Monthly Archives:: January 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Review & Giveaway: Amador Lockdown by Coral Russell

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Amador Lockdown
Coral Russell
Release date: October 6th, 2011
by Alchemy of Scrawl

Goodreads / Purchase

Something has moved into the Amador Hotel. Hector, Marcos, Bev, and Tony of the Paranormal Posse are called in to either debunk the haunting or get rid of whatever is causing the problems. With the surprise arrival of Hector’s son, he tries to keep his professional and personal lives separate, but whatever is haunting the Amador Hotel has other plans.

 *A copy was provided by Coral Russell for review purposes*
A really quick read; Amador Lockdown reminds me a bit of the TV series Ghost Hunters. In this book we’ve also got a group of ghost hunters that are called to the Amador Hotel to check out some strange occurrences. As a fairly short book, it works to give you a few chills, but nothing too momentous.

As I truly enjoy ghost stories, I was really curious about Amador Lockdown as soon as I read its brief, but eerie synopsis. We are right away introduced to four ghost hunter friends who call themselves the Paranormal Posse. Yes, very cheesy name, but they are an interesting dynamic group. Since the novel is short, there isn’t an incredible amount of character development. It’s more focused on the plot itself which is actually quite engaging. The writing format gives the book a really creepy vibe: While introducing the hauntings, it’s told in interview style with the people who have witnessed unexplained events in this hotel. It’s also intriguing that we get a few parts written in the ghosts’ perspective. It’s all very ominous. As having heard many haunting stories, the twists aren’t incredibly unexpected, but they’re entertaining nonetheless.

If you enjoy ghost stories, Amador Lockdown is an eerie tale that you can easily read in one sitting. It’s not especially deep or complex; it’s a simple fun, mindless read.

3 Hot Espressos

Giveaway
Coral has offered one ebook copy of Amador Lockdown to one winner.
Open internationally.

Ends on January 23rd, 2012

Use the form below to enter

*Winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen.

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
WINNER IS: Pauline Darnell 

Project Tell Taylor

Posted by on 01/18/2012 • 6 Comments

With a couple of other blogs, Xpresso Reads is co-hosting a fun, creative event to help Michelle Madow get her book noticed by none other than the lovely Taylor Swift.

Remembrance by Michelle Madow was inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. (How? Click here to find out.) You can also click here to read the letter Michelle wrote to Taylor about her book back in August. Michelle really wants Taylorto know  how inspiring she and her music have been to her, but since Taylor Swift is an international superstar, she’s a little hard to reach. This is where YOUR help comes into play! Michelle is giving away the biggest prize pack she’s offered yet, and the ways to enter to win are by telling Taylor Swift…

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Posted by on 01/18/2012 • 44 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  My pick this week:

 Between the Lines                                     Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer                                     Release date: June 26th, 2012 by Simon Pulse Add it to your Goodread

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and…

Yesterday’s Daughter Tour Stop

Posted by on 01/17/2012 • 30 Comments

As part of the Yesterday’s Daughter blog tour, Sallie Lundy-Frommer is dropping by the blog to talk a bit about outlining a story. Is it a necessity? Or is going with the flow the way to go? Read on and let us know what you think.First, let’s have a look at the book:

Yesterday’s Daughter Sallie Lundy-FrommerRelease date: January 24th 2011

Goodreads / Purchase

Yesterday’s Daughter is an emotionally laden vampire romance novel woven with layers of betrayal, love and loss. Grace Stone, who later learns her true identity is Sapphira, is a loner who survives abuse in the foster care system after being abandoned as a child.

A brilliant student, she escapes from her brutal foster parents as a teenager and creates a life for herself. But, her…

Dusty Reads (17)

Posted by on 01/17/2012 • 19 Comments

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted here, featuring a book that has been sitting unread on my home shelf for some time. To participate, add your link at the bottom.  If you wish, you can grab the button and find more information here.

My pick this week:

The Society of SSusan HubbardReleased May, 2007Goodreads / Purchase

“If you ever want to hide from the world, live in a small city, where everyone seems anonymous.”

That’s the advice of twelve-year-old Ariella Montero, who lives with her father in Saratoga Springs, New York, in a house haunted more by secrets than by memories. The Society of S traces her journey south, to Asheville and Savannah, and on to Florida, as she learns that everything she knows about her family…

Cover Reveal: Crux, Skinny, Keeper of the Lost Cities & The Glimpse

Posted by on 01/16/2012 • 8 Comments

Crux Julie Reece Release date: July 9th, 2012 by J. Taylor Publishing  Add it to your Goodreads

Homeless, broke, and hungry, seventeen-year-old Birdie Orin is running out of options. That is, until a chance meeting with a bearded stranger in a trench coat changes everything. He promises more money than she’s ever dreamed of and an amulet of power once owned by Viking lords. Cool, but there’s a catch. He informs her she’s the last descendant of a Nordic tribe, and the necklace that grants her supernatural abilities is cursed. Only she can free the souls of hundreds of Viking warriors trapped in a spell cast by one of two rival kings.

Her mysterious benefactor warns the spell chunking king still seeks the amulet, and she must choose a…

Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Posted by on 01/16/2012 • 28 Comments

Hallowed(Unearthly, #2)  Cynthia HandRelease date: January 17th, 2012by HarperCollins Publishers

Goodreads / Purchase

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and…

In My Mailbox (18)

Posted by on 01/15/2012 • 105 Comments

“In My Mailbox” is a meme, created by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I have received/ purchased/ borrowed during the week.  Know what I’m doing? I’m writing my IMM post while watching Gossip Girl (trying to catch up on this season)! How’s that for a fabulous life? Teehee. Isn’t Chuck awesome!! So I hope you all had a good week. In case you missed it, I was interviewed over at One A Day YA if you’re interested in knowing a bit about my favorite reads of 2011. Now, let’s see my haul this week.

I got for review (click on cover for Goodreads):

I want to thank TP Boje and Random House Children’s Books for the review copies.

I bought:

Yep, I think it’s about time…