New Release: Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard

Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy Book 2)

by Laura Howard

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

Buy Stone of Destiny:

{Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Kobo}

The Forgotten Ones

Book One in The Danaan Trilogy

Read my 4-star review of The Forgotten Ones

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known.

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Review: All That Glows by Ryan Graudin

All That Glows by Ryan Graudin

Series: Standalone

Published: February 11th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

300 pages (eARC)

Genre: Young adult urban fantasy

Acquired this book: From the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs, and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders, and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

 

 

I love books about faeries, so when I heard about All That Glows, I was really excited. While I didn’t love the book the way I’d hoped to, I also didn’t hate it…it was pretty middle of the road for me. The story started out fairly strong and drew me in; I’d say I was really enjoying it up until about the 25-30% mark when things started to unravel somewhat.

There were quite a few aspects of this book that were unbelievable. I realize it’s fantasy so there are going to be some things that obviously suspend belief, but considering it was set in the real world, surrounding the British monarchy (albeit fictional royals), there were a few things that seemed really unrealistic, especially toward the end. One of the things I found hardest to believe was when Richard discovered Emrys was a faerie and that he’d had a Faerie Guard his whole life and he was basically like ‘okay sure’. I don’t know about you, but if I found out faeries really did exist, and that they’d been watching me my entire life, I would freak the hell out. But not Richard…he was all tra la la, business as usual.

There was also a major case of the dreaded instalove in All That Glows. Emrys and Richard met and fall almost instantly in love. Richard was a pretty bland, one-dimensional character, so it was hard to imagine why Emrys fell in love with him, let alone instantly and to the point of being willing to give up everything. She was hundreds of years old, seemed fairly intelligent and worldly, and yet she meets a cute boy and completely comes undone. Because of that and a few other things, it was hard to believe she was actually a centuries-old faerie - she seemed very much like a normal teenage girl except with magical abilities.

There were times I thought the writing was really beautiful, but then other times it was so flowery it made me roll my eyes. I don’t mind a well-placed metaphor - in fact, I like them, and even really enjoyed some of the ones in All That Glows - but it felt like almost every other sentence was a metaphor. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with so many metaphors before.

Things I did like about the book: the fae aspect. There was a bit of faerie lore and some explanations about how things worked, which I really enjoyed. In books, faeries seem to either be portrayed as good or evil, but All That Glows we got to see both kinds. I thought the parts with the Green Women, Banshees, and Black Dogs were really interesting. There was also some great action in the book, and I liked the suspense woven throughout. It kept me guessing, and the climax of the book had me really engaged and wondering what was going to happen.

Overall, All That Glows was just an okay read for me. It had a great, unique-sounding concept, and while it was well executed in some ways, it fell short in others. I think it could have been stellar if the characters were fleshed out more, and if we’d gotten to see Emrys and Richard falling in love instead of just being told they were in love and never really understanding or seeing why. As always, I encourage readers to make their own decisions - if you enjoy faerie stories, or even stories about monarchy, give this book a try. 

 

 

Have you read All That Glows? What did you think? If you haven't read it, is it on your TBR? Do you like books about faeries?

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Review: The Angel Stone by Juliet Dark

The Angel Stone by Juliet Dark

Series: Fairwick Chronicles, Book #3

Published: September 3rd, 2013

Publisher: Ballantine Books

288 pages (eARC)

Genre: Paranormal romance

Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

{Read my review of The Demon Lover || Read my review of The Water Witch}

For Callie McFay, a half-witch/half-fey professor of folklore and Gothic literature, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove—a sinister group of witches and their cohorts—many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust.

With her unique magical abilities, Callie is the only one who can rescue her friends from exile and restore order to the school—a task that requires her to find the Angel Stone, a legendary talisman of immense power. Propelled on an extraordinary quest back to seventeenth-century Scotland, Callie risks her life to obtain the stone. Yet when she encounters a sexy incarnation of her lost love, she finds the greater risk is to her heart. As the fate of Fairwick hangs in the balance, Callie must make a wrenching choice: reclaim a chance for eternal passion or save everything she holds dear.

The Angel Stone is the final installment in the Fairwick Chronicles. While I’ve had my issues here and there I have to say that overall I really enjoyed this trilogy and will miss the characters and setting. The Demon Lover was sexy, unique, and compelling; The Water Witch, while I mostly enjoyed it, had the most issues of the trilogy, in my opinion, and was kind of slow paced; and The Angel Stone seemed like more of a return to the first book with a faster pace and engaging story.

Each story brought something new that kept me guessing and wanting more. In The Angel Stone, the new element was time travel. While completely unexpected, it was definitely my favourite part of the book. I thought it was all tied together really well, and Callie’s reasons for going to Scotland in the 1600s fit in with everything the reader already knows from the previous books. Fairwick has changed so much since the door to Faerie closed, and Callie and those who are left behind just want things back to normal, and the only way to fix things is to travel back in time.

In the last book, I found myself getting really irritated with Callie. Not only was she completely oblivious to things that should have been obvious, but she also couldn’t seem to make up her mind about anything, especially her love life. She was so hurt about what happened with Liam but that didn’t stop her from falling in love with Bill and being interested in Duncan. In The Angel Stone, she seemed to finally have her head on straight, and she was focused on doing what had to be done to keep the people and the town she’d come to know and love safe.

Like with the other books in the Fairwick Chronicles, there was a great cast of secondary characters in The Angel Stone. I particularly liked Frank, Mac, Nan, and William. They each taught Callie something, and I loved how well fleshed-out they were. I also really love Ralph. I never thought I'd love a mouse (other than maybe Mickey Mouse) but if I could have a mouse like him, I would!

I often dread the final book in a series or trilogy because sometimes things don’t end well, or there are a lot of loose ends. I thought Dark did a good job of bringing everything together and tying it all up. By the last quarter or so of the book I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough; I was so anxious to find out what would happen and how things would be resolved, and I found myself both laughing and crying. And the romance. *sigh* The romance played a major part in this series, between dreams, reality, and the present and the past, and I thought it all came together beautifully. I couldn't imagine how things would be resolved, and this little romantic *points to self* thought it was perfect.

This trilogy, while it had some issues, had everything I love: romance, great characters, a fascinating setting, every paranormal creature you could think of, time travel, fairytale elements, magic…I could go on. I’d have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of paranormal romance, and I truly am going to miss Callie and the Fairwick gang.

 

Have you read any of the books in the Fairwick Chronicles? Do you enjoy paranormal romance?

 

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Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

View the full tour line-up here

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard 
Series: The Danaan Trilogy, Book #1
Published: April 28th, 2013
Publisher: Self-published
177 pages (e-ARC)
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Acquired this book: From the author as part of the blog tour
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon}

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

When I first heard about The Forgotten Ones, I was instantly intrigued. The cover is beautiful and the synopsis drew me in immediately - I love faeries and don’t think there are enough books about them. Plus, throw in the words ‘Irish’ or ‘Ireland’ and I’m there! 

I liked that the book started out as a seemingly normal contemporary read. It was nice to get to know Allison, as well as her family and friends before the fantasy aspect of the book came into play. Allison is a really strong, no-nonsense character. She had to grow up quickly because she has a mentally ill mother who she’ll one day have to take care of. She keeps to herself most of the time and would rather be on her own reading than spending time with her peers. Throw in the fact that she’s in denial about being in love with her childhood friend Ethan, and you have a young woman who leads a pretty lonely life.

Then Liam shows up, and Allison recognizes him almost instantly as the father who abandoned her mother, leaving her to spiral downward into mental illness. Except that’s not the whole story - Liam is able to fill in the gaps Allison’s mother never could, including the fact that he’s part of the faerie world. What follows is an adventure unlike anything Allison could imagine, and while she accepted the seemingly unbelievable quite easily, the story slowly morphed from contemporary to fantasy.

Enter the faeries and their world. This is where Howard’s writing really shone for me. The descriptions were beautiful and vivid, everything a faerie story should be. We were introduced to more characters (all of whom had Gaelic names, which I alternately love and hate because even though there’s a guide to pronunciation at the beginning, I couldn’t remember the ones I wasn’t already familiar with and didn’t want to have to flip back on my ereader all the time!). Allison became embroiled in faerie politics, and there were plenty of surprises and plot twists to keep the reader guessing.

Despite the ending being really abrupt, I think Howard did a good job of laying the foundation for the rest of the trilogy. We got a chance to see some character development and a hint of the romance to come between Allison and Ethan. There’s still a lot to be covered and I’m looking forward to continuing with this trilogy and seeing where Allison and the other characters end up. Overall, a very strong debut. 

*Note: For those people who are wary of New Adult as a genre, this book is technically NA but reads like a YA book, so it has wide appeal.*

*I received this book from the author as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.*

 

I took a deep breath, and as I turned to face him, a flood of emotions washed through me. Who was I kidding? I’d loved him since before I could remember, reputation and all. But I had a plan: get through high school, get a job, and take care of my mother. Being in a relationship was not part of it. ~ Allison, page 53

“The Danaans don’t think like humans. You must second-guess everything.” ~ Aodhan, page 87

Like all of the Danaans, he was stunning. His hair was glossy black, his jawline pale and chiseled. When he smiled, it was smooth and rich, like butter on freshly baked bread. ~ Allison, page 99

*All quotes taken from ARC of The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard*

 

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel. 

Find Laura Online:

{Blog || Twitter || Facebook}

Tour-wide giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

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Review: Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Series: Wondrous Strange Trilogy, Book #2

Published: December 2nd, 2009

Publisher: HarperTeen

310 pages (hardcover)

Genre: Young adult paranormal

Acquired this book: From the library

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Book Depository || Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

{Read my review of Wondrous Strange}

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt.

Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.

When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power.

Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.

With breathtakingly high stakes, the talented Lesley Livingston delivers soaring romance and vividly magical characters in Darklight, the second novel in the trilogy that began with Wondrous Strange.

 

Darklight picks up shortly after where Wondrous Strange left off, with Kelley still in New York City, and Sonny in Faerie chasing the remaining members of the Wild Hunt.

Kelley is independent, brave, and sometimes stubborn, with a fiery personality. Her stubbornness and independence sometimes get her into trouble, and even though I admired her for it, I got exasperated with her every time she went into Central Park on her own, knowing the possible dangers. I felt for her as she missed Sonny and tried to carry on with her life without him, plus deal with the life-changing knowledge that she was a faerie princess.

As with Wondrous Strange, I enjoyed that Darklight was told from alternating points of view, between Kelley in the mortal world, and Sonny in the Otherworld. I liked that we got to follow them both through their struggles, each of them waiting anxiously until they could be reunited. 

The addition of Fennrys Wolf as a more central character in the story helped to round out the cast. With Sonny gone, Kelley needed someone to watch her back, and it was interesting to see this tough character occasionally show his softer side. Love triangles don’t bother me as much as they do most people, and although I ultimately want Kelley to end up with Sonny, I like that there’s potential for a love triangle, and I have a feeling that will be something Kelley will have to work through in the final book. 

I love Livingston’s beauty writing style, and the way she describes things without bogging the story down in details. Her world-building skills are excellent, and whether the characters were in New York or Faerie, I felt like I was right there with them. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and the story was full of tension, and punctuated by exciting scenes full of danger.

The ending was heartbreaking, and even though I wanted to scream at Kelley, I understand why she did what she did, and it made me even more anxious to read the final book in the trilogy.

In my review of Wondrous Strange, I said ‘this is what a faerie book should be’, and the same statement is true of Darklight. This series is exciting, enticing, and romantic, with elements of suspense and danger mixed in to keep things lively. I think fans of all things faerie should be pleased.

Have you read Darklight or any of the Wondrous Strange books? What did you think? What are some of your favourite faerie books?

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Top Ten Tuesday: Settings I'd Like To See More Of

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

When my wanderlust gets bad - like right now - I love reading books set in places I want to visit, or that I've been and want to revisit. It gives me a vicarious thrill until I can actually go there myself. 

Top Ten (err...7) Settings I'd Like To See More Of 

 

 1. Canada. My home and native land! There are not enough books set in Canada. From my experience, the majority of Canadian authors don't even set their books here. It's very rare to come across a book set anywhere in Canada, and I always get really excited when I find one.  

2. Ireland. I also have trouble finding books set in Ireland. I'm planning (hoping, praying, obsessing) on going to Ireland this year, and I've been searching for books set there, but I haven't found many, especially YA books. If you know of any, please let me know!

3. New Orleans. I've always been fascinated with New Orleans and the same problem as the first two applies for this one. There just aren't enough books set in New Orleans.

4. Paris. *sigh* Paris is one place I've actually been, and love reading about. Books like Anna and the French Kiss make me fall in love with the city all over again.

5. London. Another obsession. I love British slang, hearing about places and people and food and everything else in London.

6. New York City. There are definitely no shortage of books set in NYC, I just love reading them and hope people never stop writing about this city. 

7. Faerie. I love books about faeries, particularly ones where people actually travel to the Faerie realms.

Those are my top seven settings I'd like to see more of. What are some of yours? If you're participating, feel free to link me up and I'll come see your list!

 

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Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

Series: Fairwick Chronicles, Book #1

Published: December 27th, 2011

Publisher: Ballantine Books

450 pages (ebook)

Genre: Adult urban fantasy/paranormal

Acquired this book: From NetGalley

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Book Depository || Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

Note: This book is not YA

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.

But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the incubus, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this demon lover from her heart.

 

The Demon Lover was much different than what I expected. It didn’t feel like your typical paranormal book - it was like a mixture of paranormal, fantasy, erotica, and romance. The author builds a fascinating world of supernatural creatures, along with a story that kept me guessing while madly turning the pages to find out what happened next.

In most respects I liked Callie as a main character. She was believably flawed - often so wrapped up in her own dramas that she didn’t see that the people around her were suffering or having problems, and she often missed things that should have been obvious. However, there was something relatable about her that drew me to her and made me accept her, flaws and all. Her voice was very authentic, making it feel like a friend was relating a story to me. 

Even though the plot was slow moving at times (my only complaint about the book is that it was too long), I don’t think the story dragged. I kept wondering where the story was going and found myself thinking ‘I can’t imagine how it goes on for another 200 pages…100 pages…50 pages…’ etc., but there was something compelling about it that made it nearly impossible to stop reading. It was captivating and unique, and while I had a couple things figured out, I was anxious to see how it all played out and figure out the mysteries that eluded me.

One thing I’d like to point out: this story was HOT. If you’re easily offended by graphic sex scenes or don’t enjoy a lot of sex in books, you’re going to want to skip The Demon Lover. The sex scenes start from the very first chapter and get hotter and hotter throughout the book. I’m sure some people will argue there was too much sex, and while it did seem a bit gratuitous at times, at least it was well-written and fun to read! I think I’d rather read a book like this than straight-up erotica because the story itself was so good.

Overall, while The Demon Lover is hard to peg down and even harder to describe, I enjoyed it very much. An interesting cast of characters, great setting, unique spin on supernatural creatures, beautiful yet simple writing, and a romance that leaves you yearning for book 2; I would recommend The Demon Lover to any fan of the paranormal.

 In accordance with FTC guidelines, I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No money or compensation of any sort exchanged hands. I review books to share my love of reading, and I'm always completely honest in my reviews, good or bad.

*Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book for review.*

Have you read The Demon Lover? What did you think? What are some of your favourite adult paranormal series?

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Canadian Spotlight Month: Review - Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Series: Standalone

Published: January 17th, 2012

Publisher: Walker Childrens

288 pages (hardcover)

Genre: Young adult fantasy

Acquired this book: From the library

{GoodReads || Purchase this book: Book Depository || Amazon}

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

Stolen Away was a great, original story about friendship, love, and the fae. I love anything to do with faeries, and I always appreciate a unique spin, something that hasn’t been done over and over, and this book definitely delivered in that respect. It was really cool that the fae weren’t typical fae, and that the royal courts weren’t what every other faerie story has already done.

This book had a lot of really well-developed characters. The point of view alternated between best friends, Eloise and Jo. Eloise is seemingly quiet and shy, but she’s much tougher and stronger than she appears. Jo is the outgoing one, and she’s absolutely boy crazy. Their friend and sidekick Devin lives in a fantasy world, which is ironic because as things unfold, it’s like he gets to live in one of his fantastical stories for real. Lucas and Eldric, the love interests, were possibly my favourite characters. Lucas was old-fashioned and chivalrous, and Eldric was sexy and mysterious.

I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Faerie. From beautiful to dark and dangerous, it was vivid and enchanting. The story held my interest throughout, and I found myself always wondering what was going to happen next.

I’m not going to lie, I prefer Harvey’s Drake Chronicles, but Stolen Away was a nice break from the norm, and readers get a chance to see just how far Ms. Harvey’s imagination can stretch, and what a true creative talent she has. Overall, Stolen Away has a bit of everything - fantasy, romance, action, humour, intrigue. I definitely recommend this one.

 Have you read Stolen Away? Do you enjoy books about the fae? Have you read Alyxandra Harvey's Drake Chronicles? 

Be sure to come back next week (and, of course, hopefully sooner!), because Alyx is going to have a guest post and giveaway for us as part of Canadian Spotlight Month.

 

This post has been part of the Canadian Spotlight Month. Click the graphic below to check out the schedule and all things Canadian here at Ramblings of a Daydreamer. 

 

In My Mailbox Week 6

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who showed their support yesterday when I did the cover reveal for my book, Blue Sky Days. You guys are awesome, and I appreciate you more than you know. I've posted my book on GoodReads, and was accepted yesterday as a GoodReads author, so now people who are interested can start marking the book to-read! I'm so excited, I could burst! I've also started a Facebook page for the book, besides my actual writer's page. Some links to check out:

Facebook: Marie Landry, Writer

Facebook: Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

GoodReads: Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

*****

In My Mailbox is weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.  The idea is to share books you've acquired during the week, whether you've won them, bought them, picked them up at the library, received them for review, whatever.  It's a great way to bring attention to books and authors and share the love!  

 

This week, I waited anxiously every day to get something in the mail. I'm expecting about half a dozen things, but only got one! Not to downplay the one thing I got because I was super excited. It's just that I'm not used to getting mail, and in the last couple of months, I've actually started winning things (a first!) and I've been getting mail - very exciting for someone who works all the time and has little else to excite her lol. 

 

In my mailbox:

So, the one super cool thing I got in the mail this week was 3 signed bookmarks and a postcard from Kiki Hamilton, author of The Faerie Ring, which comes out September 27th. Anyone who's visited my blog regularly knows I'm slightly obsessed with all things faerie, so I'm really looking forward to this book. Anyway, Kiki had a blurb on her blog saying that if anyone wanted a bookmark and postcard to email her, so I did, and my little package of awesomeness arrived Thursday. I'll be keeping one of the bookmarks, giving one to my local indie bookstore, and giving one away in a future giveaway, so stay tuned for that!

 

Be sure to check out Kiki's blog, and you can read the synopsis of The Faerie Ring on GoodReads, or pre-order your copy from Amazon! Thanks so much for sending this, Kiki!

For review:

Being Human by Patricia Lynne {GoodReads || Amazon} 

I'm super excited to read this one; I've had the pleasure of getting to know Patricia a bit through Facebook, Twitter and our blogs, and this book sounds really good!

Theresa Manning by Mario Almonte {Mario's blog}

From the library:

Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook {GoodReads || Amazon} 

One day a week or two ago, I got a notification from Twitter saying that 'Claire Cook' was following me. I thought...no way, the name's a coincidence...but when I clicked the link, it was the Claire Cook, author of the book Must Love Dogs, which was turned into a movie with the oh-so-yummy John Cusack. And as if that wasn't enough, Claire 'liked' my Facebook writer page! I almost died! I've had her books on my TBR list forever, and my mum has read and loved some of her books, so after the whole Twitter/FB thing, I bumped her books to the top of my list and decided to start with Seven Year Switch because it was one my mum recommended. 

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty {GoodReads || Amazon}

Speaking of books I've had on my TBR list forever, this is another one. When I went to the library this week, I didn't intend to get anything other than Seven Year Switch, which I had on hold, but I saw this one and grabbed it.

That's what I got in my mailbox this week. What did you get?