A Book-a-licious Story: March 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Indie Authors Spotlight (6) + Giveaway

Indie Authors Spotlight is a weekly meme that will be held every SATURDAY. It is hosted by Beckie @ Bittersweet Enchantment & CYP @ A Bookalicious Story. The idea of this meme is to promote indie authors and to help them and their books get recognized. This will be a great way for book bloggers to take part in helping these authors be spotlighted for their hard work. Below you will find a list of rules to follow to be able to take part in this meme.

Since no new authors have signed up, I will be featuring the one author for this month's IAS:

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff!

About Mimi

Before taking up a permanent residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mimi spent time living near NYC (became a shopaholic), in Mexico City (developed a taste for very spicy food), and Arizona (now hates jumping chollas, but pines for sherbet sunsets). Her love of pre-Hispanic culture, big cities, and romance inspires her to write when she’s not busy with kids, work, and life…or getting sucked into a juicy novel.

She hopes that someday leather pants for men will make a big comeback and that her writing might make you laugh when you need it most.

Connect with Mimi: Her Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

And her novels...

Accidentally in Love with...A God?

The Blurb

Twenty-two-year-old Emma Keane has a secret friend. He’s powerful, mysterious, and devastatingly handsome. In her dreams, anyway.

In real life, he’s an enigma. Maybe just a teensie jealous. Definitely overbearing. He’s also a voice only she can hear.

So who or what is he? He won’t say. But if she wants to be free, to be normal, Emma will have to trek to the jungles once ruled by the Mayans and find the forgotten ruin holding the answers.

However, the ruthless deity she’s about to unknowingly unleash on the modern world, might not be so easily extracted from her life. Bottom line, he’s got enemies, and now, so does she.

Available at $0.99!
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Diesel | iTunes | Smashwords

I love, love, love Greek stuff with a vengeance, and damn, this book sounds so good!:D

Accidentally Married to...A Vampire?

The Blurb

“If you love her, set her free. If she comes back, she’s yours. If she doesn’t…Christ! Stubborn woman! Hunt her down, and bring her the hell back; she’s still yours according to vampire law.”
- Niccolo DiConti, General of the Vampire Queen’s Army

THE DETERMINED VAMPIRE: Niccolo DiConti has faithfully served as leader of Her Majesty’s army for over a millennium, but he’d rather sunbathe in the Sahara than spend another grueling day under his demented queen’s command. However, no one has ever left her side and lived to tell. So when a powerful goddess prophesies he will meet his salvation—a human woman he must turn into a vampire with her consent—he eagerly rises to the challenge. After all, how hard could it be to seduce a human female into taking the immortal plunge? Harder than he thinks. Because his mate won’t be born for another three centuries, and when he wakes up in the goddess’ tomb, not only is his life a mess, but his destined female isn’t about to settle for a coldhearted vampire. Can he win her over before it’s too late? Not if his enemies have anything to do with it.

AN UNWILLING BRIDE: On the night Helena Strauss meets the fierce, devastatingly handsome vampire who saves her life in the jungles of Mexico, she knows her world will be forever changed. Because an attraction this mind blowing only comes along once in a lifetime—or existence. And when he claims she is his one true mate, destined to be his for all eternity, it’s a fairytale come true. So what if her knight in shining armor is a vampire? Nobody’s perfect. But discovering the powerful, overbearing immortal doesn’t “do love”? Deal breaker. Helena will flee and set out to accomplish the impossible…sever the otherworldly bond between them. And it turns out, Helena is just the leverage Niccolo’s enemies need to break the mighty warrior and wipe out his people.

Available at $0.99!
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

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Giveaway Time!

Mimi is so kindly giving away 2 ecopies of Accidentally in Love with...A God? and Accidentally Married to...A Vampire? each! There will be two winners, each receiving an ecopy of both books. Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below, and you're good to go! Giveaway is international and will last for two weeks and will end on April 14th, 2012.

Publication Date: May 22nd, 2012
Finished Date: March 10th, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: eARC via Netgalley
My Rating: 3.5/5
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

My Review

I've always loved tales of the sea, and have yet to find the perfect mermaid novel. The first time I laid eyes on OF POSEIDON was at Rachel's blog, My Reading Pile, and naturally, I went a little crazy after seeing that it will only be released a few months later. But then I chanced upon it on Netgalley, and needless to say, I requested it immediately. I started this book with very high expectations, as is the case with all mermaid novels (I have no idea why), and....I was quite disappointed actually. Not that it wasn't good, it's just not as good as what I was anticipating it to be, what with that stellar cover, intriguing title and storyline.

My Brief Summary

Emma is truly a klutz when on land - all two left feet and all - and when on a vacation with her best friend, Chloe, she tripped on her own foot and sprawled on top of one Galen Forza. One of the most handsome and sexy guys she's ever seen and she practically fell on him. But what Galen sees isn't a clumsy girl, he sees her impossibly purple eyes - a trait that can only mean she's one of them. A part of Syrena. But why doesn't she transform when she went into the water? How is it that she's living on land when one of the laws that govern their people is that all Syrenas are forbidden to go on land, much less stay there? And the fact that she doesn't recognise him as royalty? He's determined to find out as his mission on land is to be the ambassador of Syrena in the human world and to solve any Syrena-related issues on land. Emma's in for a shock as she finds herself face-to-face again with that handsome stranger in front of her locker back at school, and practically in every of her classes.

He finds out that she has absolutely no knowledge of the world beneath the sea, and she finds out that the one person she's falling for is the Prince of Syrena. But then, if his mission is to teach her of her ancestry and such, then doesn't that mean what he feels for her isn't what she's always thought it to be? That she's just another person he has to get close to to complete his mission? Apart from emotional problems, she still has to worry about the underwater stalker behind her house. Is it friend or foe? Is Emma in danger underwater?

My Thoughts

Let me start with what I did like about OF POSEIDON:

THE COVER!! It's absolutely stunning! The girl in a white dress underwater? The mysterious, dark blue sea around her? The title, the font...Everything's so surreal!

Then comes the plot. Though the pace was relatively slow throughout the book, the plot did thicken and the pace did this crazy crescendo at the end, finally ending with a...cliffhanger!! One thing I dislike the most is cliffhangers, but the final revelation at the end was enough to shock me for awhile that I overlooked it quite entirely. Galen was trying to figure out who was stalking Emma the past couple of days whenever they enter the water, Syrenas being able to sense another of their kind when both are within range of each other under the shoreline. He was finally putting together the pieces and, BOOM - he revealed the person in his own cool style! You won't even be able to see it coming!

I loved any stories related to the ocean, and incorporating powers and adventures underwater was enough to make me more than a little engrossed. For a surprise gift, Galen even brought Emma to see the infamous Titanic, docked at the bottom of the Atlantis.

Emma was a kindred, compassionate heroine who cried for those who lost their lives aboard the Titanic when Galen brought her to see the ship. She's loyal to her friends even in the face of danger. However, one thing that I did not like about her was that she kept fainting. She came across as weak initially. Every time Galen tells her something big, she goes all woozy and...faints. It's supposed to be because of some biological change in her that's making her unstable for awhile, but still, it was rather annoying as it was only explained at a later time.

Banks' writing style was cool, especially when she incorporated mindblowing facts about things which I know already, but haven't thought about it in depth. For example, she said that everyone had a finite number of heartbeats, that if your heart beat faster, you'd have a shorter life. Thus turtles, whose heartbeats per minute are incredibly low, live to about a century or more. I haven't confirmed the fact yet, but it does coincide with the evidence. Fallacy or not, it is some fodder for the mind, is it not? :P However, there is this one phrase that caught my attention: "whisper yell". That's a contradiction all by itself. I've seen this a couple of times already, is this a proper phrase? As in, approved by Cambridge? Or just some common authors' mistake?

Now on to the things that I did not like. As I've mentioned earlier, the pace could be maddeningly slow at times. I took some time to finish reading this book, and I attribute it to the fact that I got bored a number of times. I'm not a fan of Contemporary Romance, and OF POSEIDON did tend towards that genre as Galen went to school with Emma, and them hanging out together at Galen's. I do like paranormal high school romances - as in, the supernatural hero and heroine goes to a regular, human high school kind of thing (cliched, yes I know) - but not when it becomes the typical teen romance where everything's so....adolescent and monotone. But I must concede the point that it did get very romantic at times. :X Haha. Swoon~ Not only with Galen and Emma, but with some other side characters who were just as...sexy as Galen. If not more.

Galen's a cool hero, as far as I'm concerned, but not what I expected. He's brooding, he's a prince, he's a protective, possessive guy, he's handsome, everything's good. It's just...he's too perfect and typical a love interest in this genre. I've seen male protagonists of his ilk one too many times in the Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, YA Lit section, don't you think? I wanted something more, something that will make a deep enough impression to let me remember him long after I've reached the The End. Someone like Christian Grey...hubba hubba... Haha, but that aside, my expectations were higher too because mermaids have always been one of my favourite mythical creatures, and for him to fall short... Hmm..

There was this loophole that I've spotted.
*Please do not read it if you haven't read the book. MAJOR spoilers!*

If Emma's mom is Nalia, then Galen has surely met her before because she was Grom's intended, and therefore recognise her both in terms of appearance and when he sense her in water. Then how is it that he didn't when he saw her at Emma's house? Or when he sensed that underwater stalker, how did he not recognise that pulse he sensed?

Other than that, I thought that OF POSEIDON was a pretty average, light, mermaid read. If you're in need of some YA Romance, part Contemporary, part Urban Fantasy, then maybe you'd like to try this out.

P.S. Though there isn't a sequel announced for OF POSEIDON yet, the odds look good for one. That cliffhanger needs a resolution!! And there is still much that can happen, so yes, I'm hopeful.:)

*eARC courtesy of Feiwel & Friends via Netgalley.

My Rating

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Defy Blog Tour Part I: Cover Reveal!

Defy
Firstborn #1
By Raine Thomas

The Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Tate is about to make her parents’ dreams come true. Unfortunately for her, their dreams foretell her death.

Eager to explore more of the Estilorian plane and prove her abilities, Tate goes against her parents’ wishes and leaves the area of protection surrounding her home. Her choice puts her on a deadly path…one that leaves her alone, severely injured and battling for her life.

Her possible savior arrives in the form of Zachariah, a male who has removed himself from Estilorian society for more than fifty years. Fighting an unexpected connection to Tate, he must decide whether saving her life is worth destroying his.

As Tate struggles to find a way home, she ends up drawn into a dark Mercesti plot involving multiple murders and a powerful ancient artifact. With the unpredictable Zachariah as her only source for aid, she’ll soon find out if her abilities are strong enough to help her defy her Fate.

Author's Website | Goodreads

About the author: Raine Thomas is the author of the exciting and original series of YA fantasy/romance novels about the Estilorian plane. She became truly passionate about writing when one of her stories took an Honorable Mention in a fourth-grade writing competition (who would have thought a story about a dancing spider would garner so much attention?). Carrying that passion with her, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English with a focus in Creative Writing from Georgia State University, then her master’s degree in Humanities from Central Michigan University.

--Cited from Thomas's Website

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See anything that caught your eye? If so, you can follow the tour which starts April 30th (my blog! And a few others. :P) till May 12th. There will be giveaways around the tour, so stick around and find out where!:)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Initiation Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

Introducing...

Imogen Rose!

About Imogen

Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling YA series, the Portal Chronicles. She was born in a small town in Sweden and moved to London in her twenties. After obtaining a PhD in immunology from Imperial College, she moved with her family to New Jersey, where she’s been based for the past ten years.

For as long as she can remember, Imogen has dreamt stories. Stories that continued from night to night, from dream to dream. So, even as a child, going to bed was never an issue, just an anticipation of the story to come.

PORTAL, Imogen’s first novel, would have remained in her imagination, to be shared only with her daughter, Lauren, had her eight-year-old not insisted that she write it down. In the course of a month, Imogen typed while Lauren waited eagerly by the printer for the pages to appear, and a novel took shape.

The warm reception PORTAL received encouraged her to continue with the story and the Portal Chronicles. The Bonfire Chronicles is Imogen’s new YA paranormal series.

Imogen is a self-confessed Hermès addict who enjoys shopping, traveling, watching movies and playing with her dog, Tallulah.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

And her novel...

Initiation
Bonfire Academy #1

The Blurb

Welcome to Bonfire Academy!

Set in the foothills of the alpine mountains in St.Moritz, this exclusive private school caters to a special kind of student. Enter at your own risk... but if you are human, you may not want to enter at all.

WARNING: This YA story is set in a school for paranormals who are very different from normal human teens. Thus, the language and some scenes might not be appropriate for younger YA readers. Recommended for those sixteen and above.

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An Excerpt from Initiation

Featuring Cordelia and Jagger

“Well, Cordelia, are you glad to be back?”

“Yes. Why did you ask for me?”

“Ah, straight to the point.” His eyes narrowed into slits. “Very plucky. Most would have the sense to be more fearful and not ask questions,” he growled softly.

I held my breath, controlling my instincts. A snarl was always a signal for me to transform. But, I held back, on full alert.

“I was told that about you. And that’s one of the reasons you’re here. You’ve been appointed as a mentor.”

It was my turn to smirk. I got to my feet. “I can’t be appointed anything. Thanks for thinking of me, though. I guess it’s some kind of honor. But, no thanks.” I made my way to the door.

And crashed right into Jagger’s chest. I should have anticipated his move; lightning-fast location transfer was something covered in the first semester. I clumsily stepped back, then met his darkened gaze.

He lowered his head, brushing his nose along my neckline, breathing me in. I stood dead still, letting my fingers fuse. I shivered as his lips found my right ear, his every breath forming icicles against my skin. Then, he touched my fused fingers.

“Easy, demon princess. Relax.”

I boiled over with anger. Who the fuck did he think I was? Some silly human girl who’d melt under his pathetic attempt at intimidation? Not so.

“Step back, and I will.” My words were supposed to come out in a firm demonic growl, but instead, they slithered out in an unfortunate raspy whisper.

He chuckled under his breath and took a half step back. He needed to be taught not to mess with demons. Slapping the smirk off his face would be too much of a cliché. My mischievous demon instincts took over.

As the corners of his lips curled into a leer, I jerked up my arm and swiftly wrapped my fingers around the back of his neck, pulling his face down to mine. His eyes widened in surprise, but he made no move to resist as I stood on tiptoes and roughly parted his lips with mine. I kept my eyes wide open, gazing into his, as I explored his mouth, drinking him in. He yielded under my touch. The kiss became more and more fervent, until a surge of hot and cold, of terror and excitement, zapped through me–and him, by the surprise on his face–leaving us shocked and unable to move. Our eyes remained locked together as we stood suspended in time.

Jagger looked as dazed as I felt. His eyes searched mine, but I had nothing to offer, no explanation. Then, it hit me. Dad had mentioned the extremely rare phenomenon. I raked through my mind, trying to remember what he had said.

Listen for his heartbeat, synch with it.

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Giveaway Time!

Prizes: 4 signed paperback copies of INITIATION, 1 Inititation Sack Pack, 1 Initiation Bear, 1 Initiation Toiletry bag, and 1 Initiation Gym Bag.

US only! Giveaway ends when the tour ends, which is less than a day now! So hurry and enter!

Blog Tour: The Day of First Sun Excerpt + Giveaway Deets

Please enjoy this excerpt from the urban fantasy novel, The Day of First Sun. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

Sheryl Steines

About the author: Behind the wheel of her ’66 Mustang Convertible, Sheryl is a constant surprise, using her sense of humor and relatable style make her books something everyone can enjoy.

Connect with Sheryl: Her Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads.

And her novel:

The Day of First Sun

About the book: A vampire, a rogue wizard and an army of soulless zombies are par for the course for Annie Pearce and Bobby “Cham” Chamsky of the Wizard’s Guard. But when the non-magical princess, Amelie of Amborix, is murdered by magical means, a deeper plot unfolds. Get it on Amazon.

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An Excerpt from The Day of First Sun

By Sheryl Steines

Sturtagaard chose not to speak, though it was he who had called for the meeting. They both checked their watches and realized they had been sitting across from him for ten minutes, watching him sniff the air. If he wanted to play this, they would play along at least for a little while longer, though both were tired of the leering. As the vampire sniffed again, Cham finally figured out why.

"You know, you called us. We really don't have anything to say to you, so if you're just playing games, we're happy to leave. I've got other, more important things to do than watch you sniff and leer," Cham finally said, and stood up.

Sturtagaard smiled as he watched Cham open the door because he much preferred dealing with Annie, but when she stood up, too, he realized he'd overplayed his hand.

"If I talk, my employer will have me staked. I'd like some assurance that you won't do the same," he said rather quickly, before they left.

They turned and looked at him, both rolling their eyes.

"I'll have you staked if you don't talk," replied Cham, as he stood by the door.

"You're out of options if you ever hope to get out of here again," Annie said calmly, focusing on his face.

Sturtagaard squirmed a little in his seat, as Annie's expression was somewhat disquieting and unemotional. He looked at Cham, whose face was expressionless, and then back to Annie, who hadn't moved a muscle. The vampire sighed.

"You heard right. I was hired to create a zombie army to overthrow the Wizard Council," Sturtagaard said. His voice remained steady and calm with resignation.

"Who wants to overthrow the Council?" asked Cham, his hand still clutching the door.

"My employer. I've told you, I don't know who he is. I always dealt with his associate. He'd show up, leave notes, or send others with messages. I've never contacted him." He looked from one to the other, but they both remained stony and detached. "Come on, now. I can't give you information I don't have." Sturtagaard was charming.

Annie rolled her eyes again. "You really don't have any idea who the employer is?" she asked with sarcasm.

"Really, I don't," he said.

"So you're building an army of the dead. How long did you have to get this done?" Annie took out her phone and pulled out her calendar.

"He wanted it ready for September first."

Annie looked up with a grimace, and Cham looked surprised. She didn't need to mark the date on her calendar or research its significance, though neither could figure out why a zombie army had to be created for that day, the Day of First Sun. It was a very powerful and ancient day for good magic.

"So, your employer wants an army of the dead on that day? Why?" Cham asked in a flat, emotionless voice.

"He's a black wizard. What do you think he wants? He wants to overthrow the Council, take over the world, practice magic in the open. You know, the typical magical fantasy." Sturtagaard grinned because he believed that would benefit the entire supernatural world.

"Wipe the smirk off your face, Sturtagaard. Having free reign won't be as good as you think, with all the angry mobs, torches, and stakes through the heart."

Annie smirked at Cham, who shook his head and laughed. He waited to compose himself before looking back at the vampire.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Day of First Sun eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $450 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

Purchase your copy of The Day of First Sun for just 99 cents
Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
Visit today’s featured social media event

Help my blog win:

The tour blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card. When you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Until Next Time Blog Tour: Guest Post by Amy Lignor + Giveaway

Introducing...

Until Next Time
The Angel Chronicles #1
By Amy Lignor

The Blurb

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

Kindle | B&N | Smashwords | PDF

About Amy Lignor: Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

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A Twist on the Love Triangle!
A Guest Post by Amy Lignor

The most romantic book of all time that still seems to reside on everyone’s bookshelf, had a very real love triangle dead center in the middle of it. Elizabeth Bennet had more than a passing fancy for the superficially charming George Wickham. In fact, she detested Mr. Darcy for how he’d treated Wickham in the past, not knowing that the man she was standing up for was a real loser. From that point on, to me, love triangles became an integral part of the novel. Whether it’s adventure, supernatural, historical or YA, the love triangle is what stands out and keeps drawing readers into the fold; not to mention that it has become part of the ‘formula’ that most publishers look for.

It’s not a big shock that readers dream of the hero, but to have two of them after you, well…that takes it from “Happily Ever After, Cinderella” to sheer “Miracle!” The triangle isn’t just about the passion, however, it’s about how a writer can increase their characters’ likeability and charm as they delve into the conflict that their love triangle promotes.

But some do end up to be ‘seen’ by readers pretty early on. Take The Hunger Games. Katness, Peeta and Gale were beyond cool, but at the heart of it all, one does come across as the friend fairly clearly, while the other is that soulmate who the girl will never be able to get over. And even though the reader knows who will be chosen eventually, the fun is just to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The same goes for Lauren Kate’s wonderful series, Fallen. Most readers know that after all this time Daniel and Luce will find a way to be together in a lifetime that doesn’t involve her death. Cam is that heartthrob - the dark and dangerous one who a great number of readers would choose. But, again, the choice really was made early on. If Luce picked Cam now, I would assume the author would have to move out of her house and head to Neptune in order to get away from the horde of broken-hearted fans.

Yes, I know…the biggest of them all was Edward versus Jacob. But, again, there was really no hope for Jacob after Edward first stood in front of the van and saved Bella in Twilight.

Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Published Date: Febuary 14th, 2012
Finished Date: March 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Format: eBook
Series: (I hope there will be one!!)
My Rating: 5/5!
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire.

Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

My Review

I'd like to clear just one thing before I start on this review: There'd better be a sequel or heads will roll!!!!!! I went to the author's site and browsed through the F&Q section, and she only mentioned a "maybe", but damn, I really don't wish to leave Scarlet and Robin's world just yet..:(( That's how good this book was. That's how much I loved this book and wished it didn't need to end.

*There will be spoilers!*

I don't think there's a need for me to write a review for SCARLET, cause honestly, I can't find any flaws or negative things to talk about. But if you'd like to hear me gush about how utterly awesome this book is, then read on!

SCARLET was a pretty simple, enoyable read - the usual Robin Hood stealing from the rich with his gang of rebels, Much, John Little and Will Scarlet to give to the poor so as to pay off their heavy taxes lest be hanged at the gallows by their evil, greedy sheriff - but with a twist. A rather interesting and exciting twist - Scarlet is a girl. Only the gang and a select few know about this, and it made for a more exciting read.

I went to read the author's note at the back of the book, and Gaughen was speculating about Scar's identity. It was passed on in history that Will Scarlet was a mysterious persona who could wield and throw his knives as good and lethal as Robin with his bow and arrows. Since Scarlet is such a mystery indeed, then what if the stories told from generation to generation was altered by mothers or friends who didn't believe a girl could accomplish such great feats? What if Will Scarlet was actually a girl? And thus began her three month journey on writing SCARLET.

I LOVED the way the boys banded and worked together, fought together, had fun together, and how they stuck up for each other. Especially when John and Robin started to express greater interest in Scar being a girl. John's a playboy, so he had no qualms over displaying his affections for her openly, while Robin...That selfless, mysterious, dashing, tortured boy! He tried to hide his feelings, but that actually made him all the more endearing. He and Scar made a great pair - both trying not to show their affections for each other, both not knowing that they're actually in love with each other, both having suffered tragic fates in the past, and both so devoted to the people of Nottinghamshire. I loved their romance even though it only blossomed in the end, but it was very sweet, and very heartwrenching. But what I loved most about them is their skill. They were AWESOME in fights! Which are aplenty in SCARLET. They are deadly accurate, but they're not boastful about it.

I loved every character in this book, including Much, their one-handed friend who is also in Robin's inner circle, Tuck, the old tavern keeper, even the people of Nottinghamshire. Much was a good friend, always being left out because of his amputated arm but is still a kindred spirit. The people of Nottinghamshire really loved the Hood. They protected him even though it could very well bring them trouble with the sheriff and latest thief-taker come to town, Gisbourne.

Gisbourne is freaky. He is incredibly smart and cunning, and heartless and...He is here for Scarlet. Big spoiler, but you'll find out more when you read the book. He has a history with her, one that Scarlet is afraid to tell Robin and the others, and one that makes her quake in her boots just thinking of him. But what can it be?

The political conflict in here is pretty simplistic, and it wasn't a major part of the plot, so, moving on. The plot was thrilling and intense! I found myself literally glued to its pages as Robin and the gang plot, plan, execute said plan, fight, and as deception and secrets are revealed! Especially at the end! Everything was moving so quick and I loved every single moment of it.

I loved Gaughen's writing style. It suited the era and everything was so vivid. I could imagine the trees that concealed Scar as she climbed them and the dingy dungeons that they constantly had to break into, and the crowds in town as they navigate and find their way around.

I've always been a fan of 1) Robin Hood, 2) YA Historical Fictions ever since Lisa Tawn Bergren's The River of Time series, and SCARLET's it! A wonderful and exciting retelling of Robin Hood and his band of rebel heroes with the long-awaited (at least for me) romantic twist. Another favourite for me, and I'd recommend it to any YA lovers out there.

My Rating

Indie Authors Spotlight (5) - Featuring Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff!

About Mimi

Accidentally in Love with...A God?

The Blurb

I love, love, love Greek stuff with a vengeance, and damn, this book sounds so good!:D

Accidentally Married to...A Vampire?

The Blurb

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(Mimi is so kindly giving away 2 ecopies of Accidentally in Love with...A God? and Accidentally Married to...A Vampire? each! The copies will be part of the big giveaway at the end of this month with the rest of the other spotlighted authors.)

*Thanks for stopping by! Anybody interested in helping to promote Indie/self-pub authors? Then help do a Spotlight post, and link up in the linky thingy!:)*

Friday, March 16, 2012

Blog Tour: Charlie Barrett & Kindle Fire Giveaway Promo‏

The Barrett Company Hollywood Book Publicity Tour + Win FREE Kindle Fire!

Well known, experienced, professional Hollywood book, TV and movie publicist Charlie Barrett formed The Barrett Company in 1991 as a full service publicity and media relations agency to serve books/authors/publishers, television and motion picture industry clients. The Los Angeles headquartered publicity firm offers 21st century publicity and media relations services to celebrities, authors, actors, directors, screen writers, filmmakers as well as film and television producers.

Charlie’s author clients have include LA author-screenwriter Carla Malden, author of Afterimage, Kindle’s John Locke/Lethal People, Julie Sinatra/Under my Skin, Warren Adler/War of the Roses, David R. Fett MD and Steve Langford/White Sleeper, Deby Eisenberg/Pictures of the Past, Marty Jurow/See’in Stars: A Show Biz Odyssey, actor George Kennedy/Trust Me, Peter Ford/Glenn Ford: A Life and Dr. Ken Nedd/Power Over Stress as well as many, many others.

Since it’s inception, TBC has served as publicists to such companies and celebrities as CBS, Simon & Schuster, ABC, Globe Pequot Press, Harper Collins publishers, Norton publishers, Paramount studios, Oxford University Press, PBS, Warner Brothers, American Movie Classics cable channel (Mad Men), Bravo, Life Time Television, NYU Press, Ben Bella Books, Fox Television Network, Little Brown publishers, Fox News, CNN, self-published author service firms such as Xlibris, Author House and i-Universe as well as numerous celebrities from Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon to Kevin Costner, Tatum O’Neal, Tim Curry, Martin Landau, Robert Stack, Rod Stewart, Gary Conway, Oprah Winfrey (Oprah’s Big Give television series on ABC) and numerous other stars.

Mr. Barrett started up The Barrett Company publicity firm after serving in top PR positions with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) for more than ten years, where he was in charge of media relations for Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show and Today, among other well-known NBC shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, Fame and numerous highly-rated NBC specials, including The American Film Institute Awards and The American Movie Awards.

When earlier basing in New York City, Mr. Barrett served as a book publicist to many major publishers with publicity campaigns for a number of best-selling authors from large trade book publishers from Scribners to Random House.

Mr. Barrett has also held executive media relations posts with 20th Century Fox Film Corporation in New York and Capitol Records in Hollywood, New York and London, where he helped launch recorded music by The Beatles, The Band and many other music artists including Joe South, Freda Payne, Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell.

You can visit his website at www.thebarrettco.com. Visit them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thebarrettco.

About The Barrett Company:

Media expert & advisor Charles Barrett formed The Barrett Company in 1991 as a full service media relations and media marketing/communications agency. The Los Angeles headquartered firm offers 21^st century integrated media outreach and media marketing expertise with an emphasis on the entertainment and leisure time industries serving authors/publishers, Hollywood celebrities, motion pictures, and television. Since inception, TBC has served such companies as Simon & Schuster, Globe Pequot Press, Norton Publishers, Warner Brothers Studios, American Movie Classics cable channel, ABC TV, CBS TV, Fox Television, self-published author publishers such as Xlibris, Author House, I-Universe and numerous celebrities from Johnny Carson to Ed McMahon to Kevin Costner to Oprah Winfrey (Oprah’s Big Give television series on ABC).

The Barrett Company also assists attorneys and their clients, managing media coverage in civil and criminal cases from California to New York in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Barrett formed the firm after serving in top public relations positions with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) for more than ten years, where he was in charge of media relations for The Tonight Show and Today, among other well-known NBC shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, Fame and numerous highly-rated NBC specials, including The American Film Institute Awards and The American Movie Awards.

Mr. Barrett has also held executive media relations posts with 20^th Century Fox Film Corporation in New York and Capitol Records in Hollywood, New York and London, where he helped launch recorded music by The Beatles, The Band and many other music artists.

When earlier basing in New York City, Mr. Barrett assisted major publishers with publicity campaigns for a number of New York Times best-selling authors, serving such publishers as Scribner’s, Simon & Schuster, Norton, John Wiley & Sons, Warner Books and Golden Books, among many others.

The Barrett Company serves major publisher and self-published authors with Harper Collins, Little Brown, Penguin Press, i-Universe, Oxford University Press, Viking Press, Xlibris, Random House, Holm Press, Ben Bella Books, Author House, SMU Press, NYU Press, creating and performing a range of publicity services and media outreach for both fiction and non-fiction book releases.

Charles Barrett began his media career as a reporter with The Associated Press in New Haven, CT and later served on the editorial staffs of both The Hollywood Reporter in Los Angeles and Billboard Publications in New York. He has also authored numerous articles for magazines and newspapers on the performing arts and travel as well as appearing as a contributor on major U.S. radio talk shows discussing celebrities, films, television and books. He was voted the Book Publicist of the Year award by the Southern California Book Pub Society recently. Charles is a member of The Publishers Association of Los Angeles, The Academy of TV Arts and Sciences (Emmy Award) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (The Oscars ®).

The Barrett Company is well known and regarded among the world’s media outlets for its credibility and creativity. Through years of client assignments we have developed remarkable and successful campaigns for our wide range of authors/publishers, Hollywood creatives, companies and celebrities, which have paved the way for us to produce media, consumer and trade events of all descriptions both in the United States and overseas, from Book Expo to NATPE (the renowned annual television program executive conference) to Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, The Frankfurt Book Fair to filmdom’s Show West as well as MIP in France, The Beverly Hills Film Festival and The Cannes International Film Festival.

TBC’s experience, skills and knowledge in various professional disciplines have enabled the company to offer programs we are proud of, including trade and consumer publicity campaigns, Internet publicity campaigns, crisis communications management, new company and celebrity launches, trade show media awareness, marketing communications solutions, and consultancy to in-house publicity firms in publishing, film and television. No assignment is too big or too small. TBC possesses a keen awareness of the workings of the global media – - including but not limited to print, broadcast and digital – - and has demonstrated over the years the ability to create stunning and effective media outreach models for valued clients, be they well established, or start-ups, or beginning careers as authors and celebrities.

Barbara Wall, a specialist in media marketing and media research, serves as Vice President of TBC. She has accomplished extensive assignments, ranging from technology to entertainment to printing/publishing and has working relationships with a wide circle of book media contacts including reviewers at major US newspapers to Internet book reviewers including NY Times, USA TODAY, Midwest Book Review, BookPleasures.com, BookReview.com, writers at select men and women’s’ magazines and online social media bloggers covering authors and publishers. Ms. Wall formerly served as an executive in two Fortune 500 companies (Xerox, Experian) and has worked with a range of clients including BMG Music Service, The Fox Network, Eddie Bauer, Levi’s, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice. She holds both BA and MBA degrees and formerly taught high school English in Colorado.

A key professional on The Barrett Company team is Vice President John Michaeli, who offers international and domestic public relations/communications expertise with a proven track record of developing, implementing and directing strategic marketing campaigns. Mr. Michaeli is a crisis communications specialist, having served many studios and networks dealing with a range of public issues in both personnel to products areas. Mr. Michaeli has held senior management posts with PR agencies and companies in the entertainment, technology, new media, network TV and public relations industries, including Walt Disney Studios, Fox Family Channel, Warner Brothers, Pax TV and Hanna-Barbera, the renowned animation studio in Hollywood where he served as VP of Marketing.

Representing TBC in New York is publicist and author Ward Morehouse III, who served as media contact at NBC for NBC Nightly News and was also was a Vice President at Jack Raymond & Associates, a top New York public relations firm. Mr. Morehouse has authored several books on the world’s top hotels from The Plaza to The Waldorf Astoria and most recently released his latest book, London’s Grand Hotels. He also created and maintains the New York City web portal www.broadwayafterdark.com.

TBC is proud of its association with renowned film marketing professional Jerry Pam. Mr. Pam’s accomplished film marketing career ranges from his days with The Beatles on their hit films, A Hard Day’s Night and Help, to films like Chocolat, Cinema Paridiso, Cider House Rules, the Oscar ® winner Shakespeare in Love and Good Will Hunting, among many, many other pictures. He earlier created remarkable film marketing campaigns for Apocalypse Now, Last Tango in Paris, American Graffiti, The Conversation and Midnight Express. Jerry has represented numerous screen and television personalities, including Michael Caine, Roger Moore, Jaclyn Smith and Robert Stack, in addition to well known authors such as Sidney Sheldon, Jackie Collins, Judith Krantz and Morris West. His corporate clients have ranged from Rolls Royce to Mouton Cadet Wines, and Faberge to General Mills.

Books…

The Barrett Company represents author Carla Malden (who co-wrote her father Karl Malden’s biography When Do I Start?) for her forthcoming book Afterimage from Globe Pequot Press. TBC created the media marketing campaign for film producer/agent Marty Jurow (Breakfast At Tiffany’s, The Pink Panther and Terms of Endearment) and his tales of Hollywood’s Golden Age — Marty Jurow Seein’ Stars: A Show Biz Odyssey, a hardbound work published by Southern Methodist University Press. In his book, Mr. Jurow tells riveting vignettes and stories about Jack Lemmon, Karl Malden, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Marlon Brando, author Truman Capote, Katharine Hepburn, Elvis Presley and Gary Cooper, among others. Mr. Malden said about the book, “Anyone who wants to know what happened behind the scenes in theatre, film, and TV during the 30s, 40s and 50s must read this book.” Other author clients include Julie Sinatra author of Under My Skin, entrepreneur Gary Fong’s The Accidental Millionaire and Do You Really Need Back Surgery by noted Santa Monica neurosurgeon Dr. Aaron Filler to Before You Say I Do Again by California family law and divorce expert attorney Ben Berkley.

Motion Pictures…

In motion pictures, The Barrett Company’s numerous client accomplishments include media outreach for the Showcase for Oscar ® Nominated Shorts that played to full theatres in Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., as well as publicity for movie openings and key industry awards for top feature films from Warner Brothers, MGM (Tomorrow Never Dies with Pierce Brosnan)), Paramount, Sony, Universal and Columbia Pictures. TBC as also served national theatre chains, feature film distributors and alternative cinema theatres with special regional movie openings and promotions including The Kids Are Alright, September Dawn, It’s Complicated, The Scoundrel’s Wife, Million Dollar Baby, Insomnia, The Aryan Couple, Master of the Game, Never Again, Blair Witch Project, multi film festival winner Smoke Signals and many film festival winners in various award categories.

TBC has served filmmakers at a wide variety of film festivals, including The Cannes Film Festival, The New York Film Festival, The Hollywood Film Festival, The Sundance Film Festival, The Toronto Film Festival, The Sarasota Film Festival, and the San Diego World Film Festival. TBC introduced the world media to the inaugural Beverly Hills Film Festival in 2001 with director/author Henry Bromell (Panic with Donald Sutherland).

Television…

Our notable TBC television projects include campaigns for reality-based TV productions such as Oprah Winfrey’s Oprah’s Big Give on ABC and CBS’ The Amazing Race to shows on American Movie Classics (Mad Men) to Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker to NBC’s Unsolved Mysteries to Paramount TV’s Wild Things to Fox TV’s Cops and numerous other productions. We also launched the success of Ed McMahon’s Star Search at Walt Disney World in 1995. Our PR campaigns for various television productions resulted in across-the-board media attention and awareness in a wide range of outlets from USA Today to the New York Times as well as The Wall Street Journal, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Multi Channel News, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, E! TV, Today, Good Morning America and The Tonight Show just to mention a few.

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Pump Up Your Book and The Barrett Company are teaming up to give you a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

This giveaway is part of the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book. There are a lot of great blogs participating in this Kindle Fire giveaway. After you enter, check out the other stops on the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour and enter there too!

Here’s how it works:

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form below.

The Kindle Fire promotion will run March 5 – 23, 2012. Winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on March 24, 2012.

To find out who else is participating and more chances to win, visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/02/09/the-barrett-company-hollywood-virtual-book-publicity-tour-march-2012-kindle-fire-giveaway/.

Contest is only open to U.S. and Canada residents.

Good luck everyone!

Pages

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Indie Authors Spotlight (6) + Giveaway

ARC Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Defy Blog Tour Part I: Cover Reveal!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Initiation Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Blog Tour: The Day of First Sun Excerpt + Giveaway Deets

Monday, March 19, 2012

Until Next Time Blog Tour: Guest Post by Amy Lignor + Giveaway

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Indie Authors Spotlight (5) - Featuring Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Friday, March 16, 2012

Blog Tour: Charlie Barrett & Kindle Fire Giveaway Promo‏

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Pump Up Your Book and The Barrett Company are teaming up to give you a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

This giveaway is part of the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book. There are a lot of great blogs participating in this Kindle Fire giveaway. After you enter, check out the other stops on the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour and enter there too!

Here’s how it works:

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