"stocking stuffer"

I know, I know.  I have been gone for some time now. I blame my job. Plus, being an awesome mom and wife takes a lot out of my time. Anyway, Beth Fantaskey posted a nice little "stocking stuffer" and is giving us a little more Jessica and  Lucius for the holidays. Here's a little sneak peak and the link to the remaining story. Enjoy!

Snapshot captured from Star Shadow Blog :)

Call of the Vampire by Gayla Twist

Author: Gayla Twist
Title: Call of the Vampire (#1)
Series: Vanderlind Castle
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Release Date: March 18, 2013
ISBN: 1482669285
Authors website: gaylatwist.blogspot.com

Kindle was very adamant about selecting this read for me. I even added it to my TBR list. The book cover just didn't do it for me and the synopsis wasn't too appealing for me either. But the good reviews outweighed the negative ones, so I gave it a shot. 

Aurora is a young seventeen year old girl who is easily persuaded by her heedless best friend, Blossom.  One day, Blossom wheedles Aurora to crash a party at the exclusive and captivating Vanderlind Castle and this is where the girls meet both the cad and Aurora's confused love interest. 

From the beginning I thought the characters names were all off and it really irked me. Aurora, although a very beautiful name, just seemed like it should belong to an older woman. Say, a deceased aunt? Jessie, a boy of noble blood, is such common name; more like a nickname. And Blossom? I know the ditzy friend should have a low-key name. But blossom means something to grow in a healthy manner and Blossom (the bff) definitely is not a healthy choice for Aurora. The names are all wrong. I believe that names are a large part of a story. They carry a weighted meaning for each character and I don't think this amateur author thought this through. I think she picked names that were pretty and not in connection for a story that should be dark and mysterious. 

Other reviews stated this was a fresh new storyline and the characters were so likable. I disagree. Completely. It read like the Twilight series. A whiny teenager not being able to function because her crush doesn't show up to her bedroom. The Bishops are the oldest vampire family who keep their secret sacred - read: Voltori. And there really isn't any connection that caught between Aurora and Jessie. I never felt those sparks between them. Nothing ever happened between them to create a bond other than Aurora's likeness to her dead Aunt Colette, rather, Lettie (another terrible nick/name). And she thought it was alright when Jessie kept calling her by his past loves name after a kiss or embrace. Uhh, no. Aurora was such a pushover. 

Then there's the element of this book being so preachy (again!, Twilight-esque). When I started reading things like you should never do this, my mom told me not to do that, my mom knows what she's talking about, my mom put me in self-defence classes, my mom... *turns off Kindle*  I started thinking this was a book targeted for junior high kids, not high school to college. I believe the author could have gone around the mini sermons and maybe elaborated more on the story at hand. 

This novella was sparse in story-line information, connections between characters, character building, and nonsensical ramblings about Jessie's gray eyes, porcelain skin and statuesque body (another Twilight reference), and Aurora's very short and deficient dreams.

I really want to read the second book in the series. Yes, you read that statement correctly. Mainly just to see if Ms. Twist can redeem herself and her story. 

But the book cover isn't even cohesive to the story. The girl pictured on the cover is the complete opposite of what Twist described within the book. And the castle from book one to book two isn't even the same! The author should have put a little more effort in making this series presentable and more enjoyable. 

I'm really not anti-author! I think bringing an idea to life and taking the time to write is amazing! I wish I had the time and chance to do that with my own personal stories. My review is not an attack on the author personally. Instead, I think it's the execution of the whole package. I'm sure the author will develop her composition skills and find her true voice. 

Rated 1/5 owls

Vanderlind Castle Series:

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead

Title: Silver Shadows

Series: Bloodlines; spin-off from Vampire Academy

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: July 29, 2014

ISBN: 1595143211

Author's Site: www.richellemead.com 

...and we not only have a date, blurb, and title, we finally have a cover! I'm loving it so, so much! Sydney looks completely pissed. Look at her face! Her lips aren't even pursed anymore; she has a determination to fight back. And that fire in her eyes, Adrian in the background.... AHHHH! 

Ahem, sorry. Fangirl moment.

I'm so late to the party. Mead's Goodreads page was update a couple of weeks ago. No matter, I'm truly excited!

Do not read Silver Shadows if you have not read the four books preceding this one. Especially book four, The Fiery Heart. An amazing amount of events percolate through relationships, friendships, and ideas. I'm in the process of writing a few short reviews (Fiery Heart being one of them) and I can tell you that it was by far the best book in the series. It's non-stop!

I'm definitely looking forward to book five. I just know there's going to be some sort of war brewing in the Alchemist world with Sydney at the forefront frighting not only for her love or even the freedom to love, but the freedom to love all people and beings; yes, beings. This has got to be packed with action - both mentally and physically. There's no doubt about it. Whether it's a physical battle or metaphysical (without a doubt both), Silver Shadows is going to be great. Mead never let's us down. And I'm sure she's going to prove just once again.

Pelican Bay by Jesse Giles Christiansen

Author: Jesse Giles Chirstiansen

Title: Pelican Bay

Publisher: Imajin Books

Realease Date: July 20, 2013

ISBN: 1927792126

Authors Site: jessegileschristiansen.com

NOTE: This eBook was gifted by the author for an honest review.

(I have to give a huge apology to author, Jesse G. Christiansen. He was so kind as to ask me to review his story, which I'm sure he worked diligently on, and I let him down. I never posted my review which was sitting in a sub-folder in my computer. And I'm so sorry for that. I truly believed I had posted my review over two months ago! Again, my apologies. But thank you for giving me the opportunity to share in Ethan's and the Captain's lives.)

What is the first thing you do when you see what looks like a cemetery at the bottom of the sea? Normally, a person would ask questions and more than likely just let it go. I mean, I'd be spooked if I saw an undersea burial site. Not Ethan! Ethan dives head first ignoring the captains warnings. That decision takes Ethan on a journey which he may regret. 

Living close by an island I'm surprised I've never read more "nautical themed" books. Actually, I don't think I've ever read one. However, I'm glad I started with this story. At first, the book starts off laying the ground work so it is a bit slow. But once you get past the backstory, the present tale begins and you become soaked up in Ethan's adventure to find out why a young boy is buried at the bottom of the sea. 

The female characters in this book are not very assertive or even formidable. They were always worried, scared, and distressed with any little bit of information they were presented with or situation that was thrown at them. I feel that the story would have survived without their presence because they were so delicate. 

The murder/mystery parts of the book were fantastic though! Christiansen's descriptions of the bay, the scent of the sea air, the library during the resolution of the story were spot on. I could envision the characters' features, their scent, the aroma of the dark island. 

This story was anything but cheerful. Christiansen flawlessly captured the dark and austere mood of the book. It was captured from the cover of the book to his detailed narration of a story that Ethan should not have explored. 

It's no surprise PELICAN BAY is on Amazon's Best Sellers list! I look forward to reading more stories by Mr. Christiansen in the future. 

Rated 5/5 Owls

Why do they torment us?

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Title: Lost Lake

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: January 21, 2014

ISBN: 123001980X

Author's Site: sarahaddisonallen.com

NOTE: This is not a review. This is my spout.

UPDATE: New release date has been moved up to Tuesday, January 21, 2014 as of 10/29/13 via Amazon!!

Do you have a favorite author who's only penned a few books and when they finally have a new book to be release (three years later) you find yourself cyber stalking the internet on any information you can get? I'm sure I'm not the only one. And every time this happens, I instantly regret the actions I undertake the moment I've done them. Below are a few examples of foolishness in a step-by-step process:

First I get an automated email from my author informing me they are in the works of writing a new book. I instantly freak out. I don't even have a book title, much less a cover, and in most cases the absence of a release date. 

Then! I head on over to the author's official site, Goodreads page, Twitter, Facebook, and finally Pinterest (which usually doesn't give me anything). 

A few weeks later, when I've decided to give up and stop reading my Google Alerts (because it's all the same thing), I get another email from the publisher/editor/author that there is a new synopsis, a book trailer, a book cover (FINALLY!), and then they give it to you… an excerpt. 

Excerpts are a dirty thing to publish for readers. Especially fans of the author. Even more so when the publication date is months away. And this is where I hate myself. I READ IT. I get so immersed in those ten little pages of the story that when my page stops scrolling down so I can get my wordage fix, it's over. The characters are in book limbo, I can't read the rest of their story, their complications, that magic… 

That's when I promise myself that I will not do that again. I will not be drawn to the little blue link "read the excerpt here" ever again. 

Moral of the story? I keep lying to myself. And I'm sure you do as well. Because no matter how hard we try to stay unruffled when new information about our precious writer and their new book, we become weak little bookworms who are squished by their excerpt links, vague dates, and shortfalls of book art. We're just a bunch of literary junkies trying to get any sort of anticipated composition fix. 

I'm in this predicament at the moment. One of my absolute favorite writers, Sarah Addison Allen, has been in the process of writing a new book - LOST LAKE - after three years away kicking breast cancer in its metaphorical ass! I have to say that I'm very happy for her recover and continued remission. In the past year she has given us a little opening into her life window as to how she is doing and what is going on with her writing. Yesterday, a snippet of her latest book was posted on Goodreads. I opened the link immediately but then... I didn't read it. Not even the title of the chapter. I'm proud of myself for not falling into this trap. I don't have to read this excerpt to know  I'll love it. I know I will. I deeply enjoy all of her books. She has a mystical writing voice. Full of wonderment, enchantment, and warmth. 

I'm going to try and make it to February. Unless I happen to win an advanced copy! *wishful thinking*