FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selection is:

Deadly (Pretty Little Liars #14) by Sara Shepard

Expected release date: December 3, 2013

Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

High school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have all done horrible things- things that would put them behind bars if anyone ever found out. And their stalker “A” knows everything.

So far A has kept their secrets, using them to torture the girls. But now A’s changed the game. Suddenly the girls are hauled in for questioning, and all their worlds begin to unravel. If A’s plan succeeds, Rosewood’s pretty little liars will be locked away for good.

Just in case anyone is wondering...i'm a HUGE fan of this series and the TV show (two different stories at this point) so I CAN'T wait for this book to come out!!!!!

FEATURE: Teaser Tuesday (#2)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists of they like your teasers!

Hi Swooners! Here's my "teaser" for this week...

“But Cosmo does have a point: Thinking about someone you’re really really attracted to while touching yourself can yield satisfactory- very satisfactory- results. And when I think about Gabriel touching me here-there-everywhere while I’m doing just that, I seem to reach a place I never found when fantasizing about doing it with Ely. It makes me want to find that place for real with a real person- a person named Gabriel and not named Ely.”

Pgs. 189-190, Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

BLOG TOUR: EXCERPT: Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy #1) by Annabell Cadiz

Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy #1) by Annabell Cadiz 
Publication Date: January 31, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: E-book provided by author for an honest review
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble
Tour Organized by: Oops I Read a Book Again

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Have you ever wondered what could be hiding in the shadows?

Well, for eighteen-year-old Zahara Faraday, she doesn't have to wonder. You see she comes from a lineage of Light Witches, those who have chosen to protect and serve between the supernatural world and the human world. The only problem is Zahara, like her father Solomon, is as human as a human being can be whereas her mother, Mia, and her aunt Catalina, were born as Light Witches. As a family they hunt down rogue supernatural-creatures who harm humans or have committed an act against their kingdom.

Zahara's hunting skills are usually kept dormant since her parents would prefer she live life as a normal human girl without knowledge of the supernatural world. She plans on doing just that-except when she finds a couple being attacked by fairies, she has no choice but to step in. Before she can return to pretending to be blissfully ignorant, Zahara encounters a problem she isn't the least equip to handle: Bryan Hamilton, the good looking new co-worker she has to help train. In a heartbeat, her best friend, Becca King, has set her up on a double date with herself and her new crush, Rekesh Saint-Louis, who happens to be the most powerful leader of the biggest Imago coven in South Florida- supernatural creatures with the ability to control water... and suck out human souls. 

Zahara has no time to focus on how she's going to explain her double date with her best friend and the enemy they have tentative truce with to her parents because soon one of the members of Mia and Catalina's coven is found murdered with a strange tattoo of a snake with wings carved into his arm.

Zahara is then thrown into a whirlwind battle with an angel determined to have revenge against God, an Imago coven he doesn't think they should trust, and slew of dream-eating fairies and powerful Nephilims, hybrid children of angels and humans, more than happy to rip her to shreds. 

Normal just got a deadlier definition.

EXCERPT

They stopped into a clearing and Bryan brought them both to a stop as they approached a statue of two angels, one angel standing on top of the other. His wings were stretched from his back, full and wide; if they were real, they could envelop them both. He had a halo circling around his head. A sword in the form of a cross was held in one of his hands, about to stab into the back of the second angel. His other arm had an oval shield attacked to it, his chest was covered in a breastplate made of bronze, and bronze sandals adorned his feet. The second angel had smaller wings, his face contorted in pain. His fingers were gripping the edge of the platform on which the statues were set.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Zahara said quietly, stepping away from Bryan.

"It's a depiction of Archangel Michael delivering the final blow to Lucifer," Bryan said, staring up at the statue of Michael.

"You mean like the whole Genesis story?" Zahara asked, glancing back at him.

Bryan nodded his head. "You know the story?"

"I know Lucifer betrayed God. He led one third of Heaven in rebellion against God. They fell from Heaven because some of the angels fell in love with mortal women. Isn't that how the story goes?" Zahara ran her fingers over the fact of the statue of Lucifer.

Bryan followed her gaze. "The most often told version of the story was that Lucifer became jealous of God's love for his new created creatures, the humans, and the rebellion was formed as a direct reaction to his feelings of rage and betrayal."

"So Lucifer just threw a temper tantrum," Zahara commented. She slowly walked around the statue.

"I'm not sure it's quite that simple," Bryan said, his tone distant. "Imagine your best friends is not only your creator but like a brother to you. He has always trusted you, has always confided in you. You were the first angel created. Made of such beauty the Earth wept in awe. Lucifer was that angel." Bryan place a hand onto the head of the smaller angel. "Lucifer had been there to watch the Earth be formed, the humans be created, and to watch the humans destroy themselves. In creating the human race, God fell madly in love. He saw great beauty in their imperfections, no matter the sorrow they brought him. Some say Lucifer rebelled to protect God from himself. God was too blind to the truth of the humans, and Lucifer wanted to protect him from any more pain. Others say Lucifer wanted to take control of Heaven; that he felt God has lost his ability to lead. And yet others say Lucifer himself fell in love with a human woman, but due to God's strict rule of angels and humans never meeting, Lucifer rebelled; the loved the woman that much."

"Lucifer in love;  wonder how that story would have played out," Zahara mused. She slid her hand into the back pocket holding her dagger and stared up at the statues as she walked behind Bryan.

"Whichever the case, Lucifer rebelled and took a huge chunk of Heaven with him. Many of thos angels did lust after women, which was probably why he was able to convince them so easily to follow him. Michael was sent to put an end to the battle once and for all. Trusted as much as Lucifer himself, Michael was God's most beloved soldier. Michael and Lucifer were brothers in a war that would set them against one another. As the story goes, Lucifer lost the war and was sent to Earth until judgment."

"Is that why you were sent?" Zahara whipped the dagger out and held it against Bryan's back. She ma not be able to reach his neck, but she would run it through him if he tried anything.

Bryan remained still. "What do you mean?"

"Enough with the games; I know what you are, Nephilim, and if you make one move, I promise I will carve you open." She pressed the dagger harder against his back. "Now, start talking."

About the Author

Annabell Cadiz was born in the sweltering heat of South Florida. She was raised surrounded by Puerto Rican chefs and band of siblings that weren’t all related to her. A self-proclaimed nerd and book-a-holic (her room does hold much evidence to prove her claims are justifiable), she created TeamNerd Reviews to showcase her EXTREME love for novels where, along with her best friend, Bridget Strahin, she hosts book reviews, interviews, giveaways, Indie Shoutouts and much more. She also had the pleasure of being published in three separate issue of Suspense Magazine. She is currently attending Trinity International University to attain her B.A. in Psychology. She also adores Cinnamon Teddy Grahams, has an addiction to Minute Maid Orange juice, and is a proud Jesus Freak. Her debut novel, LUCIFER (SONS OF OLD TRILOGY, #1) was published January 2013 and the second book, MICHAEL, will be out Fall 2013 and the third book, NEPHILIM, will be out Spring 2014.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads  / Twitter

FAN GIVEAWAY: Lucifer Inspired Swag Pack

**Must be 13 or older to enter**

**Opened to U.S. ONLY**

**Winner has 24 HOURS to respond before new winner is chosen**

Swag Pack Includes:

--An e-copy of Lucifer (Sons of Old Trilogy, #1) by Annabell Cadiz

--Lucifer Inspired Keychain

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--Beautiful Day Lotion and Body Spray

--Notebook

--Bookmark

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REVIEW: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)  by Ally Carter
Publication Date: April 1, 2006
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-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 in seven different ways, 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?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission- falling in love.

Let me start by saying that this is my second time reading this book. Since the final Gallagher book, United We Spy, was recently released I thought the series deserved a "proper" goodbye. So re-read I did!

The main characters, Cameron Morgan, Rebecca Baxter, Elizabeth Sutton, and Macey McHenry, are all spies-in-training. Come on guys, they're SPIES-IN-TRAINING!!! That in itself is the coolest thing ever!

So like I said, Cammie is a spy-in-training and things start to get a little sticky when she meets a normal boy that has no idea who she is. The main thing that appealed to Cammie about Josh is that he’s the first boy to ever see her. He’s really the first person to ever truly “see” her. As a “Pavement artist” Cammie prides herself on being a “Chameleon” so when Josh actually sees her it throws her off. Balancing a boyfriend is not easy when you’re in a school for spies, but Cammie manages to balance her boyfriend and school work with the help of her best friends, Bex, Liz, and Macey. Even saving her from a few “close calls” involving her mother, teacher, and barn!

As for Josh, he turns out to actually be a pretty good boyfriend to Cammie. Even after the breakup (come on you had to see that coming!) he still comes to her rescue after witnessing certain events take place. I totally think he has “spy” potential and should have been given the opportunity, but hey what do I know right!?

Ally Carter is a great author and this book puts her on the top of my “favorite series” list. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did! 

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selection is:

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

Expected release date: November 5, 2013

Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

He is Legend.

She is Prodigy

Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic- and each other- and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier that ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#3)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selection is:

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Expected release date: October 22, 2013

Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation- like a single choice- changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior believed in is shattered- fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming that the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature- and of herself- while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

FEATURE: Teaser Tuesday (#1)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists of they like your teasers!

Hi Swooners! So here's my "teaser" for this week...

"'Learn your legends early. Learn them well,' he warned as he leaned over, gripping the back of the teachers chair i'd never seen him sit in. 'The split second it takes you to recall something your cover identify would know is the split second in which very bad people can do very bad things.'"

P. 141, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You, Ally Carter 

FEATURE: Interview with Author Jessica Spotswood

Hi Swooners!

I'm happy to welcome Jessica Spotswood to Lexi Swoons! I read her novels Born Wicked and Star Cursed, both part of the Cahill Witch Chronicles, and I absolutely LOVED them!!! I'm so happy that she was able to answer a few questions for me and give us all a chance to get to know her better. Hope you all enjoy!!

1. Do you have a favorite character to write and if so, who?

I love writing Rory Elliott. She and Sachi were originally very minor characters, but they really took hold in my imagination. I love that they teach Cate that girls can love fashion and gossip and be very feminine, and also be incredibly canny and clever and loyal, because Cate is really judgmental about that. Rory is a much-needed dose of humor despite her sad story; I love that she says what she thinks. I also love writing Rilla Stephenson, Cate's roommate in STAR CURSED. She's this bouncy little chatterbox who wants to take care of everyone and loves romance novels and hot chocolate. She's probably the character most like me. In SISTERS' FATE she gets a sort of love interest and they banter a lot, and it was so fun to write.

2. Are any of your characters based on real people?

Maura and Tess aren't based on my sisters, but they are definitely influenced by my relationships with them. My middle sister and I are three years apart and grew up fighting over everything. We defined ourselves in opposition to each other: she was the messy one and I was the neat one; she was temperamental and I was revoltingly cheerful; she liked blue and I liked pink, etc. My little sister is eight years younger than I am and we didn't have any of that sense of competition; I just always felt very protective of her. Cate's relationships with Maura and Tess are definitely informed by that.

3. Do you have any writing rituals or quirks?

I like to have tea - iced herbal tea in the summer and Earl Grey in the winter, usually - and I need it to be pretty quiet. I cant write with music or the TV, and if i'm in a noisy coffee shop, I have to wear headphones with a white noise app. I also write best very late at night - from midnight until about 4AM. When i'm on a tight deadline, I become entirely nocturnal.

4. Without spoiling SISTERS' FATE, what was your favorite part of the novel to write?

The Cahills celebrate Christmas in SF, and that was super fun to write. That chapter was one of the first scenes I wrote, actually, even though it takes place halfway through the book. It's a nice, happy interlude amidst a lot of dreadful things!

5. Describe SISTERS' FATE in 3 words:

Death & Fire & Christmas!

6. After "The Cahill Witch Chronicles," what's next? Are you working on any new projects that you can share?

I am working on something new - a sort of Southern Gothic ghost story. I love it and am putting together a proposal for my agent, but we'll see if it ends up being my next official book. I have a few other projects marinating as well.

7. What are you reading right now?

I just finished Andrea Cremer's THE INVENTOR'S SECRET, which comes out next April and is a wonderful YA steampunk adventure. It's got incredible, imaginative worldbuilding and a fantastic plucky heroine and I loved it.

8. What gave you the idea for Born Wicked?

I had a dream in which my sisters and I were fighting over a magical locket from our mom. The idea of writing about that mix of love and rivalry between sisters with a complicated magical inheritance stuck.

9. If you could coauthor a book with any author of your choice, who would it be?

Eep. Honestly i'm not sure I would be very good at coauthoring. I'm a little bit of a control freak! My favorite author right now is Kristen Cashore; I'm in awe of her worldbuilding and the way she creates such amazing, independent, clever, flawed heroines. I would be far too intimidated to work with her, though.

10. Who is your favorite swoony boy? (Can be real or fictional)

Ooh, I love this question! Po from GRACELING is probably my very favorite, but I also love Brigan from FIRE, Eldric from CHIME, Joe Fontaine from THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, Cricket Bell from LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR...I have a whole stable of book boyfriends!

 

Well, that's it swooners! I hope you enjoyed reading this review as much as I enjoyed giving it!

Check out my reviews for BORN WICKED and STAR CURSED, and the synopsis for SISTERS' FATE, which is expected to release on August 14, 2014. 

REVIEW: Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

Star Cursed (Cahill Witch Chronicles #2)  by Jessica Spotswood
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate’s friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers- if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn’t want to be a weapon, and she doesn’t want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood’s schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she’ll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess’s quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternative history of New England.

That ending though…THAT ENDING!!!! My emotions are too much right now...READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

The feelings I have right now are too tremendous to properly describe for you…but I’ll try my best to give you a good review without my emotional baggage tagging along...

Let me start by saying that I LOVE everything about this book. Which only makes this review even harder to write because I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it...the only "bad" thing that I can say is that the ending of this book left me DEVASTATED!!!! But it was so heartbreaking that it was GOOD!!! So you see where my issue is!

Anywho, lets start with the progress of our characters. Particularly our favorite witches, the Cahill sisters.

Cate, the eldest sister, we left off in Born Wicked thinking she was the prophesied witch that everyone was looking for. She has matured so much in this book it amazes me. She went from babying her sisters to actually letting them be themselves and it was such a beautiful thing! She has also learned so many things, magical and otherwise, that it makes me feel a sort of "pride" for her. Especially when she realizes that her magic isn't all bad, something happy for her in a world of sorrow and secrecy. 

Maura, on the other hand, was such a disappointment for me (I guess I DO having something negative to say lol) her character seems like she really hasn't learned anything from her experiences. The only real change I see in her is that she is better at being conniving, spiteful and all around sinister! Such horrible (and WICKED) features!!! There are moments in the book when you can see how truly vulnerable she is, and though those moments are far and few in-between, my heart actually breaks for her in those moments. That is until her fits of jealousy emerge and you see how horrible she can be. The things she says and DOES to her sisters is just heartbreaking...HEARTBREAKING!!!

Tess, Ah we learn so much about Tess in this book. She was already a great character in Born Wicked, but we see her in a much more mature role in Star Cursed. She is such a powerful witch and loving sister that it hurts me to see all the drama that unfolds with these three girls.

And lastly, Finn!!! The life of my heart, I CANNOT even speak about him right now. My heart still hurts too much to form anything other than gut wrenching squeals and tears. I know this statement creeps into semi-spoilery waters, but there are no other words right now.

So finally, I hope that after what's been said you can still find as much joy in this book as I did because it really is a great sequel to the Cahill sisters journey and I am just as frightened at what's to come for Cate, Tess and Maura AND Finn as Cate is, but I know that Mrs. Spotswood will give them the ending that they deserve.

FEATURE: Waiting on Wednesday (#2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hi Swooners :-)

This week my "can't-wait-to-read" pre-publication selection is:

When Did You See Her Last (All The Wrong Questions #2) by Lemony Snicket

Expected release date: October 15, 2013

Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound

Summary from Goodreads:

I should have asked the question “How could someone who was missing be in two places as once?” Instead, I asked the wrong question--four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the second. In the fading town of Stain’d-by-the-Sea, young apprentice Lemony Snicket has a new case to solve when he and his chaperone are hired to find a missing girl. Is the girl a runaway? Or was she kidnapped? Was she seen last at the grocery store? Or could she have stopped at the diner? Is it really any of your business? These are All The Wrong Questions.

Lemony Snicket is possibly one of the best fiction writers EVER!!! So no doubt this will be another GREAT book. October 15th can't come fast enough!! So swooners, what are you waiting on this week???