martin's Press

St Martin's Press schedule... Part II "Bargains and Betrayals"

The world of publishing can sometimes be really fast, so I thought I will just give you heads-up for the upcoming release schedule of St. Martin's Press, the publisher of the Immortals Series by Alyson Noel, the House of Night Series by PC and Kristin Cast and many many more...
 Because the post would otherwise be too long I split it up.

On August 16 comes to you the third installment in the 13 to life series by Shannon Delany:

Quick summary: Spoilers!

Locked away at Pecan Place, Jessie finds her situation to be even more dangerous than she feared. While she struggles to maintain her sanity and discover answers about the group that seems less and less like any legitimate government agency, Pietr fights to keep their relationship alive. But very aware that his mother’s time is running out, Pietr makes a deal he doesn’t dare tell Jessie about. Because the deal Pietr’s made could mean the death of far more than his tenuous relationship with the girl he loves. 

For those of you who aren't familiar with the series, it started with 13 to Life:

Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid… 

Do you know this series? Can and will you recommend it to others?
Greetings
KJ

All information is taken from the Words 'N Stuff Newsletter -July 2011 and St Martin's Press  

St Martin's Press schedule... Part I "Glow"

The world of publishing can sometimes be really fast, so I thought I will just give you heads-up for the upcoming release schedule of St. Martin's Press, the publisher of the Immortals Series by Alyson Noel, the House of Night Series by PC and Kristin Cast and many many more...
Because the post would otherwise be too long I split it up.

September 27 a new series is coming to you, said to be "most riveting series since The Hunger Games."

Here is the official description of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan:


If a violent battle destroyed the only world you've ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight?

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

Are you excited about this book? Do you think it will/can/should be as good as the Hunger Games?
Best wishes to everyone
KJ

All information is taken from the Words 'N Stuff Newsletter -July 2011 and St Martin's Press

Forgive my Fins around the world...

You know how much I like comparing covers and Tera Lynn Childs revealed some awesome covers lately so I thought we could do a little Forgive my Fins around the world.
For all of you, who do not know the book here is the official Goodreads description:

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

And here is the American cover:

And in comparison the British one:

And finally the new German cover:

The German title Meerjungfrau sucht Prinz fürs Leben means Mermaid searches Prince for Life.
Which cover do you prefer? I personally like all of them, but the American is the most beautiful
That's it with Covers for today
Greetings
KJ

Shatter Me Cover

Tahereh Mafi revealed the Cover for her upcoming debut novel Shatter Me
Here is the, in my opinion, beautiful cover:

And the official Goodreads description:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Are you exited for Shatter Me? And what do you think about the Cover?
Greetings
KJ