Reaper by Rachel Vincent

Reaper:
Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....

The Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent is one of the most unique set of young adult books I have had the pleasure of reading. Reaper aligns itself with the beginning of My Soul to Lose, the prequel that began the series. And in this enovella we get to see an entirely different side of Tod, the one that he hides from the rest of the world behind sarcasm and snarkiness. We learn of his beginnings as a Reaper, and just what he sacrificed to save his brother. Even though he is dead, Tod is still unwilling to give up the role of big brother, when he returns after ten days of being dead; he simply cannot see his brother suffer with the guilt of how he died. So he takes on the lonely job of being a Reaper in order to talk to his family again, even if that is against the rules.

Guest Post & Giveaway: Sophia of Fiction Vixen

Put down your bags, pull up a chair and tell me a story!

Hi everyone, I’m Sophia from Fiction Vixen. I’d like to start off by thanking Amy for inviting me to be her guest today. I’ve been blogging at Fiction Vixen since 2009 and I’ve gotten to know many romance readers that way. But guest blogging always opens up more opportunities to make new friends. So, thank you for this chance to reach out to your readers, Amy.

One of the hardest things about guest blogging for me is coming up with a topic. My family would be shocked about that if I told them because I babble about books and bookish stuff at home all the time. But there is just something about guest blogging that gives me stage fright.

I browsed around Amy’s blog trying to think about what I wanted to talk about today and then her blog title really hit me. A Simple Love of Reading. Because really, isn’t that really what it’s all about? I’ve always loved reading it’s always been a part of my life. In the “old” days it was just me and a book.Simple. But these days I’ve added many things “ingredients” to my “reading recipe”. For example:


Blogging
I don’t review every book I read but I do review a lot of them at Fiction Vixen. I love talking about the books I read and what better place to do that than on my blog?


Social Media
I’m FictionVxn on Twitter and you can find me tweeting quotes, squeeing about my latest read and giving and getting recommendations on Twitter almost every day. It’s an instant connection with other romance readers and I might be a little bit addicted.

eReaders
Notice that’s plural? I’ve owned 5 Kindles since 2009 and I regularly read eBooks on my iPhone. I’m not a fan of clutter and eBooks are the perfect solution. I’m also a bit of a technology junkie and combine that with my love of books and it equals manyKindles. I need an intervention.


Library Management Software
With hundreds of eBooks tucked safely away on my hard drive, I need some way to manage them all. Since my husband refuses to hire a full time librarian to manage my eBook library, I had to find a cheaper solution. I discovered Calibre one day and have become obsessed with eBook organization. My library is pristine now. *picture me my hair in a tight bun and a pair of glasses sitting on the end of my nose.* That’s what I look like when I fire up Calibre.


I could go on and on but I think you see what’s happened here. I’ve taken a simple love of reading and made it…well…better! I’ve discovered an amazing community of readers who blog, tweet, chat and passionately discuss the books they are reading. It just keeps getting better and better. But the really amazing thing is, I can still tuck myself away with an eBook or paperback and it’s still just me and my book. Simple. Either way, reading is awesome and I’m so privileged to have access to so many great books and people to discuss them with.

So tell me, what’s your style? Or are you a social reader? Do you utilize social media, gadgets and software to enhance your reading experience? Or do you keep it simple? Or maybe a little of both?


To thank you for stopping by today, I’d like to give away a $10 Amazon gift card to one reader.

Rules for entry:
- Giveaway ends July 7, 2012 12AM EST.
- Open to everyone.
- Answer Sophia's question and leave your email so I can contact you if you win!

My Bookish Wants & Gots (9)

My Bookish Wants & Gots is weekly Saturday feature at The Book Vixen. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got.

Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler
Nothing says "home" like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers.

Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she's not the only thing that's been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world.

Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped...and Jane's just the halfling for the job.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

 

Lothaire by Kresley Cole
ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood
Dr. Ellie Sullivan has just completed her residency at a large urban hospital. While jogging in a park nearby, she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of wanted criminals, a couple identified as the Landrys. The only person to see the shooter's face, Ellie is suddenly at the center of a criminal investigation.

Agent Max Daniels takes over the Landry case. A no-nonsense lawman, he's definitely not the ideal man that Ellie has always imagined, yet she's attracted to him in a way she can't explain.

Ellie heads home to Winston Falls, South Carolina, to attend her sister's wedding. Shortly after she arrives, though, she receives a surprise visitor: Max Daniels. The Landrys have been captured, and she'll be called to testify. But they've been captured before, and each time the witnesses are scared into silence-or disappear before they can take the stand. Max vows to be Ellie's shadow until the trial, and it isn't long before sparks fly.

Forgotten Fridays (18)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

A Dream of Stone and Shadow by Marjorie M Liu
Series: Dirk & Steele
First Published: August 2006

Previously published in the print anthology Dark Dreamers.

There are those who do terrible things in this world, and others who simply watch. As a gargoyle, sworn to protect the weak, Charlie can do neither. He has been imprisoned by a witch, and his only release will come at his own destruction—or through the help of clairvoyant Aggie Durand. Sweet as a kiss, she is the one dream he does not dare desire—and yet, she might be his soul’s salvation.

Caressed by a Crimson Moon Cover Reveal

Consumed by madness and tormented by dark memories of blood and death, Hadrian Lucretius, King of the Validus Clan, has returned after living in self-imposed exile for nearly three hundred and fifty years.

To maintain peace with the vampires, Eva Maldonado is offered as a sacrifice to the crazed vampire king by her father, the alpha of the Silveria Shifter Pack. Hadrian’s reputation is both legendary and lethal; he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, lusty, and soulless. When Eva arrives at the ancient fortress high in the Carpathian Mountains, she is shocked to find a ravaged man with dark burning eyes filled with loneliness and dangerous desire.

Would she be his lover…or his prey? His savior…or his victim? Would Hadrian lure her into madness or would their perilous passion be their redemption?

Coming Winter 2012!

Find Amanda J. Greene:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

Shadow's Edge (ARC) by J.T. Geissinger

Shadow's Edge:
Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a tribe of mysterious beings lives hidden from the everyday world. Beautiful, savage, and graced with the ability to shift from human to vapor to lethal predator, the Ikati are bound together by ancient bloodlines and a code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death. Half a world away, on the sun-drenched shores of Southern California, Jenna Moore's past is shrouded in mystery. She spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone. Or something. Her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her mother's sudden death, not since her father's mysterious disappearance, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. But when the handsome, enigmatic Leander McLoughlin appears out of the blue, promising her the answers she so desperately wants, Jenna takes a leap of faith. She agrees to accompany him to England in return for the truth about her origins, never suspecting the shattering revelations that await her there. For once among the Ikati, Jenna faces an extraordinary birthright she never dreamed possible. And a dangerous, sensual destiny she may not survive to see.

Shadow’s Edge was a promising beginning to the Night Prowler series by J.T. Geissinger. It was filled with tension, mystery and formidable characters. The storyline was strong and kept me turning page-after-page. While the general plot was not entirely uncommon in the paranormal world, J.T.’s vision made this book unique, and able to stand apart from other shifter novels.

J.T. created a world where the shifters live completely separate from the human one, where they live in hiding from those who seek to destroy them. An enemy that we are only shown briefly, but one that is intriguing and spiteful against anything that is considered unknown. And I’m looking forward to seeing more conflict between the shifters and their enemies in future books. When Leander first comes for Jenna he believes she is simply a danger to his people, and she must be forced into her proper place. But when Jenna is pulled into their world, she discovers the truth of her heritage, the true power she wields, and the truth of her father’s disappearance.

My Book Boyfriend (73)

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie of The Unread Reader, in which we swoon over boys in books!
(I--as in me, Amy--don't like to use commercial photos, I like to use the authors' descriptions and my imagination.)

Quinn Tyrrell

Book: Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke

Series: Dragonfire

He’s one of the Pyr, a dragon shifter, silver and blue in his dragon form. In human form, his voice is as rich as bittersweet chocolate, his hair is dark and wavy and he has an impressive, muscular build. Handsome in a rugged way and dark, thick lashes that frame brilliant blue eyes, that stad out vibrantly against his tanned skin. The muscles of his broad shoulders come from years working as a blacksmith and his body moves with an athletic ease.

Quotes:

“I’d just like to see you safely on your way.” “In return for?” “Knowing that you’re safe.” “That sounds very chivalrous.” His eyes twinkled. “Who says chivalry is dead?”

“That white towel almost glows, princess,” he said quietly. “Are you trying to tempt me?” “I’m no temptress,” Sara said with a laugh. Quinn didn’t laugh. He came toward her, the firestorm making the air crackle with heat between them. “Wrong.” Quinn spoke with a conviction that surprised her. “You look like my mermaid, her hair all wild and her eyes filled with promises.”

Quinn had often been accused of being purposeful and goal oriented, but on this night, he had a profound sense of having been cheated. He wasn’t ready to be without Sara Keegan. He wasn’t ready for his firestorm to be over. And he wasn’t ready to be alone again. He wondered whether he ever would be.

Future Favorites (87)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Shadow Rising by Yasmine Galenorn

Release Date: October 30, 2012 by Berkley

We're the D'Artigo sisters: sexy, savvy ex-operatives from the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Being half human, half-Fae means our powers go haywire at all the wrong times. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch, with three gorgeous husbands. My sister Delilah is a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. And me? I'm Menolly, a jian-tu turned vampire, and I'm dating a sexy werepuma and the godfather of vampires. Unfortunately, life is about to get very, very nasty...

Nerissa and I can't decide on what we want to do for our promise ceremony and we're bickering like an old married couple. My sisters and I head to Otherworld for a meeting with Queen Asteria, where we discover that Shadow Wing has dispatched Telazhar to reignite the Scorching Wars. And as soon as we return back home, we find Gulakah, the Lord of Ghosts, waging a battle to control the magical beings over Earthside. Caught between two terrible enemies in a battle spanning two worlds, we can only hope we're in time to stop all-out annihilation.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (107)

This is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

Books I read last week:
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headly


The book I’m reading now:

Shadow's Edge

Deep within the primeval forests of southern England, a tribe of mysterious beings lives hidden from the everyday world. Beautiful, savage, and graced with the ability to shift from human to vapor to lethal predator, the Ikati are bound together by ancient bloodlines and a code of secrecy that punishes traitors with death. Half a world away, on the sun-drenched shores of Southern California, Jenna Moore's past is shrouded in mystery. She spent her childhood in hiding, on the run from someone?or something?her parents refused to discuss. She trusts no one, not since her mother's sudden death, not since her father's mysterious disappearance, and definitely not since she began exhibiting strange, superhuman abilities. But when the handsome, enigmatic Leander McLoughlin appears out of the blue, promising her the answers she so desperately wants, Jenna takes a leap of faith. She agrees to accompany him to England in return for the truth about her origins, never suspecting the shattering revelations that await her there. For once among the Ikati, Jenna faces an extraordinary birthright she never dreamed possible?and a dangerous, sensual destiny she may not survive to see.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Brave

Today my husband and I took our children to see BRAVE.  Both my six year-old and my three year-old sons were kept as captivated as I was.

This movie was amazing.  The characters.  The story.  The imagery.  Amazing.

Merida is an incredible female lead rarely seen in Disney/Pixar movies, we can only hope that she will open the door to others like her in the future.

My Bookish Wants & Gots (8)

My Bookish Wants & Gots is weekly Saturday feature at The Book Vixen. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got.

Beautiful Sacrifice by Elizabeth Lowell

According to Maya legend, December 21, 2012, will mark the end of the world as we know it. Is it myth . . . or will their prediction become reality?

Archaeologist Lina Taylor has devoted her life to studying ancient Maya artifacts, splitting her time between digs in South America and the classroom teaching college students. But the professor's structured, academic life is about to spin out of control. Some extremely valuable and important Maya artifacts have gone missing. Are the culprits fanatics determined to create chaos and usher in annihilation?

Helping out a friend, former immigration and customs enforcement officer Hunter Johnston is determined to recover the missing pieces and he needs Lina's help. A man used to calling the shots and working alone, he isn't comfortable letting anyone get close, especially a beautiful and brainy woman like Lina. His gift for reading people tells him there's a lot going on below that professional exterior, and he's more than a little curious to probe her depths.

Burying herself in her work, Lina's had little experience handling men, especially one as fascinating and exasperating as the secretive, headstrong Hunter. A devoted archaeologist, she has the skill to excavate those protective layers all the way to his core.

But finding the missing artifacts is only the beginning of a mystery that will plunge these unlikely partners into adventure, romance, and danger more thrilling, sensual, and deadly than either of them knows. . . .

His Bonnie Bride by Hannah Howell

Storm Eldon was first caught up in the war between England and Scotland as a young girl, when she and her family were held hostage by their sworn enemies, the MacLagans. Years later, Storm finds herself trapped in the clutches of her Scottish adversaries once again. Now she must fight to preserve her loyalties, guard her virtue, and resist the charms of Tavis MacLagan, her handsome Highland captor…

This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent
If you live in the dark long enough, you begin to forget the light...

Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she's ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if it means taking it from someone else....

The job? Recruit Ian Holt-or kill him.

Ian's ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he's on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower's top Binder: Kori's little sister.

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they'll have to choose between love and liberty....

 Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school...  Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life....

Midsummer Dream Fair

Head on over to J.L. Bryan's BLOG for today's post sponsored by both Supernatural Snark and myself!

Forgotten Fridays (17)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope thist helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson
Series: N/A
First Published: December 2010
My Review

I swear, my life was always totally normal.

Normal house, normal family, normal school. My looks are average, I don't have any superpowers, no one's showing up to tell me I'm a princess—you get the picture. But when my junior year started, something not normal happened. There were new kids at school . . . new kids with a wardrobe straight out of a 19th-century romance novel, and an inexplicable desire to stay at school until sundown.

And on top of that, James Hallowell showed up. James, who stole my sandwiches in fourth grade and teased me mercilessly through middle school. James, who now seems to have the power to make my heart race any time he comes near.

But something weird is going on. Because James rarely goes out during the day. And he seems stronger than your typical guy. And he knows the new kids, all of whom seem to be harboring some kind of deep secret. . .