Detour 2 Death Offical Guest Post and Giveaway by J.R. Turner!

Hey Guys!! Today I have a very special guest poster. Her name is J.R. Turner and she is the acquiring editor for Quake Publishing and is here to tell us about her new novel, DETOUR 2 DEATH. This YA paranormal story has all the elements to be a real page turner (see blurb below) and I can't wait to get my hands on this one. Make sure you read the post, because at the end Jenny has been kind enough to put on a little giveaway!! Thank you Jenny!!! 
~~~Annie~~~

Detour 2 Death back cover blurb:


There are worse things than death, but not at Marsden Memorial hospital.

Kaylee Hensler knows her best friend Davey is on the brink of death. She knows this because she’s a psychic. When she flees the girl’s reformatory to get to him, she has no idea the special sort of hell waiting for her.

Reapers are collectors and they come in many forms. In Feverland, the world created by Davey’s sickness, the red reaper goes by the name of Molok, an ancient evil with deep roots. In Shadowland, the dark side of the hospital, a black reaper promises torture and torment to lost souls. The white reaper is the most fearsome, giving Kaylee three days before he collects both her and Davey’s souls.

Kaylee has one secret weapon, one she doesn’t fully understand. Her abilities will be tested, her loyalty betrayed, and her love misplaced. No one escapes Death.

J.R. Turner Bio:

Award-winning author J.R. Turner lives in Central Wisconsin with her husband and three children. She began writing in high school, and after a decade working as a commercial artist, started her first novel in 1999. Aside from crafts, camping and cooking, she loves holidays. A favorite is Halloween, a combination of spooky supernatural fun and chocolate. Visit her at http://www.jennifer-turner.com/ to learn more!

Without further ado, I turn over the floor to our guest speaker, J.R. Turner.

Hi Annie, thanks so much for hosting me on my blog tour! :)

I guess the biggest thing my readers all want to know about is the love triangle between Kaylee, her childhood friend Davey, and the archangel Raphael.

At first I didn’t expect Raphael to be anywhere near a love interest for Kaylee, but as time wore on and he showed her more and more love and interest, he became exactly that—a love interest! Seriously though, it was not planned at all. Characters have a way of feeling the way they do—despite the best laid plans. They’re sort of like us in that regard.

Years ago I saw a wonderfully horrible movie called City of Angels with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan. I won’t say why it was horrible (if you’ve seen it, you know) but I will say what was wonderful—the way Cage acted toward Meg throughout most of the movie was breathtaking. That sort of love is something we all crave. I guess as an author, I was feeling pretty guilty about putting Kaylee through so much and over time, Raphael began to exhibit much more love than anticipated.

On the other hand, I totally meant for Davey to be the hot guy who gets the girl in the end. He begins the series in a wheelchair, suffering from Transverse Myelitis (an infection in his spinal column.) He spends all of the first three books very ill. Something happened during the writing of Detour 2 Death though. Because I was channeling his subconscious as Kaylee interacted with him in the dreamscape of his coma, I realized that Davey—though a mild mannered and optimistic guy on the outside—had some serious anger issues on the inside. I mean, wouldn’t anyone have some resentment and bitterness about spending the last two years of school in a wheelchair?

Not only didn’t I expect him to be so angry, I didn’t expect him to be so violent. While in his real world he cherishes Kaylee, in his coma, his subconscious self is paranoid she’s going to leave him. This does not bode well for her when she needs to confront the reaper trying to kill him outside of his coma.

As the series continues, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s going to happen with Raphael and Davey and who she’ll end up with at the end. Right now she has them both, but for how long?

Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog, Annie! I’m looking forward to reading the comments and answering any questions anyone has. I’ll also be happy to choose a name from those who leave a comment and send them a free, handmade and beautifully beaded book thong!

Warmly,

Jenny:)

Here are the links if you would like to contact Jenny or submit to Quake Publishing!

Quake: Shaking up Young Readers


Submissions: http://quakeme.com/submissions/

Official Website of J.R. Turner: http://www.jennifer-turner.com/

Wanna Win a Divergent ARC???

Hey Guys!!

A fellow writer/book-lover,  Rachele,  is giving away her ARC of Divergent!! Wanna win it??? Check out her contest going on until March 6th at Midnight!  Good luck!! This book rocks!

WIN DIVERGENT!



Starstruck by Cyan Balog - Review

Title: Starstruck
Author: Cyn Balog
Hardcover, 256 pages

Expected Publication: July 12th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Special Note: ARC Review from Book It Forward ARC Tours

Plot:

Gwendolyn "Dough" X doesn't think she has much going for her—she carries a few extra pounds, her family struggles with their small bakery in a town full of millionaires, and the other kids at her New Jersey high school don't seem to know that she exists. Thank the stars for her longtime boyfriend, Philip P. Wishman—or "Wish." He moved away to California three years ago, when they were 13, but then professed his love for her via e-mail, and he's been her long-distance BF ever since.


At the beginning of her junior year, though, Wish e-mails that he's moving back to Jersey. Great, right? Well, except that Dough has gained about 70 pounds since the last time Wish saw her, while Wish—according to his Facebook photos—has morphed into a blonde god. Convinced that she'll be headed for Dumpsville the minute Wish lays eyes on her, Dough delays their meeting as long as she possibly can.

But when she sees Wish at school, something amazing happens. He looks at Dough like she's just as gorgeous as he is. But Wish is acting a little weird, obsessed with the sun and freaked out by rain. And the creepy new guy working at the bakery, Christian, is convinced that there's more to Wish's good looks than just healthy eating and lots of sun. He tells Dough that a mark on Wish's neck marks him as a member of the Luminati—an ancient cult of astrologers who can manipulate the stars to improve their lives. Is Wish and Dough's love meant to be—or are they star-crossed?

My Thoughts:

The beginning of this novel reads like a contemporary YA story. There really isn't any hint of supernatural elements until you get about 100 pages in, which is a lot considering this novel is only 256 pages long. The ONLY hint you will get is that Wish has somehow morphed into a head-turning hottie since the main character, Gwen, saw him last.

Gwen was a breath of fresh air. She's a girl with a bit of a weight issue, who wears her insecurities on her sleeve. That really drew me in. It made me want things to work out for her with Wish.

Wish seems like the perfect boyfriend. A guy who was her childhood best friend turned into a long-distance boyfriend. He's loyal, attentive and unbelievably gorgeous. He won me over because even though he's good-looking now, he still loves Gwen. That makes him a great guy in book, even if he dabbles in some supernatural, star manipulator to make people think he's hot.

I also liked Christian. The guy working at the bakery who has a troubled past. He really gets the ball rolling on the supernatural plot and I kinda wanted more to happen with him and Gwen.

All and all. I really liked it. The beginning was great and really set up the characters well, but the second half felt kinda rushed. There really wasn't a huge ah-ha moment when the truth comes out, which I kinda waited for. I would've also liked to seen Gwen maybe be tempted to change herself up using the stars or at least heavily thought about it just to add some more stakes and twists, but it didn't.

I liked this one. It read really well and I enjoyed the characters and the premise of the novel. Read it if you like stories about being the real you.

3.5

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Author: Kelly Keaton
Hardcover, 288 pages

Published February 22nd 2011 by Simon Pulse
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-Keaton/101061679938748
Series: Gods & Monsters #1
Special Note: ARC Review from Simon and Schuster GalleyGrab

Plot:

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Thoughts:

This story has been on my mind since the day I finished it, mainly because of the kick-ass twist I didn't see coming. When you discover at the end of the novel what Ari actually is, you will be blown away. I mean, I spent the entire novel trying to figure out why vampires, witches and every other monster Ari came in contact with were afraid of her and when I finally got there I didn't see it coming. It was a twist that was so original I didn't even suspect it.

The characters were quirky and I kind of imagined "the kids" she talks about as Peter Pan's Lost Boys, only a supernatural version. Also can I say how much I love Sebastian. Dark, brooding vampires are always hot. Ari was a fun character as well, she wasn't afraid to fight. She will straight-up punch a dude in the face, or chop his head off. Whatever the case calls for. So I definitely liked her for that.

The ONLY nitpick I have about this one is it was too short, which made parts of it seem kind of rushed. The romance between Sebastian and Ari and her self-discovery of what she is could have been drawn out a little more. Don't get me wrong. I was hooked, but I felt is just went a little too fast. The novel is only 288 pages, so it is short, but I'm hoping book two is a little longer.

Read this one if you like Clash of the Titans, Percy Jackson mixed with supernatural creatures.

Damon Salvatore: Seriously Does It Get Any Better?

So last night I was up watching the last four Vampire Diaries on my DVR and I couldn't help thinking about how great a character Damon Salvatore is. I mean, not only is he hot, but he is so complex. He himself can't figure what his place is in the story. He really wants to be bad, but for Elaina he'd change everything. He'd become a good guy. His love for Elaina drives him so wild he feels the need to constantly distract himself because he knows he can never have her. *Sigh* I just love him. Srsly, look at him. Could they have picked a better guy to play Damon.

Fledgling by Mark Cooper - Review

Title: Fledgling
Author: Mark A. Cooper
Published:  September 1st 2010 by Sourcebooks, Incorporated
Source: Sourcebooks ARC

Plot:
Tormented by his mother's death...


Taken for granted by his father...

Trained in deadly martial arts...



Jason Steed is looking for a place to call home. He finds what he's looking for in the Sea Cadets-an elite group of British youngsters being groomed for lifelong service in the military. But when a routine training exercise goes awry, Jason finds himself in the middle of a secret mission. The future of the world hangs in the balance...and Jason might be the only one who can save it.

My Thoughts:

The relationship Jason Steed has with his father is heart wrenching. My heart literally bleeds for him. The poor kid just wants his dad to love him. That's what really kept me hooked in the story. This story was almost like The Karate Kid in a way. A young boy training to fight.

This story would be perfect for a reluctant young male reader. There is enough action to keep them engaged throughout the entire novel.

Double Take Covers: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

OMG it's here. Richelle Mead's Bloodlines cover! Check it out all you Vampire Academy fans! Bloodlines hits shelves August 23rd 2011 and is published by Razorbill.

Quote from Mead's blog about Bloodlines:

"Bloodlines is the spin-off series to Vampire Academy (it's the name of the first book and of the series). It's set in the VA world but will be about different characters: Sydney (our narrator), Jill, Eddie, and one of the love interests from VA. I'm not saying who that last guy is, but it's mostly to protect those who haven't read Last Sacrifice. If you have read it, then it should be pretty obvious who the other character is."

 

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro - Review

Title: Deadly
Author: Julie Chibbaro
Published: February 22nd 2011 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Source: Simon and Schuster/GalleyGrab ARC

Plot:
A mysterious outbreak of typhoid fever is sweeping New York.


Could the city’s future rest with its most unlikely scientist?

If Prudence Galewski is ever going to get out of Mrs. Browning’s esteemed School for Girls, she must demonstrate her refinement and charm by securing a job appropriate for a young lady. But Prudence isn’t like the other girls. She is fascinated by how the human body works and why it fails.

With a stroke of luck, she lands a position in a laboratory, where she is swept into an investigation of the fever bound to change medical history. Prudence quickly learns that an inquiry of this proportion is not confined to the lab. From ritzy mansions to shady bars and rundown tenements, she explores every potential cause of the disease. But there’s no answer in sight—until the volatile Mary Mallon emerges. Dubbed “Typhoid Mary” by the press, Mary is an Irish immigrant who has worked as a cook in every home the fever has ravaged. Strangely, though, she hasn’t been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in a new scientific discovery?

Prudence is determined to find out. In a time when science is for men, she’ll have to prove to the city, and to herself, that she can help solve one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century.

My Thoughts:

This novel I found very interesting because it dealt with a medical mystery concerning an unknown disease. Now, maybe the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did is because I am a nurse. Who knows. LOL But, I really liked reading the journal type writing in this novel. It enhanced the emotion. I felt like I was really in the main character's head. Clinically the writing was very concise and this novel will be a good reminder to anyone who reads it why it's important to wash your hands.

Read this one if you are a HOUSE fan. :)

Mercy by Rebecca Lim - Review

Title: Mercy
Author: Rebecca Lim
Published: October 28th 2010 by HarperCollins Children's Books
Special Note: ARC Tour

Plot:
An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, MERCY is the first book in a major new paranormal series.



There's something very wrong with me. I can't remember who I am or how old I am, or even how I got here. All I know is that when I wake up, I could be any one. It is always this way. There's nothing I can keep with me that will stay. It's made me adaptable. I must always re-establish ties. I must tread carefully or give myself away. I must survive.

Mercy doesn't realise it yet, but as she journeys into the darkest places of the human soul, she discovers that she is one of the celestial host exiled with fallen angel, Lucifer. Now she must atone for taking his side. To find her own way back to heaven, Mercy must help a series of humans in crisis and keep the unwary from getting caught up in the games that angels play. Ultimately she must choose between her immortal companion, Lucifer, and a human boy who risks everything for her love.

My Thoughts:

I had really never heard of this one until I had received it through an ARC tour. There are so many angel books out there right now, it's hard to stand out. Mercy, however, was different than most angel books. If I didn't know ahead of time that Mercy was an angel, it would've took me a minute to figure it out. That's pretty much because it's part of her mystery. She doesn't really know what she is either. Her memory kind of gets scrambled every time she changes bodies.

The writing was nice and I enjoyed the toughness of the main character, Mercy, but the secondary characters were a bit cliche and forgettable.

This novel doesn't really focus on the whole angel thing, but rather the disappearance of a human girl. In the next novel (Yes, this is a series. Two more books in it) I hope there is more focus on the whole siding with Lucifier thing.

Read this one if you like angel books, or The Host.

Double Take Covers: Shift (Shade #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready

I love this cover! It screams romance and danger to me. The second installment in the Shade series is scheduled to release May 3rd 2011 by Simon Pulse.

Plot:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.



As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

 



Double Take Covers: Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

This is still one of my favorite series. The next Sookie Stackhouse novel comes out May 3rd 2011 by Ace. This is book number 11 in the series and I know Charlaine is contracted to write a total of 13 novels in this series, so we are getting close to the end.

Plot:

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board . . .

Delirium by Laren Oliver - Review

Title: Delirium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Hardcover, 441 pages

Published: February 1st 2011 by HarperTeen
Source: Harper Collins ARC
Series: Delirium #1
CharactersHana, Lena Holoway, Alex Sheathes, Carol Tiddle, Grace Tiddle .

Plot:
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.


But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

My Thoughts:

This novel has gotten a lot of buzz, so I'm always a little hesitant to read a book when people going ga-ga over it because it always seem to let me down. DELIRIUM however didn't do that. It really was just as good as people say. I'll admit, though, the 1st 80 pages or so didn't really hook me, but I kept reading, hoping to be blown away. For me it really didn't happen til the party scene. Once you get there, this novel is action packed. The 1st quarter of the book is all world building, so if you can make it past that part, I promise you'll love Delirium if you like Dystopian novels.

I really enjoyed the main character, Lena. She is described as a short, ordinary girl, but yet her inner strength, that she doesn't even know she has, really makes her special. Her drive and determination made me root for her and want her to succeed. She is so passionate about Alex, the boy she loves. I want them to run away together and live happy out in the "Wilds", away from the authority of the current government where love is forbidden.

The ending left me literally screaming NO! I want to know what happens next. I need to know what happens next! I'm hooked and can't wait til book two. You'll see what I mean when you get there!

This one gets a 4 rating from me, ONLY because of the slow beginning. Other than that, the book is amazing. 

Double Take Covers: Wildfire by Karsten Knight

WILDFIRE is scheduled to release July 26th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Plot:

Ashline Wilde never received an instruction manual on how to be a 16-year-old Polynesian volcano goddess. If she had, it might have contained helpful warnings such as:


• Dreaming about your (thankfully) mortal boyfriend may cause your bed to spontaneously combust

• Oven mitts should be worn at all times during heavy make-out sessions

Instead, Ash has to learn these life lessons the hard way as her dormant powers erupt at the most awkward times. In the wake of a hometown tragedy, Ash transfers to Blackwood Academy, a boarding school nestled in California’s redwoods, where a group of fellow gods-on-earth have mysteriously convened. As if sophomore year couldn’t get any worse, her storm goddess older sister, the wild and unpredictable Eve, resurfaces to haunt Ashline. With a war between the gods looming over Blackwood, Ash must master the fire smoldering within her before she clashes with her sister one final time, which leads us to life-lesson #3:

• When warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

HOURGLASS is scheduled to release May 24th 2011 by EgmontUSA

Plot:
"Since the age of fourteen, Emerson Cole has seen strange things – dead things – swooning Southern Belles, soldiers, and other eerie apparitions of the past. She’s tried everything to get rid of the visions: medication, counseling, asylums. Nothing’s worked.


So when Emerson's well-meaning brother calls in yet another consultant from a mysterious organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to give it one last try.

Michael Weaver is no ordinary consultant. He's barely older than she is; he listens like no one she's ever met before; and he doesn't make her feel the least bit crazy. As Emerson ventures deeper into the world of the Hourglass, she begins to learn the truth about her past, her future--and her very life.

A seductive time-slip novel that merges the very best of the paranormal and science fiction genres, Myra McEntire’s Hourglass is a stunning debut from an author to watch."

Double Take Covers: Trial By Fire (Raised by Wolves #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Here's the cover to the second book in the RAISED BY WOLVES series. TRIAL BY FIRE is scheduled to release June 14th 2011 by EgmontUSA. I own book one, but haven't gotten to it yet, but the covers are very intriguing.

Double Take Covers: Passion (Fallen Book 3) by Lauren Kate

My Thoughts:

This cover is very pretty, but doesn't quite have the same pizazz as the first two covers which I absolutely loved. Passion's cover stays in line with the dark, gothic theme the first two had, but it looks just a touch cartoonish for my taste. I still can't wait to read it, though. Release date: June 14th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Plot released so far:

Before Luce and Daniel met at Sword & Cross and fought immortals at Shoreline, they lived many lives. . . .