Blog Tour - Blackmoore

I am extremely excited to be participating in the blog tour for Julianne Donaldson's newest book, Blackmoore.  I loved her first novel, Edenbrooke (in fact, I gave it a starred review here!) so much that I VOWED to be part of the blog tour for her next "Proper Romance" if it was humanly possible...and here we are, LOL. 

Blackmoore is the newest book in Shadow Mountain Publishing's A Proper Romance brand. 

A Proper Romance indicates a clean, smart, engaging, romantic story that will never embarass the reader. Now, I am not one to pass up any type of romance when I'm in the right mood, but I love the elegance and timelessness of the Proper Romance books.  They feel like absolutely anyone could read and enjoy them and I personally will recommend anything that Julianne Donaldson writes!

So, let's talk more about Blackmoore! 

Kate Worthington knows she can never have her heart’s desire and so believes she will never marry. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore on the cliffs above the seashore, where she must face the truth and the man that has kept her heart captive.

Set in northern England, Blackmoore is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn to follow her heart. With hints of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, Blackmoore is a page-turning tale of romance, intrigue and devotion.

Once again, Donaldson won my heart.  I thoroughly enjoyed this romance.  Told through a series of flashbacks, readers get to see Kate's history unfold.  Learning the sordid truth about her older sister and her mother's scheming, scandalous ways... learning about how she lost her heart to the one man she can't have... 

This book actually reminded me a little of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The intelligent, talented daughter with bigger dreams than just following her mother's wishes of a "good" marriage. As Kate must deal with laughable suitors, an embarassing family, and having to see the man that she doesn't want to admit she loves, she also fights to break free of the life she sees herself imprisoned within.  Her pluck and determination are admirable.  Kate's story grabbed my heartstrings and simply wouldn't let go.  

When I finished the book, I found myself sighing aloud and already mentally counting down until another is announced.  To me, that is the ultimate test...and Blackmoore passed with flying colors! 

Want to learn more about Julianne Donaldson and Blackmoore?

You can visit the following places: 

Julianne's Blog

Julianne's facebook page

Julianne's twitter (@AuthorJulianne)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

Blackmoore Blog Tour page


Full disclosure: Review copy received from publisher for blog tour 

The Gift

The Gift
by Andrea J. Buchanan

High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in, and a gorgeous senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide, before it’s too late? (description from Amazon.com) 

This book, originally self-published, could probably have benefited from a thorough editing job.  While the premise had moments of promise, there were too many small extra plotlines that were actually distracting from the main story. I also think that it seemed to take a little too long for the two major arcs of the story to come together. That *could* be partially attributed to the fact that I listened to this as an audio book, so the whole story took some time, but I really think the ghost/energy connection was too hard to piece together the way that the author presented it. 

Even though I didn't really enjoy the story, I was happy to find that the author included the songs that Kevin "performed" and also Danielle's diary entries (which I thought would have made a nice addition perhaps interspersed within the story...).  It made for a more interesting end.   

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey

by Jerry Spinelli

Welcome to Hokey Pokey. A place and a time, when childhood is at its best: games to play, bikes to ride, experiences to be had. There are no adults in Hokey Pokey, just kids, and the laws governing Hokey Pokey are simple and finite. But when one of the biggest kids, Jack, has his beloved bike stolen—and by a girl, no less—his entire world, and the world of Hokey Pokey, turns to chaos. Without his bike, Jack feels like everything has started to go wrong. He feels different, not like himself, and he knows something is about to change. And even more troubling he alone hears a faint train whistle. But that's impossible: every kid knows there no trains in Hokey Pokey, only tracks. (description from Amazon.com)

I had a really hard time with this book. When you start reading it, it's as if you are waking up and have entered a dream. Nothing is explained very well and Spinelli reveals the way things work veerrrryyyy slowly.

At first I really had no idea what Hokey Pokey was supposed to be - why were the kids there, what IS this place? I was SO confused. It took until more than halfway through the book for me to understand enough to realize that Hokey Pokey was a metaphor for the land of childhood!

 

I had an inkling, but it took a long time for that theme to really develop itself.  I found so many things confusing, and in the audio book version, there is no map of Hokey Pokey, so that was a little disorienting and the words "Hokey Pokey" are also used by Spinelli for four different things...not at all confusing to listen to!

 

Overall, I found that the concept of this book has been explored better in other books. I found the writing style (almost stream of consciousness) to be disorienting, and I just never really felt at all invested in the characters.  In fact, I found myself mostly pissed off at the author listening, because every time I tried to like a character, they did something stereotypical or gender specific that just made me aggravated all over again. 

 

I almost want to write to Spinelli and ask why he felt the need to have boys and girls feel they need to be at war with one another constantly? Why they can't like the same things?  Why they had separate sections of Hokey Pokey to enjoy?

Not the book for me. :/

 

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ

Brave New Love

Brave New Love
ed. by Paula Guran

Young love has always had its challenges, but even so, the world falling apart at its seams is a pretty big obstacle. This stellar collection of YA dystopian tales explores survival of the fittest in terms of love, passion, and humanity. When the survival of the human race is at stake, what will it take for the bond between two people to hold strong together?

Featuring some of the most well known and best-selling names of the dystopian genre, as well as the hottest up-and-coming authors, this anthology includes works from Jeanne DuPrau (City of Ember), Kiera Cass (The Selection), William Sleator (Interstellar Pig), Jesse Karp (Those That Wake), Diana Peterfreund (Secret Society Girl), Carrie Vaughn (The Kitty Norville Series), and Carrie Ryan (New York Times bestseller The Forest of Hands and Teeth). (description from Amazon.com)

I enjoyed each of the stories that I read in this anthology separately, as their own entities. Each was interesting, creative, and engaging.  I'm going to break it down and tell you about some of the ones I liked the best... I do want to note, though, that overall I felt the tone of this book was depressing! I do not think I would ever recommend that anyone read this book straight through in one shot.  This is a book to read one story at a time...to parse out between other books...trust me.


The Stories:
In the Clearing by Kiera Cass - I liked this short story about a society where people are drugged into complacency through their food.  I thought it was plausible and intriguing. I liked both main characters and thought the romance built well.

Now Purple with Love's Wound by Carrie Vaughn - I thought this story was really powerful.  I loved the concept, even as it totally creeped me out. It gave me chills to think of a society where girls were drugged into feeling lifelong love for someone who claimed them.  Short, but extremely effective.

Berserker Eyes by Maria Snyder - This had the feel of a longer dystopian novel excerpt...or maybe it was just that I wanted it to be... I would read a whole novel set in this world.  I also loved how the romance built through their quest to beat the government that was abusing them...

Foundlings by Diana Peterfreund - Oooh! The perfect example of when "helpful" government agencies go wrong.  WOMB is supposed to protect babies and their mothers...but then it begins to help babies at the cost of their mothers.  This was a story I could actually see happening in our distant future. 

The Dream Eater by Carrie Ryan - This story broke my heart.  I felt bad for *everyone* involved and wanted to rail out at the city that allowed this poor girl to sacrifice herself for thier happiness. I loved how Ryan kept the absolute realism that I love in her zombie books, even as I felt so sad reading the story...

Those were the standout stories for me, though as I mentioned I would not read them all in a row...it might make you want to close your eyes and pretend that there is no future!!

In My Mailbox - February 6, 2011

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

From the Library:

Foiled by Jane Yolen

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Oh No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

On My Nook:

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Borrowed:

*Squee!! Special thanks to Jen from Yabooknerd for lending this hot ARC to me! Can't wait to read it!!*

The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Fired Up

Fired Up: Book One of the Dreamlight Trilogy
by Jayne Ann Krentz

More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations.

Jack Winters, descendant of Nicholas, has been experiencing nightmares and blackouts-just the beginning, he believes-of the manifestation of the Winters family curse. The legend says that he must find the Burning Lamp or risk turning into a monster. But he can't do it alone; he needs the help of a woman with the gift to read the lamp's dreamlight.

Jack is convinced that private investigator Chloe Harper is that woman. Her talents for finding objects and accessing dream energy are what will save him, but their sudden and powerful sexual pull threatens to overwhelm them both. Danger surrounds them, and it doesn't take long for Chloe to pick up the trail of the missing lamp. And as they draw closer to the lamp, the raw power that dwells within it threatens to sweep them into a hurricane of psychic force.

An excellent addition to the Arcane Society series. Jack and Chloe had great chemistry and I love this start to the particular Dreamlight trilogy. I cannot wait to see which characters the next two books in the trilogy feature. Fallon Jones has been a side character in several previous books in the series and I hope that he might be the main character in the third book.

My favorite part of the Arcane Society series overall is that there are three different types of Arcane books. Amanda Quick, the historical fiction pseudonym that Krentz adopts, puts out the books set in the Victorian era that give the Society's origins. Jayne Ann Krentz puts out the contemporary Society books. Jayne Castle, another Krentz pseudonym, puts out novels set in the future in a space colony. The books are being published simultaneously and I am amazed that Krentz can keep track of three worlds that are dependent upon one another.

I know this series is not YA, but this is one of my guilty pleasure adult series and I thought I would share! Can't wait for book two, Burning Lamp.

Sleepless

Sleepless
by Cyn Balog

Reviewed from ARC sent by SLJ. Publication date: July 13, 2010
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

Eron DeMarchelle isn't supposed to feel this connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce his human charges to sleep. Though he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to do so. After all, becoming too involved in one human's life could prevent him from helping others get their needed rest.

But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia, a lonely girl with fiery red hair and sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. In the past, Eron has broken the rules to protect Julia, but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't reach her. Eron's time as a Sandman is coming to a close, and his replacement doesn't seem to care about his charges. Worse, Julia is facing dangers she doesn't recognize, and Eron, as he transitions back to being human, may be the only one who can save her...

Even once they've become human again, Sandmen are forbidden to communicate with their charges. But Eron knows he won't be able to forget Julia. Will he risk everything for a chance to be with the girl he loves?

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was fairly short, but chock-full of new paranormal lore. The Sandmen concept was fascinating. Humans are chosen to fill a Sandman/Sandwoman position for 100 years after they die, then once they fulfilled their term, they can go back to being human at the age they were when they died.

Eron, about to go back to being human, realizes that his favorite charge, the one he should admit he's become way too attached to, is being threatened in a very mortal way. Eron has difficulty protecting her, though, since sometimes he's human, sometimes he's a Sandman (therefore invisible) and the threat comes from another Sandman, someone almost impossible to stop.

Though I am very, very sick of using Twilight as any type of a reference at this point, I have to admit that Twilight fans will eat this book right up. It has an ill-fated, but all consuming love, danger coming from an unusual and hard to understand source, even the friend trying to become more than just a friend! This is not just a Twilight-esque book, though. It is a well done book that any fantasy reader can enjoy.

In a genre that is bursting at the seams right now - often with poorly written, unimaginative books put out just so that teens will keep buying, buying, buying - Sleepless is an excellent addition to the YA paranormal fantasy realm.