Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock Book Trailer

Looks awesome!

Waiting on Wednesday (109)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I am reading The Golden Lily as I type this and I know already that I can't wait for The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead.  This won't be out until February 12th next year!

Synopsis

Nothing just yet!

What are you waiting on??

Fated Winner Announced!

Time has really slipped away from me and I actually forgot to announce the winner to Fated.  I do apologize.  It turns out I don't check my diary nearly as much as I should

Thanks to the Random.org The winner for a finished copy of Fated is:

Bonnie Hilligoss

Thank you to everyone who entered in the comp.  Bonnie, if you could contact me via my email melissa@spellboundbybooks.com I will send out your copy straight away.

Thank you !!

In My Mailbox (114)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead


Thank you so much for sending this to me!!

Bought:


Nothing this week.  But I do see myself in a week or two splurging out on sequels to books I've read recently.  Ohhh can't wait!!

What did you get in your IMM this week??

Spellbound Noticeboard (30)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com 

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Check out Emily's Crammed Bookshelf review of This is Not a Test

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Upcoming: Video Week!
July 21- 30

You're invited to a summer party!!

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Enjoy!!

Waiting on Wednesday (108)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

My pick this week is The Suburban Strange by Nathan Kotecki.  This will be released October 2nd 2012.

Synopsis

hy Celia Balaustine is new to Suburban High, but a mysterious group of sophomores called the Rosary has befriended her. Friends aside, Celia soon discovers something is not quite right at Suburban. Girls at the school begin having near-fatal accidents on the eve of their sixteenth birthdays. Who is causing the accidents, and why?

As Celia’s own birthday approaches, she is inexorably drawn into an underground conflict between good and evil—the Kind and the Unkind—that bubbles beneath Suburban High. Plentiful references to music and art—along with the intriguing underworld mythology—make this supernatural series debut a page-turner.

What are you waiting on?

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine

Title:  Black Dawn

Author:  Rachel Caine

Genre:  Young Adult/ Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Penguin Australia (Publisher)

Publication Date:  1st May 2012

ISBN:  9781921880148

Stand alone or series:   The Morganville Vampires #12

Pages:  516 pages

Book Received from:  Penguin Australia (Publisher)

First Lines:  It would have been better if he'd screamed.  Michael Glass didn't scream.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS

Synopsis:
When a tide of ferocious draug, the vampire's deadliest enemy, floods Morganville, its eclectic mix of residents must fight to save their town from devastation.

Chaos has taken over the quiet college town of Morganville as the threat of the of draug rapidly spreads with the help of the city's water system. Whilst most of the locals have already fled, student Claire Danvers and her friends Shane, Eve and Michael choose to stay and fight.

Things take a turn for the worse when vampire Amelie, the town's founder, is infected by the master draug's bite. Unless Claire and her friends can find an antidote to save Amelie and overcome the draug, Morganville's future looks bleak . . .

My Thoughts:
I've read many series over the years, some very fantastic, some that lose a little bit of the wow the further in I've read, but The Morganville Vampires series just seems to keep getting even better.  I've never found a more awesome cast of characters than the ones that appear in each book Rachel has created.  Even the bad guys are intriguing!

Black Dawn picks up a day after Last Breath finishes and without even trying I'm sucked back into the world of Claire and her friends.  There's no picking up the last book to see what happened last for me.. This is whammo back to familiar ground.  And I loved it.

Things have gone from bad to worse for the gang with the draug.  Again Rachel has told the story from multiple viewpoints, the main being Claire's.  I love how she has introduced glimpses into the other characters heads and to differentiate between the main character and the others she has used first person.  Its an awesome way of making sure the main character stays just that!

The stakes are higher than ever for the vampires and the other side of both vampires and humans come out when pushed to the limit.  I was very surprised by a few characters actions but majority of the others were to be expected.  

I didn't expect to be so attached to certain characters up until the point that their lives were in danger.  Amelie was a prime example.  While I won't go into any detail, I felt despair at her decline in the book and prayed that they'd find something to help her.  Shane was another who I didn't realise I loved so much either.  It shows how well Rachel has done with the characterisation, when I'm sitting on the edge of my seat cheering on a bunch of fictional vampires and humans.  I did even get a strange look from people around me when I let out a happy cheer.  Yes, I may be a little TOO into these books but then again.. thats okay!  It doesn't help that I've met Rachel Caine and she's such an awesome woman!

All in all, another fabulous book in The Morganville Vampires series.  Oh!  How I wish the next book was here already!!

Fave Line:  Romantic love is an illusion, invented by poets and purchased by fools.  I told you, and Michael, what was necessary at thetime to make you understand that my goal was not to seduce him, only to... help.

My Attempt at a Bookcover

So, I've been playing around in Photoshop tweaking photos that I took for a Fairy Photoshoot I did last weekend.  I decided to use one of those photos to create a bookcover for a story I was writing a little while back.  

(c) Melissa Freeman 2012

What do you think?

Spellbound Noticeboard (29)

Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com 

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 Check out Silverbirch Part II by Rob Kaay!

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Skios

a novel

Michael Frayn

Michael Frayn is recognized as one of the greatest living English dramatists, known for such critically acclaimed plays as Noises Off and three-time Tony winner Copenhagen. He is also the author of thebestselling novels Headlong (Booker Prize finalist), Spies and, most recently, his memoir, My Father’s Fortune. Skios (Metropolitan Books/on sale: June 19, 2012) is his first novel in ten years, and the greatmaster of farce turns to an exclusive island retreat for a comedy of mislaid identities, unruly passions, and demented, delicious disorder.

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Enjoy

Waiting on Wednesday (107)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

This one looks awesome.  Splintered by A.J Howard will be released January 2013!

Synopsis:

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head

What are you waiting on?

Halos Somnium by Keri Lake

Title:  Halos Somnium

Author:  Keri Lake

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Keri Lake

Publication Date:  12th January 2012

ISBN:  9780984851706

Stand alone or series:   Halos #1

Pages:  292 pages

Book Received from:  Keri Lake (Author)

First Lines:  The looming darkness over the sea portends a storm later in the evening; funny how it personifies my thoughts about this new assignment.

Synopsis:A work assignment in Kittery, Maine should be routine for Allie Lynch; nothing more than to prove herself as a brilliant engineer. Instead she finds herself torn between two men: a gorgeous military guard, Colton Briggs, and her devilishly handsome colleague, Drew Costa. To resist temptation, Allie does the only thing she can: she throws herself into her work.
But fate has other plans for Allie. Women are going missing all around her, Allie is struck with a series of life-threatening mishaps, and she becomes the obsession of a local deranged psychopath.
Thrust into a dark world that she can hardly fathom, Allie must fight for her very survival, open her mind to new realities – and open her heart to the possibility of love. Because both of these men are trouble – but one is a greater danger than she could ever imagine …

My Thoughts:
I was stoked when Keri contacted me in regards of doing a review of Halos Somnium.  I'm only sad I didn't review this earlier than I have due to life taking over a little.

Allie is one of those characters I could really relate to.  She's assigned to work on assignment in Kittery Maine as an Engineer in a male dominant environment.  I also work in a male dominant environment so it was one of the things I had in common with the main character and I could totally understand what she went up against when first starting to work at Davenport.  She's a determined woman trying to make it in her field and not put up with any crap flung her way and that was another thing I really liked about her. She's a great character whose POV I enjoyed reading from.

I love how this story starts out seemingly normal with just an odd occurrence here and there, introducing the reader and main character to the fact that there is more out there than first thought.  Allie seems to be a magnet for these things but it's not until halfway through that things heat up so to say.. in the paranormal department.  I always like how these stories are written.  I always think if this were to happen in real life.. characters like Allie would really act that way.

Colton.  *Sigh*.  Do I need to say more? I think if ever there was the opportunity to pick any type of man candy to date in real life I'd grab him with both hands and ...... yeah we shall leave that alone hey.  But he is the epitome of perfection.  Tall, dark hair, elusive, blue eyes.  Yum.  Okay .. and a fantastic personality.  There are a few more things I want to say here but lets not ruin it for others ;)

Shane is another favourite character.  I'm not sure what it is about him to pinpoint it down to one thing but I love how he and Allie work together to sort a thing or two out and steer her in the right direction.

Overall this is a great paranormal romance.  I hope high hopes for this series and while I must say it lacks a little oomph that I was looking for, I'm sure book 2 will be a great addition to the series!

Closed Hearts Winner!

Thanks to Susan Kaye Quinn for supplying a copy of Closed Hearts for the giveaway.

Without further ado, the winner for Closed Hearts (chosen by Random.org) is:

Susan @ The Book Bag

Thank you to everyone who entered!  Susan I have passed on your email to Susan Kaye Quinn and she will send you through a copy of the ebook.

In My Mailbox (113)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post created by The Story Siren.

For Review:

Shadows by Paula Weston

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires #12)

A Big thank you to Penguin Australia and Text Publishing for sending these to me!!

Bought:


N/A


What did you get in your IMM?

MBOB: Snow White and the Huntsman

This is definitely one I want to be going to see very soon.  Good to see Kristen Stewart in another starring role and fingers crossed she outshines the Twilight movies that seem to define her acting career!  Not to mention the hot huntsman who also happens to be an Aussie :)

Moonlight Mayhem by Sherry Soule Book Trailer

Here's the trailer for Sherry Soule's second book in the Spellbound Series. If you haven't seen,I've posted a Character Quiz earlier this week for the Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour!

Waiting on Wednesday (106)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Another great pick I've found that I'd love to read.  Velveteen by Daniel Marks will be released 9th October 2012.

Synopsis

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It'll be brutal . . . and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can't help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

Pre-order Velveteen at Book Depository!

What are you waiting on?

Fated by Alyson Noel and Giveaway

Title:  Fated 

Author:  Alyson Noel

Genre:  Young Adult/Fantasy

Publisher:  Pan Macmillan

Publication Date:  1st June 2012

ISBN:  9781447206804

Stand alone or series:   The Soul Seekers #1

Pages:  352 Pages

Book Received from:  Pan Macmillan (Publisher)

First Lines:  First came the crows.  An entire murder of them. Circling the graveyard in strict formation, their dark beady eyes watching, relentlessly watching, their sleek black bodies buffeted by the wind.

Synopsis:
Strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, glowing people appear from nowhere. Worried that Daire's having a breakdown, her mother sends her to stay with the grandmother she's never met, who lives on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico. There Daire crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes.
Her grandmother recognizes Daire's episodes for what they are – a call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, a person who can navigate between the living and the dead. Guided by her grandmother, Daire must be quick to learn how to harness her powers, because Dace's brother is an evil shape-shifter, out to steal them.
Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and discover whether Dace is the guy she's meant to be with... or if he's allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

My Thoughts:
The beginning of this was a little tricky and I had trouble keeping my attention on reading this and trying to make sense of it.  The very first chapter was good, it was the second that had me wondering what the heck was going on.  I had to reread it for the second time for it to make a bit of sense but it wasn't until after I got past that and Daire was off to the Grandmother she had never known, that I really started getting into it.

Once Daire is in New Mexico she's thrown into a whole new world where the visions she has start to make sense.  Paloma, her grandmother helps her deal with these and sets her on a spiritual journey to help Daire fulfil her potential as the next Seeker.  I liked how Alyson did this part but I hoped for Daire to lose control of her powers a little bit more and actually use them in a really big way to get herself in trouble.  For me the only thing that bugged me about the whole scenario was that she seemed to fit quite in after only a little bit of conflict with the school.  In saying that she still had Cade and his family to deal with.

Dace was a very welcome addition to the cast of characters I must say.  While there weren't the whole "Wham Bam" fire works for me, I really did like the character he was.  A little too good for my liking, but still lovable none the less.  Xotichl (So-chee) was pretty awesome as well but when I first come across that name I'm like "Holy Dooly what a name" lol.  But it's one that I really like.

Fated is only the beginning of what I hope is a very promising series by Alyson Noel.  What I do hope is that in the next book, the build up to the "BIG SHOWDOWN" has a little more suspense.  In saying that I really did enjoy this and look forward to reading the next one in the series.

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GIVEAWAY TIME

Open International

(1) Finished copy of Fated is up for grabs.

All you need to do is comment on this post and check back here on the 20th June to see if you are the lucky winner!!

Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour:

This giveaway is open internationally! So lets tell the blogging world!

To celebrate the release of author, Sherry Soule’s new paranormal novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, take this super fun quiz to see which character BEST suits YOU and score a Kindle or Nook version of the first book in this unforgettable YA series, BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN!

Would you be better friends with Shiloh or an Ariana?

Are you a quirky, romantic witch with supernatural powers?

Or a snarky and outgoing blond with lots of vitality?

Well, they both love to read, have their own sense of style, and have big dreams for the future—but while they share those things, Shiloh’s tall, and Ariana’s not. Ariana’s got major curves and Shiloh’s super skinny. Ariana hearts Christina Aguilera and Shiloh’s all about the Foo Fighters.

Take this quiz and be sure to check the bottom of the post for the details regarding this random giveaway.

1. You have $50 to spend. Where do you go?

a. Steve Madden. A girl can never have too many shoes!
b. Everyday Magick. Stock up on snake blood and eye-of-newt.
c. Duh! Abercrombie & Fitch
d. Hot Topic, of course!

2. It is dinnertime. What are you in the mood for?

a. Chinese takeout.
b. Salad and iced tea—please
c. Fruit and diet soda
d. BBQ Chicken Pizza. Yum!

3. The fog in Whispering Pines is extra thick. What keeps you warm?

a. Bolero jacket with Lucky jeans and Uggs.
b. Hoodie with my skinny jeans and Doc Martens
c. The fires of hell—so toasty!
d. Denim jacket with my black pants and low-top Converse

4. What is your dream destination?

a. Hawaii. Warm and tropical. Plus hot guys.
b. New York. Architecture and culture
c. Underworld. One way ticket—please!
d. Paris. The city of romance!

5. What’s your favorite footwear?

a. Flip-flops.
b. Doc Martens
c. Hoofs
d. Converse.

6. Favorite supernatural hunk?

a. Dean Winchester—heavy sigh!
b. Stefan Salvatore—so romantic!
c. Tyler Lockwood—furry and supercute!
d. Edward Cullen—bite me!

7. What’s your favorite TV show?

a. Pretty Little Liars
b. The Secret Circle
c. The Lying Game
d. The Vampire Dairies

8. Favorite book?

a. “Descended by Blood” by Angeline Kace
b. “Revealers” by Amanda Marrone
c. “Strange Angels” by Lili St. Crow
d. “Shiver” by Maggie Stiefvater

9. What’s your dream job?

a. Hairstylist
b. Architectect
c. Ghost Hunter
d. Personal Shopper

10. What supernatural pet would you like to own?

a. Phoenix (exotic bird)
b. Siamese cat (familiar)
c. Hell Hound
d. Werewolf

11. Favorite movie?

a. Gone With the Wind—I like to channel my inner Scarlett.
b. The Craft—awesome witch movie!
c. Insidious—haunted houses are uber scary!
d. Ginger Snaps—werewolves are wicked cool.

12. What is the best season?

a. Spring. Warmer weather and flowers.
b. Fall. Halloween!
c. Winter. It gets dark early…
d. Summer. Yay! No school

13. What is your favorite color?

a. Metallic blue. Duh
b. Fuchsia. I can be a feminist girly-girl and like pink!
c. Red, the color of blood.
d. Silver, it’s sparkly and magical.


If you answered...

Mostly a's: You and Ariana need to hang at the mall!
Mostly b's: Shiloh has a haunted house to cleanse—you free tonight?
Mostly c's: Beware—the creatures of the underworld are watching you!
Mostly d's: Ariana and Shiloh are your new BFFs!

MOONLIGHT MAYHEM Synopsis:

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the supernatural events of Whispering Pines, but the full moon has brought another surge of threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, and Shiloh must gain control of her magical abilities—fast! But it sucks that Shiloh has a crippling fear of the dark. For a demon slayer, this can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious animal and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace, but Shiloh’s battling a different monster within herself. She’s struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Moonlight Mayhem is the second novel in the unforgettably epic Spellbound series.

Where you can find author, Sherry Soule online:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

Official Spellbound series blog: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com/

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

Book Trailer/YouTube: http://youtu.be/5uqVXKygvUs

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken

Random winner will be picked on 17th June and be posted at the top of this quiz, please check back on that day to find out if you’re the lucky winner.

Giveaway details for a Kindle or Nook of BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN:

1.) You must comment with your quiz results

2.) Be a follower of Sherry’s blog

3.) Be a follower of this blog

Good luck!

Tattoos Inspired By Books (1)

There are some very awesome books out there, that lines or the whole book themselves inspire people to get tattoos.  There's even been a book published called, "The World Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide" by Eva Talmadge and Justin Taylor, which I own.

So how many of you have gone out and gotten one?

Here are a few pictures of some that I've come across that I think are pretty cool! (And even made me want to read the book!)

Image from: F&*^ Yeah Tattoos

This quote alone makes me want to pick up Neil Gaiman's Vol 6: Fables and Reflections.

Image from Tattoo Donkey

Lewis Carroll inspired tattoo.

Image from Bookshelves of Doom

 This is from the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  A definite favourite quote!

Some websites to check out some really cool tattoos

24 Hour Books: - Has a Literary Tattoos feature ever Tuesday!

Contrariwise

F&*% Yeah Tattoos

Tattoo Donkey

Feel free to share if you have any tattoos that you would like posted up and your reason, and section of the book!!

TGIF (24) Issue Books

TGIF is a weekly feature created and hosted by Ginger at GReads! that re-caps the week’s posts and has different question each week.

This Friday's Question:  Issue Books: Which books have you found to be very rewarding when it comes to tackling tougher issues?


My first thoughts on this went straight to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.  I picked this one up after hearing it was on the banned list and read it.  I was thoroughly surprised at how well the book was written and couldn't understand for the life of me why they would ban it from schools (not sure if it has changed since) because taking a book away from teens reading it doesn't take the problems themselves away.  Because this sort of thing happens alot more than people realise.  That's my thoughts anyhow.

This is the only one I can actually think of.  I need to get more books like this on my reading pile I think!

Throwing the question out to all of you:

Which books have you found to be very rewarding when it comes to tackling tougher issues?