Easter Egg Treasure Hunt Day 32

Welcome to day #32!!  I hope everyone has enjoyed the hunt so far..  For those of you just joining us, or just happened to stumble upon my blog, here's the details..

Read2Review is hosting this fun blog hop in order to help us all to meet new author & blogger friends, win some nice giveaways and generally have a good time!

What do you have to do to get involved and start on the Easter goodness?

1. Each day a new site (list is included behind my hidden egg) will post an Easter Egg.

2. On their website with the Egg will be a hidden letter.

3. Also on many of the fantastic websites will be a mini giveaway! Be sure to check them out!

4. To be entered to the grand prize you need to collect all of the letters and put them together to form a quote. All the final details will be announced on the 8th April – Easter Sunday – on Read2Review

To find my letter for the day, click on my Easter egg.  The letter will be somewhere within my post in blue.

The details about my giveaway, and how to enter it, are there as well..  Happy Hunting!!

Review: Trapped On Draconica

Trapped On Draconica by Dan Wright

Ben is just your typical teenager – loud, obnoxious and always getting himself into hot water. Coming from a troubled household, it’s no wonder Ben’s been on the wrong side of the tracks lately. Ben thinks that his troubles can't possibly get any worse. How wrong he is...
Mysteriously teleported to the world of Draconica, the homeland of the Dragons, Ben gets caught up in a invasion by the Baalarian Empire – who are hell-bent on capturing him. But what did Ben ever do to upset them?
With no idea how he got here – and with intentions only on getting home, Ben embarks on a fantastical journey. Joining forces with the Dragonkin sisters Daniar and Erowin, Ben must help them take down the Empire before their dark grasp tightens across the land.
Little does Ben realise that his role in this battle is far more vital than he realises – and that his coming here was no accident. So he embarks on a journey that will change his life forever.
Written by Dan Wright and featuring anime artwork by Alexis M. Centeno, Trapped on Draconica is an epic fantasy adventure that takes you on an incredible journey that you want to visit again and again.

My Review:
I got this book for review, and I have to say, seeing the cover and reading the description I honestly didn't think I'd care much for it.  It just didn't seem to be my cup of tea.  I started it anyway, like the good little reviewer..  I was actually quite surprised!  While the content was a bit different (and almost too out-there) for me, the writing style of Dan Wright was good and captivating..  It had me wanting, almost needing to keep reading to see what would happen next.  The characters in this book were a great mix.  First, of course, there were the heroes (Ben, Daniar, Erowin, etc) that I just couldn't help but love and hope the best for!  Second, there were the evils villains that I just loved to hate.  Around every turn there was something new and exciting, with unexpected plot twists galore!  The end of the book came with many such surprises, taking the plot in a completely unexpected direction.  It ended with a nice teaser of a possible sequel which, I have to admit, I'd be quick to read!
I give this book 3.5 stars.

Steven Novak Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway!!

Join us for a virtual book tour hosted by VBT Cafe for author Steven Novak!  

Steven is the author of the book, Goats Eat Cans.. 
Remember the weird kid with the greasy hair and the odd smell you went to school with? You know, the one who never talked to anyone? That creepy little jerk who sat alone at lunch? The oddball who never took a shower in gym class? The one you imagined might one day go on a shooting spree?
Believe it or not, that kid grew up.
He grew up, he got married, he never shot a single person, he wrote a book, and he even started taking showers after his workouts – most of the time.
Goats Eat Cans is his story.
Follow along as Steven Novak recounts the sometimes hilarious, sometimes hilariously painful, and sometimes painfully hilarious moments that have made his life so wonderfully frustrating. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you might even vomit. No matter what, you won't be able to stop reading.
Goats Eat Cans features 55 stories, 55 illustrations, 99 luftballons and enough nonsense to keep you chuckling and giggling for days on end – or hours – or at the very least a few minutes.

Schedule for the Tour is as follows:

March 12 - Meet & Greet at VBT Cafe' Blog
March 13 - Interviewed at From The Mind Of Omegia
March 15 - Interviewed at BK Walker Books Etc
March 16 - Guest Blogging at Mass Musings Topic - Writing Humor Vs Fiction
March 20 - Interviewed at Writing Innovations E-Zine
March 22 - Review & Interview at Black Diamond's Books Reviews
March 26 - Reviewed at Hire To Inspire
March 28 - Reviewed at EReading On The Cheap
March 30 - Interviewed at Writing Innovations
April 3 - Interviewed at Reviews & Interviews
April 5 - Guest Blogging with Cindy Vine
April 7 - Reviewed at Rhodes Review
April 9 - Reviewed at Books, Books, & More Books
April 11 - Review & Guest Post at lWaiting on Sunday to Drown
April 12 - Interviewed by Louise James
April 17 - Interviewed at BK Media Entertainment
April 19 - Interviewed at My World by Stephanie Green (here & me)
April 23 - Author Spotlight at AZ Publishing Services
April 23 - Interviewed on KWOD Radio

Grand Prize Reader/Follower Giveaway is:  1 Signed Paperback and 1 Signed Chapter Art Illustration (2 Winners)

Review: The Stars of The Hunger Games Inside Out

 The Stars Of The Hunger Games Inside Out by Mel Williams


All about Hollywood's hot new heartthrobs! May the odds be ever in your favour! As The Hunger Games explodes on to our screens, get the low-down on the hot stars of this sensational movie. Find out what they are like in real life, and how they measure up against their characters!
Could Jennifer Lawrence survive in the wild like Katniss?
Is Josh Hutcherson as romantic as Peeta?
Does Liam Hemsworth have a rebellious streak like Gale?
Packed full of fantastic photos and fab facts, this is a must for all Hunger Games fans!

My Review:
I won this book from The Hunger Games Read-Along Contest hosted by Read2Review.  I read through it today and actually enjoyed it quite a little bit.  This "unofficial" guide lists the major characters and the actors who play them in the movie.  It tells a lot of detail about each actor, as well as comparing each actor to the character they play.  It also has a few little trivia questions throughout to test your knowledge of the book (or movie).  I did enjoy reading it and am even more excited to see the movie..  YES, I still haven't seen it!  It's driving me crazy that I haven't gotten to go yet, but I will soon!  
The only thing I had a bit of a problem with was the section on Rue..  It says she's from District 12, and we know that she's actually from District 11.  I'm sure this is a typo and will probably be remedied.  I gave this book 3 stars.

Review: The Half-Breed Vampire

 The Half-Breed Vampire by Theresa Meyers
Ignorant of his true heritage, half-breed Slade Donovan is fated to feel like an outsider among his clan. Until a mysterious woman arrives with the ability to unlock his secrets—and make him crave a future he never believed he could have….As a game warden, Raina Ravenwing has only one mission in the Cascade Mountains: to hunt down a pack of rare wolves that is terrorizing her tribe. Her instant attraction to Slade is a distraction the beautiful wolf whisperer can't afford, unless she agrees to let him help her. Yet working so closely together only intensifies their passion …even as the unfolding truth of Slade's identity threatens everything Raina holds sacred.

My Review
In the beginning of this book, it stated that it was the third in a "series", but I was reading it for a review, so I started it anyway.  I quickly realized I didn't have to read the first two in order to understand the dynamics of it.  The Half-Breed Vampire is about a vampire named Slade Donovan who doesn't have any memory of his life before age 8, when he awoke on the streets alone and injured.  He's paired with a human, Raina Ravenwing, to track  a pack of over-sized wolves invading on her tribes land and stop them.  When they first meet, he's reminded of the police that he learned to almost hate from his time on the streets, and she sees him as the "bad boy" that she always tends to get mixed up with.  They soon realize that they can no longer defy the attraction they have to each other, eventually turning into a few steamy, for adults-only, situations that was so well written, I could almost picture them.  While uncovering the secrets of this rare breed of wolf, they also discovered many secrets about themselves and Slade's past he thought he'd never remember.  
Although parts of the story-line seemed almost familiar, this book had plenty of plot twists (including lifestyle-changing decisions), action and, of course, romance to make it a very enjoyable read.  I definitely plan to read more from Theresa Meyers, and undoubtedly the other books in this series.  
I give this book 4 stars.

Desperately Wanting Wednesday

 

It's that time again!  Desperately Wanting Wednesday.. A weekly post started by Parajunkee about the books we just can't wait to read!  I have a bit of a long list this week!

 Rapture by Lauren Kate

Release date: June 12, 2012
Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.
Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.
For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.
In the fight for Luce, who will win?
The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer.
Again, I absolutely LOVE this series!  I still haven't gotten to read Fallen In Love, but I will by the time this comes out!


 City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments #5)

Release date:  May 8, 2012

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.
Another of my favorite series!  I can't wait to see what's next for Clary and Jace!!


 The Golden Lily (A Bloodlines Novel) by Richelle Mead

Release date:  June 12, 2012

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.
Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.
But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.
When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she’s supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she’s been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.
Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?
I really loved the Vampire Academy Series, and this is the second book in a spin-off series focusing on Sydney, the alchemist who helped Rose along the way.  I really enjoyed the first book and can't wait to read this one!


 Whisper (Riley Bloom #4) by Alyson Noel

Release date:  April 24, 2012
This time, Riley might really have bitten off more than she’s ready for. After practically begging the Council for a more challenging Soul Catch, she is assigned an actual Roman gladiator—Theocoles, the Pillar of Doom. How is Riley, a skinny twelve-year-old, supposed to get through to him? Then she meets the beautiful Messalina, who convinces her that her only chance is to become part of this world. To accomplish this, Messalina helps Riley through a dramatic, mystical makeover, transforming her into the beautiful and mature teen she’s always wanted to be. Finally, Riley can experience her first boyfriend and her first kiss. With a dream this enchanting, will she ever want to leave?
Again, a spin-off from a series I am in love with:  The Immortal Series.  I have been following Riley since this series started.  They are shorter reads than the others, but worth it.  Can't wait!

Review: Catching Fire

 Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.
Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.
In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn.


My Review:
I was so excited to read this book!  I absolutely loved the first one and wondered how the story would continue.  I was not disappointed! In this sequel, Katniss finds herself in the center of a growing unrest in the country.  She begins to realize she has unwittingly fueled a rebellion against the Capitol and although she whole-heartedly believes in it, the stakes are high.  She finds herself confused about her feelings for both Gale and Peeta.  This year's Games are the 3rd Quarter Quell, meaning the 75th anniversary of the start of the Hunger Games.  Every 25 years is a big "celebration" and a new surprise of sorts for the Games, this time is no different and comes as a huge shock to much of the country.  To top it all off, Katniss has to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she is truly in love with Peeta, and soon realizes nothing she does will be enough.
This book is full of danger, suspense and surprises.  I can actually feel the emotions Katniss goes through and feel for her predicament between the two young men in her life.  When the book was finished, I had to force myself to go to bed and not just continue reading the next book!  
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars!