Blog Tour: Overbite by Meg Cabot

“Meena Harper has bitten off more than she can chew . . .

Meena has a special gift, but only now does anyone appreciate it. Her ability to predict how everyone she meets will die has impressed the Palatine Guard—a powerful secret demon-hunting unit of the Vatican—and they’ve hired her to work at their new branch in Lower Manhattan. Sure, Meena’s ex-boyfriend was Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames, and now she’s sworn off vampires for good—even though she firmly believes that just because they’ve lost their souls, it doesn’t mean they can’t love.

Convincing her new partner, über-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf, that vampires can be redeemed won’t be easy . . . especially when a deadly new threat arises, endangering not only the Palatine, but Meena’s friends and family as well. As she unravels the truth, Meena will find her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare . . . and temptations she never even imagined before nearly impossible to resist.“

I fell in love with the protagonist for this work long ago in the first novel in the series: Insatiable. As I have previously gushed about her: “Meena Harper is absolutely one of Meg Cabot’s best characters to date. She’s not your conventional anything and yet she winds up being a fantastic heroine who readers will not only pull for and but also find irresistible.” Since I adored the first book in the series so very much I was naturally very excited to get to read Overbite and not only did I read it once in 2011…I read it again just for this tour.

Overbite for sure does not disappoint. It’s such as unique, quirky take on the underworld of the paranormal. Cabot really takes paranormal creatures and makes them her own and I love that about her writing. She can write about just about anything from realistic teen fiction to paranormal creatures in adult situations and her writing style is still so inventive and comedic that at times it almost seems to be a little bit of parody. No matter how you classify it, I would recommend the “Meena Harper” books for anyone looking for that fun read to just sit back and enjoy…..and sometimes we all need that. Something to make you laugh, something to take you away from the every day and into the fantastical and sometimes hilarious world of Meg Cabot. It’s a good place to be in. It was definitely an escape for me to tag along with Meena once again and watch as she held the fate of Manhattan in her relatively normal hands.

Another plus is that while I completely recommend you read Insatiable, you could read Overbite as a stand alone book as well. It has the power to stand on its own which shows how well Cabot has written her back story and characters independent of the first book in the series. Either way you choose to experience the book…Enjoy!

Want to check in with Meg? You can visit her Facebook, Blog, Twitter and Website for more information on this book or any of her other fabulous titles. In the past Stiletto Storytime has also been lucky enough to have the wonderful Meg Cabot as a guest writer and you can read about some of her favorite childhood reads and her early experiences with librarians here. Having Meg on the site has definitely been a highlight of my blog and reading her work continues to be a great experience in and of itself again and again. Overbite has been no exception.

Blog Tour: Paranormal by Raymond Moody M.D. & Paul Perry

    Who hasn’t wondered about what happens right after death or about the possibility of an after-life? Most may occasionally think upon the subject but for Raymond Moody it has been somewhat of a life-long obsession and a true quest for answers to one of life’s most mysterious events- he has tried to solve it by searching through everything from modern day personal accounts to the literature left behind by ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates. Moody is known somewhat as the expert on what he termed “Near Death Experiences” or (NDE). At one point in his research he was even nicknamed “Dr. Death”. He is now considered a world recognized expert on NDE. His first interest in death and what happens afterwards began at a young age which then lead him into a fascination with philosophy and psychiatry which he links closely with the idea of an after-life.

As to what to expect from this book at first I found the title somewhat misleading. I expected more of the paranormal or testimony there of. Turns out that happened much earlier on in Moody’s famous book Life After Life. This book is more about Raymond Moody’s life as the second part of the title suggests. In the end it winds up being somewhat of a memoir, autobiography and record of his work and life all tied together which may disappoint some readers who were looking for more of that paranormal experience.

However for what the book is, it is well written and not too technical in it’s scientific aspects. I found it to be a good read for those interested in the topic however I think I may go back to read his first book to get more of the informational type look at the after-life that I was more interested in. If you are interested in Raymond Moody however and his life and studies of NDE and the after-life, I think this is the perfect book for you. Just expect it to be more about him than the actual topic at hand. As with most books we usually find them more enjoyable when they are what we expected them to be. So that would be my only warning on going into this book for readers and their expectations. Make sure to continue this TLC Book Tour with other great bloggers here and see what they had to say about this book as well.

Kiersten White’s Supernaturally Blog Tour

  Siletto Storytime is pleased to be a stop on Kiersten White’s Supernaturally Blog Tour. Each stop on the tour includes a fabulous guest post from author Kiersten White herself. Each post details a different creature encountered in the series. Stiletto Storytime was lucky enough to get the troll…definitely a creature that plays a critical role in the latest book.  So read below for a completer dossier and artist rendering of the troll. Also make sure to check out the next stop on the Supernaturally tour at Pure Imagination on September 19th.

IPCA Employee Handbook Section 3.1.6

Trolls
Level Three
Known Entity (Human Mimicry), Ancient Origin, Parallel Evolution, Predatory
Immortality: Undetermined, extremely long lives but aging apparent
Breeding: Theoretical cross-breeding dangers, no confirmed instances

Appearance: Northern European in appearance, blonde hair with one notably snarled patch. Typically stocky in build, close-set eyes, blocky features, tails (nearly always hidden). All ages, though their young are rarely seen.
Myths: Anecdotal tales about trolls are neither substantiated nor refuted. Trolls are neither giant nor grotesquely misshapen. Fear of lightning unconfirmed.
Facts: Trolls often live underground in vast social networks. They have been known to steal everything from livestock to entire villages, keeping humans as servants and taking over their homes. They are stronger than the average person, and some reports theorize that trolls can turn invisible at will, though this could be a reflection of their skill at blending and hiding, whether underground or in plain sight.
Dangers: Strength, possible invisibility, theft, violence, numbers (unlike most paranormals, trolls always live in large networks of family units). Trolls should only be confronted when location is confirmed and surrounded. Iron sensitivity, though not pronounced, is present. Tranquilizers and Tasers are effective (please see: Appendices: Weapons, Uses of, sections 4.2-.7).

Information contributed by Evelyn age 15 (please see Appendices Catalog, Section 7, for details on glamour-piercing abilities), transcribed from the original audio: Trolls? Bleep, I dunno. It’s been forever since we found that village. I remember them being extra tall, broad shoulders, kinda thick builds. Super strong—I wouldn’t want to face one alone. Under their glamours they’re not much different. Though some of them did seem to be shimmering strangely as they ran away. Also they could use a serious hair-care regime. It’s sad seeing so many natural blondes letting their hair rat up like that.

Artist rendering of Evelyn’s description:

Think you might want to learn more about how the trolls fit into the paranormal world created by Kiersten White in her hit series? Check out my reviews of  Supernaturally  and Paranormalcy to learn more about the books. You can also visit Kiersten at her website and learn more about her upcoming physical tour.

Guest Post & Giveaway: Author Kelley Armstrong Celebrates the Otherworld’s 10th Anniversary

Today at Stiletto Storytime we welcome author Kelley Armstrong who recently released Spell Bound which is the twelfth book in her New York Times best-selling Otherworld series. The Otherworld series itself is also celebrating it’s 10th Anniversary. Today Kelley joins us to talk about how she keeps her writing and multiple series going for such a successful period of time. So without further ado…Welcome Kelley! 

Over and Over Again

When my Otherworld series hit the double-digits, I started getting a few new frequently-asked-questions when I spoke to aspiring authors. For those still working on getting one book published, ten seemed to be the magical number that took the dream from “I could do that” to “how the heck does any writer do that?” Not surprisingly, then, these writers have questions. Lots of them.They ask about continuity—how do you keep it all straight? And they ask about creativity—how do you come up with new plots? Those two are easy. For continuity, I use a series bible and a group of beta readers. For creativity, it’s never been an issue because I’m working in a huge fictional world, with a slew of narrators, each inhabiting their own corner of that world, each corner with its own set of issues and concerns.There is, however, another question, one new writers can be reluctant to ask, at the risk of offending an author. Eventually, though, someone will. After more than ten books, how do you keep from repeating yourself? From over-using words and phrases to overusing plot devices? The short answer is that I don’t. I try, but I when look back over my body of work,I do see all those pet phrases, pet word and pet plot devices.Even this week, editing the last book in the series, one of my editors made me a handy little list of “words I overuse.” As far back as Dime Store Magic, I can remember getting a note from the copyeditor that I “seemed to have a lot of people turning.” Yes, turning. Don’t ask me why. My characters just like to turn. Since that book, I’ve been vigilantly rooting out all unnecessary turns. So what’s on my editor’s current list of “words I overuse”? Spun. Wheeled. Swung. Oh, yes, apparently my characters are still turning…they’ve just doing it with more style.That same editor has pointed out my fondness for alleys. As she rightly notes, there are more alleys in my books than you’d find in any modern city. So I started using service lanes. Yep, take a look at the last fewOtherworld books and notice how often characters run down service lanes between building. Hey, they aren’t alleys!Another overused bit of geography that she’s noted? Abandoned warehouses. I love abandoned warehouse and have embraced that love. Instead of eliminating them, I’ve turned it into a running joke in the Otherworld. Same with kidnapping. My characters get taken captive so often they’ve started keeping track and competing for the dubious honor of “most kidnapped.” And don’t even try to make a drinking game of how many times they’ve been sedated, gassed, knocked out or otherwise rendered unconscious. I swear some of them have been KO’d more times than the worst boxer.I can joke about these overused phrases and devices now, but there was a time, maybe halfway through the series, when they bothered me to the point where I experienced the closest thing I’ve ever had to writer’s block. I kept trying to plot a book where no one gets kidnapped, knocked unconscious, lured into an alley, ambushed in an abandoned warehouse…and it paralyzed me. I eventually came to accept that I am going to repeat myself. It’s inevitable. If I can avoid it, I should. But if I can’t, then I should just have some fun with it and move on. It’s the overarching plot and the characters that count, and that’s where I have to concentrate on avoiding repetition.

Book Giveaway

One lucky reader of Stiletto Storytime will win their very own copy of Spell Bound. Giveaway ends midnight EST September 14, 2011. US/Canada addresses only please. The winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address.Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply comment below sharing your favorite long running series or author.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower Stiletto Storytime on Twitter (Leave Name)

Be/Become a Follower of author Kelley Armstrong on Twitter (Leave Name)

Review: Envy by Gregg Olsen

    It all begins with the death of a fifteen year old girl named Katelyn. A girl who was indeed emotionally troubled but not believed to be suicidal. A girl who may have been having a hard time in her life. Her death…seems accidental or even a possible suicide but a select few think not. Twins Hayley and  Taylor Ryan “feel” something is not right and for them that’s a big deal. You see the sisters are special. Everyone thinks so- they are at least the chosen ones from when years before they and Kateyln were the only children to survive a horrific accident. But beyond that they “see” more than most people around them and they are determined to find out the truth about Kathelyn’s death no matter what it takes.

In a story that is literally torn right from the nightly news, Gregg Olsen has presented us with a tale that is part thriller, part mystery with a smattering of real-life and a dash of the paranormal.  It’s setting Port Gamble, Washington also known as “Empty Coffin” has it’s own spook factor to boot with a past of paranormal and spooky proportions. In the end the book is a bit chilling and odd. There is a definite creep factor at work here. At times it can be predictable but the twists and turns along with a surprise ending make it all worth it in the end.

From the very first few pages and the cover I really wanted to love this book. I wanted to dive right in and not surface until finished but I found for me that was not the case. The book jumps around a lot especially in the beginning with differing characters and time frames…it takes awhile for one to get their bearings about the story. I found myself having to take breaks and then come back and re-orient myself to the storyline. However once the story gets rolling it really takes off and you find yourself eager for the next page. Add in a long list of supporting characters that are well developed and presented along with sub-plots that work into the story seamlessly and you have a book that I think will do really well with the young adult audience.

Envy is scheduled to be the first of six books in the Empty Coffin series. I assume this means each book will be placed in Port Gamble, Washington so it will be interesting to see how the author continues on with this cast of characters. Hopefully each story will reman as fresh as this one was.

You can watch the book trailer and read more about the book at Gregg Olsen’s website.

Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

 Evie once spent her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency fighting all manner of paranormal beings. As a kick butt paranormal warrior, she often encountered the unknown but nothing ever prepared her for the horror that is high school. Once she dreamed of the things the usual teenager takes for granted like having a locker, playing school sports and of course that very first kiss. Now she’s found while the kiss may be all she dreamed of other parts of life may not.

After choosing a normal life over her once actively abnormal profession, Evie tries desperately to immerse herself in school, her part time job at a not so typical diner and her dreamy shape-shifting boyfriend Lend. However can a life of the everyday keep her happy when she’s always been so special?

When an offer to re-join the IPCA as a part-time consultant comes along Evie can’t help but be lured back in. Whether it’s her desire to re-connect with Raquel who has been the closest she’s ever had to a mother or her simple need to feel needed, Evie doesn’t know how to resist the pull of her former life. However things at the IPCA have changed since she left. The loss of a best friend and a complete restructuring have left the center different and yet still somehow the same as she jumps back into her former escapades.  Additionally a new boy has joined the team who can walk the faerie paths which luckily eliminates Evie’s need to work with the fey who seem to still have an unhealthy interest in her.

 Her new partner Jack may seem like the good-looking boy next-door but Evie soon finds he’s definitely one to watch.  Especially since Lend does not seem too thrilled about her returning to her old job or her new blonde haired and blue-eyed partner. And of course there is the little matter of Lend being immortal and not knowing it. Does Evie tell him and change everything they have or risk losing him forever by keeping it a secret? As author Kiersten White proves the course of true love does not always run smooth even if it is of the paranormal variety.

 In the end Evie soon finds that between keeping an off kilter teenage boy out of trouble, tracking random rogue paranormals and maintaining a normal relationship with a shapeshifter -who has time for homework? Once again Kiersten White has managed to put the normal back into paranormal by combining out of this world creatures in a everyday setting that makes her series both irresistibly readable and unique.

 As is the case with most highly successful debuts, readers often wonder will the sequel in a series live up to the hype? Author Kiersten White’s Supernaturally answers that question with a resounding yes. Quirky, fun and downright entertaining Supernaturally will keep teens reading long into the night. As the story of Evie continues readers will find they are falling in love all over again with a pink loving paranormal avenger.

Need an update or want to check out the first book in the Paranormalcy series. Check out my review for Parnormalcy. 

Supernaturally by Kiersten White will be released on July 26, 2011.

Book Birthday: Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Happy Book Birthday to

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

“A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.”

Let me begin by stating that I rarely get scared by a book. Now I am not saying that this book necessarily scared me but the creepy factor on this one is right on up there for all of you lovers of all things that go “bump in the night”. This is probably one of the more unsettling books I have ever read and rightly so considering it’s subject matter at times.  Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children is jarring for many reasons but the main one for me was the tying in of the true horrors of history with the paranormal. Monsters may not scare many when written about on the page of a book but who can deny the fear of true life events that cost millions of lives. Secondly the connection of the story and the photographs truly makes this book. Usually my imagination can top almost anything visually offered to me in a book but in this case I think the photographs truly help tell the story in a way that would not be possible without them. Undeniably odd and unique, this is one book you don’t want to miss and probably won’t be able to since everyone will be talking about it.

Part horror , part historical and part fantasy, Ransom Riggs has created a story that will sweep you away to another place. The question is do you want to go there?  Every family has secrets but some have horrors of fantastical nature lurking in their past.

Reading in bed at night with this one is the only way to go.

Book Giveaway

Thanks to the superbly generous Quirk Books three lucky readers of Stiletto Storytime will win their very own copy of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children and a promotional poster. Giveaway ends midnight EST June 14, 2011. US and Canada address only please. Winners will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply watch the creepy trailer for this book (you will not regret it) and leave a comment below letting me know why you want to read it? What has caught your eye? And just so you know the movie rights have already been purchased by 20th Century Fox so get ready for this book to also hit the big screen sometime in the future.

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower Stiletto Storytime on Twitter

Be/Become a Follower Quirk Books on  Twitter

Tweet or Blog about this “Book Birthday” Giveaway (Please leave links in comments)

Book Birthday: The Art of Seducing A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

Happy Book Birthday to Molly Harper’s

The Art of Seducing A Naked Werewolf.

“Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .”

This is the second book in Molly Harper’s newest series. The first book was How to Flirt with A Naked Werewolf. When I received my copy of this latest addition I was a bit dismayed to learn that this book was to be narrated by a different character than the first. I absolutely adored the first book and Mo is such a fabulous character I was eager for more…. However I should have known since it was a Molly Harper book- do not to be alarmed. Harper has created a personality just as big as Mo and perhaps even funnier to boot in her tom boy alpha Maggie.

The Art of Seducing A Naked Werewolf has everything you need for a feel good book that will have you giggling and unable to stop turning the pages long into the night. Molly Harper has become one of my go-to authors. Her characters and settings flow so well…her books are always sure to be enjoyable and addicting. They are simply a pleasant reading experience guaranteed. This second volume in the series works best if you read it in order however it can also stand alone if necessary. So give it a try….you will not be disappointed. Also if you are a bibliophile check out Harper’s paranormal librarian series which is one of my very favorites. It’s the perfect time to catch up since the fourth book in the Jane Jameson series is on the way!

 

Who said research wasn’t fun?

 

Book Giveaway

Thanks to the always generous Molly Harper one lucky reader of Stiletto Storytime will win their very own copy of The Art of Seducing A Naked Werewolf. Giveaway ends midnight EST April 9, 2011. US and Canada address only please. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by e-mail address. Good Luck to all and Happy Reading!

To enter simply leave a comment below letting my know what “Book Birthday” you are looking forward to in the near future. What new release are you eagerly anticipating? Any pre-order worthy books coming up for you?

Want extra entries? You can get an extra entry by doing any of the following:

Be/Become a Follower of Stiletto Storytime

Be/Become a Follower Stiletto Storytime on Twitter

Be/Become a Follower Author Molly Harper on Twitter

Tweet or Blog about this “Book Birthday” Giveaway (Please leave link in comments)