Waiting on Wednesday: Ashes on the Waves

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
Publisher: Philomel/Penguin
Publish Date: June 27, 2013
Genre: Horror

Goodreads Summary: Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make a wager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem Annabel Lee, Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love.

Why am I waiting on Ashes on the Waves? Lately, I’ve become a bit fascinated by YA books based on stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe and this sounds like a good one. What books are you waiting on?

Book Review: Enshadowed

Title: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Atheneum
Pages: 421 pages
Genre: Horror, Paranormal
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Varen Nethers is trapped in a perilous dream world -- a treacherous and desolate realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel Lanley, plagued by strange visions and haunted by the nightmares of Varen's creation, is the only one who can save him.

Isobel knows that her only hope lies within a Baltimore cemetery. There, in the early morning hours of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a mysterious stranger known as the "Poe Toaster" will make his annual homage at the legendary poet's grave.

Only the Poe Toaster holds the key to the way between worlds. But even greater dangers lie ahead for Isobel. An ancient evil, draped in veils of white, is watching, challenging her for Varen's affections. When Isobel finally finds Varen, he is no longer the quiet and brooding boy who once captivated her, but a dark force, powerful and malevolent.

When I read Nevermore (the first book in this series) back in 2010, I was totally blown away by it. It was easily my favorite book of the year and, in my humble opinion, one of the most underrated books of the year as well. It has been torturous for me to wait two long years to read the sequel. To say I was excited when I received a review copy of Enshadowed is an understatement. Was Enshadowed worth the wait? More yes and a little bit no. Let me explain.

Nevermore rocked in character development and world building. The first portion of the book deals with the relationship between unpopular goth boy Varen Nethers and extremely popular cheerleader Isobel Lanley. These two are such an unlikely couple and Kelly Creagh writes the characters and the relationship brilliantly. While there are some creepy things happening in the first two-thirds of Nevermore, it’s not until the end of the book that things take a dark, crazy and creeptastic turn for the best and the cliffhanger ending of the book just left me reeling.

Enshadowed follows a similar formula in that the first portion of the book has some great paranormal bits to it but it’s not until the end that things really get exciting. The difference between the two books is that while Varen is integral to Nevermore, he is majorly absent in Enshadowed. I’m not going to lie, this was a downer for me. Varen is so awesome, he is the only swoon-worthy goth boy I have ever met in fiction and after waiting for two years, to ‘hang out’ with him again, I was disappointed and I missed him.

So after complaining about Varen’s absence, why am I still giving Enshadowed a ‘Really Good’ rating? Because the writing is awesome, the dream world that Creagh creates is creepy, eerie and perfect and the cliffhanger ending again has me begging for more.

While Enshadowed may not be a great as Nevermore, it is still a good book and this series is one of the most original out there. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Edgar Allan Poe, horror, gothic stories or anything wonderfully different from all the other paranormal YA books out there. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Waiting on Wednesday: Ashes on the Waves

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
Publisher: Philomel/Penguin
Publish Date: June 27, 2013
Genre: Horror

Goodreads Summary: Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make a wager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial—and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem Annabel Lee, Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love.

Why am I waiting on Ashes on the Waves? Lately, I’ve become a bit fascinated by YA books based on stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe and this sounds like a good one. What books are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Broken

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Broken by A.E. Rought
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Publish Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Genre: Horror

Goodreads Summary: Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein where a young couple's undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

Why am I waiting on Broken? I don’t think I have read a retelling of Frankenstein and this looks and sounds like it will be a really good one. I’m also a huge fan of the cover: the colors, the composition, the beautiful eeriness of it and how the title is in the scroll work of the cemetery gates! What books are you waiting on?

Blog Tour + Book Review: Dead Reckoning

Title: Dead Reckoning by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Pages: 336 pages
Genre: Steampunk, Horror
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Jett is a girl disguised as a boy, living as a gambler in the old West as she searches for her long-lost brother. Honoria Gibbons is a smart, self-sufficient young woman who also happens to be a fabulous inventor. Both young women travel the prairie alone – until they are brought together by a zombie invasion! As Jett and Honoria investigate, they soon learn that these zombies aren’t rising from the dead of their own accord … but who would want an undead army? And why? This gunslinging, hair-raising, zombie western mashup is perfect for fans of Cowboys vs. Aliens and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. 

Interested in a fun summer read that stands out from the sea of paranormal and dystopia books out there right now? If you are then Dead Reckoning, a steampunk western with zombies, may just be the book for you. This book is original and entertaining, just what I needed to kick off my summer!

Dead Reckoning is set in a western town where Jett, our feisty gunslinger who dresses as a boy so she can make her way around without too much trouble, has stopped find out if anyone knows anything about her lost brother. Jett’s visit is short lived as the town is attacked by zombies and Jett barely escapes with her life. The book’s setting is very well done and Honoria Gibbons’ steampunk inventions are very cool to read about.

Jett and Gibbons are very opposite characters: Jett being very rational and a fighter and Gibbons being a dogged scientist who throws caution to the wind when it comes to her experiments. While Jett dresses like a boy, I liked the fact that she liked girly things but her circumstances dictates that she be disguised as a boy. The two girls strong personalities are balanced out by White Fox, the handsome Anglo boy that was raised by Native Americans.

Dead Reckoning is a quick read with great characters, action and mystery. The ending is completely satisfying (no cliffhangers!) and while this could easily be a standalone novel, I’m hoping there will be a second book to expand on the storyline, especially the one involving Jett’s missing brother. Dead Reckoning is a clean read and is appropriate for both older and younger teens.

Content: Violence and drinking.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: The Hunt

Title: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 293 pages
Genre: Dystopia, Horror
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

While I know that unputdownable is not a real word, it pretty much describes The Hunt. This book is compulsively readable from the very first page and never slows down. There are so many things to love about The Hunt, I will mention a few of them here:

World building: In this dystopian future, vampires rule the world and consider themselves people. Humans, or hepers, are a vampire delicacy and are thought to be extinct except for a few that the government keeps in a facility to study. While some of the vampires mannerisms and lifestyle are familiar (sleeping during the day and awake at night, super fast and strong), Fukuda introduces some charcteristics that are completely different from what readers are familiar with and takes the time to really highlight their behavior (drooling and salivating excessively, scratching their wrists instead of laughing, making out by rubbing their elbows into each other’s armpits). These strange behaviors are one of the reasons that this book is so unique.

Well developed characters: Gene is smart and strong but in his need to stay under the radar and blend in with the vamps, he under achieves in school. His real genius is living among the predators without being detected and it is really interesting to see the lengths he goes through to stay safe. While I liked Gene a lot, the most intriguing character is Ashley June, the gorgeous and popular vampire girl at Gene’s school that he has always been attracted to but smart enough to know to stay away from.

The vampires: These vampires are the most vicious I have ever seen, working themselves into a slobbering frenzy at the mere mention of human flesh and blood. Yes guys, they eat flesh too and they attack like crazed animals in the wild. These are the scariest vamps I have ever read about.

The suspense!: I cannot emphasize how much of a nail biting, edge of your seat read this is. I’m a squeamish reader and honestly, I was creeped out, grossed out and yet I could not put The Hunt down because I HAD to know what happened next. Despite my squeamishness, I raced through the book and am so ready for more!

If you like horror, adventure, suspense, tons of action or just highly original and entertaining books, The Hunt is for you. There are some fantastic plot twists and a killer of a cliffhanger ending. I highly recommend it and cannot wait to read the sequel. Tomorrow, I will feature an interview with Andrew Fukuda and host a giveaway of The Hunt!

Content: Kissing and violence.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Dark Inside

Title: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Pages: 336 pages
Genre: Horror, Apocalyptic
Source: Publisher through GalleyGrab

Goodreads Summary: Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everyday people into hunters, killers, crazies. 

Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.

Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

I have seen Dark Inside described as a combination of 28 Days Later and The Road. I would agree with this description plus a bit of The Stand thrown in. While Dark Inside is a more appropriate read for a YA audience (or squeamish people like me), it does maintain the horror of those other stories but without the excessive gore. If you like your horror/zombie novel bloody, don’t worry, while this book may not be extremely gory, the body count is still very high. Personally, 28 Days Later gave me the worst nightmares and I have avoided zombie books and movies since then but Dark Inside may just bring me back. 

The story follows four teenagers who try to survive after the world is rocked by several extremely destructive earthquakes. The death toll after the disaster is high, but nothing compared to what happens to people afterwards. The quakes unleash an evil that posseses some people but does not affect others. The affected become zombielike, filled with rage and bent on brutally killing anyone in their path, especially those who are not infected. While the four teens, Mason, Aries, Clementine and Michael, don’t know each other initially, we read as they struggle to stay alive and see how their paths intersect.

The teens are all very different and struggle with different issues. The characters are very well written, some are filled with guilt and regret, some more streetwise that others and almost all finding it hard to come to terms with family and friends they have lost due to the disaster. The idea that anyone, friends and family, could be a monster waiting to strike makes Dark Inside even more suspenseful.

The horror element, however, may be the best thing about this book. The Baggers, people who are infected with the evil, are absolutely terrifying. The way they hunt the normal people and the traps they set really scared me. The way the teens have to hide and travel by night to avoid viscous hordes of Baggers had me on the edge of my seat.

Dark Inside is a fast paced, action packed nail biter all the way to the end and it does end with a cliffhanger. This is a really good horror novel and I am looking forward to the sequel.

Content: Kissing, heavy violence, mild profanity.

My Rating: Really Good!

Book Review: Darker Still

Title: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebook Fire
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Historical, Horror
Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary: The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Darker Still is such a unique novel, in a very good way! After witnessing her mother’s death at a young age, Natalie Stewart stops talking. Now 17-years-old, Natalie communicates with other people through sign-language and writing on notepads. The story is told through Natalie’s journal entries which is very appropriate for this story. While it may seem odd to read an entire book made up of journal entries (a first for me), Ms. Hieber makes it work very well and the story flowed wonderfully.

I am a character driven reader and Natalie is a very likable character. She is brave, spunky and smart. People don’t expect much of her because she is mute, but she proves them wrong. She stands up for herself and refuses to be bullied or put down for her short comings. The women in Darker Still, Natalie and Ms. Northe, are the heroes of the story, the ones who do the sleuthing and the saving. I liked Denbury’s swoon worthy character and I hope we get to know him better in the next book.

The setting of Darker Still is perfectly Victorian and the story is awesomely dark and gothic. The circumstances that got Denbury stuck in the painting and keeps him there are scary. Filled with dark magic, a gorgeous man trapped in a painting and an evil, possessed body, this is a great creepy read for this time of year when the weather is cold and gray. If you enjoy gothic stories like the Picture of Dorian Gray, you will love this book.

The ending of Darker Still is satisfying with no cliffhanger but there is more there to explore. I was very happy to find out that there will be a sequel coming out next year. I can’t wait to read it! If you have not done so yet, enter to win a copy of this great book here.

Content: Kissing, violence.  

My Rating: Really Good!

Most Memorable Spooky Reads

For the last day of the Halloween Queens Book Giveaway, I wanted to highlight some of my most memorable spooky reads. Don’t forget to enter to win The Iron Knight, Anna Dressed in Blood, Darker Still and Dark Eden. Also, stop by One Page at a Time where KM is giving away a copy of Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Nevermore starts out like other YA books set in high school but soon, the lines between a nightmarish dream world from Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and reality begin to cross. This book channels the creepiness of Poe’s stories with a cool YA spin. Oh yes, there is also Varen, the most swoon worth Goth guy ever! He’s another really great reason to read Nevermore….

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is not so much spooky as it surreal, dark and a bit bizarre, but in a fantastic way. The creep factor lies with the settings and the physical descriptions of the characters. This book is so cool and may be my favorite of the year unless another book comes along to blow me away sometime between now and December.

Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

While is not my favorite spooky read, it is a very unique horror novel and worth reading. Savannah Grey is a 15-year-old who realizes that she is changing. Nature is turning her into a weapon against an evil that’s as old as the earth itself. Told from alternating perspectives, this book is entertaining and has some good plot twists. I have never read anything else like it.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

In the mood for some romance with your spooky book? Hereafter offers you the romance between a ghost girl and a guy. In addition to the sweet relationship, it also has soul stealing ghosts and a haunted bridge thrown in for good measure. Like Anna Dressed in Blood, I am so curious about what kind of future the living have with the dead. I will definitely be reading this series to find out!

The Stand by Stephen King

I know I’m going old school here but this is the creepiest book I have ever read and even though it’s not YA, I read it when I was a teenager and yes, it scared the heck out of me. Honestly, this whole list could easily have been of Stephen King novels but I will stick to this one. The Stand is a combination of paranormal, science-fiction, horror and dystopia/apocalyptic. He just doesn’t write them like this anymore…



What are some of your most memorable spooky reads?

Interview with Leanna Renee Hieber and Darker Still Giveaway!

I am pleased to welcome Leanna Renee Hieber, award winning, bestselling Gothic Victorian Fantasy author of The Strangely Beautiful series (now available) and Darker Still, A Novel of Magic Most Foul.

Tell us about Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul
Well, it features a hot British Lord trapped in a painting and is full of: Danger! Intrigue! Mystery! Curses! Magic! Ghosts! Nightmares! Disguises! Pretty Dresses! Stolen kisses! Mayhem! For actual details, here's the bookseller summary:

Title: Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul

Release Date: Nov. 8, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, WORD Bookstore

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. -- New York City, 1880. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing... Lord Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

How did you come up with the idea for the story?
Ever since I was a kid and saw Sesame Street's "Don't Eat The Pictures" where they all get trapped inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art after hours, I've wanted to write a haunted painting story. Then when I read The Picture of Dorian Gray in school, I was done for, and the 'haunted painting' idea nestled into my mind, waiting for the right story and the right characters to tell it. When my agent asked for my next book project after getting the Strangely Beautiful saga underway, this beloved idea from so long ago finally got its turn to shine.

I don't usually gravitate towards writing first person narratives, but it's par for the course for YA fiction. Since Dracula is one of my favourite novels, the epistolary format (meaning a work written in diary entries, letters, newspaper articles) appeals to me, and so Natalie's diary became the perfect way to tell the story. Once I had my main characters and the main 'issue' of the story; Lord Denbury's trapped soul and the mystery of his curse, it unfolded from there.

Where did you get the inspiration for the characters? Which character from the book is your favorite?
Natalie, the heroine and narrator, came at me like a ton of bricks; very distinct and opinionated and she really engaged me with her spirited attitude. I knew that in a story like this, where the hero would be ostensibly trapped for most of the book, that the heroine would have to be an energetic, specific and skilled narrator, and Natalie has enough spunk to make it work. The fact that she doesn't speak makes her inner narrative all the more rich, I think. The idea of a soul trapped in a painting gave rise to my Lord Denbury, a la The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Jonathon grew from there, becoming more nuanced as I continued writing. And I can't pick a favorite, it's like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. I love them all for different reasons. I'm partly in love with Jonathon (every author has to be at least a bit in love with their hero), but Natalie is so very special to me, I can't quantify them separately. And I've only grown to love them all more as I've continued the series.

What do you have in store for the Magic Most Foul world? How many books are planned for the series?
I just finished the sequel and turned it over to my editor. In it we'll see a lot of action and new intrigues. Get ready for a deadly secret society, dreams that could kill, jealousies and betrayal, hot new gentlemen on the scene, hoards of ghosts and healthy doses of reanimation and exorcisms.

As for how many books in the Magic Most Foul saga; I know there will need to be a third book, a fourth could be a possibility, but we may end up sticking with the trilogy format. My editor and I have some decisions to make.

Both Darker Still and your successful Strangely Beautiful series are gothic novels set in the Victorian Era. Why are you drawn to this genre and era?
The first time the Victorian Era had me in thrall was when I was in a production of Oliver Twist at age 9. As a pre-teen I fell in love with Edgar Allan Poe and the Gothic style. I loved Victorian ghost stories. I was 11 or 12 when I started my first novel; a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, set in 1888. So even at that age, the 1880s called to me, and it's been a muse ever since.

The aesthetics were the first things to draw me in; the whole look of the time period and the stories I'd read that were written then. I love all the rich language and big words. I studied the era in college. While performing as a professional actress in the regional theatre circuit, I took to adapting works of 19th century literature for the professional stage and that gave me a certain confidence and facility with the language. I acted in Victorian-set productions and got a chance to 'live' in the era every night on stage. I've traveled for research to various 19th century sites. So I've "experienced" this past time period that continues to compel me, in a very comprehensive way.

Some people suggest it's a past life, I don't know about that, all I know is that the era is my muse. I find the era compelling because it's a bit bi-polar, it's difficult, grim and grand, hypocritical, romantic, full of conflict, revolutions, it created amazing social movements and incredible art, it was brimming with new ideas and it was terrified by all the changes in the world, which birthed some of my favorite novels. And the clothes. I really love the clothes.

Your books are a wonderful mix of genres. Do you read the same genre as you write? What are you currently reading?
Thank you, I love so many elements from different genres that I want to blend them all gently and organically into what I write. I read a lot of research material for my work. But in terms of fiction favourite kind of books are historical mysteries because while I love the fantastical and paranormal, I find it a bit hard to read in exactly the same genre as I write. So I gravitate towards Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters, Erik Larson, etc, so that I can still stay in the flavor of the historical vernacular. But I'm currently reading The Hunger Games because it's a crime not to.

What other projects are you working on at this time?
Having just finished the draft of Magic Most Foul II, I'm back to working on the last Strangely Beautiful novel for next year, and my steampunk novella The World of Tomorrow is Sadly Outdated is being serialized by Doctor Fantastique's Show of Wonders: http://www.doctorfantastiques.com - And my first novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is being adapted into a musical theatre production! So I'll be working on the staged reading this fall in New York City and other developments with the show in the regional theatre circuit, with the goal of moving it to Broadway when it's all up and ready.

I'll be keeping people updated via my various networks, on my website: http://leannareneehieber.com, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/leannarenee on FB at http://facebook.com/lrhieber and via my blog http://leannareneebooks.blogspot.com so please join me for the journey!

In honor of Halloween, what are your favorite horror novels?
All the 19th Century Gothic classics, especially the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe and I'm a particular fan of Stephen King's collected shorts as well. 

Tell us your best/scariest Halloween memory.I was the resident teller-of-ghost-stories in my girl scout troupe and amongst my friends. One October night (I think I was around 7 or 8 years old?) I was entertaining my two friends as I perched on an enormous black leather Queen Anne chair, my father's homemade ceramic lamp in my hand and my long blonde hair down around my shoulders (yeah, like the kid from Poltergeist). The lamp bulb was neat, it flickered like a candle and I do love a good effect. The base and part of tine interior wiring of the lamp was exposed but I cupped it in my small hands like a mug. As I reached the climax of the story - a ghost was climbing inexorably up the stairs, with a death-knell tread, ready to burst in upon the hapless young girls within! - I started to slur my words and gurgle. My blonde hair began to rise up around my shoulders. My friends' eyes bulged out of their skulls as they shrieked, tearing from the room screaming "Lea's possessed! Lea's possessed!" I sat there, helpless, tethered to the electrical current when my finger had slipped too far inside the base of the lamp, until I was able to shake myself free and toss the lamp aside. Looking back, the uncomfortable kiss of voltage was worth the effect.

Great story and thank you, Leanna!

Ready for the giveaway? I’ve read (and love) this book and trust me, you want this one! As a part of the Halloween Queens Book Giveaway hosted by KM from One Page at A Time and myself, I will be giving away a copy of this awesome book! To enter, just click on the read more prompt (if you are on the main page) and follow the Rafflecopter instructions. Don't forget to stop by One Page at A Time to win an autographed copy of Anna Dressed In Blood.

Review of Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

Release Date: April 1, 2011
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Pages: 272 pages
Author Website: http://www.cliffmcnish.com/
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Suspense
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC from the Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: 15 year old Savannah Grey has never felt she's belonged. She keeps her distance, so she's surprised by her attraction to the new boy Reece. Then strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave strangely; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah learns she has supernatural powers. Nature has a purpose for Savannah and her friends. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Ocrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realize its savage intent.

Review: Savannah Grey is one of the most unique stories I have ever read. The main character, Savannah, has paranormal abilities unlike anything I have come across in other YA novels and I found it refreshing.

This is a very quick read and Savannah is only briefly introduced before the action starts. She is a foster child who never feels comfortable being in one place too long so she changes families frequently but she is well behaved, smart and gets good grades. She knows there is something different about her but not what it is. Savannah is a strong, likable character who is faithful to her foster family and friends. When she is fully realizes what nature has been preparing her for, she handles the situation with a lot of courage, but not with the most well thought out plans.

Reece is Savannah’s love interest and the first boy that Savannah has ever been interested in. Her feelings for him develop quickly, but everything happens very fast in this story. In addition to her emotions, her abilities develop rapidly and instinctively, she always knows exactly what is going on with her body and the situations around her. I would have liked for a bit more story development there and for the action to be shown more than told. On the bright side, there is a great plot twist in the story that I did not see coming.

I also thought he villains, the Ocrassa and its minions, were very interesting and the portions of the book told from their perspective to be quite fascinating.

The book ends rather abruptly and while there is a resolution, I would have liked another chapter or an epilogue to really be satisfied.

Content: Some violence

Review of Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

Release Date: Feb. 8, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 233 pages
Author Website: http://lisamcmann.com
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Rating: 2.5 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace.

Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad.

Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Review: When I was a teenager, I loved reading horror. As I got older, those same books that I used to enjoy began really scaring me. This is the first horror novel I have read in a really long time and I am happy to say I was not overly creeped out. Cryer’s Cross is a mildly scary read, however, the mystery behind the disappearances overshadows the creepiness and adds to the suspense.

Kendall’s character was interesting. I don’t think I ever read a book where the main character has OCD. Jacian is the silent, brooding type which I usually like, but he is just too brooding and comes across as an angry jerk for a good portion of the book. Without giving away any spoilers, there is sort of a love triangle and I don’t like how it was handled. It bothered me for the majority of the book. I also think the resolution to the romance/love triangle is a cop-out.

Cryer’s Cross is a quick read and if you like suspense but really don’t care one way or the other about the romance, you may like this book. It also appears to be a standalone novel which is a great thing for you if you don’t want to wait year after year to find out what happens.

Content:  Language (including multiple uses of the F-bomb), some violence