Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

"I Know Your Secret..."

Stacey's junior year at boarding school isn't easy. She's not the most popular girl at school, or the smartest, or the prettiest. She's got a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, and an even darker secret that threatens to ruin her friendships for good.

And now she's having nightmares again. Not just any nightmares--these dreams are too real to ignore, like she did three years ago. The last time she ignored them, a little girl died. This time they're about Drea, her best friend who's become the target of one seriously psycho stalker.

It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. Now someone's leaving white lilies--the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacey's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game...until another girl at school is brutally murdered.

There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacey turns to the one secret weapon she can trust--the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. Will Stacey's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?

Review:

It begins with the nightmares. Trying to decipher what they mean, besides the obvious. That her best friend is going to be killed. Marking off the days with lilies. 4, 3, 2, 1....What eggs Stacey on is her determination and the fact that this has happened once before, three years ago; and she won't let it happen again.

It starts with the mysterious, possessive prank phone calls, made by the stalker himself, only to justify his relationship with Drea, the one only he thinks he has. Being her roommate at their boarding school, Stacey knows from the very beginning that something's amiss in their relationship--Drea and the cryptic caller, and she doesn't need her nightmares or her damp sheets to verify that. This midnight caller does that all himself when the girls--Stacey and Amber--listen in on one of their phone conversations and the starting of the countdown for the big surprise event he's got planned. Stacey, with her grandmother's and past generation's scrapbook of spells, is firmly determined to find out who the mystery stalker is. Before it's too late.

When another girl at school is murdered on school grounds, after allegedly claiming of being stalked then not wanting to help, it is all the confirmation Stacey need to trust her instincts and find Drea before she's next. Without anyone to trust or help, Stacey knows she's on her own and not even the police will come this time....Will Stacey be able to find out who is after Drea, once and for all? Will magic, herbs, candles be enough to lead her in the right direction? All Stacey knows for sure is one thing, she will not let what happened in her past happen again; not if she can help it.

My favorite character is definitely the MC, she can hold her own, and dish out with the truth at the same time. Even with all the witchcraft, going to a prep-bitch school, and the bed-wetting, she can find a little romance but at the same time be there for...people in general, I guess I should say. But, after what happened three years ago, Stacey is in no hurry to open up old wounds left to heal. In this suspenseful novel, Drea, the beautiful at-times-sincere, can-be-bitchy-too best friend, with four initials to her name is the main victim and is being stalked by an oppressive--more aggressive, in the end--lover.

Usually I like some cat fights between enemies, but when those enemies become victims or when you're fighting against your best friend over a guy in the middle of everything else that's going on, things tend to get a little out of focus. With a flirt as a best friend and the main victim, suspects are a bit difficult to differentiate.

I, personally, love witchcraft; mostly the herbs, home remedies, candles. So when Stacey cuts the arch of her foot on a piece of glass and decides to use half of some "Idaho Gold"--yes a potato--to clot the bleeding, a dash of lemon juice and a bandage to wrap, because that's the way her family still does it sometime; all I thought was, hello!

Anyway, in a sense the characters are all connected in Blue is for Nightmares, you have your typical prep school. Typical high school. Throw in a stalker to mix and all you get is more gossip, no spilled beans here, no looking back. I have to say that some characters seemed a bit too vague and nondescript for me (Amber, PJ) because they have no up-bringing and seem to pop out in the plot of the novel. Could have been leaning to more of a thriller instead of a suspenseful romance, with just a bit more details. As for the ending, liked it. *Minor spoiler warning for the next sentence!* Can't say I loved it because I think that the stalker/killer should have gotten way more jail time than was given as verdict, lol. No doubt recommended if you like reading some fantasy mystery mixed up with real high school dilemmas, especially with a heroine that does not get distracted from her main goal--most of the time, anyway.

Grade: B-

LiLi

Tempted: House of Night Series Cover

To see the cover and synopsis of the next novel in the House of Night Series go here: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/pages/tempted.html
I'm so excited, love this series!

So many releases today!

First up is Jeaniene Frost's Destined for an Early Grave:

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master Vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat wakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

I love this series, Love I tell you! I, seriously, think that this is going to be the best one yet. For more details about the fourth book in the Night Huntress series go to Jeaniene's website here, or more about the release here, where you can check out the trailer and the previous three books in the series.

Next up is another favorite author of mine, Rachel Vincent. With her new release of the YA genre, My Soul to Take:

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH KAYLEE CAVANAUGH

She doesn't see dead people, but...
She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next...

Rachel's debut novel into the YA community sounds freaking awesome! *Side-note: Get hands on a copy* I love murder mystery type books. Especially with a little romance mixed in. To get more info on the new series and a trailer (that I think was well-done) go to Rachel's website, or more about the release here.

Still not done people, next is Jenna Black's release of Speak of the Devil:

For a kick-ass exorcist, it’s all about staying alive . . .
Morgan Kingsley, America’s most successful exorcist, is paying the price for an exorcism gone wrong. The victim’s family is suing the daylights out of her, the Exorcism Board has suspended her, and now she’s living on a diet of ramen noodles and bad coffee. But Morgan has a few good men at her side. One is her current boyfriend, nice-guy legal-eagle Brian, who’s starting to reveal his inner bad boy. The other is Philly cop Adam White, who’s trying to help Morgan find out who sent her a little present—a severed human hand—and why someone seems determined to destroy her.
As her stalker turns more violent, leaving dead bodies in his wake, Morgan turns to the dark side of her life: a group of demons seeped in secrets, sinful eroticism, and otherworldly family feuds, including one sexy beast who shares Morgan’s body—and some X-rated fantasies. Soon Morgan must choose between her friends, her enemies, and her libido: to escape a mad demon determined to destroy her completely.

Somebody needs to remind me to look into this series because it sounds pretty amazing. *Side-note: look into The Devil Inside* Anyway, check out the Jenna's website for deets on the series and the release book itself.

Last but definitely not least, Marc Del Franco's debut series novel Skin Deep:

As the public relations director for the Fey Guild, Laura Blackstone can spin a story with ease. Across town, Janice Crawford works her magic as the druidess backup for the D.C. SWAT. Meanwhile as an operative for an international intelligence agency, Mariel Tate uses her beauty and brains to hunt down terrorists. Laura, Janice and Mariel have nothing in common--except they're the same woman...
Being an undercover agent has its occupational hazards, but Laura makes it look easy. She uses her magical abilities to create disguises that are skin deep--glamours, or personas, that must never be compromised.
Now, while Laura publicizes a special fey exhibition at the National Archives, Janice is almost killed in a drug bust gone wrong, and Mariel investigates a connection between the drug raid and threats made against the exhibition's debut. Laura's different worlds are about to collide, and if she can't keep it together, she'll have more to worry about than having to retire an identity. She may lose her life.

Debuting his new series with Skin Deep, Marc Del Franco is a must-read--and something I should also look into. More details about his new release novel at his website, and more about his writing here.

Well that's it for today, or if there are any more releases I missing, just leave a comment and I'll be happy to post more about it.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Pages: 284

Cammie Morgan is a student at The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school--typical, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies.

Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man seven different ways with her bare hands, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"--but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Review:

Cammie Morgan is not your ordinary girl-next-door, though she may look it. Cammie Morgan is a spy-in-training at The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Where girl-geniuses roam, The Gallagher Academy is the most high-tech, place-of-knowledge in the United States. From the grade of seven, The Gallagher Girls are tested at every turn and are expected to be prepared for what comes at them. During her first Coverts Operation, Cammie is unexpectedly flabbergasted by the fact that she has been spotted--and not by The Subject she was assigned to dutifully keep surveillance on. That is when Cammie realizes that she has a whole other test, operation, experiment that is hers to accomplish, no matter how unskillful in the subject. One that doesn't exist inside the containment of The Gallagher Academy's walls. One that is going to take all of her roommate's help.
Josh.

Can I just say that there is probably not another novel out there that has a title as accurate as I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You--the book, not the title. This debut novel was something very different from my collection of urban fantasies and paranormal trilogies. They did not prepare me for the boy-challenged genius Gallagher Girls. Though, to my surprise, the novel captivated me from the first few pages to the unexpected last ones. I'll have to admit that there were parts where I had to put it down because I knew the next event was going to be a bit mind-blowing--or hilarious, which I enjoyed; but, in the end that was a good thing. Albeit, thinking at times that there could have been more details about the girls, but what was supplied was enough to satisfy to the very end. The creative details of all the Academy's gadgets and secret passageways were impressive and so unprecedented that you do not see it coming. That's not just about the material things at The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, the girls will shock you with their knowledge--or with Tasers, whichever the situation demands best. I applaud Ally Carter for her creativeness and courage to bring to the YA community something I am sure must have been top secret. Seriously, the ending was so well-planned and -plotted that, in the end, I was amazed. Though, as a reviewer of YA novels, I have to say that this really is a new taste for me and I'm still testing out the flavor. I recommend this YA read to fellow reader of the age, to try something of variety for once and check out The Gallagher Girls; you will be impressed, I know I was.

Grade: B

LiLi

Winner of the 100 Follower Contest!!

Yeah, I decided to end it now because it looks like the rules weren't as big a hit as I thought, but thank you to everyone who entered. Out of the people you did enter, I chose one myself and I hope that she enjoys the books...........drumroll please...............

Congrats to Pam!

I just emailed you and hope to get your addy soon because I'm sending all books out today, but if you get back to me later today, that's okay, too. It's just you might have to wait a bit longer than you would have expected, and wait for the next batch of books that I send out in a week or less. In any case you have the next 48 or so hours to get back to me, or I will choose the next participant.

Thank you, again, everybody, appreciate it!

Two Side-notes! Quickies! (Edited) x2

Make this quick because I am tired, people!

1) Stolen from Across The Pond: (You have to see this, loved it!)


2) #TweetSulk was freaking AWESOME! LISA WAS--AND ALWAYS WILL BE--AWESOME!!!
The fiesta will resume tomorrow 10am Pacific time, for me 1pm, lol! I am joining in the giving away of prizes and donating my extra signed copy of Death by Denim and a bookmark of the series! Make sure to join us tomorrow, here are the rules and other prizes being given away.

Again at 3pm PST (6pm for me EST) today!

Oh and this too! I love it too much not to post it!

Lisa Mantchev & Jessica Verday Twitter Fiestas (Friday + Sunday)

Going to make this quick!

If you follow me on Twitter you'll notice the increase excitement about Lisa Mantchev's TweetSulk. For everyone not going to Comic-Con, and are willing to sulk and win prizes at the same time...Join us Friday (tomorrow) 4-7 PST, to begin the sulkfest. More details about that here. Side-note: Still time for more authors to contribute prizes and join in.

As for Jessica Verday....Well, she is just taking OVER Twitter on Sunday @ 2pm EST (my time, baby). She'll be answering questions about The Hollow, writing, her personal background, etc. (You know you're all nosy. Do not deny.) More info here.

Scotty Doesn't Know!!!

This is dedicated to Emily Mabbit/Brown, you know who you are!!! I really need to say your nickname bad! But, I can't, sadly, it would be to mean to post on the internet....Like that's stopped me before, lol. But I think this song's bad enough for this post.

Warning, if you don't like cuss words or talk about sex in general, please do not watch this video!!

You guys are lucky that I even warn you!

'Nough said!

Winner of Bloody Good!

Thank you, everybody, for participating and linking to the contest! There was actually 46 entries this time, which I still consider awesome, dudes, seriously. And, as for who won this....You're lucky because if I didn't look up that you were a follower, it would have gone to the next person, shame on you! I'm kidding, mostly............drum roll please:

Entry:
19

Congrats Brooke from Brooke Reviews!

Congrats, girl! I will email you right now, and you have until July, 23 2009 to get back to me. Thanks again, everybody!

Saturday Whatever!

ROFL.



Seriously, tell me what you think. I just had to post this, how could I not?....

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Pages: 281

"Life is an ugly, awful place not to have a best friend."

Halley and Scarlett have been best friends ever since they met. Helley has always been the quiet one; Scarlett braver and more outgoing. Halley has always turned to Scarlett when things get rough, and Scarlett has always known just what to do. It's the perfect setup. But everything changes at the beginning of their junior year. Scarlett's boyfriend is killed in a motorcycle accident; then she finds out she is carrying his baby. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Now Halley has to learn how to be strong for Scarlett. It won't be easy, but Halley knows that she can't let Scarlett down. Because a true friend is a promise you keep forever.

Review:

Change is everything. Oppisites become regulars.

Having to depend on someone most of her life, Halley realizes that now it's her turn to take care, watch over, and instruct Scarlett through this unexpected pregnancy. She has to be the strong one. What, at first, Halley doesn't realize is that she's going through changes herself. Personally. Emotionally. Mentally. Whether they're good or bad is not her concern. It's whether she's ready for what's looming over her head. What's rumbling in the distance. Is she ready to be the dominant of the pair? Is she ready for the decisions that are coming at her head-on? Is she ready to defy the way she has lived her life for fifteen years for Scarlett, and again for the guy? Though, is he really the guy? Is she ready to be an aunty?

I have two favorite characters; more like features from said characters. Halley, through her first stages of the book, being the quiet one, waiting for someone to take the dominate position as her friend. Then there's Micheal, the one who was killed. Who belonged nowhere and everywhere; and that's why they loved him. Praised him for being of a different flavor.

Someone Like You is insightful, in a heart-felt way that let's you view, not only the life of a pregnant teenager, but the effects it causes upon others that surrond her--specifically the MC. Only thing that tickled me was the frustrating Mother--Halley's, I mean, never really giving Halley a chance to explain. I think this book lacks a bit in detail, but besides that I would recommend this book to YA readers, and hope they like the ending as much as I did.

Grade: C+

LiLi

Friday Finds (mini)

My Soul to Take Trailer

Sorry Slight problem with Contest Story! (Edited)

I still had the moderation on for my comments so, now there're three guys instead of one in the story, lol. I said I would be throwing twisters at you, well, there's my first one. Sorry!
Side-note: Another Giveaway coming up soon! Got 2 signed copies of Death by Denim in the mail, and I only need one so...do the math.

Rules & Rambles for Contest! (Edited)

Warning I'm going to ramble a little/lot before I actually tell you guys the rules so you might want to skip down....
I'm going to start off telling you guys three random things (that my mom probably won't like when she reads it; yes, she sometimes goes through my blog, more explanation later!)

3 random thingies:

1) I shed more hair than a Golden Retriever (told you, random) And I mean head hair, people, jeez!
2) I'm a Hypocrite!
3) My mom is weird.

Now on #3 I could talk about forever, but I'm not going to. Why? Hello! I'm not that cold-hearted. (Shut up, Emily.)
Few reasons why my mom is...weird:
1) She looks at my blog (wait, I'm not finished) and says she wants one. When I ask her what she's going to talk about on it she says, and I qoute I don't know. Really? Seriously? C'mon!
2) Because my dad is weird, pretty much a chain reaction.
3) Hello, she has me for a daughter. 'Nough said. (Again, shut up, Emily!)

Few reason why I shed so much hair:
1) I was born that way.
2) To irritate my parents (and nothing irritates them more than clogging the shower, and nothing is more hilarious)
3) Something about me being a miracle or something, who knows.

Hypocrite reasons:
1) Friend hits me on shoulder, thinks I'll laugh it off. I get pissed. I hit my friend on shoulder, thinking they'll laugh it off. They get pissed. I get pissed because they get pissed. This is me. "God, why are you so mad, it was just a punch?" They look like a deer in headlights.
2) Can't think of anything else. Oh well.

So, I don't know what time it is in your country or state, or wherever you usually shit but it's exactly 11:07. And I promised you guys that I would post the rules "tomorrow" yesterday. It's still "tomorrow" here and that's all I care about. You might not read this till tomorrow, but that would be your fault going to sleep so damn early. *Hypocrite streak showing, I go to sleep at 9 sometimes, shh.* I just sort of lost track of time, Someone Like You is that good. Oh, I'm reading Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. You know, I have this friend that LOVES Sarah Dessen *cough* Emily *cough*. If I ever have an author interview and it's Sarah Dessen, Emily's body might just get a little impact with the floor. (Oh, calm down, girl, you know you love me.)
Some people may say that I should warn people about the things they may find on my blog, but seriously if you didn't want to read about shit, why the hell are you on my website/blog? Le duh, that's pratically what it's made for. Okay, onto rules because I'm boring myself and want to get this over with.

Rules:

Everybody must at least contribute two sentences--dialogue included, your choice--in order to be a participant of this contest. You may make new characters, create a history, whatever just make it magical.
Extra entry: post it somewhere and leave a link in a new comment.

I'll be popping in and putting in my two cents every now-and-then. May give you guys some twisters. Now to start off--a little boring I might add, make it interesting for me...

"Sally just got to her suburban home--from another night out at the movies with her girlfriends. Only to find that her parents were missing, without even a note to solve this new mystery."

Any ?s Just ask. Don't be shy....

Contest ends July 31st @ 1:00pm EST. US/Canadian residents only, sorry.

100 Followers Contest!

So.........I HAVE A HUNDRED FOLLOWERS!!!! (I should do something special for the 100th follower--Lucky1--right? If you will email me at lilibethramosATlive.com your address, Lucky1, I will mail you some swag, congrats for being the 100th!)
And Congrats to me, dude. This is like f-ing, excuse me, fucking amazing! You know I love you guys, right? Right? You better, shhitt. Now the books--and, yes, I said bookS--up for giveaway are, duh...Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler AND The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.
The rules for the contest will be up tommorrow, because supposedly I gotta come up with something not so painless for this one...whatever. It will be fun though, you have my word. I actually have an idea already. Actually, it's a stolen idea, but you guys know I don't care. It's something that Brooke Taylor did for one of her contests (which I won by the way--loved the idea though). It's pretty much making your one fairy tale/story, whatever the hell you want it to be, and each commenter adds with one sentence, until the deadline. Further explanation--check out the comments while your at it: http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/fairy-tale-once-upon-time-contest.html. I'll figure out more of the details and where to start you guys off tomorrow. Tell me what you dude/ttes think of the idea...

Confession

Hey, guys! Lately I have been blogging as frequently as I used to because I've been kind of depressed--among other reasons. My mom just got laid off again, so the reviews will probably be coming even slower because we have to save up the money that we have now for essentials. Food, water, lol you know, the usual. Anyway, I've been going through BM and PBS a lot since my mom justified that books are not the main priority right now. What really sucks is watching all my fellow bloggers enjoying there awesome books, but don't get me wrong, I like to gloat to, lol. But I'm still winning some contests here and there, that's awesome. My point of this post is that you have to bear with me on the reviews. No worries about the giveaways though, I'll always keep those up steadily for you guys. Check out my latest, down below. Anywho, just wanted to say don't give up on me--especially now that I'm going to start high school (Freshman Orientation Aug. 18). Thanks for listening, guys! (I should say reading, whatever.) XP
Bear with me,

New Giveaway: Bloody Good by Georgia Evans

Officially Closed!

Quick giveaway! Going to make this as painless as possible....

In the first of a supernatural trilogy, one Dr. Alice Doyle finds that the power to fight evil comes from places she'd never believe...

While the sounds of battle echo through the sky, a lady doctor has more than enough trouble to keep her busy even in a sleep hamlet outside London. But the threat is nearer home than Alice knows. German agents have infiltrated her beloved countryside--Nazis who can fly, read minds, and live forever.

They're not just fascists. They're vampires.

Alice has no time for fantasy, but when the corpses start appearing sucked dry, she'll have to accept help where she can get it. If that includes a lowly Conscientious Objector who says he's no coward though he refuses to fight, and her very own grandmother, a sane, sensible woman who insists that she's a Devonshire Pixie, so be it. Indeed, whatever it takes to defend home and country from an evil both ancient and terrifyingly modern...

Rules:

-Leave a comment with your email address.

Extra entries:

-become/already a follower

-post on blog (sidebars fine) leave a link

-post on twitter: @Lilixtreme

Open to US/Canada residents only, sorry I'm cheap. Ends July 20th @ 1:00pm.

Side-note: Going to have another giveaway as soon as I get 100 followers...

Another Faust by Daniel & Dina Nayeri + Teaser

Pages: 387

MEET SOME VERY GIFTED STUDENTS WHO ARE HAVING A HELL OF A YEAR.

One night, in cities spanning the globe, five children suddenly vanish. Years later, five enigmatic teenagers make their entrance at an exclusive New York holiday party with their strange but beautiful governess, Madame Vileroy. Rumor and intrigue follow the Faust children to the elite Manhattan Marlowe School, where their very presence brings unexplainable misfortune.
Using "gifts" given to them by Madame Vileroy, these mysterious teenagers rise to suspicious heights at Marlowe. Though at first these gifts seem childlike in their simplicity, allowing the five teens to deftly cheat, steal, hide, and lie, they prove to be much more sinister than just petty tools to get ahead.
A modern retelling of an ancient dilemma, Another Faust re-creates the story of the Faustian bargain. Set in present-day New York but spanning the centuries, it is a chilling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption that begs the question: What would you sell your soul for?

Review:

Victoria cheats. Belle tricks. Valentin lies. Bice hides. Christian steals. Everything and nothing is connected, by the most invisible, inaudible things around the world. The darkness you trust to protect, the governesses--maids, nannies, baby-sitters--you trust to protect your children, is/are what betrays you when the right moment strikes for what they truly want and will give anything to have. The most five differentiated children are brought together by one governess because of their "weakenesses." Every person and nuisance they encounter or interact with is eventually ultimately used as an amusement for Madame Vileroy, no matter how humiliating or degrading it may be for them; beware if Madame gets a laugh out of you mortification of high entertainment of your most embarrasing moment, for she may come back to you for more.
Okay, why is it that the best books always take me forever to read? Of course, I don't know they're the best books until I actually read them. I'm sorry for taking so long with this review, but don't think I won't make up for it; with a teaser further down below. Anywho, back to my review...
The beginning of every chapter, after chapter two, has a specific capture of time in Madame Vileroy's life, mostly, anyway; past or future. At first I did not understand why they were there, until I actually got the whole understanding of the chapter still to come. The book is not neccesarily told in anyone's self perspective but that does not mean their feelings and emotions don't contribute to the narration of the novel. Another Faust tells the children's/teen's stories individually and how, at times, mesh together due to being "siblings." All have their insecurities--no matter how confident they appear--and in that, their weaknesses. Another Faust is the oppisite of every book I've been reading lately, yet the same in different ways. In a lot of books there are the good and the bad--in so many ways. In this book it also has both sides but from the oppisite perspective--the bad one. Instead of the teens talking about the latest fashion for the New York holiday event, they're planning devious schemes, like paying the waiter to introduce himself to their enemy's high-maintence mother as an ex-boyfriend of her daughter, their enemy, just for kicks. Another Faust is inspirational--well, sometimes. It is smoothly written and doesn't frustrate you into skipping pages and finding out the secrets of others, it makes you want to go over every detail just to make sure you don't skip any detail....

Grade: B+/A-

Spoiler Warning!!

Now, for my apology gift:

Teaser:

*Madame Vileroy talking to Christian*

"I have a present for you. You deserve a present." He couldn't feel her breath on his neck, but she was close enough that he should have.

. . .

In the corner of the room stood a young man, or that's what Christian thought, because it was impossible to tell.

He had a blank expression on his face and stood without moving, like a dummy or a toy soldier ready for his orders.

"Who's this?" Christian asked Madame Vileroy.

"Don't you want more practice?" The look of alarm on Christian's face seemed to amuse Madame Vileroy. "Even Valentin is improving. Your sisters are natural at it. But you, you've been quesy."

"The other don't have to hurt people."

"You don't want to be weak, do you, Christian? Victoria cheats, because she has to. Bice hides. Valentin lies. Belle tricks. They do what they do because that's what's best for them. Stealing is no different."

Suddenly, the dummy in the corner began to move. First its shoulder shrugged a bit. Then it looked up at Christian. It went into a fighting stance. It would attack soon.

. . .

Madame Vileroy looked at the figure lying almost lifeless on the ground. Letters began to sear themselves across his forehead untill the word Buddy was clearly visible. Buddy. The dummy rubbed his forehead as if it burned. "There, now he has a name. He can be your buddy."

*About more than a hundred and fifty pages later, Bice is thinking about Valentin, and his new gift from Madame Vileroy.

When Madame Vileroy had first given her the ability to hide, she had wandered into many of the rooms, exploring, with everything frozen. But she did find that room--and five years ago, the person she found inside, gazing through the solitary white window, was someone that looked an awful lot like Buddy.

LiLi

Beautiful Creatures Trailer + Contest (Edited)

Has anyone seen this?



Crash Into Me & Swag contest @ Beautiful Creatures's blog...

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

Enter a thrilling, sensual world as threatening as it is beautiful, replete with the consuming passions of immortal beings once worshiped as gods or demons. Full of earthly pleasures and dazzling magic, A Kiss of Shadows will hold you under its hypnotic spell.

Meredith Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen's assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back--whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt's plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown--and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death.

Review:

It's hard not to compare the Anita Blake Series with the Merry Gentry Series. Not and do the review justice. It is indeed true that Merry doesn't have the aggressive edge and judo background as Anita, but she does keep her own gun and two knives when it comes to the court.

After three years of being free of the court, of the Queen of Air and Darkness, her aunt, and the narrowly escaped assassination attempts by the Queen's son, her cousin, Prince Cel; Princess Meredith, Daughter of Esuss, has finally been discovered in the Los Angeles region after a strange undercover job to uncover an illegal case of Branwyn's Tears--what I call hormone-induced oil, yes that type of oil. After trying to strike a bargain with Merry, Sholto, the queen's top go-to guy for little sidhe who do bad deeds, and his otherworldly crew catch a glimpse of the hand of power Merry acquires in a middle of a fight. Who knew that her hand of power would be inherited from her deceased father? And just in time to discover that Merry has a couple more surprises in store that even she didn't know about...But, of course, the queen saw it coming, even as she is trying to purposely ignore her son's attempts on Merry's life. Will the queen truly step down from the throne that has been hers and hers alone for more than a millennium? Will Prince Cel succeed in his indirect assassinations toward the princess or will he finally try get the punishment he deserves?

Throughout most of A Kiss of Shadows, I thought it went very smoothly, as if in the beginning and middle, one scene just flowed into another, and had some tales that just regaled me mercilessly. Though, it was the end scenes and the spaced-out details that discouraged me from continuing on with this particular series, really just reminds me of a different version of Anita, if that's possible. In other words, if you haven't read anything of this author's active imagination--and it is active, indeed--I would recommend A Kiss of Shadows to start off something new; beware of some erotic events and the choppy scenes concluding towards the end.

Grade: B-

LiLi

You broke me...Kreativ Blogger Award

Eleni and Diane managed to break me without even knowing...both nominated me for the famous Kreativ Blogger Award, and usually I don't nominate other people because I'm weird and selfish that way (like Emily says CONCEITED)! Jeez, I thought you guys got that by now...guess not, weirdos. So I'm only doin' this one because I was nominated twice--no other reason...stop with the mockery stare already, jeez!

The Kreativ Blogger award meme works like this: If you accept it, you are supposed to list seven of your favorite things and nominate seven blogs that deserve this award. Or at least that's what I stole from The Book Resort, so that's what I'm doing...

7 Favorite Thingies:

1. Books (Le DUH!)
2. My Blog & you people (yes your one of my thingies--that didn't come out right....)
3. Pasta & my parent's cuban food (Take that in the tush, Diane)
4. Summer my promoter (hope you read this summer, you were so AWESOME!)
5. The Post Office (I repeat, Le DUH!)
6. My mommie (laugh, see where it gets you)
7. The Beach ('nough said)

Now for the torture I have to nominate SEVEN bloggers (the agony):
1. Taschima from Bloody Bookaholic
2. Wendy from Wendy's Minding Spot
3. Jax from Undercover Book Lover
4. Jessica from Shut Up! I'm Reading.
5. Silvia from Silvia_pi's YA books
6. So Many Books, So Little Books
7. Brooke from Brooke's Reviews

You know the hassle I went through to get all the links, and now I have to TELL EVERYONE in the list about the award...screw it I'm not putting my signature I have to many windows open already (damn you, Diane *growl*)

LiLi (that's what you get)