Review: Devour

Devour by Andrea Heltsley
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: March 3, 2013
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

He wasn't supposed to remember.

Callie is a royal vampire. She hunts by taking the blood from her victims and erases their memories afterwards. She goes undetected until a victim named Chase approaches her with all his memories intact. He is intrigued and attracted. She is terrified. What happens when a human mixes with the immortal world? Chaos.

Callie’s 18th birthday has passed and she is coming out at the annual blood ball. Will she find a mate or will she suffer the repercussions of her indiscretion? She is brought to the Vampire council and they must decide what to do with Chase. Do they kill him, or turn him to protect their secret?

♥ ♥ ♥

I’m having mixed feelings about Devour by Andrea Heltsley. The story starts off with Callie, a royal vampire, and her friend Jane going out for a hunt. While at the club Callie finds a human named Chase to feed on and everything from that point on goes to hell. Now I really enjoyed this story. The writing is flawless and it kept me so engaged that I finished the book within a day.

I loved the characters, especially Cody and Jane. But I’m unsure how I feel about the instant love connection. In vampire society, especially the royal ones, every girl has a coming out at what they call a Blood Ball. The whole point is to find their mate, who they will bond with and spend the rest of their unlife with.

Blog Tour: Devour - Author Spotlight: Andrea Heltsley

We'd like to thank Andrea Heltsley for stopping by and talking about Devour with us as well as her writing.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know you wanted to be a writer?  

I've always wanted to be a writer but was told there was no money in it.  I went on to get my Bachelor's in Biology and worked as a scientist until one day, I just changed my mind and decided writing was it for me.

What inspired Devour?  

I wanted to write a vampire book.  I didn't want it to be dark or gory.  I came up with the idea and ran with it.  It took 8 weeks to write total.

Blog Tour: Glistening Haven: Author Spotlight - Jill Cooper

Today I'm pleased to welcome author Jill Cooper to the blog to talk a little bit about her novel Glistening Haven and being a writer. Also Check out our review of her book Glistening Haven here.

♥ ♥ ♥

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know you wanted to be a writer?

I was very young when it happened, probably about 6. I know it was the first grade and I had my first creative writing assignment. It was the most fun I had ever had! I pretty much never turned back after that. If anyone is curious it was a story about a lion escaping the zoo and the zoo keeper who had to find him.

What inspired Glistening Haven?

I was writing a rough draft for my YA series The Dream Slayer when I wondered what would happen if humans and vampires were forced to live together. What if vampires had been caught and they started to reform, maybe developed a conscience. I didn't want to write another vampire series so I started playing with ideas and concepts that could basically be a blood sucking feign of another kind. And that's pretty much how the concept was born.

Promtional Event: When We Collide

When We Collide by A.L. Jackson
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 2, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

William has spent six years running from his past and the last eight months trying to rid his mind of the dreams that increasingly haunt his nights. Trapped in a world of false ambitions and feigned affections, William knows he’s reached a breaking point and something’s going to give.

Maggie had lived her entire life without hope until one man showed her what it meant to be loved. He’d been her light in a lifetime of darkness. Six years ago, that darkness stole him away. Without him, she’s surrendered herself to an existence she doesn’t know how to escape.

When the family William left behind is struck by tragedy, he is called back to the one place he’s sworn to never return to again.

In a moment that will change his life forever, William comes face to face with the girl who, with one look, captured his heart. He is unable to ignore the buried desires and the hope for the future they’d once believed they’d have.

Now William is ready to fight to take back what had been stolen from him six years before.

But he never imagined what that fight might cost him.

♥ ♥ ♥

Excerpt:

My whole life growing up, I’d dreamed of getting out of Mississippi, until I left for college and slowly realized that small town was the only place I wanted to be. My older brother, Blake, had always teased me of being a momma’s boy, an accusation that had caused us more than a few fistfights out in our backyard when we were kids.

Review: Glistening Haven

Glistening Haven by Jill Cooper
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Release Date: November 20, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

A sexy dystopian novel, The Glistening Haven is set in the future where society's attempt for beauty and perfection nearly destroyed it. Murder, sex, duplicity and drama, join us in the world of New Haven 56.

Susan Monroe doesn't ask for much: good grades from her children, a house with room for a pool, to be the best Tupperware party host in New Haven 56.

But inside her tranquil 1950s styled community, a monster lurks. A monster that lives inside Susan, and every one of her superficially perfect neighbors, held in check by the oppressive police state that rules over them.

Susan's happy life is torn apart when her teenage son goes missing the same night an explosion rips apart the community. Susan knows it’s only a matter of time before the police start breaking down their doors.

Before the reconditioning begins and Susan's identity is lost, she must do one final thing.

Find her son.

♥ ♥ ♥

When I first decided to read Glistening Haven by Jill Cooper I picked it because the cover intrigued me. There was something about it that sparked interest inside of me and the description only made me want to read it more. But when I finally picked up the book to read it, it was nothing like what I thought it would be, instead it was a dozen times better!

Review: Someone To Love

Someone to Love by Addison Moore
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 21, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

What happens when two people who don’t believe in love, happen to fall madly into the most beautiful relationship they could ever imagine? A train wreck.

When twenty-year-old Kendall Jordan transfers clear across country to Garrison University, the last thing she’s looking for is a one-night stand. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what, gorgeous, Cruise Elton offers.

Kendall has long since come to realize that love is an illusion that never lasts, and Cruise couldn’t agree more—but something deep inside her wants him all for herself. So, Kendall devises a seat of the pants plan to “play the player” and proposes that Cruise tutor her in becoming a female version of himself, Garrison University’s own playboy.

Real feelings begin to emerge, and neither Kendall nor Cruise know how to classify them. Everything they once thought they knew is redefined as they discover, in one another, Someone to Love.

♥ ♥ ♥

I LOVE this book.

No, it’s not an exaggeration I want to draw pink fluffy hearts around this book and keep it forever. I need this book to come to hard copy so I can add it to my collection of books I will keep until the world ends during the next zombie apocalypse.

Addison Moore outdid herself with Someone to Love. Kendall and Cruise might very well be my two favorite characters ever and that’s saying something since I read way more than the healthy amount of books. I knew from the second Kendall met Cruise at the frat party while she was waiting for Pennington, that sparks would fly.

Blog Tour: Demons of the Rich and Famouse - Guest Post - Tawny Stokes

Fast Five with Caden Butcher and Dantalion from Demons of the Rich and Famous

I’m happy to be guesting on your blog. Today, I brought with me two characters from my book Demons of the Rich and Famous. Caden Butcher, exorcist to the stars, and his best friend, Grand Duke of Hell, Dantalion or Dan as he likes to be called. His title is all proper and such but he’s really just a reckless young man at heart, who just happens to prefer to appear looking exactly like Sid Vicious.

Welcome Caden and Dan.

Caden: Hey.

Dan: Yo. I’m hungry. Anyone got a pizza?

Blog Tour: Incendiary (The Premonition #4) Playlist

SupaGurl Book Tours

Incendiary (The Premonition Series (Volume 4) by Amy Bartol
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Date Published: November 28, 2012
Purchase Link: Amazon

Blog Tour: Incendiary - Author Spotlight: Amy Bartol

Today I'm pleased to welcome author Amy Bartol to the blog to talk a little bit about her novel Incendiary and being a writer.

♥ ♥ ♥

What was the plot of your very first piece of unpublished fiction you ever wrote?

Inescapable was my first real attempt at writing. I never thought I'd be an author. I still can't believe that I have actually done it. I read a lot of books and when those books end, the stories don't end for me. I find myself still living in the world the author created.

For example, when I read The Outsiders, I found myself still hanging out with Ponyboy in my mind after reading the last page. Maybe he'd head to the DX and he'd see Cherry Valance there and she'd fall in love with him, because he needed that—he needed someone to love him. I think I have always done that. I always continue to write the story in my mind where the author leaves off.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know you wanted to be a writer?

Blog Tour: Guest Post - Alyssa Rose Ivy

Today we are pleased to welcome author Alyssa Rose Ivy to Pink Fluffy Hearts where she'll be talking about the the inspiration of the town her stories take place in.

♥ ♥ ♥

The Story Behind Clayton Falls

Review: The Secret of Ella and Micha

The Secret of Ella and Micha (The Secret #1) by Jessica Sorensen
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 4, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes.

♥ ♥ ♥

I cannot believe how much I loved this story, though I shouldn’t be surprised since I’ve enjoyed every book that I’ve read by Jessica Sorensen. She is incredibly talented and The Secret of Ella and Micha is just exceptional. This story had so many fascists that I found myself loving the characters and wanting to know more about what made them tick.

Ella is totally relatable, I don’t know one person who can honestly say that they haven’t tried to reinvent themselves or start fresh somewhere new like Ella does when she leaves eight months prior to the first chapter of the story. Not only does she leave behind her broken family life, a troubled past, and friends, but she leaves behind Micha, the most important person in her life.

Review: Mostly Dead (Barely Alive, #3)

Mostly Dead (Barely Alive, #3) by Bonnie R. Paulson
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Release Date: October 31, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Time is running out and Paul’s original wish for death looms. As his skin grays and hunger becomes uncontrollable, the world burns.

Heather and Paul have fallen for each other, but with life and death barricading them apart, and the potential cure disappearing into time, they have no hope.

Paul’s hunger is all-consuming. He has to walk into the flames, join Dominic, or eat everyone he loves.

Can he save anyone, if not himself?

♥ ♥ ♥

Oh my god.

OH MY GOD. Yes, that needs to be said twice and with capital letters. I cannot believe this story. It’s god knows what time in the morning and I’m mourning the loss of this finished series. Mostly Dead is the final installment in the Barely Alive series and boy did it deliver. I was literally on the edge of my seat with every twist and turn in this book.

Blog Tour: Barely Alive - Character Bio: James Ledger

Mostly Dead (Barely Alive, #3) by Bonnie R. Paulson
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Release Date: October 31, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Time is running out and Paul’s original wish for death looms. As his skin grays and hunger becomes uncontrollable, the world burns.

Heather and Paul have fallen for each other, but with life and death barricading them apart, and the potential cure disappearing into time, they have no hope.

Paul’s hunger is all-consuming. He has to walk into the flames, join Dominic, or eat everyone he loves.

Can he save anyone, if not himself?

♥ ♥ ♥

James Character Bio:

Review: Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2)

Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2) by Bonnie R. Paulson
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Release Date: September 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Book Depository

Book Description:

Falling Apart

Days slip through Paul’s graying fingers. Humanity faces the end. His brother has the virus and is dying, too.

Paul’s hopes ride on Heather’s genetic code. Her immunity leaves her unchanged and untouchable. What would she see in the zombie he was becoming anyway?

Dominic’s army of infected grows, capturing the south and leaving little alive in its wake.

While Paul and his friends work on the vaccine, protecting the north becomes protecting the world. Heather is taken hostage and Paul races toward Dominic to save his heart.

With his time “alive” shortened, Paul must do more than protect the uninfected. He has to get his brother and Heather back to Sandpoint before the zombies find them. Paul needs to survive the upcoming war before he finds himself defecting to the other side and leaving Heather to Dominic’s mercy.

He has three days to get the cure or he might as well find a fire to call home.

♥ ♥ ♥

I have mentioned that I’m Team Paul right? Because I am, I adore him. Falling Apart is a perfect continuation to Barely Alive. I love how we get to see the dynamic between everyone now that they are staying at Grandma Jean’s. Yes, she makes everyone even the non zombie, zombies called her Grandma Jean, it’s the best.

While the first story sort of built up to the action the second story is literally in the thick of it. Travis and Connie are in the process of creating a vaccine while James is healing from a bullet wound courtesy of the cop from the last story, I’m assuming you read that story if you’re reading this. On top of everyone doing their own thing is Heather and Paul.

Blog Tour: Barely Alive - Character Interview: Heather

Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2) by Bonnie R. Paulson
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Release Date: September 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Falling Apart

Days slip through Paul’s graying fingers. Humanity faces the end. His brother has the virus and is dying, too.

Paul’s hopes ride on Heather’s genetic code. Her immunity leaves her unchanged and untouchable. What would she see in the zombie he was becoming anyway?

Dominic’s army of infected grows, capturing the south and leaving little alive in its wake.

While Paul and his friends work on the vaccine, protecting the north becomes protecting the world. Heather is taken hostage and Paul races toward Dominic to save his heart.

With his time “alive” shortened, Paul must do more than protect the uninfected. He has to get his brother and Heather back to Sandpoint before the zombies find them. Paul needs to survive the upcoming war before he finds himself defecting to the other side and leaving Heather to Dominic’s mercy.

He has three days to get the cure or he might as well find a fire to call home.

♥ ♥ ♥

Character Interview:

Thank you so much for having me today. I’m going to interview Heather from the Barely Alive series, if she’ll talk to me about more than just Paul. *whisper* She has a crush and she’s a teenager, need I say more?

Review: Barely Alive

Barely Alive by Bonnie R. Paulson
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Release Date: March 26, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

In twelve weeks, seventeen-year-old Paul Ledger will be dead. At least he hopes so.

Paul is trapped in the worst cult the United States has ever seen. Infected with a zombie virus, symptoms culminate in a dead body but thriving mind over a course of twelve weeks. If he doesn’t earn the final death he longs for, he’ll be chained in a basement facility, moaning for human flesh for eternity.

Sent out to kidnap girls for food, toys, or whatever the boss wants, Paul nabs Heather McCain. He’s not a fan of humans as a general rule, but even his graying skin and insatiable hunger for her flesh don’t stop her from reaching out to him. Give him the second chance he doesn’t know he needs.

Overcome by his cravings, Paul bites her delectable skin. Amazingly, she doesn’t develop the zombie-like side effects. When the boss discovers Heather’s immunity, he gives Paul an ultimatum – deliver up Heather and her family to continue the research or watch as Paul’s brother suffers the zombie fate.

Paul has a chance to endure his short zombie existence knowing his brother is safe. But he’ll have to sacrifice Heather to do it.

♥ ♥ ♥
Despite my crippling fear of zombies, I’ve read my fair share of post-apocalyptic books where zombies play a distinct role; apparently I’m sadistic like that. But I have to say Barely Alive is the first zombie book I’ve read where the zombies are necessarily the bad guys, or rather three of them aren’t. I really enjoyed this book, it was different and almost logical to a point that scares the crap out of me.

I can totally see a “zombie-like” virus being formed out of our need to cure disease or in the name of scientific exploration, which is one of the reasons zombie stuff, scares me so much. That and I have an overactive imagination, but I digress. Paul, the main character has been injected with the virus and is slowly dying even while his mind and sense grow.

Blog Tour: Barely Alive - Guest Post: Bonnie R. Paulson

Today we are pleased to welcome author Bonnie Paulson to Pink Fluffy Hearts where she'll be sharing a recipe that was inspired by her Barely Alive book series.

♥ ♥ ♥

Barely Alive Zombie Hash

Review: Beg For Mercy

Beg For Mercy by Shannon Dermott
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: August 7, 2011
Buy Links:

Amzon

Book Description:

Everyone dreams of that first kiss. Of that magic moment when your lips finally meet those of that special person you’ve waited your whole life for. A little awkward, a little scary, a little hot and every bit amazing. We speculate that the whole world will shake and time will just stop. No one, however, ever imagines that kiss to bring Death himself knocking.

Sixteen year old Mercy Moore's life just got more complicated. The kiss that originally could have meant she would finally have a boyfriend now was the kiss that could have very nearly ended his life. A small detail her mother conveniently never told her will take her life for an abrupt u-turn. Dating, no love, was now completely and utterly impossible. And the boy well, that boy would never be the same.

But life, however cruel, goes on. Far too soon for her taste, Mercy finds herself at a senior party with the elite students of her school and her best friend. And of all things, playing a stupid game that could very well mean the death of someone in that small room. If it were not for her best friend, the hottest guys in school, and a small need to fit in, she may have been able to escape the disaster that was to come. Her worst nightmare, her personal curse, her very life, only gets dangerously worse.

This is a young adult paranormal romance novel

♥ ♥ ♥

I loved this book. No, really, I loved it. Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott is not only a breath of fresh air in its originality, but I’m pretty sure I enjoyed all of the characters in the book. I read it in just a few hours, which goes to show how much I enjoyed it. Beg for Mercy centers around a 16-year-old succubus who doesn’t know the extent of her own powers. Her Mother has pretty much kept her in line by telling her if she ever gets involved with a guy she’d kill them.

Which granted is probably true with human boys, but they aren’t the only boys out there. Kidding…well not really, but it’s not like I’m advocating sexing up nonhuman boys. Anyway, so Mercy is sort of a outsider. Not really uncool, but not in the ‘it’ crowd either until her best friend Maggie starts dating Brent and Mercy starts dating Luke, two of the school’s senior football players.

I really enjoyed the interactions between the high school kids and their friends and family. For the most part it was realistic and I like that. I like that I can go through the chapters and see the character development in Mercy, Flynn and Luke. There are obviously other man characters, but for some reason these are the three that resonate most with me.

Blog Tour: Beg For Mercy Playlist

SupaGurl Book Tours

Beg For Mercy by Shannon Dermott
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date Published: August 7, 2011
Purchase Link: Amazon

Story Playlist

Review: Summer in Salem

Summer in Salem by Brina Courtney
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: September 2012
Buy Links:

Amzon

Book Description:

Teagen’s summer has been turned upside down by a body, a pentagram necklace, and an old flame.

Nine months ago, Teagan Matthews' boyfriend disappeared and took her sense of stability with him. But when the opportunity to live with her aging grandmother in Salem arises, she decides it's time to get on with her life. A new home, new job and new friends are adding up to a beautiful summer...

...until a young girl's body shows up one night in town, wearing a necklace exactly like Teagan's.

Now a guy looking remarkably like her missing boyfriend has arrived in Salem along with a mysterious stranger who may have some answers that Teagan has desperately been searching for. Teagan must now decide who to trust. It's a matter of life... and her death.

♥ ♥ ♥

Irish accents are hot, which is the first thing you should note about this story even though you won’t know what I’m talking about until you get a quarter way into the book.

Believe it or not the thing that drew me to Summer in Salem by Brina Courtney was the name of the main character. I was reading through the synopsis and it was just such a refreshing and unique name that I figured anyone who can be that creative with just a name, must have an even more creative story to tell. And I was right.

Teagan Matthews is a young woman who has lost her way. A tragic moment in her life forced her to reevaluate things and she hasn’t been the same since. Lucky for her, Teagan’s grandmother is having some issues living all by herself in Salem and so she goes to spend the summer with her and what she uncovers will change her life forever. The secrets shrouded in mystery that Teagan finds awaiting her in Salem frighten and excite her, but they also bring danger and pain.