Dreaming Anastasia Blog Tour

Read my review of Dreaming Anastasia at http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=books.review&review_id=19652. Thanks, all!

Teens Read Too <http://www.teensreadtoo.com/DreamingAnastasia.html> (8/17)

Through the Wardrobe<http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/2009/08/book-launch-dreaming-anastasia.html> (8/29)

Class of 2k9 <http://community.livejournal.com/classof2k9/33404.html> (8/29)

Story Siren <http://www.thestorysiren.com/> (8/31)

EVEREAD <http://everead.blogspot.com/> (9/1)

The Book Resort <http://www.thebookresort.blogspot.com/> (9/1)

Marta's Meanderings <http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/> (9/2)

Babbling About Books <http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/> (9/3)

A Passion for Books<http://casey62588.blogspot.com/2009/08/waiting-on-wednesday-4.html> (9/3)

Day by Day Writer <http://daybydaywriter.wordpress.com/> (9/4)

Neverending Shelf <http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com/> (9/5)

YA Books Central <http://yabookscentral.blogspot.com/> (9/6)

Dolce Bellezza <http://dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/> (9/7)

Books & Literature for Teens <http://booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com/> (9/7)

Shelf Elf <http://shelfelf.wordpress.com/> (9/8)

The Shady Glade <http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/> (9/8)

Debbie's World of Books<http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/2009/08/25/dreaming-anastasia-by-joy-preble/> (9/9)Bookalicio.us <http://bookalicio.us/> (9/9)

Ultimate Book Hound <http://ultimatebookhound.blogspot.com/> (9/10)

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf <http://laurenscrammedbookshelf.blogspot.com/> (9/10)

Sarah's Random Musings <http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/> (9/11)

Cindy's Love of Books <http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/> (9/12)

Presenting Lenore <http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/> (9/12)

Always Riddikulus <http://alwaysriddikulus.blogspot.com/> (9/12)

Jenn's Bookshelf <http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/> (9/13)

Carol's Corner <http://carolwscorner.blogspot.com/> (9/13)

A High & Hidden Place <http://www.capriciousreader.com/> (9/14)

Looking Glass Review <http://www.lookingglassreview.com/> (9/14)

Karin's Book Nook <http://karinlibrarian.wordpress.com/> (9/14)

Shooting Stars Magazine <http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/> (9/15)

Library Lounge Lizard <http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/> (9/15)

Book Journey <http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/> (9/16)

The Book Pixie <http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/> (9/16)

The Compulsive Reader <http://www.thecompulsivereader.blogspot.com/> (9/17)

Bildungsroman <http://slayground.livejournal.com/> (9/17)

Booking Mama <http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/> (9/18)

BriMeetsBooks.com <http://bribookblog.blogspot.com/> (9/18)

The Written World <http://myreadingbooks.blogspot.com/> (9/19)

Hope's Bookshelf <http://www.princess2293.blogspot.com/> (9/19)

Book Nut <http://melissasbookreviews.blogspot.com/> (9/20)

Hope is the Word <http://hopeistheword.wordpress.com/> (9/20)

Zoe's Book Reviews <http://booksaregolden.blogspot.com/> (9/21)

Homespun Light <http://homespunlight.blogspot.com/> (9/21)

Teen Scene magazine <http://www.teenscenemag.com/> (9/21)

Galleysmith <http://www.galleysmith.com/> (9/22)

Once Upon a Bookshelf <http://books.moonsoar.com/> (9/22)

Café of Dreams <http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/> (9/23)

My Friend Amy <http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/> (9/23; 9pm EST author chat)

The Brain Lair <http://brainlair.blogspot.com/> (9/24)

Ms. Bookish <http://msbookish.com/> (9/24)

Lori Calabrese Writes <http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com/> (9/25)

Mrs. Magoo Reads <http://www.mrsmagooreads.com/> (9/25)

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm <http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/> (9/26)

Fantasy Book Critic <http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/> (9/26)

Into the Wardrobe <http://www.peteredmundlucy7.blogspot.com/> (9/27)

In the Pages <http://inthepages.blogspot.com/> (9/27)

Beth Fish Reads <http://bfishreads.blogspot.com/> (9/28)

Reverie Book Reviews <http://reveriemedia.blogspot.com/> (9/28)

BookLoons.com <http://bookloons.com/> (9/28)

YABC Teen Reviewer

Hello, all! I have some news. I'm going to be the new Teen Reviewer for YA Books Central! I haven't decided yet if I'm going to remove this blog and stick to YABC, or if I'll just manage both and use the reviews for that site on this blog as well. I guess we'll find out eventually! I'm currently waiting for an email from the website giving me instructions, etc, on my new position, so in the meantime, keep checking in!

Fairies vs Demons Contest!

There is a war coming... and the Dark will collide with the Light.The authors of Prophecy of the Sisters and Eyes Like Stars are gathering their magical armies for a battle to end all battles. Which side will prevail: the glittering, vicious rambunctiousness of the fairies, or the insidious malevolent evil of the demons?

How To Fight:

Show us your best fairy/demon warrior costume and weapons. Hint: the fairies would have armor-of-random-bits and probably fling pies, while demons... well... they would be fiercely Otherworldly and probably fling spears and sweep you away with their Fallen Angel wings.Or gather your own armies and reenact the Famous Battle Of Black Forest Cake with Legos, or Barbies, or stuffed animals, or sock puppets...Entries can be photo essays (up to five pictures with captions) or a video (up to two minutes.)Send photos as attachments. Upload videos to YouTube and send us a link. Email all entries to Fairies+Demons@theatre-illuminata.com.
Contest is open to ages 13 and up (You'll need a parent or guardian to send in your entry if you're too young)

Contest closes August 8th!

And The Fiercest (or Most Glittery) Among Ye Shall Take The Prize:
A panel of great and terrible judges will select one grand prize winner to receive items plundered from both fairy and demon realms, known far and wide as the Secret Treasure of the Amazon, long-hidden on Thomas Milthorpe’s library bookshelf in the Théâtre Illuminata Properties Department.

Treasures of the Fairy Realm:

Pop Rocks
Card of assorted goth/punk/pirate buttons
Black vinyl fairy notebook
Braided "Cobalt Flame" synthetic hairband
Backstage Pass bracelets
Pink sequined train case
Ice-cream scented pencils
Glitter eyeshadow
DVD of Romeo + Juliet
Cupcake lip gloss
Purple "star" fingernail polish
Candy apple-scented bath salts
Ice Cream Bubbles

Treasures of the Demon Realm:

Demon skull t-shirt
Red comb-in hair dye
Red metallic nail polish
$15 iTunes gift card
$25 Hot Topic gift card
Dragon notebook
The Exorcism of Emily Rose DVD
Signed Prophecy mini-poster
Demon angel necklace
Rose pin (it smells like a rose, too!)
Do You Hear Them Too? pin
Prophecy locker magnet
Red bouncy ball
Jorgumand bracelet
Rock the Arts Kazoo
Fun Dip
Candy necklace
Airhead
Cotton Candy



The Grand Prize winner and selected runners-up will receive STAR-CROSSED PROPHECY posters, composited by the talented Vania of Vania's Life Captures, and signed by Demon Master Michelle Zink and Fairy-Herder Lisa Mantchev.

ARM YOURSELVES!

For only one side can prevail!


Bonus Drawing:

Win a $25 gift certificate at your choice of Amazon or B&N. All you have to do is spread the glittering word about the contest for your chance(s) to win!
3 Entries for blogging about the contest and linking to the contest
2 Entries for posting the contest badge (below) on your blog
1 Entry for linking on Facebook, Twitter, or other Social Media Outlets (one entry for each outlet)

In order for your efforts to count, please email the URL for your effort to fairies.and.demons@gmail.com

The code for the badge can be found here:
http://test.theatre-illuminata.com/callboard/features/notes/cb_contest3/contest3.html

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

"No." I slammed my hands into the stone. It stung, but not enough. "No!" I smashed my fist into the floor. My whole arm tingled and went numb. "NO!" I pounded my fist into the rock over and over until they bled. Pain was sharp, real, mine. I screamed, "Get out of my mind! You bitch!"

I crouched on the floor, panting, cradling my hands against my stomach. My pulse was jumping in my throat. I couldn't breathe past it. Anger washed through me, clean and sharp-edged. It chased the last shadow of Nikolaos's mind away.

I glared up at her. Anger, and behind that terror. Nikolaos had washed over my mind like the ocean in a seashell, filled me up and emptied me out. She might have to drive me crazy to break me, but she could do it if she wanted to. And there wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop her.

Anita Blake would love to have a normal life. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss. It's hard to have a normal life, however, when you raise zombies for a living, help solve supernatural murders, and execute vamipres on the side. Despite her busy schedule, Anita is perfectly content with her life. That is, until a series of vampire killings brings her to the Master of the City. Nikolaos is cruel and powerful beyond imagining, forever trapped in the body of a child. Now Anita must find what is killing the master vampires to save her life, along with that of her friends. What could make matters worse? Jean-Claude, a handsome and alluring master vampire, marking her as his human servant, and Edward, killer extraordinaire, arriving on her doorstep, determined to get information about where the Master of the City is hiding, even if he has to torture her to find out. It seems wherever Anita turns she has enemies. Can she fight them off on her own? She must, or everyone around her will suffer. Anita must fight for her life, and her very soul.

Guilty Pleasures is an extraordinary first novel of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter collection, unlike any other vampire series I have read. Laurell K. Hamilton will delve into your mind and completely change the way you see the world of the supernatural. Zombies, vampires, lycanthropes, ghosts, ghouls, and witches; sexual tension, odd friendships, gut-wrenching terror, and intriguing mystery; the Anita Blake series covers virtually everything, and each book will have you salivating for the next. The most recent addition to the series is Skin Trade, released June 2nd, and is book number 17. In the summer of 2010, the Anita Blake saga becomes a movie series on IFC.

Intrigued? You should be.

The Book Is Always Better

The book is always better. A fact that is once again proven with the most recent Harry Potter movie. For the entirety of the movie I found myself whispering to the person sitting next to me (luckily a friend, or I might have gotten hit in the face) about every important detail they left out and all of the nonsense that they added and changed. Now, I know that it is impossible for the movie to be exactly like the book; change is most definitely necessary. However, when they fail to inform the audience about many important factors that are need-to-know for the upcoming Deathly Hallows movies, it makes me wonder just how disappointing the next two are going to be. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that, because they're making two movies for the last book, they'll have PLENTY of room to fit in all the information that they so haphazardly did not explain, or altogether left out.

Due to the sad fact that I went to the midnight showing with a car of people who have not read the books, I'm full to BURSTING with unvented....annoyance, I guess is the best word right now. If anyone has seen the movie and read the books, PLEASE feel free to leave a comment or contact me on myspace at www.myspace.com/fairynne. Even if you haven't read the books, I'm always interested to hear what YOU thought of the movie. So hit me up! Comments are greatly appreciated, but I'm not averse to new friends on myspace.

Also, if you are reading this and you know of a movie you'd like to promote, let me know about it and I'll write a review and post it! I'll also give credit to your blog or site for bringing the movie to my attention. This works with books, too, so don't be shy!

Tenth Grade Bleeds

Let's recap some of the school years, shall we? Eighth Grade: Bites. Ninth Grade: Slays. At least, it tries its best. And sure, biting and slaying are bad enough, but when one is bitten or in the process of being slayed, they tend to bleed. And Tenth Grade, my friends, Bleeds profusely.

The council had been clear: "Bring us Vladimir Tod and your reward will be immeasurable." They never mentioned in what condition to bring him in, had barely stressed that he should be living. Little did they know, Ignatius didn't require payment. Causing the boy's suffering--and perhaps even his death, he thought with a pleasant shiver--would be reward enough.

Meet Vladimir Tod, your average, socially awkward teenager. He's always hungry, has an amazing best friend, a beautiful girlfriend, and lives with his loving aunt. The hidden downside? His hunger is for blood, his best friend is his human slave, a frightening side of him desires to eat his girlfriend (literally), and he's a half vampire. After surviving two painful attempts at murder, Vlad is facing the fact that he may always be fighting to survive. But first thing's first: surviving highschool. With Henry hiding something from him, Eddie Poe trying to expose him for what he truly is, and having to suffer through Health Class, highschool is definitely still hell. But what is a schoolyear for Vladimir Tod without a psycho stalker trying to kill him? Incomplete.

With the third volume of The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, Tenth Grade Bleeds, Heather Brewer once again amazes us with her ability to keep hearts racing and readers guessing. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is a saga that can not only be related to the lives of many teenagers, but also give them hope. Heather is a woman who knows full well how tough the lives of highschoolers can be, especially with bullying, and she captures that perfectly within Vlad, with a little extra gore. Although aimed at teens, this is a series that people of any age group can enjoy. It is terrifying, heart breaking, and witty, guaranteed to leave you thirsty for the next volume. Heather's first two novels are Eighth Grade Bites and Ninth Grade Slays.

Vladimir Tod is the ideal friend, boyfriend, and dorky highschool companion, just with a couple of fangs attatched.

Prophecy of the Sisters

'“Have you been waiting long?”
I shake my head. “Waiting is made easy in a place like this. A place that reminds me of you while I wait.”
He tips his head, taking a finger and tracing my face from the loose curls at my temple, down the angular jut of my cheekbone, across the curve of my jaw. “Everything reminds me of you…”'

Lia Milthorpe has been content with her life, for the most part. Her mother died when she was a child, so she doesn't remember much of her. She has grown up in ninteenth century, England, with her twin sister Alice, her younger brother Henry, and her doting, scholarly father, Thomas Milthorpe. Everything changes, however, when Thomas dies and a strange symbol begins to emerge on Lia's wrist. Fearing what others might say, Lia hides her mark and begins to search for answers. What she finds, however, is a terrifying evil that threatens to consume her. An evil that her sister serves with pride. Does Lia have the strength to fight the ancient evil within, as well as her own flesh and blood?

The Prophecy of the Sisters is a tragic story of betrayal, magic, loss, and love. It is a tale of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, and the incredible journey of four young girls locked in an ageless battle to defend humankind. Michelle Zink brings something new to the table, something that will leave readers screaming for book two. Lovers of gothic fantasy will not be disappointed in the slightest, and those looking for romance are sure to get their fair share. Prophecy of the Sisters had me riveted to one spot, immovable for six hours until I had finally finished. The mysteries and riddles are sure to keep clever minds churning, while the twists and romance are sure to stop the heart. Michelle has created a classic tale of ancient evil and endless good, and she has done so with a skillful grace. Prophecy of the Sisters is her first novel, and will be released in August, 2009.

Do you have what it takes to unlock the prophecy?

Let's see you prove it. *wink*