Future Reads #14: Existence by Abbi Glines

Here's where I babble about a book yet-to-be-released, but is about to be, that I want to read very badly. This one comes out in a week, so I'm just barely doing this post in time!

Existence (Existence, #1)
by Abbi Glines

Publication Date: December 13, 2011

What happens when you are stalked by Death? You fall in
love with him of course. Pagan Moore doesn’t cheat Death, instead, she falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore, has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn’t let them know she could see them, they left her alone. Until she steps out of her car on the first day of school and sees an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead. Not only does he not go away, when she ignores him he does something none of the others have ever done; he speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What Pagan doesn’t realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul. He is Death and he is about to break all the rules.

Okay, that cover.... <falls down dead> Some covers just make you stop breathing, and this is one of them. Yikes! But, even so, this books sounds totally amazing, if the early reviews are any indication. The main hero character may be one of those dangerous bad boy types, but I don't mind them if they are written right. I loves me some anti-heroes with big hearts. I'm just assuming he'll be like this since this guy Pagan, the main character, falls for is Death. Or, Dank. Something like that...

Who else is excited about this one coming out?

Future Reads #13: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Here's what I'm really looking forward to reading after it comes out! 

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)

by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: December 6, 2011

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I need to read this because I'm a big Jem fangirl, and supposedly Tessa starts getting more interested in him, or maybe he starts getting more interested in her?? Something like that, and I'm sold. The first book was really good and I found a new book boyfriend out of it, so I must see what silver-haired book boyfriend is going to do, particularly in regards to matters of the heart.... 

Anyway, does anybody know who the heck this guy on the cover is? I just can't figure it out. It can't be Will because he's on the cover of the first book, and this model looks nothing like that guy. <is confused>

Future Reads #12: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Current Halloween Giveaway!

Win an ebook of A Soul to Steal by Rob Blackwell

[click here for details]

Today, I blog about a book nearing its publication that I would love to read if I weren't such a pauper with no time to read the book, anyway...

Darker Still (Magic Most Foul, #1)
by Leanna Renee Hieber

Publication Date: November 8, 2011

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.


Here's why I want to read this one: it's about a guy's soul being trapped in a painting while his body is out doing God-knows-what! That is awesome. And, it's a historical of New York City, which I've pretty much read nothing of. I love historicals, but need a change of pace from the constant London settings. It'd be nice to read more historicals in an old NYC, long before it became what it is today.

But, the main reason is because I already read some of the beginning of this novel over at the author's website, and it is spectacular! Gorgeous writing that I can't wait to sink my gaze into.... 

Future Reads #11: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Current Giveaway! Enter my giveaway for Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning.

 Follow this link...[click here] 

Excuse me while I squirm around with girlish glee... YAY! I'm so excited about this book coming out, which will be in two weeks, because The Iron Fey series is my favorite YA title. These books are simply EPIC and coming to a close way too soon. Sometimes you want a story to go on longer, if you don't already feel it has passed its prime. No way has this series passed its prime. Nevertheless, I will enjoy all I can of what there is of it...

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey, #4)

by Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: October 25, 2011

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. 

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

Future Reads #10: Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguié

Current Giveaway! Enter the giveaway for Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning. 

Follow this link... [click]

...In which I blog about a yet-to-be published novel that I'm anticipating reading... This book is about to be officially released in a few days time, so I needed to act fast!

Kiss of Night  (Kiss of Night, #1)

by Debbie Viguié

Publication Date: October 7, 2011

Centuries ago, Raphael was a blasphemous knight who fought in the Crusades purely for his own mercenary benefit, and to satisfy his taste for killing. Now, condemned for his evil passions and hypocrisy, he wanders the earth a vampire, cursed with first-hand knowledge of the supernatural world he once denied existed. The powerful relic he still possesses from his days as a Crusader has been stolen by a rival vampire who has recruited an army of soulless underlings to aid him in spreading evil. At the time he learns this, Raphael has been hunting this vampire for nearly a century, and it seems the final battle is destined to take place in Prague. For help in this quest, Raphael must enlist the aid of two humans, David and Susan, who suddenly find themselves immersed in a world they never imagined, entangled with supernatural forces they can't control. Susan, in particular, finds herself conflicted as she struggles with her inexplicable attraction to Raphael. In the end, both Susan and Raphael will be called upon to exercise courage and faith, and in the process, the question, "What would happen if a vampire truly accepted God?" is answered.

Why do I want to read this? Because I've got a weird fetish with lonely centuries-old broody vampires. It's true--I love those guys for some reason. Plus, this book has a really interesting premise and sounds like it deals with vampires in the Vampire Chronicles sort of way. That's the kind of vampire fiction I like, and usually my favorite vamp fiction uses the vampire as a symbol of the human that is ineligible for God's redemption. They're not meant to be sparkly vegetarian Disney characters, after all.  

This may be Christian fiction, but I'm not daunted by that, so long as it's not preachy. (I've read that it's not.) I'm Christian, anyway, but not necessarily of the author's specific faith. Still, it sounds like a read that will be up my alley.

P.S. The cover is amazing...!! Looks like the lower-half of Johnny Depp's face!

Future Reads #9: Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning

Today, I'm blogging about a yet-to-be published book that I'm looking forward to reading. This one happens to be one I already have an ARC of...

Dark Seeker (Dark Seeker, #1) 

by Taryn Browning

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.


I already reviewed the prequel short story to this novel, "Dark Beauty," so you can read that here (I gave it 4 stars). I really liked the main characters in that one. They had a certain rapport with each other that I found amusing. So, now it's time to get more of the story! 

I'll be interviewing Taryn Browning, the author, next Tuesday on the official book launch day of Dark Seeker, so stay tuned for that.... 

Future Reads #8 - Blood by K.J. Wignall

Here's another book about to get released in a couple of weeks that I'm looking forward to reading...

Blood (Mercian Trilogy, #1)

by K.J. Wignall

Publication Date: September 27, 2011

Genre: Paranormal/Vampires

I do not remember being bitten. I wish I did, for then I would know the creature who did this to me and I would have a purpose, to track him down and repay him for the poisoned gift he gave me...

Back in the 13th century, Will was destined to be Earl of Mercia, although he never lived to inherit his title. In the centuries that follow, Will has led a lonely life, learning to deal with whatever the present day throws at him, always searching for answers, but never finding any. Until this time, when he awakens after a 20-year slumber, hungry for the blood that sustains his undeath, when it appears that he is finally getting a glimpse at why he exists. He does indeed have a destiny, and an enemy, but revealing that fate will be a matter of trust.

I've been reading early reviews about this one, and people have been saying that it's a story that you're either going to totally love or totally deplore. I don't know what I'll think, but I'm already thinking it could be up my alley. I do love centuries-old lonely, brooding vampire guys who philosophize about their lives nearly as acutely as Hamlet! 

Call me weird--that wouldn't be inaccurate, after all. But, I'm thinking this one could work for me. There will be blood... and, romance, so I've read.

Future Reads #7 (9/7/11)

Time for "Future Reads"! 

This week I'm really excited about The Girl of Fire and Thorns coming out in a couple of weeks. I've read quite a few very extatic reviews about this one, so I hope I don't die of old age before I get around to reading it (my TBR list shall be the death of me!).

This cover RULEZ...

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)

by Rae Carson

Publication Date: September 20, 2011

Amazon.com Pre-Order

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Future Reads #6 (8/31/11)

Back in July, I read G.P. Ching's YA fantasy The Soulkeepers, and it was a very sophisticated, well-written story with wonderful characters. Now, it's time to promote the sequel to the first book The Soulkeepers series, Weaving Destiny, due out Thursday, September 15, 2011.

I also published a review of the first installment (4.5 stars), which you can read here. It's a wonderful YA read that features main characters of diverse cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, which really isn't all that commonly found in YA fiction. And, these characters live amongst the traditional Caucasian/White European descendents that populate the featured small town in Illinois, and consequently suffer from discrimination and learn to triumph over it in their own way.

Check out the series (The Soulkeepers, #1) if you're interested in an immersive read about adorable, charming characters that represent a different breed of heroes and heroines from the norm...

Weaving Destiny (The Soulkeepers, #2)

by G.P. Ching

Release Date: September 15, 2011

Amazon.com

Malini Gupta thought Jacob Lau was her destiny, that they were meant to be together. But after months of failing to decipher how she fits into the Soulkeepers, frustration threatens to tear their relationship apart. As does a new Soulkeeper named Mara who is ready to stop time itself to earn Jacob's love.

When Malini faces her worst fears and even death, she learns a funny thing about destiny; nobody said hers couldn't change. The future is a tapestry of choices, and she's about to weave hers.

Future Reads #5 (8/24/11)

I usually don't do these posts anymore, but I make exceptions every now and then when a book about to be released is just so awesome, I can't help myself...

The second book in the Vampire Empire trilogy, The Rift Walker continues the fascinating tale of Princess Adele and her alternate-history world of humans vs. vampires and all the political intrigue to go with it. She is obligated to marry an American man she does not even know, let alone love. And, to make matters worse, she already loves the masked man known as "The Greyfriar," the great and mysterious hero of the human nations.

I'm so excited to read this! The Greyfriar (see my review for it here) was excellent, and although not perfect (what book is?), it was full of amazing characters that grow and it's just a really neat story. As for the world-building: off-the-hook. Love the world the authors created and the really uber-cool creepy, beasty vampires they invented for it, too. They can float in the air! Floating vampires! That's a new one for me, and I love my inventive vampires...

The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, #2)

by Clay and Susan Griffith

Release Date: September 6, 2011

Amazon.com

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance's horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.

As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele's beloved Greyfriar.

Future Reads #4

In which I blog about a book coming out soon that I'm looking forward to reading before I get old(er) and die...

Ripple 
by Mandy Hubbard

Release Date: July 21, 2011

Amazon.com

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

Mermaid fiction! I've yet to read any and this one sounds really, really cool. Really intense. Maybe I just like deadly sirens and the fact that she's forced into being one. Can't wait to read this...

Future Reads #3

What's coming out soon that I can't wait to read (and that you should read, too)?

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #3)
by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication date: July 12, 2011

Amazon.com

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater.

In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

I'm currently reading Shiver, the first book in this series, and I totally love it! Now that I know the third installment is ready to be released very soon, it made sense to me to make it the subject of a "Future Reads" post. This series is so amazing!

Future Reads #2

Time for my weekly blog post featuring a yet-to-be released paranormal/fantasy novel that I am wanting very much to read!

Dead Iron (Age of Steam, #1)
by Devon Monk

Release date: July 5, 2011

Amazon.com

Welcome to a new America that is built on blood, sweat, and gears...

In steam age America, men, monsters, machines, and magic battle for the same scrap of earth and sky. In this chaos, bounty hunter Cedar Hunt rides, cursed by lycanthropy and carrying the guilt of his brother's death. Then he's offered hope that his brother may yet survive. All he has to do is find the Holder: a powerful device created by mad devisers-and now in the hands of an ancient Strange who was banished to walk this Earth.  

In a land shaped by magic, steam, and iron, where the only things a man can count on are his guns, gears, and grit, Cedar will have to depend on all three if he's going to save his brother and reclaim his soul once and for all.

This looks really promising, I must say. Steampunk, magic, western all rolled up into one read. How fun! I can't wait to read this. And, that cover... "Steam-HUNK" anyone?


Early review from a Goodreads.com reviewer 

5 out of 5 stars from Andreiuta:

"This book was such a page-turner.... Uncomplicated, filled with magic and evil-steam-machinery, it is very fast paced and it has no downtime....

"...But what I liked most about it was the very subtle literary style: at the first glance it seems simplistic. However pay a little more attention and you'll find out that Devon Monk likes to use the words in a quite unusual manner, not without a certain poetry to it. It is powerful and vibrant without being overly elaborated."