Thursday, April 5, 2012

Review for The Hunger Games (MOVIE)

As a HUGE fan of Suzanne Collins' dystopian YA series of books it was with breathless anticipation that I counted down the days until this movie's release.  There was a lot riding on this movie as its popularity meant it was going to be disected to the fullest extent, but I'm happy to report that it's almost pure perfection.  From the cast to the visuals to the adaptation of the book's storyline to screen, I found myself enthralled and greatly anticipating the sequel to see if it can live up to the promises made here.

First and foremost I give kudos to the representation of the different Districts.  District 12 is bleak with an overall greyish and bland quality to it.  You can practically feel the economic hardships they're going through. The Capitol is the complete opposite with its bright colors, not only in the resident's styles but with everything in the city itself.  These are clearly the rich with no worries about hardships.  These settings perfectly convey Ms. Collins' verbal descriptions and bring forth the bigger political issues.

By and large I found the casting to be spot on with a small criticism being leveled towards Josh Hutcherson (who plays Peeta).  But let's first rave about Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Katniss) and her beautiful balance of kick ass and caring.  She's the perfect story heroine brought to life and puts the Twilight series Bella to shame.  THIS is who young girls should aspire to be and admire!  She was tough with a cool exterior one minute and showing a highly emotional side the next.  The scene involving the death of Rue brought tears to my eyes once again and brought a moment of humanity to the barbarism of the Games.  Woody Harrelson brought some much needed humor to the film and his interactions with Jennifer provided some wonderfully sarcastic bantering.  Lenny Kravitz was the biggest surprise bringing some coolness and subtle support in his role of Cinna.  Donald Sutherland does his usual great acting in the role of President Snow and flows easily between politically charasmatic and creepy.  Even the acting from those playing the other tributes was nicely done with the actress playing Rue (Amandla Stenberg) leaving the longest impression.  I don't really have much to say about Liam Hemsworth (Gale) since he plays such a small part in this movie.  We'll see how he does when given more meatier material later on.  With such a strong heroine it's a shame that Josh can't quite keep up.  He always felt like a pale shadow when standing next to Jennifer.  I'm not sure if that's more of an interpretation of the character of Peeta or just weaker acting.  Again, we'll have to see how he handles what befalls his character as the series progresses.

This movie definitely lived up to all the hype and I'm excited to see how the next book will translate to the big screen.  I have high hopes that those who haven't yet read the series will see this and read this amazingly written series of books.  Seeing it is wonderful but reading it brings in so many extra layers that make this dystopian world even more intriguing.






My rating for this is an A!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Book Tour for A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable by Veronica Blade (Promo Post)


As a reader who's very picky about the YA books she reads, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and knew I had to bring it to your attention.  Courtesy of Bewitching Book Tours here's a glimpse of this romantic paranormal YA read.....

A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable by Veronica Blade

A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.

Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.

Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper. 

EXCERPT:

If I’d known it could be like this and that she’d wanted it too, I would’ve kissed her ages ago. I mentally kicked myself for wasting all those weeks when we could’ve been doing this the entire time.
 
Her hand crept up under my shirt and her fingers trailed along my back. Goosebumps danced on my skin. She pressed closer against me and I took the kiss deeper, letting loose my weeks of pent up craving for her.
 
I didn’t think life could get any more perfect than being with Cindy. And I no longer yearned for a normal life. I wanted things to stay exactly as they were at that moment. With my Cinderella.
 
Forever.
 
A soft moan erupted from my throat when she angled her face to take the kiss still deeper. I slid my arms around her waist and the tips of my fingers inched up underneath her tank top.
 
She shivered.
 
But it wasn’t a usual shiver. Her whole body began to tremble and I nearly lost my hold on her. I pulled back. Cindy’s eyes grew huge and her pupils dilated.
 
She threw her head back, her limbs vibrating as she growled. No, not a growl. It was more like a dull roar, full of pain and anguish. Was she… was my Cindy about to turn into a werewolf? Or was it something else? Maybe if I held her again, whatever was happening to her might stop. I lunged for her.
 
“Get away from me!” Sobbing, she shoved me back, but in the process, one of her claws raked across my chest.
 
I flinched, as blood beaded on my skin. A little scratch wasn’t going to stop me though. Not when Cindy needed my help. I stepped forward again.
 
Her lips curled up, exposing long, growing teeth and she shrieked. Yeah, she’d hit werewolf maturity all right. But she hadn’t completely morphed. Just her teeth and nails. Maybe if I calmed her, she could prevent it from progressing. I wrapped my arms around her waist, as I’d done just moments ago, and pulled her close.
 
She shrieked again, then searing pain shot through my arm.
 
Werewolf bite. Oh, crap. My dad was going to kill me… unless the werewolf virus beat him to it.
 
The forest spun around me and I couldn’t keep my eyelids up. My muscles went lax and when the ground rose to slam against me, I didn’t feel a thing.

Buy from Amazon here!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and whichever of their kids — or someone else’s kid — decides to drop in. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.

You can visit Veronica Blade on FaceBook, check out her website at www.VeronicaBlade.com or follow her on Twitter @VeronicaBlade. She loves hearing from readers!

FaceBook:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000174247353
Twitter: @VeronicaBlade
Website: VeronicaBlade.com

Review for A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable by Veronica Blade


A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.

Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.

Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper. 


********************

As a reader who's not a big fan of the YA genre (except for a few titles) there was just something about this book that called to me.  From its likable characters to its unique spin on the Cinderella story I was drawn into an intriguing world where paranormal creatures have an island/country where they can live in peace.  With its nice combination of romance, political intrigue, and action I can see a long life full of stories based in this world.

The love between a prince and a werewolf starts innocently enough with clandestine meetings every summer with neither sharing their real names.  As time goes by and their teenage hormones kick in, one life altering kiss has consequences neither anticipated.  Since that event, Cydney doesn't trust that she can control her shift and fears for the safety of those she loves which has led to her cutting herself off from living life to the fullest.  I admired Cydney and found her reactions to the event to be realistic.  Her actions and dialogue were believable for a teenager and her emotions swayed from putting up a tough facade to doubting everything about herself.  

Remy too was likable and the connection between them was soul deep and sweet as sugar with a nice bit of heat as they've gotten older.  The event that pulled them apart changed his life forever but he never forgot the red headed girl of his dreams.  When they finally reunite at the Ball it's like no time has passed as they immediately fell back into their own private world.  Remy's under a lot of pressure to learn how to be King but with Cydney those worries vanish.  Their scenes together were sweet, romantic, and made my heart ache.

The secondary characters were memorable with each of them being reminiscent of those in the fable but much nicer.  There's no wicked stepmother or stepsisters in this story.  Along with an entertaining cast of characters is a nice bit of action to bring the story to its conclusion.  A conclusion that's a little too easily wrapped up with a villain who's a bit too obvious.

This was a fast and pleasant read that appealed to me for many reasons.  The world Ms. Blade created is an intriguing one ripe with even more possibilities.  Knowing what this author is capable of makes me excited for her future works and gives me another good reason to read YA.

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

One Tree Hill Coming to an End


After 9 seasons all the tears, drama, and romance are coming to an end when OTH airs its series finale tomorrow night.  I was lucky enough to be given some props from the show which are really cool.  I got a pom pom in the team's colors and a mini banner for the car with the high school's logo emblazoned on it.  Every time I look at these items I think back to my own high school years and how much simpler it all was.  Trust me, my life was nowhere near dramatic as OTH.  So join me in reminiscing one last time by going to the show's website at http://www.cwtv.com/shows/one-tree-hill and catch up on all the previous seasons as well as special clips for the finale.

Catch the SERIES FINALE of OTH Wednesday, April 4th at 8/7 c on the CW!

*I am promoting One Tree Hill on behalf of Warner Bros. WBWord division.

Book Tour for Safari Moon by Ann Christine (Guest Blog & GIVEAWAY)


Friends to lovers stories always make for a heartwarming read and when family becomes involved the situation becomes even more entertaining.  Safari Moon by Ann Christine is just such a read and courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions she's here today talking about glamorous careers and how they affect the storyline, as well as giving us a glimpse into her new book.  There's also an awesome giveaway so make sure to follow the instructions to get yourself entered.  And now, I present to you Ann Christine.....

How does the exciting occupation of a main character influence the story line?

Oh my, I'm not so sure about the story line, but about the romance…ah…well the excitement is what turns our heroine on. She doesn't want to admit this because she has spent the entire life walking the straight and narrow--so to speak--and the hero takes this type of life for granted, but in the Alaskan wilderness life might just take a turn about for these star-crossed lovers.

The Wilderness of Alaska—watching and shooting pictures of wolves creates tension and excitement of all kinds. The thrill of the first shot and that perfect picture that will grace front covers of magazines everywhere is every photographer's dream. Solo is looking for the one photograph that will be remembered forever.

In Safari Moon there is a scene where Solo and Nyssa stay up all night watching a pack of wolves play and interact with their cubs. One of the cubs wanders close to their tent—too close. Yes, there is some anticipation and fear as well while Nyssa and Solo try to shoo the cub back to the pack without being noticed.

Another scene in Safari Moon has a storm blowing thought the territory and ripping their tiny makeshift camp apart. They are soaked through to the bone. Their tent is uprooted and they are forced to race back to camp before hypothermia sets in.

Of course this creates a shower scene, hot steamy water, naked bodies, the air ripe with sexual tension. Hmm… should we let our imagination run wild? No, we should read that scene. The question is will Solo and Nyssa succumb to the passion and love they feel for each other or will insecurities override their feeling for each other.

Back to the question, I do get side tracked so very easily.

Personally,. I don't see a more fulfilling and exciting occupation than that of a wildlife photographer.  Solo and Nyssa have played with the turtles in Tortuga and been nose to nose with whales while photographing them. Nyssa did, once, draw the line to go with Solo to Australia to photograph sharks. Solo had told her "he wasn't going to hide inside a cage." But Nyssa went to Africa with him and shot elephants and gorillas.  All of these cases were huge adrenalin rushes. Solo thrives on that feeling, but he never knew Nyssa did too. Does all this translate into an exciting storyline and passionate, sexual desire, love scenes that leave you breathless? Of course.

But another question is still up in the air. Can both solo and Nyssa overcome their insecurities and find happiness in each other's arms? Well, I guess you will have to read the book to discover the truth.

I would like to thank Words of Wisdom blog for hosting me today.

Safari Moon by Ann Christine

Solo St. John, a wildlife photographer, is preparing for a trip to Alaska.  Suddenly, Solo finds women of all sorts invading his privacy, his home and his office, all cooing nonsense words and blatantly throwing themselves at him.  Solo doesn't know why, and he has no idea how to rid himself of the persistent women.  He finally decides to beg a favor of his best buddy Nyssa Harrington. 

In love with Solo for the past ten years and knowing he doesn't return her feelings Nyssa doesn't want to talk to Solo.  She knows if she accepts his phone call, she will not be able to resist the temptation to hope again.

EXCERPT:

It didn’t take much to envision him, half-naked, sleepy, in bed, and wrapped in the redhead’s arms.

“Nyssa?” His sexy voice brought her out of the spell she’d almost smothered herself in.

“Get your hands off my husband!” Nyssa’s voice blurted out but her few crisp words had the desired effect. The lady’s hands dropped to her sides and her lips moved in a pert little moue.

At least Solo had the presence of mind to take advantage of her verbal warning. Standing, he neatly dumped the woman on her rounded derriere onto the couch.

If Nyssa hadn’t felt such outrage, the scene could have been construed as comical. But she did feel intense indignation and a possessiveness she wouldn’t analyze at the moment.

“Your husband?” The female cooed unbelievingly. “Now why do I find that hard to believe?”

“What a surprise darling.” She turned to Solo. “Is this one willing, eager, or able? Or perhaps a combination of all three?” She did try to push the anger from her voice. But then she thought it was a nice touch and if anger got rid of the female it was worth the embarrassment.

“Of all the nerve!”

“Yes, my wife does have--nerve. Among other things.” Solo still stood, open-mouthed, as Nyssa made her way across the room.

Nyssa ran her hand up Solo’s arm and endeavored for sultry instead of anger in her tone. “Sorry the plane took so long. Just like you asked, I bought a silky little black thing for bed.”

There were a number of things that could go wrong. For starters, Solo could deny the relationship, and then of course the redhead could figure out she lied. Somehow she didn’t expect either scenario.

“Pumpkin,” Solo said with a husky little growl in the timbre of his voice.

Pumpkin?

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

Before she had a chance to answer, he had maneuvered around discarded clothes and tumbled furniture to make his way to the kitchen and back with a glass, and was now pouring. He grinned from ear-to-ear and she felt a real sense of accomplishment.

“I tried to tell her I was spoken for, but until you showed up she didn’t believe me.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary education and counseling. Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Her teaching and writing careers have intertwined with raising three children.  Christine's newest venture is the creation of Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.

Website:  http://christineyoung-romancewriter.blogspot.com/
Rogues Angels blog:    http://www.roguesangels.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Young/350132315013316
Twitter   http://twitter.com/#!/achristay
Publisher:  http://shop.roguephoenixpress.ieasysite.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=SAFARIMOON

**********GIVEAWAY**********

* A Safari Moon bookmark to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop.
* ebook copy of The Gift (part of A Valentine Anthology) and Star Crossed (part of St. Patricks Day anthology) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
* One commenter during the tour will win the right to have a character named for them in her next release--either Ghost Dance (a western historical romance) or Rebel Heart (science-fiction romance)
* Two randomly drawn commenters during the tour will each win a $25.00 GC to Starbucks

-Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE!
-To be entered, MUST leave a comment, along with your email addy.
-One commenter will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more tour stops you make a comment on the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 4/6.