ALL THE PRETTIES!

So far it's been a great holiday weekend! Yesterday I had the pleasure of revealing the cover for my debut new adult romance novel Adam's List, and today I'm over the top excited to share the fresh new cover for my award winning YA paranormal novel, Mind Static! Najla Qamber does an AMAZING job with cover design, and I think this may be my favorite cover so far. *SO PRETTY*

I'm throwing a giveaway to celebrate, so be sure to enter below. To my US fans, enjoy your holiday weekend and remember our Veterans who gave it their all to keep us safe! Sending all my love to our service men and women!

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Book Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

Agh, this was a tough one to review. I went back and forth, unable to decide if I wanted to rate it with 3 or 4 stars. In the end I went with 3, because even though I had a hard time putting it down, I felt the story had its flaws.

The beginning definitely hooked me with Edith being so depressed from bullying that she was prepared to jump to her death. As a huge advocate of anti-bullying, I really wanted to see her life turn around.

Still, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the idea of her being granted “wishes”, and changing her physical appearance to become happier. While I get the concept, because who wouldn’t want to wish for something like that, I wanted to see her overcome her issues in a different way. Because even though this is paranormal fiction, we’re seeing a real problem solved with an unrealistic solution, and I hate to see any teenage girls struggling with their identity think there isn’t any hope.

I liked the cast of friends Edith hung out with, though I’m still on the fence about “cat-like” Kian ever since the author described his eyes as having a feline slant. I kept picturing him as the guy from Sleepwalkers. Plus his intent wasn’t clear throughout the story, as we were reminded by Edith. Numerous times.

Without giving too much away, the stories with the Teflon crew (one of many Mean Girls references) were what kept me the most interested, making a person think twice about revenge. The sub-plot towards the end dealing with Edith and her father felt a little forced, and I felt Edith’s “wishes” really weren’t well thought out from beginning to end considering how smart she is pimped out as being. I loved the occasional glimpses of horror and wish there had been more of that instead of an occasional scattering.

This was mostly a fun read, but I don’t know that I’ll read the sequel.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cover Reveal: Kendare Blake's MORTAL GODS

Here it is!

Awesome, right?

If you follow my blog, you already know I'm a pretty big fan of Kendare Blake's work (it doesn't hurt that she's originally from Minnesota but was smart enough to move somewhere warmer). I recently reviewed her newest release Antigoddess, and just received word that she's revealing the cover for the second book in the series, Mortal Gods. Of course when she offered the chance to win an ARC of this book to any bloggers who helped with the reveal, I jumped on the wagon of terror. Because I not only love her work (young adult paranormal), but she's a pretty amazing person with a very healthy sense of humor. My kind of peeps.

At first I was bummed when she told me the first cover was getting a makeover as well, because I thought the original was striking. Then she sent me the redo, and I got over it. Because I love the beautiful silhouette of the woman with owl feathers floating through the air. It fits perfectly with the story.

Kendare promised to add something to the cover reveal if we so requested, so I asked her for a little insight to the book. Here was her response:

Some insight into the story...hmm....the entire Goddess War series deals a lot with adversarial relationships. Athena has one with practically everyone she knows. I don't even think she knows how to have the other kind. But to me the interesting thing about those relationships is the way they can change. The way people who hate each other can slowly learn to understand each other, and maybe even make peace. In Antigoddess, the wickedness of Hera and Aphrodite was apparent to Athena. She never considered anything else. But as Athena comes to understand them, who knows?

How's that?

That's awesome, Kendare. And so are you.

I tire of writing these things in the third person. So. I write fiction, apparently mostly YA. I didn't know this, but like Stephen King says, writers are the last ones to know what it is they've written. My first novel, Sleepwalk Society is a college story. I guess it falls into that no man's land they call, "New Adult".  Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are teen horror. My short fiction can be found online in numerous places.

But enough about that. When I am not writing or reading, you can generally find me sitting around wondering what the hell I'm going to do with my life. That, or being a gastronome, plotting a new recipe. Perhaps on a run or hike, playing tennis or watching Big Cat Diaries with my feline. This summer I have saved a total of three turtles during attempted road crossings.

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It's Here: PARANORMAL KEEPERS COVER REVEAL!!

It seems I've had the idea of this cover in my head for so long that this is the most excited I've ever been about a reveal! Props to the magical Najla for coming up with a perfect representation of my vision, and a special shout out to the stunning Ashleigh Campbell for agreeing to be my model!

Release date: March 4, 2014

Model Photography: Jen Naumann

Cover Design: Najla Qamber Designs

Publisher: Phantom Owl Press

Link to book: Goodreads

Everyone thinks Harper Young killed her boyfriend. No one will say it to her face, but the signs are everywhere.

It’s almost been a year since Gavin was torn from Harper’s arms and brutally murdered. The police wrote it off as a freak accident, deciding Harper’s strange testimony was given under duress. But she knows something unnatural was involved and refuses to stop looking until she finds his killer, even if it means her reputation as a senior is ruined. Even if it means there really are monsters living among us.

With the discovery of the mothmen, witches, vampires and all the creatures she always suspected were out there, Harper finds herself amidst a complex bundle of unseen heroes who call themselves "Keepers", sworn to keep the secret of the paranormal creatures that walk this earth. As she tries to understand what’s so special about her that she’s able to break an old Keeper law, Harper has a baffling vision of kissing a mysterious guy before a blade is brought down on him. Before she can get a handle on her future, she becomes central to a battle between the questionable “heroes” and the evil she’s been training to fight, leaving her to wonder if there’s any way to change the fate that has been foretold before it’s too late.

THE ZOMBIES ARE BACK!

I'm super excited to announce The Time Zombies Became the Least of My Worries (sequel to The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life) is now available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble! Finally you can hear the rest of Emma and Finn's adventure (some of it told in Finn's voice), and find out what happens to the rest of the gang of misfits. I know it was a long time coming, but I'm pretty sure fans of the series will be happy with the way it all ends.

If you haven't read the first book, it's only 99 cents on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Also be sure to enter the giveaway for paperback copies of The Time Zombies Became the Least of My Worries on Goodreads, and check out the brand new book trailer below!

Ever since the zombie virus hit Emma’s irritatingly boring Midwestern hometown, she’s been on the run with her old best friend-turned-boyfriend Finn. On their journey, they’ve witnessed some pretty disgusting deaths, narrowly escaped life-threatening escapades that sometimes included one of their own pulling a gun on them numerous times, and redefined the definition of what makes up a family (as it turns out, soldiers and geeks can be pretty decent). They’ve even learned the disturbing truth behind the mysterious virus. But after Emma was bit by one of the infected trying to save her neighbor boy, she was told she would not have long to live.

In the thrilling sequel to The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life, Finn will help to tell the story as Emma and the gang are faced with the most crucial life-changing decisions yet. They’ll come across an unfortunate group of rednecks, discover the truth of what happened to Finn’s federal agent mother, and finally see a chance at truly being safe without having to run anymore. But in the middle of it all, Emma and Finn’s relationship will soar to completely uncomfortable levels when Finn takes things one step too far. And between being injected with an unknown liquid, taking on a completely unexpected (and really agitating alliance), and being left for dead by those she loves most, Emma will realize that zombies are the least of her worries.

A visual telling of PARANORMAL KEEPERS

I've been a visual junkie my whole life. As a teen I would buy the biggest magazines available and spending hours pouring over every page, marveling at the ridiculously good looking models inside, wondering what their stories may be. I seriously don't think I ever read any of the articles. The walls in my bedroom were plastered with Benetton ads and gorgeous models to feed my constant day-dreams into the mysterious lives of others. They're what inspired my first full-length novel somewhere around sixth or seventh grade. I also got into photography later in life, taking online courses on the craft before starting up my own independent business. And my favorite part about vacations has always been the opportunity to just take in the different scenery.

So it wasn't too surprising when I became a Pinterest addict. I'll go to the site with a certain purpose in mind, and end up spending hours looking through pictures. While it really is the biggest suckage of free time, there are days when it can actually be inspiring. I first started boards of each of my novels after they were completed, but for the first time I'm creating one as the story is being written.

Paranormal Keepers is flowing like gangbusters as I charge through National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). My characters are living in such an exciting world with witches, zombies, ghosts, and just about every other paranormal creature you can think of. And creating its corresponding Pinterest board has been extra fun because I get to bring out my inner goth side with dark, sometimes twisted images. To celebrate the success of Paranormal Keepers (without going into detail on the plot as there will still be major tweaking to be done before it's released), I give you a little visual preview of the current work in progress. To my fellow visual junkies, you're welcome.

 

Want more? Check out the entire board here.

Book Review: Ever (The Ever Trilogy) by Jessa Russo

Seventeen-year-old Ever’s love life has been on hold for the past two years. She’s secretly in love with her best friend Frankie, and he’s completely oblivious.

Of course, it doesn't help that he’s dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible.

Frustrated and desperate for something real, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever’s life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer.

Some girls lose their hearts to love.

Some girls lose their minds.

Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul.

Ever immediately hooked me in with its original story line. Right away we discover that our heroine is haunted by her old neighbor and best friend—a handsome guy she developed feelings for just before he died. Ever can see Frankie and speak to him, but he's nothing more than a mist, unable hold her as she wishes he would. Poor Ever is struggling with her feelings for Frankie that can never been realized when a cute guy moves into Frankie's old house across the street. Ever soon finds herself in the most unique love story, knowing she'll never have a relationship with Frankie although she loves him, and totally falling for mysterious Toby, the old guy next door.

The story was a fast read. I fell for Toby right along with Ever, and was blindsided by the twist toward the end. Interestingly enough, the twist reminded me of one of my own books, and made me enjoy the story even more. The characters were likable, filled with individual flaws and quirks that made them interesting.

The only thing that almost made me stop reading was the pet nickname Frankie has for Ever: "Doll". I had a hard time shaking the image of a 1950s teen donning cropped jeans and a cardigan. But once I was able to get past that, I really enjoyed the story, and can't wait for the sequel as we were left with quite the cliffhanger. Four zombies for Ever!

When not writing or reading, Jessa Russo is out and about making memories with some seriously awesome people - for an introvert, she's pretty extroverted. You can bet that she's also ALWAYS secretly planning her next trip to New Orleans. (If her eyes glaze over, she's in one of her stories, or NOLA.) Southern California will always be her home, but she's open to suggestions. An unashamed super fan of all things paranormal romance, Jessa reads, writes and breathes paranormal YA, rarely straying from her comfort zone.

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