CORRINE JACKSON, Author of TOUCHED and IF I LIE

 

Start: 12/04/2012 7:00 pm

Green Apple is hosting, young adult author Corrine Jackson on Tuesday, December 4th at 7pm. I will be there so please come and join her on their mezzanine level for a signing and reading from her latest novel, Touched -- the first in her new Sense Theives trilogy.

About the book:
"Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.
Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll be coming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first."

Also available for purchase and signing are copies of Jackson's first novel, If I Lie, so grab your copies in-store or online today and gear up for what's sure to be a great event.

Jill over at Breaking the Spine started this and I believe that it's awesome" This blog post is to alert those that visit about "the" book that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

It was difficult to select a WoW for this week's post because there are so many great books coming out this upcoming year. Yet, no matter how many books I went over there was one book in particular that stuck out to me and that been recommended to me many times over. That book that I finally selected is THE 5TH WAVE by Rick Yancey. It's premise sounds amazing and I am most eager to see what all the buzz is about.

Now that you know what my WOW is, I would love to know yours.
 

05/07/13
THE 5TH WAVE
by Rick Yancey
ISBN-13: 978-0399162411
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 592
Amazon, B&N, Goodreads

The Passage meets Ender's Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Sneak a Peek Saturday is a feature that I like to indulge in because I cannot wait to read the tasty tid bits that are put out there for us ravenous readers to enjoy.  

I adored CINDER and have eagerly awaited it's sequel with SCARLET. This new series is fresh, innovative and so much fun that it is a joy to read. To enjoy a little snippet you can click on the book cover below for peek but if you want more (and how could you not). Now, macmillian has allowed the first five chapters for a free download. Just click HERE to enjoy those chapters ASAP.

 02/05/13
SCARLET
Lunar Chronicles, Book Two
by Marissa Meyer
ISBN-13: 978-0312642969
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 464
Amazon, B&N, Goodreads
 

This time, it’s Little Red Riding Hood set in the distant future. And yes, there is a big, bad Wolf.

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison -- even though she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive if she does.

In another part of the commonwealth, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. Although Scarlet has lived on her grandmother’s farm for years, it turns out there are many dangerous secrets there that she never knew. While Scarlet struggles to make ends meet, she encounters Wolf, a city street fighter with information that could help. Though Scarlet is loath to trust this stranger, she is also inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her.

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as the threat of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana spreads across the earth…" Scarlet is the second book in Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles young-adult series.Cinder reappears in the next futuristic tweaking of a familiar fairy tale — as does Prince Kai, the evil lunar ruler Queen Levana, and a heap of intergalactic intrigue.

Debuting in the new book, however, is Scarlet Benoit, a young French woman who enlists the services of a street fighter named Wolf when she finds her grandmother, a former military pilot, gone missing."

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.


Today, on TALES OF A RAVENOUS READER I have a special post with Tammara talking about Lucas (swoons). EASY has been one of my favored reads that is coming up under the new categorization of New Adult. 
 

Describe your portrayal of the novel’s hero. PART 2

Lucas doesn’t want a meaningless relationship with Jacqueline, but he doesn’t want to go to the lengths required for something deeper, because he’s not willing to reveal everything from his past. Lucas has a hole in his heart that he’s patched and ignored until he can pretend it’s healed, or at least completely concealed from everyone. Jacqueline is the only person he’s met who doesn’t let his pretense stand. She challenges him to face his long-buried guilt and shame, even while he insists that her own shame is unnecessary. His decision becomes whether or not to let Jacqueline all the way in, or if doing so is so painful that pushing her away is easier. 

TAMMARA's info:

 WEBSITE

 FACEBOOK

GOODREADS

 

Please enter this great giveaway for a copy of EASY. This giveaway is open to entrants from the US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From my home to yours, I hope that everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving. Enjoy this day with family and friends and doing what we love best....READING!

Jill over at Breaking the Spine started this and I believe that it's awesome" This blog post is to alert those that visit about "the" book that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

I am now adoring contemporary fiction like a crazed mad man and one of my heart wrentching favorites is "what could have been" scenarios. IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME is just that book....uggg so painful to even contemplate, but I must read it.

 04/01/13
IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME
by Laura Nowlin
ISBN-13: 978-1402277825
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 352
Amazon, B&N, Goodreads

Phineas Smith’s tragic death could have been avoided. If his father hadn’t given him that car; if it hadn’t been raining that night; if he hadn’t been dating Sylvie Whitehouse, and if they hadn’t been having an argument -- if he had been with Autumn, he would still be alive.

Autumn and Finny have been best friends and neighbours since before they were born. Their pregnant mothers would sit with their swollen bellies side by side so they could kick each other, like twins. They were inseparable -- until one New Year’s eve in middle school when a single moment lead to their gradual drifting apart.Now in high school, Autumn and Finny are no longer friends. They run in different crowds, belong to disparate worlds. Despite her best efforts to be happy, Autumn feels incomplete, only realizing once the situation seems irreversible that Finny is her missing piece.

If he had been with me is a heartbreaking, contemporary love story spanning the history of two teens lives and all the moments where if one little thing had been different, their futures would have been together instead of apart. Debut author, Laura Nowlin, voices the “ifs” that have the potential to change the course

Sneak a Peek Saturday is a feature that I like to indulge in because I cannot wait to read the tasty tid bits that are put out there for us ravenous readers to enjoy.  

This Saturday, I am selecting a novel from a much adored author, Gayle Forman. IF I STAY is one of my all time favorite reads and because of that I am most eager to read Gayle's next novel, JUST ONE DAY. Psssst...it is amazing. In the meantime for those awaiting this grand novel you only need to click on the image below and will be taken to a treat of a few pages of her next novel.

   
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

 

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series. 

TOMORROW night NYMBC is hosting an event in Berkeley 

Not Your Mother's Book Club presents E. KRISTIN ANDERSON, co-editor of Dear Teen Me and co-founder of the Dear Teen Me Blog, along with: MARKE BIESHKE, co-author of Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens, KATHERINE LONGSHORE, author of Gilt, ERIKA STALDER, author of 97 Things to do Before You Finish High School, The Date Book, Fashion 101, In the Driver's Seat, and The Look Book, and MARIKO TAMAKI, author of Cover Me, True Lies, Fake ID, and (YOU) Set Me on Fire.
10% of sales for this event will be put into Not Your Mother's Book Fund, and will be used to buy visiting authors' books to donate to local, public high schools.

 

Date and Time: Nov 14 2012 7:00 pm 

Place: A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS 

 A Great Good Place for Books
6120 LaSalle Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611

 

Local author Tamara Ireland Stone will be reading from her new book, Time Between Us, on Wednesday, November 14th at 7:00 p.m.
  

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.
Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, Time Between Us is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction.

I'm coming for you.

The whispers haunt her dreams and fill her waking hours with dread. Something odd is happening. Something...unnatural.

Possession of the living. Resurrection of the dead. And Natalie Stewart is caught right in the middle. Jonathon, the one person she thought she could trust, has become a double agent for the dark side. But he plays the part so well, Natalie has to wonder just how much he's really acting.

She can't even see what it is she's fighting. But the cost of losing her heart, her sanity...her soul.

   Foul Magic:  In DARKER STILL, Natalie steps through a painting and discovers that magic and demons exist in 1880 New York City.  Find out what makes a story have just the right amount of magic, mystery and suspense as Leanna lets us in on key elements that make her stories so thrilling.

 Praise for DARKER STILL, an Indie Next Selection:

“Fans of historical fiction will swoon at Hieber’s 19th-century vision of a budding New York City.” – RT Book Reviews

“This book will definitely be popular [with] readers who enjoy stories about magic,

“This chilling tale will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very last page!”— Seventeen magazine
 

· Foul Magic:  In DARKER STILL, Natalie steps through a painting and discovers that magic and demons exist in 1880 New York City.  Find out what makes a story have just the right amount of magic, mystery and suspense as Leanna lets us in on key elements that make her stories so thrilling.

 My love of historical fiction was always entwined with my fascination with fantasy and the paranormal. The Victorian era is a perfect time to entwine spirits, ghost stories, magic and more because the time period was so fascinated with those topics. So I’m tapping in to a part of the Victorian psyche just by infusing my tales with fantastical themes. The trick is always balance. One aspect of the novel can’t entirely dominate over the other; my world-building on the magical sense can’t outweigh the development of characters, suspense aspects can’t get in the way of growth for a character, characters have to grow within their circumstances and I have to find the most tension-filled way to do so while still making it “believable”. If the magic, suspense and mystery can all work together to flesh out the historical world, to reveal character and to keep the plot humming along then I’ve created a finely-tuned novel. All the elements of a book have to take turns and pass the relay torch of the journey smoothly and equally.

A lot of help comes in the editorial department, and my editor was key in really helping me trim off the extra fat that didn’t further the plot or tension. A good book requires a few good exterior eyes that can see to the meat of the novel and bring it forward. I’m very good at taking direction and I think that makes me not only a better writer but also someone an editor wants to work with. Also, knowing your characters intimately; what makes them tick and also what makes them scared, it helps draw the reader along in suspense when the character dynamic is viscerally strong. I think the way Natalie’s nightmares play into the Magic Most Foul saga gives the reader a very intimate view into private fears and horrors, and that helps ratchet up the tension from one chapter to the next. My favourite genres as a reader are Fantasy, Mystery and Horror, and I’m not invested in the story if there isn’t a romance somewhere within the plot. I merely have blended all my favourite genres together into one series, and because I want to give each genre equal play, it ends up balancing out.

Jill over at Breaking the Spine started this and I believe that it's awesome" This blog post is to alert those that visit about "the" book that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

I so want to read GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS. It's written by Richelle Mead and that should be enough reason to make me pine for it. Besides, it's for the 18+ crowd (new adult) and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us. I say bring it on.

06/04/13
GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS
Age of X, Book One
by Richelle Mead
ISBN-13: 978-0525953685
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 464
Amazon, B&N, Goodreads

For ages 18 and up 

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such mega-successes: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

The Host movie opens in theaters March 29, 2013. The film stars Ronan as Melanie, Diane Kruger as The Seeker, Jake Abel as Ian O’Shea, and Max Irons as Jared Howe. In the story, “a parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race’s mission of taking over the Earth, ‘Wanda’ (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.” The film was directed and written by Andrew Niccol.

I am so excited for this movie. Although it took me a bit to get into this book, it was worth sticking around because it was amaze balls good.

REACHED by Ally Condie

Hardcover, 512 pages

Expected publication: November 13th 2012 by Dutton Childrens Books

ISBN: 0525423664

Source: Penguin

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

My Thoughts:


It is always a difficult for me to reach the end of a series, but all good things must come to an end....

When I initially read MATCHED by Ally Condie I was blown away by the beautiful quality of her writing and completely overcome by the torrent of emotions that she was able to elicit. Telling a story about a girl and the choices that she must make while living in a society that doesn't allow free will. 

I was enthralled with this series and became invested in the fates of the main characters involved; Cassia, Ky and Xander. As the series progressed in CROSSED I was even further ensconced in their stories, witnessing every moment, hanging on to each word until the unbelievable ending.  Now, after reading REACHED I am awash in the myriad of emotions but oddly satisfied by it's final conclusion.
 
Upon returning to this final installment in the Matched Trilogy the story begins shortly after the ending of CROSSED.  This time, REACHED is being told from Cassia, Ky and Xander's POV. Now the plague has become a central part of the story and all three members have their roles to play towards change. As the story progresses each character makes choices that alter their course while remaining true to their nature. I never felt that things were false and was ultimately satisfied with the turn of events. I know that everyone is awaiting to know the outcome of this love triangle but I think that it should be left to the reader to discover. 

Of the three novels in this series I found REACHED to have a slower pace than it's predecessors but the action between those bits commanded the storyline and made up for it's lack of speed. I believe it is due to the highly reflective nature of the story that Cassia has throughout moments of this book. Yet, upon those retrospective times some truths come forward while revisting a long deceased character. I was not expecting this turn of events but it lent clarity to some unanswered questions. REACHED has a unique and amazing plot that is encased in the beautiful words that only Ally Condie can seems to carry them in. This story will stay with you long after your have finished the last word. It will be hard to forget...

I highly recommend REACHED to fans of this series and for those that have not read them I suggest you give them a try. 

DARK STAR by Bethany Frenette

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published October 23rd 2012 by Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 1423146654

Source: AUDIBLE

Rating: ♥♥♥

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it's hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she's lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human--something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn't fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers--livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person's memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers' next move. But Leon, her mother's bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won't let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything--and everyone--she loves.

My Thoughts:

Once I read the premise to DARK STAR by Bethany Frenette I was intrigued and wanted to experience this story that is filled with super heroes, demons and an ordinary girl that soon discovers that she has powers all on her own.

DARK STAR focuses on Audrey Whitticomb a regular, ordinary girl that has a super hero for a mom, yup you read that right super hero. At least that is what one is initially led believe, but as the story unfolds and progresses you realize that mom is fighting something much more nefarious than "bad guys" As Audrey seeks to find who is attacking girls in the city she encounters one of these beings and gets introduced into this world of demon slaying and murder. Yet, despite her new found knowledge her mother remains adamant about Audrey staying away from the darkness that she hunts on a regular basis. Needless to say Audrey does not take heed and goes in head first to help save the day and hopefully she will win.

I enjoyed this novel for the fast pace that it carried throughout it's storyline. I never felt bored and was pleasantly intrigued by the storyline that seems to surpise and delight me. Although I found DARK STAR to have an intriging premise I could not seem to relate to it's main character as much as I would have liked. Audrey seemed a bit juvenile and kept on repeating the same errors despite being chastised for them over and over again. It became a bit of a sore point but I did not let it distract me.

DARK STAR is a solid read that will keep you entertained and intrigued with characters that you will not soon forget. 

TIME BETWEEN US by Tamara Ireland Stone

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published October 9th 2012 by Hyperion

ISBN: 142315956X

Source: Publisher

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

My Thoughts:

TIME BETWEEN US by Tamara Ireland Stone is a time traveling romance, Hello! sign me up. Since I read the Time Traveler's Wife I have been on an incessant quest to find another love story that spans space and time and now I need not look any further.

As the story opens I encounter Anna contemplating on a decision that can forever change the course of her life....

It's 1995 Chicago when Anna comes in contact with Bennett; but she is  is attracted to him but he confuses her by running hot and cold, but it all makes sense when he tells her of his secret. Bennett can travel through space and time and he has come to Chicago to find someone and once he does he will go back to the future of 2012 San Francisco. Wow!! talk about dating issues. Since Bennett has to stay in the past for a while they decided to pursue their relationship despite not knowing when his time traveling will stop but they are helpless to the pull between them. Yet, the inevitable moment comes and just when I think I cannot take much more given an ending that is beyond satisfactory. 

I really enjoyed this novel for it was romantic, engaging and thoroughly amazing.  Witnessing Anna and Bennet's romance progress over time made me a silly romantic fool. I relished all their moments together and found that Bennet's ability to include Anna a nice twist on the previous time traveling novels I have read in the past. 

TIME BETWEEN US is a wonderful read that is quite memorable and endearing and you will only wish for more. Now, if only I could go back in time and read this novel all over again.

Venom by Fiona Paul

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published October 30th 2012 by Philomel

ISBN13: 978039925725

Source: Publisher

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

My Thoughts: 

Once I read the synopsis for VENOM by Fiona Paul I knew I could not resist.  A tale of murder, mystery and romance amid the backdrop of one the most beautiful cities in the world. Hello! sign me up because I am so going there.

As I delved into VENOM I was quickly immersed in the seductively sumptuous world of Cassandra Caravello; engaged socialite that lives in a world of class and money but it all hangs on a precarious edge.  As Cassandra tries to console herself after the unexpected death of a close friend her curious nature gets the best of her and what and whom she encounters will forever change her life. Yet, despite the danger her murderous discovery brings she cannot help but be drawn to the handsome stranger Falco.  Soon, she is more than willing to leave the constrains of pampered life and try to uncover the mystery that she and Falco have discovered, but how far is she willing to go? Will she risk her status? her engagement? or will she hide knowing that there is a killer on the loose?

VENOM is a story that has all the elements to keep one engaged and I will gladly admit to being enraptured by this novel and it's intoxicating tale of wealth, murder and sinful longings. Fiona Paul has created this amazing story amid a the beautiful back drop of Venice that was refreshing and original. I could relate to Cassandra and her longing to explore the world beyond her luxurious confines and the vehicle of murder seemed like the perfect escape for Cassandra's curious nature. Now, throw in a handsome artist that is willing to join Cassandra and her exploits and you have a recipe for a delicious disaster. 

Despite my addiction to this story I wish that it moved at a faster pace. There were times that I was on the edge of losing interest and then certain moment would occur and I would get sucked into it's pages even deeper than before. I also wished that the story would have ended on a different note, but it does leave me hopeful for next novel BELLADONNA and I have it on my wish list for 2013.