Awesome news from an amazing author!!! Victoria Schwab's new book.

I figured since the blog has been quiet for a bit I'd wake it up with some amazing news!! On twitter earlier today miss Victoria Schwab announced her new book deal! Here's her blog info so you can read it and tell her congrats! http://veschwab.wordpress.com/

Also I wanted to let everyone know her book The Near Witch will be released August 2, 2011 by Hyperion Books. So go add it on goodreads and pre-order it. I'll post links under the Cover since I wanted to give it some love.

Here's an excerpt from goodreads...

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

So again Congrats Victoria on the new deal and also The Near Witch coming out in August!!! Also we love comments :)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6931344-the-near-witch
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10929432-the-archived

purchase links...
http://www.amazon.com/Near-Witch-Victoria-Schwab/dp/1423137876/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301523257&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Near-Witch/Victoria-Schwab/e/9781423137870/?itm=1&USRI=victoria+schwab

Jaime's Review of Meant to Be by Tiffany King

Krista Miller feels like she has lived her entire life in a glass box with her every emotion on display. She can’t help feeling like a defect as her sensitivities have made her socially inept and without any real friends; the one exception being the boy that visits her each night in her dreams.

Krista’s emotions are put to the test when a move to California triggers a devastating change to her fantasy world. The nightly comfort that the boy provides has now become a recurring nightmare as he is taken from her by an unseen force.

Struggling to appear normal, Krista enrolls in a new school and finds it to be nothing like she thought. Her new life is sent spiraling out of control from a strange connection with a boy, Mark, who claims to know all her secrets.

As Krista begins to explore the emotions that Mark evokes in her, secrets from their past about their shared connection threatens to separate them just when they have found each other. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaime's review...

Krista has always been different her intense emotions have set her apart from everyone even her parents. The only time she feels at peace is when shes sleeping because, in her dreams he's there. The same boy that has always been in her dreams, she can't see his face but she loves him and feels his love for her. When her father dies Krista and her mom move to Santa Cruz, California a place that Krista has always felt drawn to. When they arrive Krista feels completely at home even at her new school where she finally has a friend Sam they share a bond like no one could imagine. Then Krista finally meets the boy from her dreams and their connection is instant and intense. Now they have to figure out why they're connected and what it means.

First off let me say I have an intense love for Santa Cruz and I love to read about places I've been. I can picture the beach and the rides so vividly. I spent many a spring break there when I was younger.

What I loved about this book was it was a completely original take on a subject that most of us already know. I won't say more as there would spoilers involved. All I can say is when you think you've got things figured Tiffany throws you for a loop and you end thinking no way! I loved the connection between the characters and their individuality as well. I could have devoured this book in one setting if I hadn't started it so late. Also Tiffany left the ending open for a sequel I would love to read more about Krista, Sam and the rest of the group. Fingers crossed for more. So go get this book it's a wonderful read.

Thank you Tiffany for choosing me as one of the lucky bloggers to get this for early review.

Here's a link to purchase Meant to Be   http://www.amazon.com/Meant-to-Be-ebook/dp/B004SCS6V6/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300395873&sr=1-5

Jaime's Review of The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos

With the local vampire coven decimated, Julia and Nicholas try to begin a somewhat normal life together. Bound by secrecy from a shape shifter determined to see Julia's world-saving prediction come to fruition, Julia isn't allowed to tell Nicholas the leader survived, ransacking her happiness with guilt. When Alora returns, bent on revenge, the reunion forces Nicholas and Julia to choose what they are willing to live and die for. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaime's review...

Ok where to start without spoiling anything as always I loved the settings in the book seeing as I know exactly where they are and Brenda even threw a little bit of Los Angeles in this one which I am very familiar with also.

The Sapphire Talisman picks up pretty much where Emerald ended. The Vampires are gone and Julia and Nicholas think they can live a normal life now. What Nicholas doesn't know is Julia has a secret she's keeping to try and protect him. She's taken over as the protector in this book switching up their roles even though Nicholas doesn't know it.

There are returns of characters from the first book but I won't say whom as to ruin the plot. Also there are some dramatic character changes not everyone ends up okay in this one but there are reasons for everything. I genuinely have fallen in love with Nicholas and Julia's brother Luke. I like the real connections and relationships she has with her friends they remind me a lot of some of my own.
So enough gushing about how much I lived these books go buy The Emerald Talisman and The Sapphire Talisman so you're ready to read The Onyx Talisman when it comes out.

100 Follower giveaway and at Kepler's with Rachel Hawkins and Sarwat Chadda

In the pic left to right- Rachel Hawkins, Me (Jaime), Patricia, and Sarwat Chadda

Ok so last night I took Patricia to her first signing ever! It was super cool so see how excited she got and how much fun we had. Let me just say if Rachel and or Sarwat comes any where near your town you must go meet them thew are awesome people and really funny too.

So Rachel talked about her new release Demonglass which is what I'm reading now and is awesome. She even used her fake British accent and talked about shrubbery and Sarwat made fun of her. Then Sarwat talked about Dark Goddess and his first book maybe becoming a movie. They were so approachable and answered many good questions. We were in good company with many bloggers and even Lisa Desrochers author of Personal Demons and Heidi R. Kling author of Sea showed up to hang out.

On to the good news Angela from Keplers gave us an extra tote bag that we got signed to use for a giveaway. Also we've received more signed bookmarks from Kiki Hamilton- The Faerie Ring, Leah Clifford- A Touch Mortal, and Jennifer L. Armentrout- Half Blood. How do I enter you ask? It's easy help us get to 100 followers and we'll start the giveaway we'll also be throwing in a book or two. :D

Jaime's Review of The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaime's review...

   Ok first off I'm going to tell you I'm a bit biased in my review. I am a Northern California girl and the places that Brenda writes about in this book are close to my heart. As a child I went camping in Scott's Valley with my Grandparents in the redwoods and, I have spent many a spring break at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk along with downtown and the other beaches.
   On to the review. I completely fell in love with Julia's character she reminded of myself back in high school which hardly ever happens in other books. I also loved her group of friends they definitely reminded of mine we were a diverse crew back then. It's funny because she talks about the rival high school Soquel and my school played them in water polo tournaments so I felt I knew these schools very well. Julia can sense emotions in people and she hides it very well, her mother died when she was young in some kind of accident so she lives with her dad who is always travelling for work and her brother Luke whom I absolutely loved (He could have a story of his own and I'd read it).
   I loved the story between Julia ans Nicholas but he's tall dark and handsome so he's totally my type. She's constantly in trouble with the vampires Nicholas calls her a "vampire magnet" but he's always there trying to save her. I like that Julia is stubborn and wants to help Nicholas kill the vampires even she has no idea what to do. You can feel the intense connection between these characters and pull for them to end up happy after all the suffering.
   This story has suspense, action, funny moments, and most of all love. So if you want to read a book that you can't put down (I mean literally I was up til 4 a.m. reading it) pick up The Emerald Talisman you wont be disappointed also grab The Sapphire Talisman while you're at it so you can continue Julia and Nicholas's story.

Jaime's Review of A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Eden didn't expect Az.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long, happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.
And that's only the beginning of the end. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaimes review...

   A Touch Mortal is a debut novel from author Leah Clifford and let me say it is a brilliant and completely engrossing story. I like her take on the battle between Heaven and Hell and the part the Siders play in it.
   Eden thinks her life is pretty much over her friends and family have basically forgotten about her; so one night she goes down to the beach and thinks why not no one would even know I'm gone, then she sees Az tall dark beautiful Az. They have a whirlwind romance and fall completely in love with each other and Eden comes to learn that Az and his friend Gabe are really angels and they're trying to protect her from Luke (Lucifer) and the fallen because she is pathless. Things take a wrong turn and Eden ends up as a Sider an immortal who passes a thing called Touch which may or may not kill people. What Eden comes to realize is she is a different kind of Sider one who doesn't have to pass Touch as much as the rest of the Siders.
   Eden sets off on a path with a few friends Adam, James, and Jariod. Soon they're joined by a perky blonde Libby and they live in a small apartment trying to hide from the fallen and the bound as they do not know whom to trust except for themselves.
   This book and I might go a little fangirl here... because I waited so long to read it, Rocked My World! Between the complicated storyline that kept me reading to the wee hours of the night to the hotness of the men and there's more than two Az, Gabe, Luke, and Adam this book was intense. I didn't think I could like a book about people who committed suicide but, Leah's take on it was very interesting like suicide wasn't the end they wanted they were now tormented with Immortality. Some of these characters were better dealing with it than others as you will see. There were interesting turns around every corner and people you will come to really care about. If you want to read a debut novel from an awesome author filled with hot boys and a great story I highly suggest A Touch Mortal you won't be dissappointed! I can't wait for the next book in the series!