Darlene's Book Nook

Friday, August 2, 2013

Pretty When She Destroys Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway with Rhiannon Frater

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in the Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for Rhiannon Frater's Pretty When She Destroys.

About Rhiannon:

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH RHIANNON:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Welcome back to Darlene's Book Nook, Rhiannon!

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

Rhiannon's Top 5 Favorite Books and Why
By Rhiannon Frater

It’s always difficult to be faced with the prospect of compiling a favorites list, whether it’s movies, books, televisions shows, etc. I enjoy several different genres and trying to narrow down my selection can be rough.

The books on this list met several different criteria. First and foremost, the books stuck with me long after I finished reading. Secondly, in some way they influenced my own writing.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This is my absolute favorite book of all-time. Every time I read the story I glean something new from the narrative, or find myself enjoying the book in a new way. I first fell in love with the gothic atmosphere and storytelling. Later, I would come to love Jane as I realized how strong she is in the face of a very sexist and cruel world.

It wasn’t until I was an adult and married that I finally invested myself fully in the romantic aspect of the book. For a long time I didn’t really understand the love that develops between the two leads. It wasn’t until my last reading that I finally grasped the finer intricacies of their love affair.

Jane Eyre definitely had a huge influence on my love of strong female protagonists and gothic horror.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

When I first read Dracula, I was obsessed. I was in my mid-teens and my mother bought me a beautiful collector’s edition with full color illustrations inside. I devoured the book in an all-night reading spree that left me exhausted and transfixed.

Bram Stoker’s elegant prose, vivid descriptions, and attention to detail are awe-inspiring. Though there are times where it’s almost a bit too much, in the end, his careful research adds a richness to the story that made it more real and fascinating.

Though the story is definitely a product of its time, Mina is a very strong female character. Her love and dedication to her husband is touching, but her fierce protectiveness is what made me love her. Though Dracula is trying hard to seduce her and transform her into one of his brides, she fights him every step of the way. I adored her for that. Feminists knock the novel because the men rally to “save the woman,” but Mina is often the voice of wisdom throughout the story.

I also loved how we never really know Dracula’s motivations. He is a complete mystery.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

When I first started to read Coraline, I thought it was a rather enchanting book for kids. Boy, was I ever wrong! What’s so amazing about Coraline is how it creeps up on you gradually. It doesn’t scare you right out of the gate. It fools you into thinking you’re reading a magical children’s book then slowly builds up to being a solid supernatural horror tale. Honestly, I had to sleep with the lights on when I finished.

I love little Coraline as a main character. She’s one of the best depictions of a little girl in any book that I’ve read. I totally got her. In some ways, she reminded me of myself.

This is most definitely one of the best books Gaiman has written, if not the best. Amazing.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

I have probably read this mid-grade novel a hundred times. I love this book completely. I discovered it as a kid and I have read it as an adult.

Again, the story has a strong female protagonist in Kit Tyler. She’s a bit spoiled in the beginning of the book, but she’s a product of wealth and doesn’t really understand the rest of the world. When she’s transplanted to the harsh life of the American colonies from the lush life of the Barbados’ plantations, she has a very difficult time adjusting. Yet, Kit finds a way to retain her inner strength while also evolving into a much more compassionate young woman.

By the end of the novel, Kit does find her place in life and it’s at no sacrifice to herself. I loved that she found someone to love her for who she was and a life where she didn’t compromise.

Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

When I read Salem’s Lot, I had to sleep with the lights on for probably a week. I was a teenager and fascinated with vampires after reading Dracula. I snatched up this novel at a bookstore and dove right in. It scared me to death.

Whereas Dracula was a more gothic tale, Salem’s Lot is straight out horror. Though the vampires in both novels are horrific and evil, the plague of vampirism that takes place in Salem’s Lot was just terrifying.

Plus, little kid vampires. *shivers*

All in all, all five books have contributed to my love of horror, strong female protagonists, gothic atmosphere, and realistic, but touching romances. In other words, they all heavily influenced the Pretty When She Dies novels.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Rhiannon!

About the Series:

TITLE: Pretty When She Dies

SERIES: Pretty When She Dies, Book #1
AUTHOR: Rhiannon Frater

PUBLISHER: CreateSpace
PUBLICATION DATE: November 24, 2008
FORMAT: Paperback, 226 pages

GENRE: Horror, Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 9781440429637

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...

Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.

All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.

But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?

Buy Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The link to my 4-star audiobook review is located HERE.

TITLE: Pretty When She Kills

SERIES: Pretty When She Dies, Book #2
AUTHOR: Rhiannon Frater

PUBLISHER: Rhiannon Frater
PUBLICATION DATE: September 5, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 246 pages
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9781441440105

Amaliya Vezorak never believed in happy endings…

When Amaliya harnessed her necromancer powers to defeat her greatest enemy, she believed she had finally found a happy ending with Cian, her lover and the master of Austin. That happiness is short-lived when the vampire ruling over San Antonio attempts a takeover of Austin in order to capture Amaliya and use her power for his own devices.

To make matters worse, Samantha, Cian’s ex-fiancée, is seeing ghosts, the untested vampire hunters of Austin are running scared as a supernatural war looms, a mysterious man is hunting Amaliya with the help of her one time lover, Pete, and Rachoń, the Summoner’s favorite progeny, appears to be out for revenge.

When Amaliya’s grandmother, a powerful medium, experiences terrible visions that reveal there is another necromancer vampire and she is crying out for help, Amaliya realizes happy endings do not come easily…

Buy Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The link to my 4-star book review is located HERE.

TITLE: Pretty When She Destroys

SERIES: Pretty When She Dies, Book #3
AUTHOR: Rhiannon Frater

PUBLISHER: Rhiannon Frater
PUBLICATION DATE: August 27, 2013

FORMAT: E-book
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Amaliya Vezorak always believed she was destined to live a failed life in obscurity until she was brutally murdered by an ancient vampire named The Summoner and reborn as a powerful vampire necromancer. Now it is up to her to save the world…

There are two giveaways, and you can enter either one or both!

One lucky winner will win digital copies of all three books in the Pretty When She Dies series!

There is also a tour-wide giveaway for paperback copies of all three books in the Pretty When She Dies series, as well as some cool vampire jewellery!

To enter the giveaways, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry forms below.

The first giveaway is open to worldwide until 12:00 AM CST on August 9, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The second giveaway is open to Canada/US mailing addresses only until August 13, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants:

July 22nd

-Book Loving Mom >> Review of book 3

-Bookish Things & More >> Interview

July 23rd

-Paranormal Reads >> Review of book 3

-Gimme The Scoop Reviews >> Review of book 2 & book 3

July 24th

-Tynga’s Reviews >> Review of book 3 + Guest Post

-Kathy’s Nightmares >> Series Review (Book 1-2-3)

July 25th

-Ja čitam, a ti? >> Review of book 3

-Mom With A Kindle >> Excerpt

-Fae Books >> Guest Post

July 26th

-Once Upon A Time >> Excerpt

-Happy Indulgence >> Review of book 1 + Interview

-Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance >> Review of book 1

–

July 29th

-All in One Place >> Series Review (Book 1-2-3)

-lilybloombooks >> Review of book 1 + Excerpt

July 30th

-Little Read Riding Hood >> Review of book 3

-A_TiffyFit’s Reading Corner >> Series Review (Book 1-2-3)

-Donnie Darko Girl >> Review of book 3

July 31st

-Chapter by Chapter >> Review of book 3

-A Reader of Fictions >> Review of book 1

August 1st

-A Dream Within A Dream >> Review of book 3

-Waves of Fiction >> Review of book 1

August 2nd

-Darlene’s Book Nook >> Review of book 2 + Guest Post

-Paperback Princess >> Review of book 1 + Interview

–

August 5th

-GingerRead Reviews >> Review of book 3

-Mythical Books >> Review of book 1

-the bookish owl >> Review of book 1 + Interview

August 6th

-A Dream Within A Dream >> Review of book 3

-Jessabella Reads >> Review of book 1 + Excerpt

August 7th

-Michelle’s Paranormal Vault of Books >> Series Review (Book 1-2-3)

-Penny For Them… >> Series Review (Book 1-2-3)

August 8th

-Jessica Loves Books >> Series Review (Book 1-2-3)

August 9th

-Gizmos Reviews >> Review of book 3 + Guest Post

Book Review: Pretty When She Kills by Rhiannon Frater

TITLE: Pretty When She Kills

SERIES: Pretty When She Dies, Book #2
AUTHOR: Rhiannon Frater

PUBLISHER: Rhiannon Frater
PUBLICATION DATE: September 5, 2012

FORMAT: Paperback, 246 pages
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9781441440105

Amaliya Vezorak never believed in happy endings…

When Amaliya harnessed her necromancer powers to defeat her greatest enemy, she believed she had finally found a happy ending with Cian, her lover and the master of Austin. That happiness is short-lived when the vampire ruling over San Antonio attempts a takeover of Austin in order to capture Amaliya and use her power for his own devices.

To make matters worse, Samantha, Cian’s ex-fiancée, is seeing ghosts, the untested vampire hunters of Austin are running scared as a supernatural war looms, a mysterious man is hunting Amaliya with the help of her one time lover, Pete, and Rachon, the Summoner’s favorite progeny, appears to be out for revenge.

When Amaliya’s grandmother, a powerful medium, experiences terrible visions that reveal there is another necromancer vampire and she is crying out for help, Amaliya realizes happy endings do not come easily…

MY REVIEW:

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

I really enjoyed Pretty When She Dies, and it was great to re-immerse myself into Frater's dark vampire world.

The story picks up four months after the conclusion of Pretty When She Dies, and Cian is teaching Amaliya how to defend herself and helping her to practice how to control her necromantic powers.

Amaliya's grandmother, Innocente, is warned in a vision that Amaliya's life is in danger. When a paranormal investigator named Ethan Logan tracks down Pete, the man who has been crushing on Amaliya all of his life, he tells Pete that he can save Amaliya and restore her to human form. Pete agrees to help Ethan, together with Innocente and Amaliya's cousin, Sergio.

Meanwhile, Cian's ex-girlfriend, Samantha, has discovered that her brush with death in Pretty When She Dies has resulted in some unusual paranormal abilities due to the blood that Amaliya gave to her to save her life.

I really enjoyed this second book in the series even more than the first one. In Pretty When She Dies, Amaliya was mad with the hunger of a newborn vampire. In this story, she is learning how to control herself and drink from humans without killing them. I liked seeing her growth from a ruthless killer. An unexpected favourite this time around is Samantha. I enjoyed her so much more in this book, and she has undergone a bit of a transformation herself. She is definitely more strong-willed and courageous, and I like her love/hate relationship with Amaliya.

I am looking forward to reading the conclusion of this series, Pretty When She Destroys, which will be released later this month.

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should add it to your TBR list. A big thanks to Rhiannon Frater for the opportunity to review this book!

This book qualifies as:
#52 for my 2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
#52 for my 2013 Read-a-Latte Challenge
#23 for my 2013 Let Me Count The Ways Reading Challenge: Book Version
#26 for my 2013 Quick Fix Challenge
#28 for my 2013 ARC Reading Challenge
#44 for my 2013 Women Challenge
#14 for my 2013 2nds Challenge
#16 for my 2013 Sequel Challenge
#37 for my 2013 Books-in-a-Series Reading Challenge
#5 for my 2013 Ebook Challenge
#32 for my 2013 Free Reads Challenge
#4 for my 2013 Self-Published Reading Challenge
#4 f or my 2013 Reading Challenge: Indie-Fever
#17 for my Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge 2013
#24 for my 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge
#3 of Category #1 for my 2013 Immortal Reading Challenge
#6 for my 2013 Horror Reading Challenge
#35 for my Monthly Mix-up Mania: 2013 to 2015 Edition
#23 for my What An Animal Reading Challenge VI

#22 for my The Summer Reading Challenge

#1 for my Beat the Heat Readathon
#1 for my ARC August

View all my reviews

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Random House Sizzling Summer Readathon: My Wrap-up Post #SummerReadathon

This is my Wrap-up Post for the Random House Sizzling Summer Readathon!

My Sizzling Summer Readathon goal was to read 1,000 pages in the month of July.

CHALLENGE COMPLETED:

1,000 PAGES SURPASSED ON 24 JULY 2013

Here are the links to my reviews:

Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa [164 pages]
Absent by Katie Williams [184 pages; 348 pages total]
Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens [410 pages; 758 pages total]
Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent, Book #2) [138 pages read in July; 896 pages total]
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba [262 pages; 1,158 pages in total]
The Program by Suzanne Young (Program, Book #1) [408 pages; 1,566 pages in total]

Thanks again to Random House for hosting!

The Summer Reading Challenge: August Check-in

This challenge is being hosted by Jen at Momma Blogs A Lot!

Here are the check-in details copied from Jen's blog:

The Summer Reading Challenge: August Check-in

Can you believe it’s August already? With only one month left in the summer reading challenge, now it is crunch time to finish our reading goals! Have you been making good progress with your reading or do you find yourself falling behind as the summer kicks into high gear?

How is your summer reading going?

Do you think you will finish your goal?

Have you been sticking strictly to your book list or switching things up?

I read 6 books in July, so that brings me up to a total of 21 books for the challenge so far!

Here are the books that I read in July:

Here are my answers to Jen's questions:

I have been making pretty good progress with my summer reading. It's going to be very busy in August for me, so I expect that my reading time will go down (although I can always find the time to multi-task with audiobooks).

My goal was to tackle at least 25 books on my list, and I only need to read four more books to reach that goal! I have been sticking to books that were on my original TBR list, which has lots to choose from!

Here's the link to Jen's August Check-in Blog Post.

Darlene's Book Nook is a Hall of Fame Finalist for "Best Orangeberry Blog Host"

Hi, everyone!

I have some exciting news to share with you.

Darlene's Book Nook has been nominated as a Hall of Fame Finalist for "Best Orangeberry Blog Host."

I'd be thrilled if you could vote for me in the official poll. Just click on the "Orangeberry Hall of Fame Finalist" button above.

The voting closes on September 2, 2013.

Thanks for your support!

The Granite Key Book Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway with N.S. Wikarski

Hi, everyone!

I am pleased to participate in the Book Tour hosted by Orangeberry Book Tours for N.S. Wikarski's The Granite Key.

About Nancy:

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to mystery and historical fiction writing. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology, while her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures. She has written the Gilded Age Chicago History Mysteries series set in 1890s Chicago. Titles include The Fall Of White City (2002) and Shrouded In Thought (2005). The series has received People's Choice Award nominations for best first novel and best historical. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served as vice president of Sisters In Crime - Twin Cities and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. She is currently writing the seven book Arkana Archaeology Thriller Mystery series. Her work on the Arkana volumes has prompted Kindle Nation to call her one of its favorite authors.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH NANCY:

Website | Facebook

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Nancy!

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

Pet Peeves Of The Publishing Industry

By N.S. Wikarski

Everybody knows that one of the chief benefits of hitting yourself over the head with a hammer is that it feels so good when you stop.

The hammer analogy aptly describes my experience with traditional publishing (aka legacy publishing). My first two books were published conventionally and I suffered through all the usual steps of producing a trade paperback. Editor, proof reader, formatter, cover artist, printer, distributor, publicist, book signings, fan conventions. I learned an enormous amount about the book business but, unfortunately, all the effort expended didn’t translate into much net income.

Then came Kindle ebooks and Createspace print on demand paperbacks. At first, I was hesitant to go the digital route but an author friend pointed out that since I still controlled the rights to my work, I might as well make a few pennies by selling electronic copies of what I’d written. Fortunately, my previous work experience included a few decades as a computer consultant so I was quite comfortable with formatting my own manuscripts. Given how many years I’d spent designing graphic user interfaces, I was equally comfortable with designing my own covers.

The distance from writing a novel to seeing it sold online was shortened by a couple of years. The markets that I could reach via Kindle and Createspace were global, not local. I could promote my work via cyberspace tours rather than packing a suitcase to head to yet another low turnout book signing.

Considering the months and months of work it took to create, warehouse, distribute, and market the legacy print copies, I was staggered to discover that my net royalty for each ebook or print on demand copy was exactly the same as what I was netting for the legacy print version of the same book. Best of all, in two years as a digital author, I’ve sold twice as many copies of my work as I was able to sell in nine years as a print author.

In my opinion, digital books are every writer’s dream come true. So why isn’t everybody doing this? I’ve had this conversation with several of my writer friends who are hesitant to take the plunge. For some it comes down to technical timidity. They’re afraid to format their own books much less tackle the daunting task of designing the covers. I have pointed out that they can hire knowledgeable people to help with these chores but they shrug their shoulders. They have no head for business. It’s not for them.

Other writers are extremely uncomfortable without the blessing of an agent and editor from a big six publishing house. It doesn’t occur to them that in order to receive that blessing, they are parting with their own intellectual property and the lion’s share of the income it could generate. These writers have forgotten that without the content they supply, the entire structure of legacy publishing would crumble like a house of cards. I believe the marketplace, not an agent or editor in New York, should decide the value of a writer’s work. Amazon has removed the middleman from the equation. As far as I’m concerned, Vive La Difference!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Nancy!

One lucky winner will win a digital copy of Nancy's Archaeology Thriller, The Granite Key!

TITLE: The Granite Key

SERIES: Arkana Archaeology Thriller Mysteries, Book #1
AUTHOR: N.S. Wikarski

PUBLISHER: N.S. Wikarski

PUBLICATION DATE: January 28, 2012

FORMAT: Kindle Edition, 241 pages

GENRE: Archaeology Thriller
ASIN: B004NIFTI8

“Think ‘Medium meets The Lost Symbol’ and it only begins to describe the pleasures of The Granite Key – 5 Stars.” (Kindle Nation)

A Wake-Up Call

In a nightmare, nineteen year old Cassie Forsythe sees her sister attacked by a man in a cowboy hat who demands something called “the key.” Her nightmare mutates into reality before the night is over. Cassie is called to identify her sister’s body–murdered exactly as her dream foretold. Cassie dismisses her vision as a fluke and fights to get on with her life. Disconnected and aimless now that her only family is gone, she drifts until the evening when she catches the man in the cowboy hat ransacking her sister’s apartment. He bolts with an odd-looking stone cylinder–the granite key. From that moment, Cassie’s normal world evaporates.

A Secret Society

She learns that her sister led a double life–retrieving artifacts for a secret organization called the Arkana. The Arkana’s leader, an elder named Faye, explains that her group performs a controversial kind of archaeology. They scour the globe for evidence of ancient pre-patriarchal civilizations in hopes of salvaging the lost history of the world. Their network of troves safeguards artifacts from highly sophisticated goddess-worshipping cultures on every continent. Cassie’s sister had the psychic ability to touch an artifact and relive its past. Cassie has now inherited this gift. Faye wants the girl to take over her sister’s role in the organization. Cassie doubts her powers but agrees. Now an insider, she is transported to the Arkana’s mysterious underground vault in the countryside outside Chicago where the group tackles the mystery of her sister’s murder.

A Dangerous Cult

The Arkana learns that the man in the cowboy hat is a hired mercenary named Leroy Hunt and that he is working for a fundamentalist religious cult known as the Blessed Nephilim. He takes his orders directly from the cult’s domineering prophet–Abraham Metcalf. The granite key which Leroy stole is inscribed with hieroglyphics revealing the location of a mythological artifact reputed to have mystical powers–the Sage Stone. Although skeptical of its legendary capabilities, the Arkana is still afraid to allow the relic to fall into the cult’s hands. Abraham’s fanatical belief in the power of the Sage Stone could be the catalyst to start a war of religious genocide.

Unlocking The Key

Before she died, Cassie’s sister took photos of the strange markings on the granite key. The Arkana decodes the hieroglyphics which point to the ancient ruins of Minoan Crete as the hiding place of the Sage Stone. Faye hastily assembles a retrieval team including Cassie, her newly-appointed bodyguard Erik, and a British researcher named Griffin. The band of treasure hunters is mismatched and wildly dysfunctional from the start. Griffin has never gone on a field mission, Erik treats his inexperienced colleagues with contempt, and Cassie second-guesses her psychic hunches. She battles to prove herself to Erik at every turn. Their internal clashes rival the bigger crisis of what to do when they come face to face with their enemies.

A Matter Of Life Or Death

Even as they rake through megalithic tombs and Minoan palaces for clues, Abraham dispatches his son Daniel and hired gun Leroy Hunt to recover the Sage Stone. The Nephilim operatives won’t hesitate to kill anyone standing in their way. Will Cassie and her teammates avert global disaster or find themselves casualties of Abraham’s mania to exterminate the world of unbelievers? The Granite Key holds the answer.