HELLCATS...My New Guilty Pleasure Show

Sunday, October 31, 2010


Okay so I must say I'm hooked on the CW's new TV show HELLCATS that's on on Wednesdays. Have you watched this one yet? Here's the synopsis:

Marti Perkins has it all -- looks, smarts, talent, and a scholarship to Lancer University to study pre-law. Her world is turned complete upside down when she loses her scholarship and must use her skills as a gymnast to join the legendary cheerleading team. Marti manages to make the team, but she is devastated when she enters a "world of camaraderie, backstabbing and the intersection of sports, backroom academia and big money."

Fun Facts about the show, it's based on a book:

Hellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama series[3] for The CW starring Alyson Michalka, Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Jones, and Matt Barr. Based on the book Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders by journalist Kate Torgovnick[4] and described as "Election meets Bring It On" by critics,[5][6] the series follows the life of Marti Perkins, a pre-law college student who has to join the cheerleading team, the Hellcats, in order to maintain her scholarship.

Okay so I love this show for a couple reasons: One. It's not that far of a stretch from the Young Adult stories that I love. Matter of fact this could be considered New Adult, you know that new category with writing industry is trying to create for college aged protagonist. I would love to read more of that, by the way. Two. There are some HAWT love triangles in this show (3 to be exact!), and I know all you YA lovers are with me in likin' some saucy love triangles.
 Three: There are interracial relationships. Why isn't there more of this out there? In both the literary world and in Hollywood?



*SIGH* Just watching that little clip reminds me of why I heart this show! LOL If you haven't watched this one...YOU.MUST.GOOGLE.NOW and watch!!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare --Review

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Title: Clockwork Angel
Author: Cassandra Clare
Hardcover, 479 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry
http://theinfernaldevices.com/index3.htm
SeriesThe Infernal Devices #1
Characters:Tessa Gray, Magnus Bane, Will Herondale, Jem Carstairs, Jessamine Lovelace, Jessamine Lovelace, Henry Branwell, Charlotte Branwell, Nathaniel Gray



Plot:

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.




When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.



Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.



Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
My Thoughts:
 
Okay, okay so you've caught me. I have never read The Immortal Instruments series, but decided to read this one anyway because I say that Ms. Clare said you didn't have to read it before reading CLOCKWORK ANGEL to be able to follow along. With that being said, I can't say if this novel, being a prequel and all, is better or worse that the original series, but I will tell you I loved this novel. It was fast paced and the characters were witty, especially Will. TEAM WILL here all the way! Tessa had her moments when I didn't connect with her, but she somehow found a way to redeem herself and draw me back in.
 
PLUS I love when characters have a quest to go along with learning about their supernatural powers. That always makes for an awesome read.
 
The only thing that keeps this from being a 5 star read for me is it is written in 3rd person. But, that's a personal nitpick I have because I'm a 3rd person snob. Very few books written in 3rd get an "I love this book" from me. This one was pretty dang close, though.
 
Read this if you like supernatural creatures set in a different time period on a great quest!

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel --Review

Title: Infinite Days
Author: Rebecca Maizel
Paperback, 310 pages

Published August 3rd 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
SeriesVampire Queen #1 .



Plot:

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.




Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?




My Thoughts:

I am a paranormal junkie, but even I have gotten a little burnt out on the vampire craze lately. So, when I got INFINITE DAYS as an ARC to review my expectations weren't that high. I am happy to report that I was surprised by this novel. There are some AMAZING flash back scenes that show just how vicious our vampire queen main character was. I would really love a prequel to this novel for more of those scenes!! You would think a 500 year old vampire wouldn't be able to pull off being a teenager in todays world, but Ms. Maizel created Lenah to be a bratty vampire, therefore she never matured during her 500 years of as a vampire. Don't let that statement lead you to believe she wasn't a likable character, though because she totally was.

The only thing I really didn't like is how Lenah's human love interest, Justin dropped his human girlfriend for Lenah. Maybe if he was single before hand, or if his girlfriend was a complete bitch, it might have worked. I just had a little hard getting past that, but it could've been I was just Team Rhode from the beginning...

All in all, a great read. I really enjoyed this one. All you vampire fans give this one a shot.

YA Novel Discovery Contest: No query? No pitch? No problem!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Serendipity Literary Agency has contacted me and asked me to pass along this contest, so all you aspiring authors listen up!




YA Novel Discovery Contest

No query? No pitch? No problem!


Have a young adult novel—or a YA novel idea—tucked away for a rainy day? Are you putting off pitching your idea simply because you’re not sure how to pitch an agent? No problem! All you have to do is submit the first 250 words of your novel and you can win both exposure to editors, and a reading of your manuscript from one of New York’s TOP literary agents Regina Brooks.

Regina Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors.

ADDITIONALLY: The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at Random HouseScholastic, Candlewick,  Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin. The first 100 will receive free autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary. These five winners will also receive a free ONE YEAR subscription to The Writer magazine. ONE Grand Prize Winner will win a full manuscript reading and editorial consultation from Regina Brooks and free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

Please submit all entries via the contest website at WritingClasses.com/YAPitch. One entry per person; anyone age 13+ can apply. Open to the U.S. & Canada (void where prohibited). Entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET), November 30th

NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo
In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org)—an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days—this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.

So enter now! http://bit.ly/YAContest


GREAT PRIZES
The Grand Prize Winner
 will have the opportunity to submit an entire manuscript to YA literary agent Regina Brooks AND receive a free, 10-week writing course, courtesy of Gotham Writers' Workshop.

The Top Five Entrants (including the Grand Prize winner) will receive a 15-minute, one-on-one pitch session with Regina Brooks, one of New York’s premier literary agents for young adult books. They will also receive commentary on their submissions by editors at HarperCollins, Penguin, Harlequin, Random House, and Sourcebooks. In addition, they will receive a year’s subscription to The Writer magazine!

The Top 20 Entrants will receive autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks.

JUDGING
YA literary agent Regina Brooks and her team , will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor at Roaring Brook Press(Macmillan); Nicole Raymond, Editor at Candlewick; Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur Levine Books (Scholastic); Leila Sales, Editor Viking (Penguin) Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin and Leah Hultenschmidt, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to five, and each of the five winners will be provided commentary on their submissions

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer --Review

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Hardcover, 464 pages

Published October 19th 2010 by Philomel
http://www.nightshadebook.com/ .
Series: Nightshade #1
Characters: Calla Tor, Renier Laroche, Seamus Doran (Shay)
Setting:Vail, Colorado (United States)
Special Note: Recieved as apart of an ARC tour



Plot:
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?


My Thoughts:

The opening of this novel is fast paced and will hook you in right away. The forbidden romance aspect of the novel really keeps suspense high all through the book. There's just something about two people coming together that shouldn't that hooks me every time. It happened with Twilight, and I got that same feeling here between Calla and Shay. This book has an interesting love triangle dynamic. Ren, the alpha male wolf she is already promised to and Shay, the guy she likes by choice. I really like Shay, but Ren totally controls the scene when he's around, making him my pick between the two.

I had a really interesting discussion with one of my good friends about this book. And she pointed out how sexist the whole wolf system is in this novel, which is true, and even Shay spells this out to Calla in several scenes of the book, but it kind of reminds me of periods in history. Times when women were subservient to men and we not treated equally. To me this story represents Calla's choice to break free from her expected role within her own society and make her own choices. Calla's growth throughout the novel was evident, I just hope she continues on the path of standing up for herself against her pack and leaders in her world.

Read this one if you love paranormal/urban fantasy romance in YA!!



Check out this video about Shay I found on Goodreads! LOL

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