In My Mailbox (49)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for book bloggers to post what they have received for review, borrowed from a friend, bought at the bookstore, or picked up at the library!

This week’s IMM is going to look a little on the large side because it’s been a good month since my last IMM post. With Christmas & super good book deals thrown in there, I am now rolling in the bookish goodness!

For Review:

In The Band by Jean Haus (e-book)

My Thoughts: I am so uber excited for this one! It just screams “READ ME MUSIC + BOOKISH NERDS!”

Pieces Of Lies by Angela Richardson (e-book)

My Thoughts: Secret societies, college, romance, and lots more. I had no other choice but to accept this review request!

Liberty by Annie Laurie Cechini (e-book)

My Thoughts: Thanks Rhemalda for a review copy! I cannot wait to get started on this one!

Bought:

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines (e-book)

My Thoughts: I am quickly becoming an Abbi Glines fanatic. I loved this one!

Someone To Love by Addison Moore (e-book)

My Thoughts: This one sounds super awesome!

Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy (e-book)

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this one a lot! Molly and Ben were awesome together!

Veer by Alyssa Rose Ivy (e-book)

My Thoughts: I only made it about halfway through this one before I lost interest. I just wasn’t connecting to the characters like I was in Derailed.

This Beautiful Thing by Amanda Heath (e-book)

My Thoughts: I can’t wait to read this one! I can understand where the main character is coming from (my younger brother sometimes acts like an over-protective older brother ESPECIALLY when it comes to guys)

Planning On Forever by Ashely Wilcox (e-book)

My Thoughts: Ohh, those pesky love triangles! I can’t wait to see who Alexa ends up with!

My Misery Muse by Brei Betzold (e-book)

My Thoughts: Tattoo artist & band member??? Uhh, yes please!

Need by Carrie Jones (e-book)

My Thoughts: I have heard so much about this series. I am so happy to finally have the first book so I can get started!

Just Remember To Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles (e-book)

My Thoughts: Oh my word, you guys this book was so beautiful and made of awesome!

Tempting The Best Man by J. Lynn (e-book)

My Thoughts: I ended up really enjoying this one! I loved the tension between Madison & Chase!

Chance Encounters by J. Sterling (e-book)

My Thoughts: I am a little iffy on the whole “love at first sight” thing but I am willing to give this one a try. It has some pretty positive reviews!

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

My Thoughts: You guys, I now adore Jill Shalvis with all of my heart! This book follows the oldest sister a.k.a. the one most like me and I LOVED her story!

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

My Thoughts: Chloe and Sawyer….be still my beating heart! Even though the first three books in this series all received 5 stars from me, this one was still my favorite!

That Boy by Jillian Dodd (e-book)

My Thoughts: Jillian helped to create the super awesome event that took place last month, “99 authors, 99 books, 99 cents”. There were so many awesome books for under a dollar. I just HAD to pick up a copy of her book!

Avoiding Commitment by K. A. Linde (e-book)

My Thoughts: Holy wow, that is the craziest premise ever (okay, so not exactly the craziest but still pretty freaking crazy and totally interesting!)

Down To You by M. Leighton (e-book)

My Thoughts: HOLY CRAZY TWIST BATMAN! This book was so good and there was a twist near the middle-ish/end that made my jaw drop!

Bouquet Toss by Melissa Brown (e-book)

My Thoughts: It was .99 and it sounds cute. I say that’s a win/win

Bad Rep by Meredith A. Walters (e-book)

My Thoughts: Another NA title! I am determined to read some awesome NA books this year!

Up In Flames by Nicole Williams (e-book)

My Thoughts: Wow, this book blew me away! It was an impulse buy but totally worth it!

The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle (e-book)

My Thoughts: That cover along with the fact that one of the main characters in a band, has me beyond pumped to read this!

Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey

My Thoughts: I’m bouncing around with this series. I started off with book #3 then went to book #1! I felt that this one wasn’t as good as #3 but it was still full of such awesome characters and lots of good laughs (oh, and some sexy times too!!)

Yours To Keep by Shannon Stacey

My Thoughts: I loved this book so very much! It was the perfect amount of comedy and romance. Sean & Emma were perfect together!

Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey (e-book)

My Thoughts: This book was short and sweet but it was so well-rounded. I really enjoyed it!

The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Suzy Cox

My Thoughts: Kati and I were at Barnes & Noble last week just browsing around when we came across this book. I haven’t heard of it before but it reminds me somewhat of Stacey Kade’s series so I am all sorts of excited to read it!

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (e-book)

My Thoughts: I have heard so many awesome, awesome things about this series! I want to see what the fuss is about.

Cowboy Dark by Tess Oliver (e-book)

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I feel like it ended way to abruptly and a little “off” compared to the rest of the story but it was still a fun read.

Fallen Crest High by Tijan (e-book)

My Thoughts: I have been seeing this book around some so I figured I would give it a try!

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

My Thoughts: Touching, beautiful, heartbreaking, and lovely. This book was beyond awesome!

Gifted/Won:

From C.A. Kunz:

The Modified by C.A. Kunz (signed) + The Childe/The Modified Snow Globe + awesome swag!

My Thoughts: A HUGE thank you to Carol and Adam! This was such an awesome Christmas surprise!

From Jolene Perry:

Dizzy by Nyrae Dawn & Jolene Perry (signed)

My Thoughts: Nyrae & Jolene (aka Dylan & Ziah) had a super fun Twitter chat about 2 months ago! Jolene was sweet enough to send me a signed copy after the chat!

p.s. Thanks Jolene!!!

Christmas Gifts:

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

My Thoughts: HOLY ZOMBIES!!! I cannot wait to see this movie February 1st, but before thin I will be reading this book!

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

My Thoughts: This book sounds like it is full of awesomesauce. I cannot wait to read about these three kick-butt girls!

From Cyndi:

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

My Thoughts: I am such a fan-girl of Jennifer it’s actually kind of creepy. But creepy tendencies aside, this is one book of hers that I haven’t read yet so I am super happy I now have it. Thank you so much Cyndi <3

From Justin:

Zack (my little brother) and I would love to say a giant THANK YOU to Justin for such awesome gifts. WE LOVE THEM!

Bot Wars by J.V. Kade

My Thoughts: Justin sent this one for my brother Zack and I to read together. We both love robots so we can’t wait to read it!

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

My Thoughts: Another Zack & Katelyn book. We love the cover of this one!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My Thoughts: This series has been on my ‘to-read” list for FOREVER! When I opened the box and saw this & Fire in there, I just about died!

Fire by Kristin Cashore

My Thoughts: See above!

The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross

My Thoughts: This is another book that I have been eyeing since before it came out. I knew from just reading the summary that I would love it so now I can’t wait to read it and find out if that’s true!

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (e-book)

My Thoughts: Oh how this book broke my heart and then put it together again. I didn’t think I could love Colleen’s writing any more than what I did but then I read this and that all changed.

The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines (e-book)

My Thoughts: I LOVED The Vincent Boys so I can’t wait to see where this story leads

From Mandie:

Music note necklace + Degrees of Wrong by Anna Scarlett swag

My Thoughts: I love me some Mandie <3 <3 <3 She is the absolute BEST!

From Alexa:

An Easy bookmark!

My Thoughts: Alexa sent me a lovely bookmark with a quote from Easy by Tammara Webber! Thanks Alexa, I love it so much!

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: One Tiny Secret by C.A. Kunz

Title: One Tiny Secret

Author: C.A. Kunz

Expected Publication: Spring 2013

Just one tiny secret…has the potential to ruin everything.

Being the daughter of the sheriff in a small town like Holden Ridge means that Danielle “Dani” Marks’ life is under constant surveillance. She’s made a habit of staying under the radar by being a floater between social circles at school, and up until now this has kept her out of trouble, but that’s all about to change.

After a missing persons case stirs up the entire town, Dani finds herself caught right in the middle of the scandal. When she’s labeled as a possible suspect, things quickly go from bad to worse. Not to mention the resurfacing of an old flame, in the form of her ex-best friend’s swoon-worthy older brother, only makes matters more complicated.

Then an elusive person begins to blackmail Dani by threatening to reveal her deepest secrets if she doesn’t cooperate. When she refuses to play along, the person’s actions take a violent turn, and the quaint town of Holden Ridge completely loses its false sense of security.

Who can Dani turn to? Who can she really trust when anyone around her could be a suspect? One thing’s for certain though…never underestimate the power of one tiny secret.

So what do you guys think?!? Not only does the book sound like it’s going to be all sorts of thrilling and exciting, but that cover is made of awesome! I think covers with people on them can be either hit or miss. If it is done well, then it has the power to draw readers in with its looks alone (because let’s face it, we do judge our books by their covers whether we like to admit it or not). I happen to think this cover is very appealing to the eye(also, the girl is totally wearing skull & cross-bone earrings!) and it seems to match perfectly with the title and blurb!

If you like the cover for One Tiny Secret then head over to Okay Creations on Facebook and peruse Sarah Hansen’s amazing collection of works. We guarantee that you won’t be disappointed! And who knows, you may even find a book already released that catches your eye.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

**For those of you that don’t know, this particular novel is written by Adam (the “A” part of C.A.) while it is being edited by Carol (the “C” part of C.A.)**

Carol and Adam Kunz make up the mom and son author duo, C.A. Kunz. They thoroughly enjoy writing about things that go bump in the night, thrilling teen mysteries, and action-packed dystopian romances while drinking massive amounts of English breakfast tea and Starbucks coffee. This author pair currently reside forty-five minutes away from each other in the sunny state of Florida. To find out more about this duo and their books visit their blog, or find them on Facebook and Twitter!

GIVEAWAY:

Head on over to Books Complete Me for a chance to enter this AWESOME Rafflecopter giveaway:

1)      A foamcore mounted poster of the cover for One Tiny Secret

2)      A One Tiny Secret beaded bracelet

3)      A framed print of the hand-drawn (by Adam himself) original mock-up for the One Tiny Secret cover.

4)      Winner’s choice of either a $25.00 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card.

The Best of 2012!

2012 was an absolutely AWESOME year of books for me! I had such good look with many of the books I read. This past year I really branched out of my comfort zone as far as my reading taste goes. I slowly started to get more into the mature YA and NA books that were popping up like crazy. After having awesome luck with a few, I read as many as I could fit in. I also began seeing some of my blogging friends dipping their toes into the world of adult books and since I trust their opinions with my bookish life, I decided to give it a try. Some positive reviews led me to purchase a few and falling in love with those few led me to purchasing a whole lot more and boy am I glad that I did! Out of the 85 books I was able to squeeze into 2012, I gave 5 stars to nearly 40 of those books, crazy I know!!!! Below are all the books that I loved & adored with all of my heart in 2012. Clicking the picture will lead you to the Goodreads page of that particular book unless I had the chance to review it on the blog, if so, the picture will lead you to the review!

In no certain order, the best books of 2012:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

Did you get a chance to read any of these titles in 2012? Did you love them as much as I did? Are there any books you would recommend to me for 2013?

Blog Tour + Book Review + Giveaway: The Modified by C.A. Kunz

 Title: The Modified

Author: C.A. Kunz (Carol & Adam Kunz)

Publisher: Self-Published

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Source: I received and e-book from the author in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review

What would you sacrifice to save the one’s you love? To save the one who holds your heart? To save the world?

Kenley Grayson is all too familiar with these questions.

After Earth is thrust into its first intergalactic war with an unknown race called the Bringers, our military forces begin to suffer heavy losses. Desperate for a solution, the Allied Federation issues a worldwide draft for every able seventeen year old to enlist. As Kenley turns seventeen, she finds herself thrown into the very war that took her older brother’s life.

This year’s draft is a little different than in the past though. A new program, known as the Magnus Project, has been introduced, and only the best and brightest qualify. Kenley is amongst a select few whom are chosen to join this elite group of soldiers, and as a part of this project, undergoes a modification procedure that leaves her and her peers endowed with powers beyond their wildest dreams.

As Earth continues in its struggle against the Bringers, Kenley is transported to a high-tech training facility, the Magnus Academy, to prepare for the major battle that lies ahead. It’s here that she meets the California heartthrob, and son of a legendary war hero, Landon Shaw. As unexpected feelings toward Landon begin to develop, Kenley wonders if this is the right time or place for romance to bloom, especially when those feelings start to interfere with her training.

With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kenley is constantly reminded of how important she and the rest of the Magnus cadets are to the fate of humanity. She is one of the Modified, Earth’s last line of defense against utter destruction.

This was such an enjoyable book! The Modified was a very fast paced read that mixed a lot of great elements like the Dystopian/Science Fiction story line, great and very diverse characters, and a lot of action!

When we first meet Kenley, she has just been drafted into the Allied Federation. Kenley, along with her best friend Joey, get put into a special program with select others from around the world that will all be modified to help give them special powers. It is the hopes of the Allied Federation that these modified teens will be the key to defeating The Bringers, an alien kind that is in a war with earth.

Kenley was a fantastic main character! I loved how Kenley was so incredibly sweet. Even though life has not been easy on her and it seems to get harder and harder as the book goes on, she keeps that incredible goodness to her. She is always looking out for the people she cares about and I find that an incredible quality for characters to have. On top of her kindness, Kenley is also so very brave. The very first chance she has to fight against The Bringers, the very beings that took her brother away from her, she jumps on it no questions asked. She just takes every situation that’s thrown at her and she fights through it like a true soldier.

The friends that Kenley makes throughout the book are all equally awesome in their own right.  Joey is a true best friend for Kenley. She says a few times throughout the book that he is her rock and that couldn’t be truer. He is always there for giving her advice, strength, or encouragement whenever she needs it most. Galileo was another friend that stood out to me! He may be a robot but I am fully convinced that he developed a strong sense of friendship towards Kenley. His confusion over human terms and his robot talk added quite a bit of entertainment and humor to the story.

And then there was Landon. Landon is the love interest in this story and my, he was so sweet! He seemed like the male version of Kenley. Perhaps a bit more confident and obviously less of a girl but his good-naturedness and determination to keep Kenley and his friends safe was definitely very similar to our main character. Even though I loved Kenley and I loved Landon, there was definitely something I found to be a bit off about their relationship. I can’t say it was insta-love because really, their relationship seemed to move a nice pace but I don’t know…it was just different. Regardless, I thought the two of them together were pretty cute.

Now on to the plot and the action! I loved the whole idea behind this story! Like I said earlier, it was a great mix between Dystopian with the whole world being in a war, a draft requiring all teens to fight for earth’s freedom, etc. but there was also that super cool scientific aspect to it with the space travel and DNA modification. The idea was truly unique and I thought it was executed really well.

The action in this book definitely kept me on my toes! I loved discovering the powers of the characters while they were learning them too! Seeing them develop these powers and push their physical and mental boundaries to the very limit was so neat. Every time the characters were forced to use their powers I got incredibly excited to see just what they could do. Also C.A. Kunz adds so much suspense/mystery/action to the last 80 (e-book) pages and holy wow! I didn’t see half of that coming and it made me so excited for the next book in this series.

C.A. Kunz has created another story I am so excited to continue reading! I loved seeing a sweet, brave girl fight her way through so many difficulties and proving she can really kick butt throughout it all. The mix of great characters, an incredibly unique and well executed storyline,  and the multiple aspects that will keep you reading and waiting for the next book, is exactly what makes The Modified a great read!

And just to give you a little sneak peek of this book, here’s a look at my favorite excerpt!

“Now I want you to concentrate on the medicine ball,” he whispers. I feel a sudden rush of energy in my hands and look to see both of ours glowing bright blue. “Concentrate, Kenley,” he repeats. Landon closes his left hand into a fist over mine, transferring the energy to our right hands. The energy is so bright, it lights up the whole gym in a blue glow. He takes my right hand and begins to raise it into the air. Immediately the ball rises with the motion of our hands. Suddenly, it soars across the room into the wall, and then sits there spinning in the hole it created.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Carol and Adam Kunz make up the mom and son author duo, C.A. Kunz. They thoroughly enjoy writing about things that go bump in the night and action-packed dystopian romances while drinking massive amounts of English breakfast tea and Starbucks coffee. The author pair currently reside forty-five minutes away from each other in the sunny state of Florida. If you would like to find out more about this duo, The Modified, or THE CHILDE series, please visit the links below:

C.A. Kunz’s Blog

C.A. Kunz’s Facebook Page

PURCHASE THE BOOK:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

GIVEAWAY:

Carol and Adam have been kind enough to put together an AWESOME Rafflecopter giveaway for you guys. Here’s what you could win: This giveaway will be International and includes – 1 ebook or paperback copy of The Modified, 1 signed swag pack, 1 foam core mounted poster of the book’s cover, and either a $25.00Amazon gift card or $25.00 Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice). Be sure to leave a comment below, check out the amazing prizes, and click the link at the bottom of the post to be directed to the form!

Click this link to be directed to the giveaway!

In My Mailbox (41)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for book bloggers to post what they have received for review, borrowed from a friend, bought at the bookstore, or picked up at the library!

So I keep telling myself: Do not buy books. Do not download cheep nook books. Do not accept ANY MORE review requests. But I like to ignore myself quite a bit. At least this was true over the past week. Here’s what I got:

For Review:

The Modified by C.A. Kunz (e-book)

My Thoughts: I am more than halfway through this and I am loving it so far! This is technically a Dystopian novel but with a very heavy Sci-Fi influence and I’ve been long over-due for a book like this!

Sheltered by Debra Chapoton (e-book)

My Thoughts: This one just sounded really interesting to me! I am very excited to read it!

Forbidden Fire (Forbidden #2) by Kimberly Kinrade (e-book)

My Thoughts: I am part of the Forbidden Mind tour later this month so I just HAD to be a part of the Forbidden Fire tour in November. I can’t wait to get started on this one!

Bought:

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

My Thoughts: I had a coupon to use up from Barnes & Noble at the end of last month so I had a very tough decision. This book has been getting awesome reviews, I loved My Life Undecided by Jessica, and it sounded like JUST the type of book I need right now so in the end I am very happy I went with this book!

Crash (Crash #1) by Nicole Williams (e-book)

My Thoughts: It did not take me very long to finish this book at all! It was an intense read, full of amazing chemistry between the two main characters, DRAMA, and there was a bad boy with a beautifully broken heart. What’s not to love?

Lucky (Avery Sisters #1) by Rachel Vail (e-book)

My Thoughts: This sounded cute AND it was free. It would be stupid not to download it!

The Demon Girl (Rae Wilder #1) by Penelope Fletcher (e-book)

My Thoughts: I am not going to lie, the cover drew me in and the price (FREE!) convinced me that I needed this book.

Well that’s it for my books this week! Have you read any of these titles? If so, what did you think? I hope you all have a lovely Sunday & happy reading!

 

 

 

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: The Modified by C.A. Kunz

Today I am so excited to be a part for the cover reveal for mother/son duo C.A. Kunz that is hosted over at Young Adult Novel Reader’s blog! I am a huge fan of their Childe series so when I learned they had a new series coming out I got extra excited. This one is going to be a bit more futuristic/sci-fi/dystopian than The Childe series and I cannot wait to read it. The Modified is due to release this fall; here’s a little bit about the book:

What would you sacrifice to save the one’s you love? To save the one who holds your heart? To save the world?

Kenley Grayson is all too familiar with these questions.

After Earth is thrust into its first intergalactic war with an unknown race called the Bringers, our military forces begin to suffer heavy losses. Desperate for a solution, the Allied Federation issues a worldwide draft for every able seventeen-year-old to enlist. As Kenley turns seventeen, she finds herself thrown into the very war that took her older brother’s life.

This year’s draft is a little different than in the past though. A new program, known as the Magnus Project, has been introduced, and only the best and brightest qualify. Kenley is amongst a select few whom are chosen to join this elite group of soldiers, and as a part of this project, undergoes a modification procedure that leaves her and her peers endowed with powers beyond their wildest dreams.

As Earth continues in its struggle against the Bringers, Kenley is transported to a high-tech training facility, the Magnus Academy, to prepare for the major battle that lies ahead. It’s here that she meets the California heartthrob, and son of a legendary war hero, Landon Shaw. As unexpected feelings toward Landon begin to develop, Kenley wonders if this is the right time or place for romance to bloom, especially when those feelings start to interfere with her training.

With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kenley is constantly reminded of how important she and the rest of the Magnus cadets are to the fate of humanity. She is one of the Modified, Earth’s last line of defense against utter destruction.

And now, without further ado, THE COVER!!!!!!

Isn’t it just so full of pretty?!? I am absolutely ADORING the color of it and all of the stars (at least that’s what I think they are!), really are just pure gorgeous. And the fact that there is both a boy and girl on the cover? It makes me just a bit excited for some possible romance!!!

Like the cover for The Modified? Well then head over to Nathan Szerdy’s website and peruse his amazing collection of works. We guarantee that you won’t be disappointed!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

The mom and son author duo, C.A. Kunz, thoroughly enjoys writing about things that go bump in the night and futuristic action-packed romances while drinking massive amounts of English breakfast tea and Starbucks coffee. To find out more about this duo and their books visit their blog, or find them on Facebook and Twitter!

So I think you all are probably very excited for the giveaway. Carol and Adam have put together an AWESOME prize pack for one lucky winner. Here’s what you could win: A swag pack and a poster of The Modified cover!!!

 

To enter the giveaway, please follow the link below to fill out the Rafflecopter form!

The Modified Giveaway!!!

In My Mailbox (33)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for book bloggers to post what they have received for review, borrowed from a friend, bought at the bookstore, or picked up at the library!

It has been far too long since my last IMM post! I tried to think of all the books that I got the past couple of weeks but if I forgot something, I apologize!

For Review:

On Little Wings by Regina Sirois (signed)

My Thoughts: This book was brilliant! I loved the journey the main character went on. Review coming soon!

Revealing Eden: Save The Pearls Part I by Victoria Foyt (signed)

My Thoughts: I am just now starting this one but the summary is definitely super interesting!

Gifted/Won:

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (signed)

My Thoughts: Thank you SO MUCH to Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books for sending me this awesome surprise. I cannot wait to read more of this series!

A special thanks to C.A. Kunz for sending over a Childe Bookmark! It was so nice to get a hand-written, thoughtful letter!

 A special thanks to Michelle I. Brooks for sending over a Bone Dressing bookmark!

Bought:

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford (signed)

My Thoughts: I loved this first book so much! I had it for quite a while but took it to Leah’s book launch to get it signed!!!

A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford (signed)

My Thoughts: I am so excited to see where this book takes Az, Eden, Gabe, and the whole gang!

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

My Thoughts: Lexcade has convinced me that I will love Leanna’s books and I trust her completely! I have been waiting a while for this one.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

My Thoughts: So heart-breakingly beautiful! I love this book so, so, so, so, so much. There will never be enough words to explain all of its brilliance.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

My Thoughts: Witches, sisters, first love, magic, really is there anything unappealing about this book? I think not.

So that is it for my mailbox this week! Leave a link in the comments section and I will be sure to check out yours as well!

Blog Tour + Book Review + Giveaway: Dark Days by C.A. Kunz

Hello and welcome to today’s stop for The Childe Blog Tour!!! This is my second round on the tour so if you’d like to see the first post which was lots of great teasers from both The Childe and Dark Days, just click this link and check it out! I have said before and I will say it again, I am so honored to be a part of this blog tour! Last year I was asked to review The Childe for Carol and Adam and let me just say, I couldn’t have been more excited! I was completely captured in this duo’s writing style, Cat’s world, all of her friends, and even her crazy family. There was just so much going on (all of it entertaining!) that I had a hard time putting the book down. If you would like to check out my thoughts on the first book of this series, you can click this link and check it out! Looking back on it, it is safe to say I was confused, a bit bewildered, but also totally in love with the world that C.A. Kunz created for us! Now on to how I felt about Dark Days!!!

Title: Dark Days (The Childe #2)

Author: C.A. Kunz

Publisher: Self Published

Pages: 482 paperback

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Source: I received a copy from the authors for an honest and thoughtful review

Surviving tenth grade is the least of Cat Colvin’s worries.

Cat Colvin wants more than anything to just be an “average” teenager and blend in, but having found out the secret of her adoption has Cat questioning her entire life. Unfortunately, there are much deeper and darker secrets being withheld from her that may prove to threaten her very existence. Cat will be forced to make a choice: stay in Astoria and possibly endanger all that she loves, or flee and hide amongst her kind.

Friendships will be tested, family bonds will be tried, and even Cat herself will be pushed to her limits both emotionally and physically; all while trying to maintain a somewhat normal relationship with her boyfriend Ryan. What is actually going on in the quaint port town of Astoria, and are Cat and her loved ones prepared for the dark days that loom ahead? Find out in this continuation to the “*…thrilling, unputdownable story,” The Childe.

I literally JUST finished this book a few hours ago and my jaw is still on the ground! I really liked The Childe. I loved the characters, the amount of mystery and action in it, and I was well prepared to enjoy Dark Days, however, I was not thinking it was going to be this good! It took it me on one wild ride of twists and turns that I never saw coming. It made me love characters I was previously annoyed with, it gave me insight to things I was confused about before, it answered ALL of the questions I had during the first book and still managed to dump a whole new slew of questions on me at the end. And people, do NOT even get me started on that cliff-hanger of an ending!

Let’s start off with the story line! It picks off basically where The Childe left off. Cat is just realizing she is adopted and soon after that she realizes what is so different about her, she just happens to be half human, half vampire. Yeah, talk about dumping a load of information on someone! Once the story gets going, things just don’t slow down! Cat is put through a ton of tough situations, she is forced to grow up a lot and deal with way more than one person should have to. Friends and family are put at risk, we learn things about the town and all of Cat’s neighbors plus there is a few new people thrown into the mix that make this story extra interesting. Basically you will be entertained from start to finish. There was never a dull moment throughout the whole book!

As for the characters, they couldn’t have been more perfect. We learn the quirks of most characters in The Childe and those quirks are even more predominant in this story. Cat is as sarcastic, silly, and strong as ever. She is such a brave and loyal person, seriously I just love this girl to pieces <3 At the beginning of the story she is hit with a lot of life-changing information and she has a lot of understood anger but in true Cat form, she just deals with it; for her sanity, for her parents’ sanity, and to just try to get back to normal. There trying to help her piece her life together are Ryan and all of her friends. Ryan is calm, a little protective, and always there for her. I was a bit surprised we didn’t see an overwhelming amount of him in this book. Sure he was there for the major events and when Cat needed him most but when he wasn’t there she didn’t just sit around wishing she could hang out with her boyfriend, no, she was spending time with her wild cast of friends!  Cat’s group of friends are still the same and still so incredibly great! Matt’s silly, off-the wall comments, Amanda’s feigned disgust at them, Elle’s constant timidness (though she does step out of her shell quite a bit in this book), Julie’s loyalness, Hannah’s constant blushing, all of it just brings a smile to my face every time! It takes a while to learn each and every one of their personalities but by the end of the book you feel like you can be friends with them too! The rest of the characters (there really are too many to mention them all!) are just as great! Cat’s family, the WHOLE family, is so supportive and caring. Her friends throughout the town add a sense of loyalty and even some mystery to the story. And let’s not forget about all the evil people (or I guess the better word would be “things”) that are after her…creepy!

Dark Days proved to be even better than the first book in the series! I was constantly on the edge of my seat and flipping through pages like a mad woman to try to get to the bottom of everything only to be left hanging out to dry at the end! I will recommend this series to anyone, it keeps getting better and better! There are moments that will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and MANY will have you dying to know more. Just trust me when I say take a chance on this series, it is so worth it!

GIVEAWAY:

To be eligible for The Childe and a swag pack-

Each week, there will be one book giveaway and swag for someone who has commented on the blogs participating for that week. So make sure you comment on each blog each week for more chances to win. You must follow that blog, and leave your GFC name and email address in the comments. Since my blog does not support GFC, you can still “follow” it by subscribing to e-mails every time I publish a post!

To be eligible for the Kindle Fire Giveaway-

“Find The Answer” Game Details: This is the main way we are going to get people involved to win the Kindle Fire. Every time a blogger posts a post, we will wait until we get at least 5 comments (from different people) until we post our question in the comments section. The question will deal with something about the post, so they will have to read each post to find the answer. They will have to submit their answers to kindlefirechilde@gmail.com for every question to get the biggest point value.

Here is the point break down:
For each post there will be a possible 10 points to gain:
5 points – for answering the question correctly through email
1 point – for following the blogger’s blog (must post their GFC name)
1 point – for tweeting about the blog post (must post their link)
1 point – for following C.A. Kunz’s blog (must post their GFC name)
1 point – Sharing the post on Facebook (must post their link)
1 point – Like either C.A. Kunz’s Facebook page or The Childe Facebook Page.

So start commenting RIGHT NOW! The sooner we have 5 comments, the sooner you guys can start entering to win the Kindle Fire! And don’t forget to check out the other blogs participating in the tour below!

FOLLOW THE TOUR:

Sunday, Jan. 8^th – Books Complete Me (Opening Post: Cover Reveal for Dark Days and Blog Tour Details)

1^st Week:

Monday, Jan. 9^th – A Diary of a Book Addict (Review of The Childe)

Tuesday, Jan. 10^th– Book Love (A Unique Mother (Tiffany King) and Daughter (Ashlynn King) Review of Dark Days)

Wednesday, Jan. 11^th – Book Bite Reviews (Author This or That Post) AND Intoxicated by Books (Review of The Childe)

Thursday, Jan. 12^th – Amethyst Daydreams (Guest Post: Playlist with Book Scenes)

Friday, Jan. 13^th – Mundie Moms (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND Fiktshun (Character interview: Cat Colvin)

2^nd Week:

Monday, Jan. 16^th – Reading Away The Days (Character This or That: Ryan Beckford) AND Jowanna Reads (Review of The Childe)

Tuesday, Jan. 17^th – Blethering Book Worm (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND Reading Lark (Guest Post: Why we write YA paranormal)

Wednesday, Jan. 18^th – Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands (Sample chapter post from The Childe/Teaser of Dark Days)

Thursday, Jan. 19^th – Bookish Babes (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Friday, Jan. 20^th – Mundie Moms (Guest Post: Cast Our Book) AND Me and Reading (Review of The Childe)

 3^rd Week:

Monday, Jan. 23^rd – Me Myshelf and I (Guest Post: Being A Part of an Indie Group – The Paranormal Plumes) AND Insane About Books (Review of The Childe)

Tuesday, Jan. 24^th – Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Wednesday, Jan. 25^th – Blethering Book Worm (Character spotlight: Robert Craven) AND Words 2 Follow (Review of The Childe)

Thursday, Jan. 26^th – Fiktshun (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND All Things Books (Guest Post: Our Writing Method)

Friday, Jan. 27^th – Page Flipperz (Character This or That: Cat Colvin)

 4^th Week:

Monday, Jan. 30^th – Book Bite Reviews (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Tuesday, Jan. 31^st – Me and Reading (Teaser Tuesday for Both The Childe and Dark Days) AND Page Flipperz (Review of The Childe)

Wednesday, Feb. 1^st – Reading Lark (Review of The Childe)

Thursday, Feb. 2^nd – Books Complete Me (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Friday, Feb. 3^rd – Bookish Babes (Favorite reads: Indie published) AND Jowanna Reads (Guest Post: Author Interview)

 5^th Week:

Monday, Feb. 6^th – Amethyst Daydreams (Review of The Childe) AND Reading Away The Days (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Tuesday, Feb. 7^th – Insane About Books (Character Interview: Ryan Beckford) AND Happy Twilighter (Link to Review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Wednesday, Feb. 8^th – All Things Books (Link to Review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Thursday, Feb. 9^th – Words 2 Follow (Our Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published)

Friday, Feb. 10^th – Forever Lost In My Own World (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Saturday, Feb. 11^th – Books Complete Me (Special Post and Last chance to enter Kindle Fire giveaway)

Thursday, Feb. 9^th – Words 2 Follow (Our Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published)

Friday, Feb. 10^th – Forever Lost In My Own World (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Saturday, Feb. 11^th – Books Complete Me (Special Post and Last chance to enter Kindle Fire giveaway)

Blog Tour + Sneak Peek: The Childe Series by C.A. Kunz

I am so honored to be a part of The Childe/Dark Days blog tour hosted by Mindy Fangedmom @ Books Complete Me! In case you guys didn’t know, the mother son duo known as Carol & Adam (aka C.A. Kunz) are the creators of this awesome series! Together, these three have come up with a super awesome line-up of bloggers and fun posts for the next couple of weeks. There will be links at the end of this post to other particpating blogs! You will want to be sure to LEAVE COMMENTS (MAKE SURE THE E-MAIL IS INCLUDED) BECAUSE THERE ARE PRIZES INVOLVED!!! I strongly suggest you visit all the blog tour stops because there is lots of fun to be had!

Today I have for you a special excerpt from the first book in the series, The Childe, as well as a teaser from the newest novel, Dark Days. I hope you guys enjoy!

For all information regarding giveaways, please refer to THIS POST.

The Childe Excerpt:

The loud buzzing of the alarm clock yanked Cat from her intense dream. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she hit the snooze button and tried to make sense of it. She sighed, and was relieved to be back in her bedroom and not being engulfed in flames. Creepy, really creepy Cat. You couldn’t have a nice pleasant dream on the first day of the rest of your life. No, you had to have fire and dark shadows with glowing eyes and razor sharp fangs, she thought crossly. Of course the beings from her nightmare were nothing like those from the DARK SHADOW series, Cat’s all-time favorite Robert Craven novels turned into movies. Ah yes, Bartholomew Drake, Mr. Vampire himself and star of said series. According to Cat and her friends, Dracula just didn’t hold a candle to him.

 “Cat honey, are you awake?” Rachel’s voice carried up from the bottom of the stairs.

“Yes mom, I’m getting ready!” she yelled back as she made her way to the shower. Cat grabbed whatever she could get her hands on to make an outfit. A pair of low rise jeans, a layered pink t-shirt, white tennis shoes, and a gray and pink striped hoodie was what she came up with.

Shower done, hair dried, Cat stood looking in the bathroom mirror. She put in her contact, blinking, revealing both eyes identical again. She got dressed, grabbed her messenger bag, and ran down the stairs.

Cat’s mom had gone all out. A full breakfast with eggs, wheat toast, turkey bacon, homemade blackberry jam, and freshly squeezed orange juice was waiting for her. Not wanting to hurt her mom’s feelings, Cat tried to eat a little of each, but her nervousness was causing her stomach to do flip flops, and she was finding it hard to swallow. Her father, dressed in his tweed ensemble with matching brown practical pants, sat down and helped himself to a large portion of everything. He definitely looked the part of an absent minded professor, with black wire framed glasses and shaggy golden brown hair.

Her mom was sunshine, with a sunflower jean jacket and a pale yellow long sleeved dress with leggings to match. Cat knew most moms didn’t dress like hers, but it suited her perfectly. Of course being the owner of the only florist shop in town gave her justification to look like a fresh flower every day.

As usual, making a grand entrance, Taylor walked into the room, and threw his back pack onto the floor. He pulled out a chair, plopped down, and began devouring the food that Rachel placed in front of him. With frustration written all over his face, the two dimples that usually appeared when he smiled were absent. Pausing from his food consumption, he looked up. “Hurry Cat we haven’t got all day, I’ve been ordered to chauffeur you to school. I can’t be late, so quit playing with your food and eat already!”

Rachel gave him a kiss on the top of his head, “Now Taylor, your father and I said last night that it would be nice if you took Cat and Julie to school for a little while. At least until Cat gets her license. I know some of your friends drive their siblings to school, so stop complaining. Let’s have a big smile to start the day.” Cat held back a grin as she watched Taylor force a fake smile.

Sam stood and wiped his mouth. “Rach honey, that was fantastic! And as I often say, if you weren’t already taken, I’d marry you in a heartbeat.” Both Taylor and Cat groaned at the familiar phrase that came from their father several times a day, every day.

Rachel giggled, as was her usual response. “Well if my husband wasn’t so handsome I’d take you up on your offer, kind sir.” She grabbed Sam, kissed him soundly, and then giggled as he swatted her behind. The love between Cat’s parents never failed to amaze her. They had been married for twenty years, but still acted like newlyweds.

Sam turned to look at his children, his two dimples growing deeper by the second, and he formally bowed to them. “And to my wonderful children, have an exquisite day of learning. I am off.” With that, Mr. Ancient History Professor picked up his briefcase and made his exit.

“Let’s go Red Freak!” Taylor barked.

“That’s Miss Red Freak to you boy,” she replied, then kissed her Mom’s cheek. Cat noticed tears in her mom’s eyes as her arms came around her.

 Dark Days Excerpt:

“You’re a feisty little kitty, aren’t you?”

“Let me go Isaac!”

“I think not,” he growled, his hand tightening around her wrist. He grinned at the look of pain on her face as he pulled her close, forcing her to dance with him.

“Ow Isaac, you’re hurting me! Let go!”

“First, I want to know, what are you? I thought you were a normie, but I was wrong.”

“What are you talking about? Let go of me!” Cat hissed, and then finally ripped free one of her hands.

He quickly grabbed it back, “uh, uh, uh, you aren’t playing fair,” Isaac’s cold hand gripped tighter than before.

“I’m warning you Isaac! You’re gonna want to let me go,” Cat said, her anger increasing.

“Or what? Come on Cat, let’s see that fire. Let’s see what you really are,” he replied, trying to bait her.

FOLLOW THE TOUR:

Sunday, Jan. 8^th – Books Complete Me (Opening Post: Cover Reveal for Dark Days and Blog Tour Details)

1^st Week:

Monday, Jan. 9^th – A Diary of a Book Addict (Review of The Childe)

Tuesday, Jan. 10^th– Book Love (A Unique Mother (Tiffany King) and Daughter (Ashlynn King) Review of Dark Days)

Wednesday, Jan. 11^th – Book Bite Reviews (Author This or That Post) AND Intoxicated by Books (Review of The Childe)

Thursday, Jan. 12^th – Amethyst Daydreams (Guest Post: Playlist with Book Scenes)

Friday, Jan. 13^th – Mundie Moms (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND Fiktshun (Character interview: Cat Colvin)

2^nd Week:

Monday, Jan. 16^th – Reading Away The Days (Character This or That: Ryan Beckford) AND Jowanna Reads (Review of The Childe)

Tuesday, Jan. 17^th – Blethering Book Worm (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND Reading Lark (Guest Post: Why we write YA paranormal)

Wednesday, Jan. 18^th – Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands (Sample chapter post from The Childe/Teaser of Dark Days)

Thursday, Jan. 19^th – Bookish Babes (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Friday, Jan. 20^th – Mundie Moms (Guest Post: Cast Our Book) AND Me and Reading (Review of The Childe)

 3^rd Week:

Monday, Jan. 23^rd – Me Myshelf and I (Guest Post: Being A Part of an Indie Group – The Paranormal Plumes) AND Insane About Books (Review of The Childe)

Tuesday, Jan. 24^th – Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Wednesday, Jan. 25^th – Blethering Book Worm (Character spotlight: Robert Craven) AND Words 2 Follow (Review of The Childe)

Thursday, Jan. 26^th – Fiktshun (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days) AND All Things Books (Guest Post: Our Writing Method)

Friday, Jan. 27^th – Page Flipperz (Character This or That: Cat Colvin)

 4^th Week:

Monday, Jan. 30^th – Book Bite Reviews (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Tuesday, Jan. 31^st – Me and Reading (Teaser Tuesday for Both The Childe and Dark Days) AND Page Flipperz (Review of The Childe)

Wednesday, Feb. 1^st – Reading Lark (Review of The Childe)

Thursday, Feb. 2^nd – Books Complete Me (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Friday, Feb. 3^rd – Bookish Babes (Favorite reads: Indie published) AND Jowanna Reads (Guest Post: Author Interview)

 5^th Week:

Monday, Feb. 6^th – Amethyst Daydreams (Review of The Childe) AND Reading Away The Days (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Tuesday, Feb. 7^th – Insane About Books (Character Interview: Ryan Beckford) AND Happy Twilighter (Link to Review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Wednesday, Feb. 8^th – All Things Books (Link to Review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Thursday, Feb. 9^th – Words 2 Follow (Our Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published)

Friday, Feb. 10^th – Forever Lost In My Own World (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Saturday, Feb. 11^th – Books Complete Me (Special Post and Last chance to enter Kindle Fire giveaway)

Thursday, Feb. 9^th – Words 2 Follow (Our Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published)

Friday, Feb. 10^th – Forever Lost In My Own World (Link to review of The Childe/Review of Dark Days)

Saturday, Feb. 11^th – Books Complete Me (Special Post and Last chance to enter Kindle Fire giveaway)

In My Mailbox (29)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for book bloggers to post what they have received for review, borrowed from a friend, bought at the bookstore, or picked up at the library!

The last IMM I posted was all the way back in November! Yeah, it is safe to say the holidays definitely got in the way but I am hoping to keep up with the weekly IMMs from now on. Since I missed almost two full months, this IMM is going to be a lot of craziness! Let’s take a look at what I got!!!

For Review:

Unbreakable Love by Angela Carling

Loving Emily by Anne Pfeffer

Dark Days by C.A. Kunz

Trade Secrets by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout (e-book)

The Knife and the Butterfly by Ashley Hope Perez (e-book)

Settling by Shelley Workinger (e-book)

Bought:

Books

Don’t Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough

Winter’s Kiss: The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols and The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hapka

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June by Robin Benway

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Switched by Amanda Hocking

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Hush Money by Susan Bischoff (e-book)

Impulse Control by Susan Bischoff (e-book)

Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph (e-book)

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (e-book)

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner (e-book)

My Thoughts: I got some great deals over some awesome books the past couple months however I am now on a book buying ban! There are just too many things I am saving up for plus I now have enough books to last me a lifetime!

Music

Dashboard Confessional

Anberlin

Thriving Ivory

Ryan Adams

Fitz and the Tantrums

Foster The People

The Summer Set

My Thoughts: Can you tell that I ran into some deals at the CD store? All of their used CDs were super cheap plus if you bought 3, you got the 4th one free!

Gifted/Won:

From Alexa @ AlexaLovesBooks

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Chocolates & a card!

My Thoughts: Alexa is one freaking awesome book blogger (and not just because she sent me a super sweet gift!) She never fails to make my days brighter and the day I got this lovely package in the mail was no different. My brother managed to eat both chocolate bars she sent me but I am sure they were delicious! The card was so dang sweet and I cannot wait to read these books!

From Laci @ LovePassionBooks

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

A Taylor Swift card!

My Thoughts: Laci completely surprised me for my birthday! She saw it was my birthday on Twitter and offered to send me two books. I was stunned and so thankful when I got these two in the mail. Plus, she just knows me so well, she got a TAYLOR SWIFT birthday card!!! This made me smile big time :)

From Cyndi @ Dog-Eared and Bookmarked

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Twilight Saga journal set

A Winter Song CD

Water For Elephants Soundtrack

A Christmas Song CD

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack

A hand-made scarf & a card!!!

My Thoughts: Cyndi is so full of amazing, I wish I could just hug her! She had been teasing me on Twitter for FOREVER about the gift she was sending me and when it finally got here I cried. Seriously. She was so extremely generous and thoughtful with her gift, it totally made my day!

From Jamie Manning @ Writers Write, Right?

A singed Eternal Starling bookmark from Angela Corbett

My Thoughts: I am not entirely sure how I got this or even why, but hey it is a gorgeous, signed bookmark; I am NOT complaining!

From my Dad and Stepmom:

Books

A New Bookshelf

Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

New stationary so I can write letters to all of my blogging friends!

Music

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Tenth Avenue North

The Fray

The Cab

My Thoughts: I love my dad and stepmom so much! They spoiled me on my birthday and Christmas and I couldn’t be happier :)

From my Mom:

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My Thoughts: It may have taken a while to convince my mom that it was actually okay to buy me books for Christmas but once she finally understood, she made an excellent decision! I can’t wait to continue on with this series.

From my Grandma:

Books

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

$25 gift card to Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts: My grandma also did good with the book choice this year! I haven’t read the first of The Infernal Devices but when I do, I now have the second to immediately follow-up with!

Music

Plain White T’s

The All-American Rejects

My Thoughts: Last time I asked for an All-American Rejects CD from my grandma, she got me an Alter Bridge CD. They are COMPLETELY different! I was so happy she could find the right ones this time around!

From my Aunts & Uncles:

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Bookmark pens

The Nook!

My Thoughts: I am thrilled I got an awesome book and bookmarks but I am even more thrilled that I now have my very own Nook! I was very adamant that I would hate an e-reader, but I now love having one! Go figure!

So that’s a ton of great books that I got the past couple of months! Since it is going to take a lot of time to read those, I am officially putting myself under a book buying ban. It should be interesting to say the least. Don’t forget to leave a link to your IMM post in the comment section and I will be sure to check it out!