As part of the blog tour for If I Die, we have an interview with the author Rachel Vincent…

Tell us a little about yourself and the latest installment in the Soul Screamers series; ‘If I Die’.

If I Die is the fifth book in the Soul Screamers series, and it’s a bit
of a game-changer, in a couple of different ways. Early on (first
chapter), Kaylee finds out that her lifeline is nearing its end, so she
spends most of the book dealing with her impending death, while trying
to stop an evil math teacher from preying on her fellow students. But
that’s all I can say without spoiling it.

Where did your initial inspiration for the series come from?
There wasn’t a single, specific inspiration. It was more of a long
brainstorming session, during which I decided I wanted to write about
bean sidhes, which led to the world building foundation, which, in turn,
fed the evolving plotlines.

Characters can take on a mind of their own – was Sabine
particularly hard to keep a hold of, or did you let her have free reign?
Sabine is actually the easiest character for me to write, because she
doesn’t require a verbal filter. She says whatever she’s thinking, and I
find that liberating, even though I’m only experiencing it vicariously.

There are plenty of surprises in If I Die. Without giving away
any spoilers for those who haven’t read the book yet, was it a surprise
for you, or did you always know how it would turn out? Did the
characters themselves draw closer?
I didn’t know until I sat down to plot that specific book. I also didn’t
know at the time whether or not I’d get a contract for any more books in
the series, so my goal was to give the book an ending that could also
work as a series ender, if need be.

Do you have any particular characters you love to write? Emma
and Tod are a blast, I love it when they are around

I love writing Sabine and Tod. And Avari!

Thanks Rachel! Scroll down to read our review of If I Die.

Bookbabbler Pamela has reviewed If I Die by Rachel Vincent for us as part of the Soul Screamers Blog Tour…

If I Die was another epic instalment of the Soul Screamers series.

As a teenage bean sidhe, Kaylee Cavanaugh is no stranger to death. She’s saved her best friend countless times, gone to hell and back for a rising pop star’s soul and even stopped a swarm of demons from descending on her high school dance. But this time, the person Kaylee may have to save, is herself.

When she learns her name is on death’s list and she has mere days to live, Kaylee would do anything to change it. But death doesn’t allow for third chances, and it seems her death is unavoidable. So if she’s going to die, she damn well is going to make sure everyone she cares about is safe before she goes. And for now, that means rounding up her friends to get rid of the incubus who has taken up residence in her school.

But those around her aren’t as accepting of her demise. Kaylee’s father and reaper friend, Tod, fight tooth and nail to change her expiry date. With the reaper assigned to claim her life stalking her, Kaylee knows that anyone who tries to intervene will suffer the consequences. Kaylee must re-examine her life if she’s to put it in order before she checks out. And she may just find a few interesting facts she has overlooked. Which only begs the question – what would be her dying wish? Or wishes. Come on, a girl has to get something out of death, right?

I absolutely loved If I Die. Kaylee is a spunky character with plenty of heart and spirit, and definitely not one to run away from a fight. Many people in her situation would have curled up or gone in total denial mode. Not our gal. Even when faced with her own death, Kaylee can’t help but try to save someone else first.

The action steadily mounted throughout the book and had me sitting on the edge of my seat by the last page. Kaylee and Emma’s banter lighten the scenes to let you get a breather, but I have to admit they brought a tear to my eye a couple of times.

There are plenty of surprises in If I Die that took my breath away and even though they caught me by surprise, they felt so right. This book will not disappoint fans of Rachel Vincent or the Soul Screamers series. And they will be dying to get their hands on the next instalment.

Thanks Pamela and thanks to Harlequin for sending us a copy to review.

Dragonskin Slippers is out today. Bookbabbler Bethan reviews it here for us…

This book is the first in the dragon series by Jessica Day George. It is about an orphaned teenage girl called Creel who is left outside a dragon’s cave by her mean aunt, so that the son of a lord will have to come and rescue her and then marry her and her family can avoid paying a dowry. But the dragon doesn’t want a fight, and Creel ends up promising to stop the knight in return for a pair of shoes from the dragon’s huge collection! However, she doesn’t realise the significance of the shoes she chooses until it’s too late… Will Creel be able to fix the problem and overcome the plans of the evil Princess Amalia? And what will happen to all the dragons in the land, not to mention the people, if she can’t?

The main characters in this book are Creel and the dragon Shardas, as well as some other dragons and Prince Luka and Princess Amalia. I especially liked Shardas because he is Creel’s main ally and it’s down to his good memory that she knows how to fight back. The story is set in a sort of old-fashioned atmosphere but more like a fairy-tale than a historical story. As I was reading it, it really caught me up and I didn’t want to stop reading because I was so excited and desperate to know what happened next. This was because there were lots of questions in my mind which were not answered straightaway and lots of things that Creel needs to find out! When I reached the end, I was glad that I had 2 more of the dragon books to read as I just didn’t want to stop!

I have seen that this book is aimed at age 12+ but I really enjoyed it even though I am 9. I think that both girls and boys from 8 upwards would enjoy it, perhaps it would be a good story for someone to read aloud if you didn’t want to read it yourself. The chapters are quite short so I think it would be a good bedtime story but you might not want to stop at one chapter because it’s so exciting! It would be interesting for anyone who enjoys fantasy adventure stories.

I give this book 10 out of 10! I think it’s one of the best books I’ve read and I would definitely read more by Jessica Day George.

Thanks Bethan and thank you to Bloomsbury for sending us a copy to review.

Elizabeth Wein is our February Author in Residence. Here is our interview with Elizabeth…

Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’ve lived in Scotland for 12 years, which is longer than I’ve ever lived ANYWHERE at one go. I grew up in New York City, Manchester (England), Kingston (Jamaica), and Harrisburg (Pennsylvania). I think of myself as Pennsylvanian; that is my home place. People often ask me if I would like to go back to the US some day, and I don’t honestly know the answer to that. I would miss Scotland terribly—just as I miss Pennsylvania terribly.

A few years ago I became fascinated by the osprey at a local wildlife reserve here in Perthshire, who has been returning to the same nest for 21 years, laying eggs and raising family after family of chicks. She’s reckoned to be the oldest osprey in the UK. I really relate to this bird, who migrates 6000 miles back and forth from Africa every year, always returning to the same place. She is at home wherever she is. I like that. I want to be able to live my life to a sort of osprey philosophy, doing the things I know instinctively to be right, living without fear of what will happen in the future, sure of myself, and always feeling like I’m in the right place—wherever I am.

I have two children, a girl and a boy aged 14 and 11. Most of my spare time is involved with kids! My husband and I are both civil pilots (as opposed to commercial pilots—we fly as a hobby). I learned to fly in Scotland, so I feel like I know Scotland from the air as well as from the ground. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever lived. If anything ever drives me out, though, it will be the weather. It is not warm enough in the summer for my taste, and too dark in the winter!

Tell us about Code Name Verity and your inspiration for the book
This book is really, really hard to talk about without giving away huge spoilers! I will say, though, that it’s a ‘spies-n-pilots’ World War II thriller, and that it’s about friendship. The pilot and the spy in question are both girls. I’ve talked about the inspiration for the book in a bit more detail in my guest blog post, but I ought to add that I wrote the book in what can only be called a frantic cloud of inspiration. My husband would tell the kids, ‘Don’t try to talk to mum, she’s in Book World.’ When I finally came up for air at the end of a wildly emotional 7 months, during which time no laundry or cooking or any kind of housework got done, my husband asked plaintively, ‘Can we have a rest before you start the next one?’

The characters in the book do get put through the mill, and that was hard to write at times. The book ought to come with a health warning. Or at least a free box of tissues.

Code Name Verity is set during World War Two, how did you research this period?
I already knew a little bit about it because I’d written a short story, ‘Something Worth Doing’ (in Firebirds Soaring, edited by Sharyn November), which is set in England during the Battle of Britain. While I was doing the research for that story I discovered the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), the men and women civilian pilots who did the ferrying and taxi work for the Royal Air Force during the war. So I started out the research for CNV by reading up on the ATA – and at the same time reading up on the SOE, the Special Operations Executive, who were the British spies and saboteurs that assisted the Resistance movements in Nazi-occupied Europe. I started with really obvious books like Lettice Curtiss’s The Forgotten Pilots and Giles Whittell’s Spitfire Women of World War II, which are histories of the ATA, and Marcus Binney’s The Women Who Lived for Danger, which give several portraits of SOE agents. The bibliographies in these books were extremely helpful in pointing me to other useful books. I also did a lot of on-line research, but the basic way I research things is to read actual books.

I also try to visit places where I can see some real stuff from the right time period, such as Dover Castle and the Imperial War Museum in London – and then there are plenty of visits to collections of aircraft, like the Shuttleworth Collection and Scotland’s National Museum of Flight at East Fortune. And I read books and watch movies that were popular at the time—they’re great sources for period detail.

Real people are also incredibly helpful! It’s amazing how easy it is to find sources—my husband’s parents are the first stop for stories of the home front. Last May I was lucky enough to attend a seminar at the Royal Aeronautical Society where I got to meet four real-life ATA women, now in their 90s.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a book about another ATA pilot, also a girl—this time it’s an American who has come to the UK to help out with the war effort. Eventually, after a series of (shall we say) ‘unfortunate events’ she is forced to land behind enemy lines and ends up in Ravensbrück, the largest women’s concentration camp in Nazi Germany. It’s not a ‘typical’ concentration camp but it’s got an incredible history in its own right, not least because of some of the rebellion that went on there toward the end of the war.

Sending my poor unlucky character to Ravensbrück gives me the only sensible opportunity I can think of to introduce her to a Russian woman combat pilot. I would love to write about these incredible women, but I don’t know enough about Russia to pull it off from the pilot’s point of view. So I will have to approach the story from a different angle.

I put off starting this project for a long time because the research into Ravensbrück was so dauntingly harrowing. But the spirit of the survivors really makes the work worthwhile.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I like being outside—I like being a tourist. I think that all my hobbies and activities really come down to traveling. I bicycle, I fly planes, I like to go to the beach and explore castles and countryside. I also ring church bells (the big ones). I learned to ring in Bredbury, which is just outside Stockport, and then rang in Philadelphia in Pennsylvania for many years. Now I ring at Dunkeld Cathed
And of course, I read!

Can you give any tips for young aspiring authors?
I am sure that my best tips are the same ones everyone has heard before: READ. And WRITE. The best way to improve your own writing skills is to read as much as possible, and the best way to get something decent written is to sit down and get to work. It helps if you’re organized; but the main thing you need is self-discipline.

If you’re having trouble getting started, one of the things I find helps is to set yourself little tasks or goals. Write one page in half an hour. Or write one scene a day. If you actually keep at it, it really does add up over a year. Lately I have joined in Internet dates with other writers, and we all agree to write for an hour and try to reach 1000 words—they call it ‘writingsprint’, I think. I like to have company when I’m working.

Thanks so much for the invitation to blog here—I’ll be stopping back from time to time to answer comments.

Thanks Elizabeth! You can find out more about Elizabeth here: www.elizabethwein.com

Today we are taking part in The Iron Knight blog tour. Here is our interview with Julie Kagawa:

Give us a little intro to yourself
Well, I was born in California, moved to Hawaii when I was nine, and started
tormenting my teachers with mice and centipedes in their desks. I read a lot (often
in Math class, hiding novels behind my textbook), and started writing my own stories
in high school (also in Math class, behind my textbooks). After graduating (my
teachers had a party, I think), I worked as a book store clerk, a vet tech
assistant, and a dog trainer, until the day I sold The Iron King to Harlequin TEEN
and stopped working to write full time. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Tell us about The Iron Fey series
The Iron Fey series is about a girl named Meghan Chase who, on her sixteenth
birthday, discovers her little brother has been kidnapped by faeries, and goes into
the Nevernever to find him. Along the way, she finds out that she is the daughter
of the Summer King, falls in love with a cold, dangerous ice prince, and discovers
that a brand new species of faery—The Iron Fey—are destroying the Nevernever. Her
journey, which ends in The Iron Queen, is about her and her friends trying to stop
the Iron Fey, and finding a way for both species to survive.

Ash’s journey continues in The Iron Knight, after the events of The Iron Queen. And
revealing any more about his story would be a huge spoiler, so I will leave it at
that.

How did you begin writing and what was your journey to publication like?
I started writing seriously in high school, with the intent to be a published author
one day. I had this ridiculous notion that I could publish a book before college
and then I’d be set for life. Hahaha! No, that’s not what happened, obviously. It
took many years of practice, of learning the business and honing my craft, before I
was finally good enough to get a book publisher. Even after I met my fabulous agent
at a writer’s workshop, I still didn’t get a book published until over a year later.
After trying to sell my current book with no luck, my agent told me to start
working on something else. So I did. I wrote The Iron King in a little under two
months, and Harlequin TEEN bought it in a matter of weeks.

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working both on my new vampire series, Blood of Eden, as well as the
second series in the Iron Fey saga. Blood of Eden is a post-apocalyptic series
where vampires rule the world, and the second Iron Fey series stars Ethan Chase,
Meghan’s brother, when he is older.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I’m a video game nut, so you can usually find me on either the Xbox, the PS3, or
playing Sims3 on my computer. I also take Kung Fu four nights a week. And, if I
have any down time at all, I will curl up with a good book.

Thank you Julie!
The Iron Knight is available now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Knight-Fey-Book/dp/1848450605/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327987890&sr=8-1

Hallowed is the sequel to the Cynthia Hand’s bestselling novel Unearthly.

Hallowed follows part Angel Clara who is recovering from a devastating fire that she was caught up in as part of her angel ‘purpose’. In this instalment of the Unearthly trilogy Clara finally starts to get some answers to her questions, although she can’t work out why her brother Jeffrey is acting so strangely .

Furthermore, Clara knows that she wants to be with Tucker, but her visions tell her that this is not her destiny. If coming to terms with this is not hard enough, she then realises that someone she loves will die soon. Who will that person be and what will it mean for Clara?

This is a fantastic story with a well paced plot that will keep you wanting more. It is beautifully written in the first person from Clara’s point of view. The love triangle between Clara, Tucker and Christian was riveting and gives this book a big injection of romance. Have your tissues ready as well though, as there are some heart wrenching moments too.

There are so many revelations about the angel-bloods in this novel that, if you read Unearthly, you will understand and find answer lots of your questions.

I will be looking forward to reading the final instalment in this trilogy!

Thank you to Egmont for sending us a copy to review.

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Pamela…
VIII was the unforgettable account of one of our countries greatest monarchs Henry Tudor.

We are introduced to likeable child Hal, second son of the king of England. Hal is woken by his mother to flee his home to seek safety in the Tower. There is threat of an uprising in England with someone leading them who claims to be someone he cannot possibly be. Someone that makes Henry’s mother very nervous. She is sister of the infamous princes in the tower. As a sister she cannot help but hope the rumours are true and they are alive, but as wife to the King, she has to pray it is an imposter.

The bulk of VIII is comprised of Hal’s childhood, as he struggles under his father’s firm hand and seeks the comfort of his mother. He becomes a cocky youngster, his physical attributes and abilities shaping a confident young man. But with a shadow looming over him. Hal is only the spare to his brother’s heir. A replacement. Someone who can easily disappear once there is no need for him and his brother is on the throne. But then the tables turn and it is Hal who is named King.

The ghosts that haunted him as a boy manifest into demons in his older years. Suspicious and greedy, we are taken on a journey that turned loveable Hal into infamous Henry VII.

I’ve read a great deal on Henry VIII, and while there are a few nitpicks I could make about this novel, I have to commend it for doing not only a stand up job, but make the life and times of Henry accessible to everyone. Teens and adults alike will enjoy this novel as they delve into the darkest places within Henry VIII.

Thanks Pamela and thank you to Templar for sending us a copy to review.

Today we have a guest post from Kathryn Erskine…

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
–To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee

It’s a phrase my mother often said to us growing up, To Kill a Mockingbird being one of her favorite books. She said that if nations’ leaders followed that wisdom, there’d be more understanding in the world. It’s one of my favorite books, too, but I wasn’t actually thinking of it while writing my story about Caitlin, a young girl with Asperger’s, who has lost her brother, her key to understanding the outside world. I had created a family with a widowed father, an older brother who worked hard to be good and please him (he was even a Boy Scout on the leadership fast track), and a girl on the autism spectrum who saw the world without filters which, as it often does, can lead to behavior that appears awkward and rude. Caitlin’s voice tugged at me, her fresh, frank voice, reminding me of something. When I realized that she reminded me of Scout in Harper Lee’s novel, I was struck by my story’s similarities — a widowed father, the “good” older brother who tried to teach his sister to behave properly, and the young girl who spoke her mind. That’s when I decided Caitlin’s brother would nickname her “Scout,” because his sister reminded him of the character in the movie and the book. Of course, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is much younger than Caitlin, which is why she hasn’t yet developed those societal filters. In Caitlin’s case, it’s because of her Asperger’s. I realized other similarities, too. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, my novel is also about tolerance and understanding. Walking in other people’s shoes is something literal and foreign to Caitlin but in practicing that wisdom she begins to understand her world a bit better. When we take that walk with Caitlin, hopefully, we do, too.

Thanks Kathryn!

To find out more about Kathryn Erskine, Mockingbird and to download some book club notes about the book visit www.usborne.com/mockingbird

As part of the blog tour for Touch of Power we have an interview with Maria V Snyder…

Tell us a little about yourself
I live in the United States, I’m married, have two teenagers (Luke, 16 and Jenna,
14), and have a black cat (Valek, 2). I started out working as an environmental
meteorologist and eventually switched to writing fiction. I have nine novels
published and a whole bunch of short stories in various anthologies. Your readers
can learn more about me and my stories on my website at: http://www.mariavsnyder.com

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?
How young are you talking? ? I remember enjoying Dr. Seuss and Leo Lionni when I
was little, then I was addicted to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries then
graduated to reading Agatha Christie, Ed McBain, Dick Francis, and Robert B. Parker.
My brother-in-law introduced me to science fiction and fantasy when I was in
secondary school and I loved Ursula K. LeGuin, Piers Anthony, David Eddings, and
Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Tell us about Touch of Power
Touch of Power is a fantasy novel about a healer set in a world that is recovering
from a deadly plague. Avry’s world has blamed the plague on the healers and has
hunted them down. She is finally caught only to be rescued by a group who wants her
to heal their Prince. The group’s leader, Kerrick, knows the healers aren’t to
blame for the plague and that she could do some good for a change instead of hiding.
Unfortunately, she believes this Prince is the one who started blaming the plague on
the healers so she isn’t risking her life for some pampered Prince. As they travel
to the Prince’s hidden location, they’re pursued by others who have realized having
a healer around might just be a good thing for them, but not necessarily for her.
Your readers can read the first chapter of Touch of Power here:

http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books.php

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Scent of Magic. It’s the second book of the Healers series and it’s
due out at around the end of 2012/early 2013.

What do you like to do outside of writing?
I enjoy playing volleyball, skiing, and photography. I also make jewellery and
still love to read. Travelling is another thing I love doing and I never say no to
a trip. ;>

Thanks Maria!

Here is some more exciting news which gives you the chance to win an ipad:
Create a video review of A Touch of Power and be in with a chance of winning an iPad!
Maria V. Snyder has teamed up with top teen mag Mizz to give you the chance to win
an iPad and be the official book review for MizzMag TV to boot! All you need to do
to enter is make a video review of A Touch of Power. MIRA Ink is giving away free
review copies to the first 50 people who get in touch, so visit facebook/MIRAInk for
more details on how to get involved! Also, check out Mizz Mag TV at
www.youtube.com/user/MizzMagTV for an exclusive video of Maria talking about her new
Healer series!

Today we are blog tour hosts for Cynthia Hand’s latest novel Hallowed, the sequel to Unearthly. Here are Cynthia Hand’s Top 5 Picks in Paranormal Romance

I have a problem with the term “paranormal romance.” Barnes and Noble had just changed their shelving system when I sold Unearthly back in 2009, and when I found out that my book was going to be shelved under paranormal romance, part of me cringed a little. Maybe even a lot. I had always described my book to people as an urban fantasy, meaning that it takes place in present-day times but also has fantastical elements. I was comfortable with being the writer of an urban fantasy. The word “paranormal” to me seemed limiting, like to be classified as paranormal the characters have to be some kind of mystical sparkly creatures, vampires or werewolves or (gulp) angels, which doesn’t leave room for a whole lot of other creative ideas. And the word “romance”—well, that conjured up a cheap paperback novel with either a sexy flower or a scantily clad couple in some sort of aloof-yet-passionate embrace, the kind of book that you let fall open and it lands on. . . heaving bosoms and fluffy stuff like that. I admit I did read romance novels when I was a teenager, mostly because I was curious and mystified by the idea of romantic love and (glances furtively around, whispers) sex. *Note to teens. Do not read romance novels to learn about (glances furtively around, whispers) sex. Trust me. This would be like watching soap operas to learn about how to build a solid marriage. Shakes head.* I always had a couple stealthily-purchased romance novels stashed in secret locations in my room, lest my mom start poking around. But write romances? Heck no! No heaving bosoms for me, thank you very much.
Ahem. So. Me and the term paranormal romance were not friends. Which was a problem, since my book really is a paranormal romance. It doesn’t matter than PR is not what I intended when I set out to write Clara’s story. I have to be honest. There are special sparkly creatures in my books. And there is romance, i.e. hot guys, and kissing, and even a heaving bosom now and then. I don’t write the term “heaving bosom” of course; my wording is usually something like “my breath catches” or “my heart pounds in my chest”. Same diff.
Sigh. I remember the day I wrote the big kissing scene in Unearthly. It came out pretty smoothly, truthfully. I was feeling a bit flushed myself at the end of the writing day. So I cut and pasted the scene to my writing partner, Joan, to see what she thought. Great! I remember her saying. It’s not too Harlequin? I asked. She said something like, It’s very swoony, but it’s good. Later my agent would pick that specific passage as a teaser to send the editor who acquired my novel for HarperTeen. An example of my fine writing, she called it. The kissing scene? I thought with an involuntary twinge of my eyelid. O-kay. . .
It worked out for me. Clearly. But for the longest time I wasn’t really comfortable being the writer of romance novels, even with the term “paranormal” in front of them, which was supposed to change the meaning into something for teens and non-adult-entertainment-oriented. People kept asking me for tips on how to write PR, and I would try to change the subject, maybe something about tips on how to write about setting. But I could not avoid the fact that Unearthly was, indeed, PR. Another anecdote: when I got my ARCs of Unearthly, I gave one to my friend Corbett Phibbs, and when I saw him again later, I was all on pins and needles to know what he thought (since he is a character in the book, after all), and he quirked an overgrown white eyebrow at me and said, “Oh yes, it was wonderful.” My heart lifted. “So romantic,” he said. My heart sank.
I’m glad that I’m over my aversion to the term now. Mostly. (eyelid twinge). I can embrace my genre with pride. And what got me over it, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Other books that could be found on the PR shelf. Specifically, I fell in love, again and again and again, with other novels that were classified as paranormal romance. Fantastic books. Books where I was lost in their worlds, charmed by their creativity and their world-building, drawn in by their characters, their stories, their sense of fun. If these rock-star writers were in the PR section of the bookstore, well, then I could be proud to be there too. It was that simple.
That was the loooooong setup to the following list: my top 5 paranormal romances. It’s an important list to me, because these books helped me to become at home in my own skin, in a writerly sense. And because, quite simply, they rock.

1.Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. This book to this day makes me feel slightly chilled to think about. It’s simply a beautifully written book. I love the shifting perspectives between the two main characters, how you can see their feelings for each other develop from both sides, and the tension between them as things start to simultaneously heat up and cool off.

2.Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. This is one of the first books I read when I started to read YA again, and I totally love it. I thought Marr created such a rich, beautiful world, and her characters really yearn for things. That’s all characters truly need in order to build a great story—a yearning, a deep desire for something—something that we as readers can yearn with them about.

3.Rampant by Diana Peterfreud. This book begins with a scene where the main character is making out with her boyfriend and he pressures her to have sex and then gets stabbed by a killer unicorn. Hello, awesome! I heart this book through and through, and loved the sequel as well. One thing I particularly enjoy about this is that the story revolves around the notion that the main character is a virgin, and will only keep her powers if she remains a virgin, but it still manages to build a warm and realistic romance, thus proving once again that love and sex are two very separate entities.

4.Firelight, by Sophie Jordan. This is a book about a girl who is secretly a dragon, who falls in love with a dragon hunter. Juliet meets Romeo, if Juliet could fly and breathe fire. This book is hot. I love how the main character literally heats up when she sees the hot guy, and the love scenes are very (cough) believable and passionate and easy to get caught up in. And I liked the sequel, Vanish, even more because I am a huge fan of the dragon-boy rival, Cassian. (fans self). Whew.

5.Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. This book made me laugh out loud so many times! The voice of the main character is hi-larious and the character is so strong and independent and fierce, but also a believable teenage girl. Evie is my hero, and Kiersten White is my savior in a world where they aren’t making any new Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. It’s that good. I also appreciate how fresh the romance is in this book, how the love interest in literally invisible, how he can change his appearance to suit his moods, and how Evie is ultimately attracted to what’s inside of him, figuratively speaking.

Thanks Cynthia!

You can follow the blog tour tomorrow by heading over to Serendipity Reviews: http://www.serendipityreviews.co.uk/