THE INDIGO SPELL ~ WHO IS MARCUS FINCH: CLUE 7 + GIVEAWAY

Today is Clue Seven The Indigo Spell's "Who Is Marcus Finch?" campaign.

 

Here is your seventh clue...

 

 

Check back in tomorrow for Clue #8

Series: Bloodlines #3
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: 2/12/13

 

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.
 

Bloodlines Website  |  Facebook  |  Bloodlines Trailer  |  Bloodlines Excerpt

 

GIVEAWAY

 

I also have one finished copy of The Indigo Spell to give away! The giveaway will run the length of the clue reveals. This giveaway is open to US residents only. Just enter the Rafflecopter form.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

BLOG TOUR ~ MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY by RACHEL HARRIS {REVIEW, GUEST POST, and GIVEAWAY}

 

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century Blog Tour. I'm super excited! My stop includes my review of the book, a guest post from author Rachel Harris, and a tour giveaway.

 

Series: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #1

Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Format: eARC
Pages:
Source: Received from publisher for review.

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Full of charm and heart, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century is one girl's magical journey towards finding herself.

My Super Sweet is a book that I had been looking forward to since I first read the synopsis, and I'll admit it, the cover totally hooked me. I'm so happy that I got the chance to read it early because I simply adored it.

Author Rachel Harris did a phenomenal job of recreating Sixteenth Century Florence. So many details that could have been easily overlooked, such as the silverware and plumbing used, helped lend a nice touch of authenticity. The manners and speech of the Sixteenth century felt real. I loved that Cat continually struggled throughout the story to behave in a manner that reflected that era.

The characters in My Super Sweet all hit the right notes. Cat was lovable, awkward, funny and charming. Alessandra was a doll. I love that she openly embraced Cat and gave her no choice but to love her. Lorenz was super swoony, everything you expect in an Italian gentleman, without coming on too strong.

I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the story. Cat's journey towards trust, being open to love was one any of us can learn from. But besides the lesson, My Super Sweet was fun! The setting provided the perfect opportunity for an escape. In fact, it's the best Italian getaway you can hope for,short of actually going there. The ending was absolutely perfect. I think I may have even cackled with glee. I can't wait for the next adventure!

Whether you're looking for a story with depth, a sweet escape, or better yet, both, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century is a book that will find your sweet spot.

Favorite Quote:

  "Standing up, I cup my hands around my shrunken waist. It has to be at least three inches smaller, and my boobs are pressed flat, creating mounds of cleavage where there never was any before.
 At least I can look like a Kardashian while hyperventilating all over the dance floor." (eARC, pg 163)

Guest Post with Author Rachel Harris

You’re in a gypsy tent. The eerie, cool girl standing opposite you is casting some kind of hocus pocus spell, and you don’t know how but you know that soon you’ll be transported to another country, another time. You close your eyes and picture the exact moment and place you want to go.

Where is it?

In My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, that’s not exactly what happens. Cat Crawford doesn’t believe in all the magic nonsense, and frankly thinks the chick in the veil is a little whacked. But when she exits the tattered green tent in what she believes is modern day Florence, she discovers she’s no longer in Kansas—err, I mean, the twenty-first century. She’s in the sixteenth.

But if Cat did have a choice, I think she would’ve chosen exactly that. See, she’s been obsessed with the Renaissance and her Italian heritage all of her life (it’s the one good thing about her birthmother), so while she certainly turned making cultural missteps into an art form, she wasn’t as unprepared as many of us would be.

Cat pretty much got her wish, had she known to make one. So I ask you, dear blog reader, where would you wish to go?

I admit my own fascination with Renaissance Italy is one of the reasons I wrote this story, so it would definitely be at the top of my short list. I tell my husband all the time that when we hit the lottery, we’re buying a house in Tuscany, and I’ve loved the Renaissance since freshman year in high school when I read Romeo and Juliet.

But ultimately, if I really had to choose only one place to go, I think it would probably have to be Regency London.

Why Regency London?

Well, because I’m a book addict (can I get an Amen from the house?), and I love me some historical romance, and most of my all-time favorites are set during this time. The world is familiar, the language understandable, and the pageantry of it all touched with magic.

And let’s not forget…it’s also the land of Mr. Darcy.

Ahh, Mr. Darcy. You will always be my ultimate book boyfriend.

Besides the men, and their yummy English accents, I love the clothing and style of the Regency period. It’s in the past and a different world, yet not so long ago that all of their ideas are completely foreign.

And did I mention it’s the land of Mr. Darcy???

So that’s where I’d go if Reyna, Cat’s gypsy girl, suddenly landed on my doorstep, whispering a mystical chant. And now I turn it on you….where would YOU go?

Let Andrea and I know in the comments!

 Tour Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can purchase My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

As a teen, I threw raging parties that shook my parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, I read and write obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dream up characters who become my imaginary friends.

When I'm not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find me homeschooling my two beautiful princesses, hanging out with my amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate.


MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is my first novel. I did have my own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn’t televised.
Connect with Rachel at: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

{DOUBLE REVIEW and GIVEAWAY} ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD and GIRL OF NIGHTMARES by KENDARE BLAKE

Series: Anna #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 316
Source: Personal Purchase

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Anna Dressed in Blood is a book that's been highly recommended to me since it's release in August 2011. Granted, it's not a book that I would have been prone to jump at, because I don't consider myself a big fan of scary books, but that many readers can't be wrong, right?

As it turns out, the high praise for Anna Dressed in Blood was well-earned. Kendare Blake wrote a book that was both cringe-worthy and gorgeous. Scary and funny. In short, a fantastic read that reminded me a lot of Supernatural, but was completely it's own.

As well as the writing, I fell in love with the characters. Cas Lockwood is not a typically endearing protagonist. He's a teen curmudgeon. A loner. Snarky and dry-witted, but lovable all the same. Thomas, Cas' sidekick best friend, was a character that I immediately liked. Shy, awkward, and unpopular, Thomas can hold his own in the paranormal world, and it's cool to see him embrace his power. Carmel, the third member of the ghost busting trio, is a popular girl who basically runs the school. To see a girl with so much to lose, socially, sort of shrug her shoulders and hang out with Cas and Thomas was a nice surprise for me.

But I've left out the title character, Anna. I didn't expect Anna to be an actual character in the story. I obviously knew that she was important to the story, but I didn't realize that she was more than a scary ghost girl, dripping in blood. I expected Cas and Co. to spend the story trying to find a way to kill her. I didn't expect Anna to actually have a story. And what a sad, tragic story she has. It truly made me sorry for her. Sorry enough, maybe, to forgive her sins.

**Spoiler Alert**
The one problem I had with Anna Dressed in Blood is the fact that Cas basically goes gaga for Anna. This super strong connection is something that I didn't truly feel, and I just didn't get it or understand it. Why didn't Anna go after Cas? I mean, she knows he's after her. How could he just overlook the fact that she ripped kids apart, even if it wasn't truly her fault?
**End of Spoiler**

Okay, despite having that one, albeit major, problem with the story, I kind of loved Anna Dressed in Blood. I was riveted by the story, I had to know what would happen to Anna. Would she kill Cas?Would he kill her. The story was unique, beautifully written and highly entertaining.

Favorite Quote:

  "I think of her again. Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood. I wonder what tricks she'll try. I wonder if she'll be clever. Will she float? Will she laugh or scream?
  How will she try to kill me?" (pg.32)


You can purchase Anna Dressed in Blood at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository




Series: Anna #2
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 7, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Source: Received from publisher for review.

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with. Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears. Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

**This review is spoiler-free for Girl of Nightmares, but may contain spoilers for Anna Dressed in Blood.**

Anna Dressed in Blood ended with a fantastic and frightening bang. Anna took the plunge for Cas, Thomas, and Carmen; saving them and damning herself. It's an ending that had readers begging for me, and me feeling super happy that I didn't have to wait a year for Girl of Nightmares.

Girl of Nightmares picks up six months later. Cas, Thomas and Carmen are living in the aftermath of the brutal murders that occurred in Anna. They still go on missions, but the teen ghost hunters seem to have lost their groove. Cas is being haunted by visions of Anna, her being tormented in hell. Of course, this causes Cas to push towards finding Anna and freeing her, no matter the cost.

Thomas and Carmen want to be supportive, but there doesn't seem to be any way around what happened, and think Cas should move on. Carmen and Thomas were great in this book. Thomas is such a devoted best friend and never once hesitates, even though he surely is frightened. Carmen surprised me. She has moments of doubt, but is always strong. Her uncertainty and questioning made her the most realistic character in the story.

But...it sort of felt like Cas' not-quite-charming-but-still-endearing personality went down the chute right along with Anna. I don't know what this kid expected. To fall in love with a girl that's been dead for sixty years, bring her back to life and live happily ever after? I know this story is fiction, it's a paranormal ghost tale. But I really wanted to punch Cas in the shoulder and tell him to "Get real for a minute." I could probably overlook it for the most part, if I ever truly understood the connection between Cas and Anna. The whole ripping people apart (even though she wasn't in control) is something I could never get past. Also, I'm bothered by his willingness to risk his, but especially his friends' lives, in order to save Anna. I sort of get it, but I mostly felt conflicted.

But when I take that aspect out of the equation, I really liked Girl of Nightmares. We learn more about the history of the athame and why Thomas has the ability to use it. Though I must say, I never felt like I had a truly clear answer about who the athame was meant for and why. I spent a nice portion of the story interested, yet put off by Cas' single-mindedness. I was worried that he would jerk around and cause me to be really disappointed with Girl of Nightmares. The last sixty-ish pages of the story saved it, for me. It was scary, exhilarating, surprising, and wound up leaving me feeling very, very satisfied.


Favorite Quote:

  "It's the Suicide Forest. I'm walking through the f^cking Suicide Forest with two witches, and a knife that flashes to the dead like a damn lighthouse."  (pg.235)

You can purchase Girl of Nightmares at:
Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Book Depository

 

Giveway

I accidentally have two copies of Anna Dressed in Blood. So I'm giving one away. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter form. a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOKS TO MOVIE GIVEAWAY HOP

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Books to Movies Giveaway Hop! This hop is being hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Sweeping the USA. There are nearly 100 blogs celebrating books that have been turned into movies or television shows.


My Giveaway:

I am so excited that City of Bones has finally started filming. Admittedly, I'm not excited about Jamie Campbell Bower playing Jace, but that's a story for another day. I cannot wait to see CoB in theaters, and am so excited to share this book with others.

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THE WEEKLY REWIND, #19

THE WEEKLY REWIND is a weekly post in which I recap the bookish awesomeness from the past week, and post a book haul. Warning: I tend to ramble in my vlogs. Sometimes I get excited about things and I flail or cry.  Enjoy, if you can.

 

                                                Book Haul

For Review:

• Touch (Denazen #2) by Jus Accardo
• Surviving High School by M. Doty
• Adaptation by Malinda Lo
• Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3) by Jackson Pearce
• Pure (Pure #1) by Julianna Baggott
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• Mia: Time to Trick or Treat by Robin Farley, Olga Ivanov, Aleksey Ivanov
• It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond
• Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood and Jed Henry

Bought:

• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
• Shark Bait (Grab Your Pole #1) by Jenn Cooksey

Gift:

• On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5) by Karina Halle

Awesome People

• Entangled Teen
• Little Brown Books for Young Readers
• Grand Central Publishing (Hachette Book Group)
• Harper Collins
• Jessica at Hackaroo's Reviews and Karina Halle

Search Terms

• "the bookish babe" - You've come to the right spot. Fantastic!
• "wrong bed right guy" - A LOT of searches for this. Good book. Check out my review.
• "you have no idea how special you..." - There were a few searches for this and I'm stumped. I think that's from Poughkeepsie.
• "august 2012 male vampire point of pov par..." Whoa. That's specific and I hate that the search got cut off because I want to know what that last word was.
• "cassandra signing" - Cassandra Clare? I have that! It was fantastic. Totally worth the twelve hour round trip.

There were also several searches for Tammara Webber and Experiment in Terror. You people make me so happy.

This Week's Posts

Reviews:
Bras Boys and Blunders by Vidya Samson, Inbetween by Tara Fuller, The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long, The Winemaker's Dinner by Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond,
Her Twisted Pleasures by Amelia James

Memes: Teaser Tuesday from The Treachery of Beautiful Things, Waiting on Wednesday (Ceaseless by Abbi Glines)

Special Features: Breathe by Sarah Crossan (Author Video), Breaking Lauren Blog Tour (Book Spotlight)

Giveaways

• The Treachery of Beautiful Things (Finished Copy, US Only)
• Follower Appreciation Giveaway (Two Winners/2 Books, International)
• The Winemaker's Dinner Tour Giveaway (US/International)
• Breaking Lauren Tour Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment, and I'll come check out your blog. Have a great week!

SPECIAL FEATURE ~ THE WINEMAKER'S DINNER

I am happy to be taking part in a special promotion of THE WINEMAKER'S DINNER by Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond, published by Omnific Publishing. The promotional tour is being hosted by AToMR Blog Tours. My stop includes a feature of THE WINEMAKER'S DINNER and a Giveaway.

Recently named executive chef at one of Miami Beach’s hottest restaurants, Jaden Thorne is determined to make her culinary mark and fulfill her professional dreams. When Jaden is given highly coveted tickets to the ultra-exclusive Winemaker’s Dinner, she jumps at the opportunity to meet South Florida's wealthiest and most influential food and wine enthusiasts.

Jaden’s eyes are drawn to the VIP section even before the appetizers appear, but she soon finds herself thinking less about networking and more about the intriguingly sexy stranger eying her from across the room. After dinner, what begins as a light-hearted flirtation unexpectedly catapults into a night of explosive passion. But when morning dawns, Jaden leaves her sleeping Mr. Oh So Sexy behind, sure they’ll never see each other again.

Dr. Ivan Rusilko, a handsome, young physician, boasts an extensive resume’ and a well-established position on Miami Beach’s social scene. But despite his success and glamour, he’s routinely had to suffer uninspiring dates and doomed relationships. With a romantic heart, Ivan’s not the love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. But when he awakens to find that the girl in the red dress has done exactly that, he resolves to find her--only if it’s just to ask why she left without even a kiss goodbye. The Winemaker’s Dinner is a fictionalized erotic memoir inspired by the romantic triumphs and tragedies of Dr. Ivan Rusilko’s real life. Weaving fact with fantasy, authors Everly Drummond and Dr. Ivan Rusilko have gifted readers with a swoon-worthy flesh and blood romantic hero and the intoxicating bouquet only a heartfelt tale of passionate love can create.

There are two FREE short stories at Omnific Publishing's site. The Winemaker's Dinner: No Reservations, by Everly Drummond, and The Winemaker's Dinner: RSVP by Dr. Ivan Rusilko.

Watch the Trailer

GIVEAWAY

Omnific Publishing is giving one winner their choice of ebook. The choices include:

Take the Cake, The Unidentified Redhead, or Small Town Girl.

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THE WEEKLY REWIND {#3}

THE WEEKLY REWIND is a weekly post in which I do a book haul and recap all the posts and giveaways from the past week Although, I don't follow a specific format, this was inspired by a few different blogs: For What It's Worth Reviews , Book Brats and Xpresso Reads.

Book Haul

Lovely.

Books Mentioned:

• INSURGENT (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
• SWEET EVIL, by Wendy Higgins
• STREAMLINE, by Jennifer Lane
• LETTERS TO KURT, by Eric Erlandson
• ON DEMON WINGS (Experiment in Terror #5) by Karina Halle
• TREMBLE (Celestra #2) by Addison Moore
• BURN (Celestra #3) by Addison Moore
• WICKED (Celestra #4) by Addison Moore
• VEX (Celestra #5) by Addison MooreEXPEL
• EXPEL (Celestra #6) by Addison Moore
• BLOOD SINGERS (Blood #1) by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Awesome People:

• April at Sim-Sational Books
• Karina Halle
• Addison Moore
• Tamara Rose Blodgett

Posts Recap:

Reviews of:

• STREAMLINE
• THOUGHTLESS
• PRETTY AMY
• ROCK ON,
• ARE WE STILL ON FOR TONIGHT?

Guest Post from author Avery Olive