Thursday 31 May 2012

REVIEW: Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock

Hemlock (Hemlock, #1) 
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Series: Hemlock
Pages: 416
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Amazon: Hemlock

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

REVIEW: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Hemlock is a book that has intrigued me since I first read about it, I love werewolf stories but haven't read anything about them in the YA genre so I was keen to get hold of and devour this book.

Mackenzie (Mac) is being haunted in her dreams by her best friend, Amy who was brutally murdered by a werewolf. Mac has been abandoned throughout her life by those she loved so is extremely insecure and has trouble trusting those around her and since Amy’s murder hasn’t yet been solved and the killer not caught, she takes it upon herself to investigate.

Since there have been a few attacks in the small town of Hemlock an extremist group known as The Trackers have arrived to hunt those with Lupine Syndrome and lock them away at camps specifically for their kind; they are brutal in their ways and trying to recruit everyone possible, including one of Mac’s best friends and Amy’s ex boyfriend Jason.

Jason and Kyle are Mac’s closest friends but they couldn’t have been more different, I knew upfront I wanted Mac to be with Kyle, he was sweet, caring and protective and always seemed to be there for her whereas Jason was somewhat on a path of destruction.

Hemlock surprised me with the many twists and turns; there was mystery, betrayal and a murder investigation that had me intrigued, I was certainly surprised by the bad guy and somewhat disappointed in him.

The concept of Hemlock was certainly interesting and very different to any other werewolf book I have read more recently and Ms Peacock’s writing was engaging and kept me wanting to know more. I would have loved more information on the werewolves, the camps and how they came to be.

I think I am in the minority of readers who didn’t completely fall in love with this book, Hemlock was just an ok read for me, I felt there was something lacking – the characters were ok but I didn’t ‘love’ any of them and the premise although interesting I felt was missing the wow factor. I preferred the second half of the book over the first; there was a lot more action and intense interactions which kept me more interested.

Overall, Hemlock’s storyline kept me interested but the characterizations fell flat for me. I am still interested in reading the sequel to find out what is to come of Mac, Jason and Kyle.



REVIEW: Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3) by C.C. Hunter

Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls, #3) 
Author: C.C. Hunter
Series: Shadow Falls
Pages: 380
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Amazon: Taken at Dusk

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers.  Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean.  But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together.  Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning,
someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Taken at Dusk is the third book in the Shadow Falls series by C.C. Hunter and follows on where Awake at Dawn left off.

Kylie Galen is still anxiously trying to work out what she is and the many obstacles and changes she is going through is certainly causing her to feel disheartened.

Since her run in with the rogues and her life possibly still at risk, Kylie is now forced to travel everywhere with a shadow, on top of this she is being haunted by an amnesia-stricken ghost and is trying to work out her hidden ‘Someone lives and Someone dies’ message, she is also starting to question her trust for the FRU and things which occurred in the past.

Taken at Dusk is a book which shows Kylie’s journey of self-discovery, she is learning more about her family and her supernatural abilities and I am thankful we actually find out what she is and it is definitely not what I would have guessed, I am eager to learn more about it and her possible powers in the next installment, and especially her connection to the evil Mario.

The romance also plays a big part in this book, I adore both Derek and Lucas but feel Lucas is hiding too much and will in the end have to chose his pack over her; I was also a tad mad at Derek for what he did so soon after leaving the camp. I do like both as characters though so I am keen to see who she will choose, especially considering Derek’s revelation.

The secondary characters are truly wonderful and really made this book entertaining and enjoyable; I especially love the banter between Miranda and Della as well as the heart to heart conversations with Holiday and Burnett. Perry also played a bigger role in this book and I am so pleased things are finally working out for him.

This story grabbed me from the very beginning; I thoroughly enjoy Ms Hunter’s detailed writing, the Shadow Falls setting is always vivid and the imagery perfect but most of all I love each of the Shadow Falls characters and although the plotline is very similar to the first two books it is engaging none the less.

We are given so much in this book but unfortunately have to wait for Whispers at Moonrise to receive the answers.

Whispers at Moonrise has an anticipated 2nd October 2012 release date.

Books in Order:
1. Born at Midnight
2. Awake at Dawn
3. Taken at Dusk
4. Whispers at Moonrise


Wednesday 30 May 2012

Blog Tour - Closed Hearts (Mindjack trilogy #2) by Susan Kaye Quinn (Review/Interview/G!veaway)


I am so pleased to be able to participate in Susan Kaye Quinn’s blog tour for the sequel to Open Minds, Closed Hearts.


(Book Two of the Mindjack Trilogy)

Author: Susan Kaye Quinn
Series: Mindjack Trilogy
Pages: 
Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis 

When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.

Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber for jackers.

Now available (released 5/23)!
$2.99 Ebook at Amazon (and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble
Paper copies available at Amazon or get signed copies from the author (see sidebar)

Early PRAISE for Closed Hearts

"Closed Hearts was a gripping read and I never knew what would happen next, I was hooked from the moment I started reading." - Michelle Smith, Much Loved Books Blog

"This is really a great followup to Open Minds. It's exciting, it advances the plot, it's heartbreaking, it perfectly sets up the next book, and it pushes Kira into the position of heroine once again ... whether she wants to be, or not." - Rhiannon Frater, author of As The World Dies

"The twists and turns kept me guessing and chuckling in delight; I love to be surprised. Kira is forced to come to grip with some heavy issues in this book, and she has to make hard choices." - Carol Riggs on Goodreads

Looking for more Raf? Try this short prequel to Open Minds from Raf's point of view:

Raf, a regular mindreader, is in love with Kira, the only girl in school who can't read minds. Raf struggles to keep his thoughts about her private, but secrets are something that only zeros like Kira can keep. As he works up the nerve to ask Kira to the mindware Games, his friends have other games in mind for him. 
PRAISE FOR MIND GAMES
"I loved Kira in Open Minds ... but getting Raf's POV in Mind Games was a real treat." -TwiMom101 Book Blogger

Available for $0.99 at Amazon and Barnes and Noble or FREE at Smashwords (which has formats for all e-readers).

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author 

Susan is the author of the bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, which is available on AmazonBarnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts was just released 5/23. Susan's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on TwitterFacebook, and Pinterest.

INTERVIEW

Welcome to Obsession with Books Susan, Are you able to tell us a little bit about your Mindjack trilogy and yourself?

I’m a mom of three boys, engineer, and life-long geek. The Mindjack trilogy isn’t my first novel, but I feel like it’s the first series I’ve written that combines all of my geekiness (in the scifi elements) and my love of action/adventure stories, while still having a couple good kisses in there. :) The story itself is about a future world where everyone reads minds except one girl. She soon discovers she can control minds and is dragged into a hidden underworld of mindjackers.

When and why did you begin writing?

I just began writing fiction in a serious way a few years ago, inspired by the amazing middle grade and young adult stories my kids (and nieces) were reading. I had written a lot of stories as a teen myself, but went on to do serious things like work for NASA and get my Ph.D. in engineering. It’s been a revelation to come full circle to my creative side again.

What is your ideal day as an author?

I get obsessed with my writing. A day of nothing but eat-sleep-write is bliss. I’m having one of those weekends coming up - a writing retreat will a fellow Indelible author (The Indelibles are a group of 25 Indie authors that I’m a member of) - can’t wait!

Do you mind telling us how long it took for you to write Open Mind and Closed Hearts?

Open Minds took 2 years, concept to completion, although I wrote a couple other novels during that time as well. Closed Hearts was 6 months, and that was just about all I did - eat-sleep-write Mindjack#2!

Are you able to describe what your writing process is like?

When I first started writing, I was a pantser - writing by the seat of my pants as I figured out the story. I’m now an avowed plotter. My process continues to evolve, but right now I’m plotting Mindjack#3 with a cork board, pins, and little scraps of paper. I’m very much a tech kind of girl, but I’ve found writing by hand inspires my creativity. Once I have a story plotted, chapter by chapter, I’ll start drafting (on the computer)- then I write very quickly, getting through the first draft as fast as I can. Subsequent drafts can take as long as the first, but serve different purposes (craft, voice, story, etc). I usually go through 4-6 drafts before I’m done.

Is there a book you are reading at the moment? And do you tend to favor a particular genre?

I’m a huge SF fan from my youth, but now I mostly read YA and MG. I’m trying out Barry Eisler’s Rain Fall (an adult novel) next, just to see if I can still enjoy adult stories! I recently read the third book in Holly Black’s Curseworkers series (Black Heart) and just adored it.

If your series was to be made into a movie, who would you chose to play the roles of your main characters Kira and Raf?

I would love to see the Mindjack Trilogy as a movie, but I’m horrific at casting. I will leave that up to the movie people, who surely know what they’re doing better than I do.

What special ability, if you could chose would you have?

I would like to be able to heal people - I think that’s one of the greatest gifts a person can have.

Quick Questions:

Fave band / television series / movie? Green Day/ Big Bang Theory/ Star Trek The Reboot

Coffee or tea? Tea, always. Strong, straight, no sugar or cream. None of that sissy stuff.

E-reader or hardcopy? Usually ereader, but hardcopy if I’m getting it signed!

Cats or Dogs? 2 cats who like to chew my electrical cords.

Ideal travel destination? Italy. Someday I’ll get there. Meanwhile, my husband travels there every year for business, scoping out all the romantic spots he’ll take me to someday. Or at least that’s what he says. :)

Thank-you so much Susan for taking time to talk to us today!

Thank you for having me!


REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

What a wonderful thrill ride we are taken on in Closed Hearts, the second book in Susan Kaye Quinn’s Mindjack Trilogy.

I was instantly mesmerized by this amazing tale about Kira Moore who is what is known as a Mindjacker, after the events which took place in the first book Open Minds, Kira and her family are now in witness protection with new identities and utilizing her father and her abilities performing mindguard security work for a billionaire.

Kira is a strong character, I love her determination and the way she has now accepted and embraced what she is. She grew for me as a character from the first book and had more of an understanding of what she could actually do; she had her weak moments but considering what she was going through it was certainly understandable.

Kira’s boyfriend Raf plays a bigger role in this book, when he is kidnapped and taken to Jackertown, Kira finds herself working closely with the resistance leader and a unique Jacker known as a Mage, Julian to try to not only save Raf but also Julian’s sister who is being kept in a detention centre.

The Mind Jacking concept is certainly captivating and fresh and the world Ms Quinn has created unique yet scary all in one. We still have our villains from the first book Molloy and Kestrel but added to the mix is Senator Vellus with a political agenda of his own, I am eager to see how everything pans out in the next installment – each of these guys are completely evil and written perfectly.

I literally devoured Closed Hearts, it is a book filled with danger, action, mystery, romance and a great deal of suspense. The ending had me gaping so the next book in the series is a definite must-read for me.

Ms Quinn’s writing is absolute perfection and the world and characters she has created are amazing. Closed Hearts is a sequel that took me on an amazing thrill ride; it’s a gripping read that I didn’t want to end.

I am definitely anxious to get hold of Book three in this trilogy, Free Souls.


GIVEAWAY

Author, Susan Kaye Quinn has kindly offered one very lucky follower a chance to win an ebook copy of her novel, Closed Hearts (or book 1, Open Minds if you have not yet read it) as well as a copy of Mind Games.

The lucky winner will be randomly selected through random.org and announced on Monday 4th June 2012.

This giveaway is open to everyone.

GOOD LUCK!! and thanks again to Susan.

Waiting on Wednesday (30th May)

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

My choice for this weeks WoW is Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre; I absolutely loved Enclave so I’m eager to see what is to become of Deuce and Fade in this installment.

What are you looking forward to?

Outpost (Razorland, #2)
 Author: Ann Aguirre
Series: Razorland
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Genre: YA - Dystopian
Release Date: 4th September 2012
Amazon Pre-order: Outpost

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.
To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.
Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.


Please visit my Susan Kaye Quinn's Closed Hearts (Mindjack Trilogy) Giveaway HERE for a chance to win an ebook copy of Closed Hearts (or books 1 in the series Open Minds) + Mind Games

Thank-you for stopping by!