Happy Halloween and 30 Day Book Challenge

Happy Halloween, everyone!

This is what the girls and I were busy with last night:

I think they turned out pretty good! What do you think?

In November, I will be celebrating my 2nd Year Blogoversary and my birthday!

In recognition of that, I will be doing a variation of the 30 Day Book Challenge which I found on Jude's blog, In Between. I also found a 30 Day Book Challenge on Tumblr, and one on another blog. I'm going to tweak the lists and come up with one of my own!

 

I'll be making a post daily for 30 days doing the activity of each day. Feel free to join me if you like, you can grab the button and do the whole challenge or just do a few :)

My Start - November 1, 2012.
Finish - November 30, 2012.

1. Best book you've read this year.
2. Least favorite book this year.
3. A Book that completely surprised you (bad/good).
4. A Non-fiction book that you actually enjoyed.
5. Favorite Autobiographical/Biographical book.
6. Your favourite authors.
7. A book that’s hard to read.
8. The most disturbing book you’ve ever read.
9. A book that scares you.
10. Book you wish you could live in.
11. Book whose main character you want to marry.
12. A book that you recommend most often.
13. A book you’ve read more than once. 
14. The first novel you remember reading.
15. The book that made you fall in love with reading.
16. Favorite book genre and what book made you fall in love with it.
17. Least favorite book genre.
18. 5 books you really really want to read and haven't had the chance for whatever reason.
19. Favorite book turned movie.
20. Book turned movie and completely desecrated.
21. A book that you think is highly overrated.
22. Your favorite series.
23. Longest book you’ve read.
24. An author that you will read whatever they put out.
25. A book you want to like, but can’t get into for whatever reason.
26. The environment you most enjoy reading in.
27. Your reading playlist.
28. Last book you read.
29. The book you’re reading right now.
30. Book you plan to read next.

 Be sure to stay tuned for Blogoversary/Birthday giveaways in November!

Kindle Freebie: Cinema of Shadows by Michael West

Hi, everyone!

Last October, I had featured Michael West for one of my Spotlight Saturdays.

Today and tomorrow, you can download Cinema of Shadows  for FREE at the Amazon Kindle Store.

This is the perfect Halloween read! I really enjoyed the book, and you can read my review HERE.

Welcome to the Woodfield Movie Palace. The night the Titanic sank, it opened for business...and its builder died in his chair. In the 1950s, there was a fire; a balcony full of people burned to death. And years later, when it became the scene of one of Harmony, Indiana's most notorious murders, it closed for good. Abandoned, sealed, locked up tight...until now.Tonight, Professor Geoffrey Burke and his Parapsychology students have come to the Woodfield in search of evidence, hoping to find irrefutable proof of a haunting. Instead, they will discover that, in this theater, the terrors are not confined to the screen.

Get it for FREE while it lasts!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Program by Suzanne Young

Hi, everyone!

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

Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

TITLE: The Program

AUTHOR: Suzanne Young 

PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse

EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: April 30, 2013

FORMAT: 416 pages

GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction/Dystopia

ISBN: 9781442445802

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone.

With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in.

And The Program is coming for them.

Sounds like another good dystopia!

What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!

Book Review: How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde

TITLE: How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days

SERIES: 10 Days, Book #1
AUTHOR: Saranna DeWylde 

PUBLISHER: Kensington Brava
PUBLICATION DATE: August 28, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 320 pages
GENRE: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 9780758269157

Got demon?

Grace does. She's got more demon than she can saddle. In fact, she's got a sinfully sexy Crown Prince of Hell named Caspian. She's also got ten days to get rid of him or Bad Things shall ensue. See, her Russian mobster ex-boyfriend didn't take kindly to her smutty Mephistophelean contract. It's not that she's conspiring with fiends; that was his idea. It's that she's conspiring against him with outrageous devilry that runs the gamut from embarrassing to a dead hooker turned dominatrix demon gunning for his soul.

One should never trust demons, let alone shag them. They don't have hearts. Yet Grace is buying hers some slightly tarnished armor and hoping that once he's been shoveled into it, kicking and screaming, he'll find it's just his size. This wicked witch needs a white knight--or at least a Prince of Darkness for a Happily Ever After.

MY REVIEW:  

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own. 

The first book in DeWylde’s 10 Days series has all the elements of a great paranormal romance: Strong female protagonist, swoony alpha hero, and lots of red-hot action!

Grace is a witch, whose ex-boyfriend is making her life a living hell. When Grace calls upon the Powers That Be for help, Caspian – the Crown Prince of Hell - responds to her summons. He agrees to take down her ex-boyfriend, but his price is her body! Grace has no idea what she is getting into when she complies with his condition.

Grace is a real hoot! She has a great sense of humour with a snarky retort for nearly everything! I loved the banter between Grace and Caspian. Speaking of Caspian...whew! The chemistry between Grace and Caspian is so hot that I am surprised that the book didn’t spontaneously burst into flames! Caspian can do devilishly wicked things with that forked tongue of his and he definitely has spoiled Grace, as sex with a mere mortal after Caspian would be dull by comparison no matter how skilled he was! Grace’s ex-boyfriend, Michael, is particularly loathsome, and I delighted in the clever ways that Caspian tortured him.

DeWylde is a new-to-me author, and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next book in the series as well as her backlist.

MY RATING:

 

4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your "To Be Read" list. Thanks to Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this book!

This book qualifies as: 

#74 for my 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge    
#6 for my 2012 Paranormal Romance Challenge   
#4 of Category 2 for my 2012 Immortal Reading Challenge 
#6 for my 2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
#51 for my New Author Reading Challenge 2012
#31 for my 2012 ARC Reading Challenge     
#29 for my 1st in a Series Challenge 2012   
#8 for my Fall Into Reading 2012 Challenge
#1 for my Witchy Mini-Reading Challenge
#5 for my Review Copy Wipeout 
#4 for my 2012 Spooktacular Paranormal Reading Challenge
 
View all my reviews

Guest Post and Giveaway with Rusty Fischer, author of Detention of the Living Dead

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in Rusty Fischer's Detention of the Living Dead Virtual Book Publicity Tour hosted by Sizzing PR.

About Rusty:

Rusty Fischer is the author of Zombies Don’t Cry, as well as several other popular zombie books, including Panty Raid at Zombie High, Detention of the Living Dead and the Reanimated Readz series of 99-cent living dead shorts.

Rusty runs the popular website Zombies Don’t Blog. At Zombies Don’t Blog you can read more about Rusty’s work, view his upcoming book covers and read – or download – completely FREE books & stories about… zombies! 

CONNECT WITH RUSTY ONLINE: 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

Welcome back to Darlene's Book Nook, Rusty!

Rusty has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to him.

The Top-5 Zombie Movies You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of Before (And Which Would Make a GREAT Halloween Movie Marathon)
by Rusty Fischer

So, if you’re anything like me, with Halloween finally here you are literally salivating over what scary movies you’ll watch on the big night (and perhaps even on into the next morning). With so many good movies to choose from, you’re probably running around like a kid in a candy store right about now.

Not only are most local channels running horror movie-thons for Halloween, but cable channels are, too, not to mention your own Netflix queue, what Redbox has to offer on the way home from work AND all those $5 scary movie videos you’ve been buying all month long at Wal-Mart.

Aaarrgghh!!! Well, I didn’t get to be a zombie author by watching westerns, if you know what I mean. So if you’re in the mood for zombies this Halloween, and in particular zombie movies, quit running around town, sit down and start reading. I guarantee you this list is full of gems, and I’ll also go you one further and bet you haven’t heard of, let alone seen, half the movies on this list.

So, as my “treat” to you this year, here comes my Top-5 List of Most Awesomely Awesome Zombie Movies You’ve Probably Never Heard Of Before (And Which Would Make a GREAT Halloween Movie Marathon):

DeadHeads: This is a new discovery that just popped onto my streaming queue on Netflix and I LOVED IT. It’s not for everybody, and gets a little raunch-raunch at times, but it’s one of those awesomely cheesy funny zombie movies that doesn’t skimp on the gore, the chills, the thrills or the story. The three “good” zombies are GREAT and the three “bad” guys chasing them are just as funny in their own way. Do yourself a favor and check this one out ASAP!

The Video Dead: Now, this is another recent discovery and one of those “so bad it’s GREAT” zombie movies. Basically, a “wrong delivery” sends a TV to a couple of teens house sitting for their parents. When it’s turned on, it only gets one channel, which only shows one thing: a zombie movie. Then… the zombies come out of the screen! From there, well… you just have to see it for yourself. I’m VERY partial to movies like this because it was made in the 80s and has that particular brand of over-the-top acting, fashion, furniture, style that I love. But honestly, even if this movie doesn’t necessarily scare you, you will definitely be entertained!

Dance of theDead: This movie definitely had a “Detention of the Living Dead” feel to it, and was a blast for this particular YA zombie writer because it’s, naturally, all about a zombie infection at a high school and a group of geeks trying to outlast the apocalypse while also, you know, enjoying prom. Totally valid dilemma, from their perspective, I’m sure. Again, it gets a little raunchy along the way, because it’s teens, and zombies, and dancing, and hormones, but I just thought it was really clever and fun, with equal helpings of gore and guffaws, which I always appreciate.

Exit Humanity: And now, for something completely different, Exit Humanity is a very serious, somber tale that’s as much about the humans as the zombies. Set in the Civil War era, it takes a new spin on zombies and humans and is a great piece of storytelling beyond just a clever “spin” on the genre. I really enjoyed it and hope you will, too. (Plus, Brian Cox does the narration and his voice really adds an extra layer of tone and tension to this film.)

Undead or Alive: I caught this one on HBO or SyFy a few years back and just had a great, “check your brain at the door” time with it. Funny, good story, two great leads and probably the only time you’ll see Chris Kattan and “zombie” in the same sentence. Plus, it’s a western, so if you’re tired of the usual zombies shuffling down city streets scene, it’s a great change of pace. Again, guffaws and gore about equal on the laugh/scare meter, just how I like them.

So, again, don’t HATE me if these aren’t your cup of tea, but if you like scary movies, and zombies, and scary zombie movies, and funny zombie movies, or pretty much zombies period, there’s at least enough on this list to keep you happy. And who knows, you might just find your next favorite zombie movie here while you’re at it.

Either way, Happy Halloween from one zombie movie lover to another!

Yours in YA,

Rusty

Thanks so much for joining us today, Rusty!

One lucky winner will win a digital copy of Rusty's latest YA paranormal, Detention of the Living Dead.

Maxine “Max” Compton is in detention when the outbreak starts; so are several other students when Max’s best friend Brie storms in – chomping on the thigh bone of their favorite Home Ec teacher, Ms. Watkins!

Brie is a zombie, and quickly starts biting everyone in the room – even her best friend, Max!

When the class realizes what happens, it’s too late; they are all zombies – and they’re no longer alone.

Now a thin gray man in a white lab coat is testing them; making them read, and once they can no longer read, the zombies are led from the room, never to be seen again.

One by one the zombies stop reading, all but a few of them, Max included. Oh, and that cute thug she’s been crushing on for years, Cory Winthrop!

That’s when Max learns that there are good zombies, and bad zombies. And if she’s to survive, she has to pick a side.

Who knew Detention could be this hard… or last forever?

To enter the giveaway, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below. 

This giveaway is open worldwide until 12:01 AM EST on November 7, 2012.
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Tour Participants

October
30 – Interview @ You Gotta Read
31 – Halloween Spot @ Darlene Book Nook

November
2 – Spotlight @ Deleted Scene @ A Little Bit of R&R
5 – Spotlight & Deleted Scene @ Lindsay’s Scribblings
7 – Deleted Scene @ Storm Goddess Book Reviews
9 – Spotlight & Deleted Scene @ Sarah Carr
13 – Guest Blog @ All the Days Of
16 – Guest Blog @ Melissa Stevens