A Book Obsession..

Early Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

, by KT

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood #2

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.

Even though months have passed since Anna through herself into hell to save Cas, he can't seem to move on with his life. He's barely functioning, only going through the motions, and his friends are getting worried. Their concern gets even worse as Cas starts to see Anna everywhere, with each vision showing her more and more gruesome and tortured. Torn between thinking he has finally lost it and wanting to believe Anna is actually reaching out, Cas and his friends set out to find out the truth. But the answers they find only lead to more questions and reveal a shocking truth about Cas's past that will forever change everything.

I really loved the added depth to Cas's character in Girl of Nightmares. There is so much more emotion in him this time around now that he has lost Anna, becoming quite tortured. His sanity seems to crumble a little more each time he sees her be torn apart right in front of his eyes. And yet, his determination never once falters despite the amazing amount of obstacles in his way. Despite his desperate need to find her and all the things weighing him down, he never once loses his true self. We still get plenty of his smart-ass cracks bringing a levity that should not be possible considering the terrifying circumstances. I really admire Kendare's ability to blend in these lighter moments in between the horror, making it a little easier for me to breath while reading.

The horror was every bit as prevalent in Girl of Nightmares as the first installment. Perhaps it has just been a while since I read Anna Dressed in Blood, but I almost feel like the creepiness was ten times worse this time around. Each scene where Anna would appear in front of Cas only got worse and worse with the terror and gore making me shudder. In fact, my emotional attachment was so much higher this time around now that it only made the horror even worse. I will say that the suicide forest scene should never be read alone in the dead quiet of night, like I did. If any sound had of happened in my house at that moment, I highly doubt I would have recovered. So all you horror fans out there, don't worry, Kendare more than brings the creepy this time around.

Anna Dressed in Blood was an incredibly amazing book that would be a very hard act to follow. Not only does Girl of Nightmares more than live up to its predecessor, but it may just very well surpass it due to the way it ended. While the ending of Girl of Nightmares was bittersweet, it was absolutely astoundingly perfect. It is one of the rare moments where a book has me feeling completely fulfilled without actually giving me the outcome I was hoping for. In fact, I realize now that what I wanted would have never rewarded me with the sigh of contentment I experienced. Seriously, this may just be my very favorite ending ever, and trust me that is saying something. I cannot possibly recommend these books any higher. So, when Girl of Nightmares is released, run, do not walk to your nearest bookstore and snatch this title up. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order:

Other Reviews:

The Reader's Den

Previous Books:

Anna Dressed in Blood

Bargain Books & Kindle Deals (10)

, by KT

I've decided to make my Bargain Book and Kindle Deal finds a weekly feature here at A Book Obsession.. If you guys are anything like me, your book addiction can easily get out of hand, so any sales/deals are a huge help. If you like any of the deals below, I would appreciate if you use the affiliate links below. All earning support the giveaways here on the blog. :)

(Prices accurate as of 7/23)

Bargain New Paperbacks/Hardcovers:

Kindle Deals:

$0.99

$1.59 $2.99 $3.99 $4.99

Waiting on Wednesday (105)

, by KT

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.

My pick this week:

Auracle

by Gina Rosati

Publication Date: August 7th, 2012

Pre-Order:

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

Blood Fever Giveaway

, by KT

I have an ARC copy of Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff that I'm giving away. I really loved the first two books in this series, and Blood Fever was every bit as good. So, I want to pass my copy on to someone else to enjoy it as well. Enter via the raffle copter widget below.

Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff

The Watchers #3

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME—EVEN IF HOME IS WHERE THE DEAD LIVE...

It’s the start of the fall semester, and a new crop of Acari and Trainees have descended on the Isle of Night. Watcher training has intensified, and Drew has a new roommate named Mei-Ling. But Mei-Ling harbors a dangerous secret that drove the vampires to abduct her against her will. Drew knows she shouldn’t get involved, but she can’t seem to leave her roommate to fend for herself.

Luckily, Drew has other things on her mind—like vampire Carden. A blood bond to a brawny, eighteenth-century Scottish bad boy tends to preoccupy a girl. And though she’s still figuring out what this bond means, one thing has become clear: She craves him in a major way.

But then bodies start turning up on the island. All the evidence points to the existence of a rogue vampire, and the sinister vampire Alcántara is gunning for Carden, even though Drew has proof that Carden had nothing to do with the murders. Now she has to find the true killer—without endangering Carden, Mei-Ling, or herself…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Early Review: Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff

, by KT

Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff

The Watchers #3

It's a new semester on the island, and Drew has a new roommate, Mei-Ling. She's different from the other girls as she didn't chose this life. The vamps stole her as she has something they covet. Knowing the girls on the island will chew her up and spit her out, Alex is determined to look out for Mei-Ling. But babysitting her roommate is the least of her problems. Since rescuing Master Vampire Carden in the previous installment, Alex has been trying to figure out the bond between them. All she really knows is that she craves him in the worst way. So when bodies start showing up drained and Carden is accused, Alex is determined to do everything she can to clear his name and keep him safe, even it if mean risking her own life.

The plethora of potential love interests seemed to settle down a great deal in Blood Fever. Some faded to the background as the relationship dynamic changed more to allies rather than attraction. Another seemed to be on the brink of dissolution, which considering the circumstances, isn't really a good thing, at least not where Alex's safety is concerned. But one came firmly to the forefront. Since the vamps in this series are cruel and manipulative without a romantic bone in their bodies, I never thought I would actually be rooting for Alex to be with one. However, that being said, Carden is quite different than his counterparts, and it makes me wonder if there are other more "human" vamps out there. Perhaps the ones on the island (and the ones she encountered on her mission) are just an evil bunch. Just like humans can be good or bad, perhaps the same applies to the vamps as well.

I still don't really understand the purpose of the island although I do have theories. Why do the vamps even need the Watchers to be warriors? They are supposed to be so strong, why do they need humans to protect them? Why they train these girls to be able to outmaneuver them is beyond me. Perhaps they are just that arrogant that they don't believe one of them would be capable of doing so. Even so, it just strikes me as odd that they don't just train them in obedience, manners, and poise. Considering how much the vamps like to be in control, you would think a warrior wouldn't make for the perfect companion. Perhaps it is a status thing to have the cream of the crop, but honestly I have a feeling it will come back to bite them in the behind one day. Perhaps our dear Alex will be the one to take them down and show them the error of their ways, and I will be cheering for her all the way.

Alex really shines in Blood Fever, even as her personality traits were laid bare in front of her. She has managed to hold true to her humanity even as she continues to play the deadly game of survival that the island holds. She really stands above the rest of her peers as her iron strength and will has not turned her cruel. She still has compassion, although the vamps do their best to stomp it out. That more than anything else is what makes this series so very enjoyable. With each book released in the Watchers Series, I only become more invested. Blood Fever was no exception as it takes everything that I loved from the first two installments and only made it better. Definitely a must read!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-Order:

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

Ashley Robertson Guest Post & Giveaway

, by KT

I'm very happy to introduce Ashley Robertson to A Book Obsession.. today. She's written some really helpful information about hiring a professional editor for any manuscript you want to sell rather traditionally or via the self-publishing route. Definitely good information to have, and I hope you enjoy the post. Make sure to keep reading as Ashley will be giving away two e-copies of her book Unguarded.

You’ve Just Finished Your First Manuscript And Now You’re Ready To Publish—NOT!

By Ashley Robertson

I almost made this grave mistake with my debut novel Crimson Groves. After editing it myself, reading it over and over and over again, I thought my YA/urban fantasy novel was perfect and ready to be shared with the world. But it wasn’t even close! My husband was the first to “test read” my novel, and he caught several blaring grammar errors—even after all that editing I’d done. I was completely bummed and immediately dove back into reading over my manuscript again, for about the thirteenth time. Halfway through this round of grueling edits, of which I still wasn’t catching all the errors because quite honestly, you know the story in your mind and when you’re reading it over, your brain allows you to see the words that are meant to be there, not the typos that really are, my husband suggested that I needed to find a professional editor. At the time, I’d been planning on presenting my novel to a whole slew of agencies that accepted my genre and assumed that once I got signed, all the editing would be handled for me. This assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth. Nowadays, most agencies aren’t even interested in new and upcoming authors—they seem to be targeting successful indie (self-pub) authors instead, purchasing the rights of the existing book and then selling it to a big publishing company that will reproduce your novel through their famed publishing warehouse. So you see, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll end up self-pubbing, and trust me when I say there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve read countless indie books that blew me away—and guess what?—all of them were professionally edited with no grammar errors to act as speed bumps throughout the story.

Now, back to getting your manuscript edited. Even if you still want to pursue the traditional route and seek out an agent, you MUST have a clean and polished novel to present to them. Period. This is your chance to stand out above all your competitors, and trust me when I say there are thousands of new authors coming out almost every week—yes, it’s that competitive. Hiring an editor is an expense that, in my opinion, is worth every penny. After all, you want your story to be perfect, right?

So where do you find a good editor? Well, I’m very partial to mine—Stephen Delaney with Close Reader Editing Services (http://www.closereaderediting.com/). He’s done an amazing job with both my debut novel Crimson Groves and my new mature/YA/urban fantasy/paranormal thriller UnGuarded. Not only does he provide meticulous attention to detail, story, plot, characters, etc., but he also makes suggestions on how certain sentences and paragraphs could be better, adding that extra oomph to keep the reader turning those pages. There are also some helpful websites where you can find the perfect editor for your genre—yes, just like you need to target agencies that accept your genre, the same rule applies to finding your editor. http://pred-ed.com/peesla.htm and http://www.the-efa.org/dir/search.php are just a couple sites out of many that list editors and what services each one provides.

Compare pricing! Before connecting with Stephen, I narrowed down my editor search to my top-three picks. I reached out to each one inquiring not only about their pricing, but also what the turnaround time frame would be. Both price and timing worked best with Stephen and that’s how my choice was originally made—but at the time it was still a leap of faith since I had NO IDEA what to really expect. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised, and I couldn’t wait to work with him again on Unguarded! Keep in mind, you not only need an editor for EVERY book you write, but if you go after an agent the traditional way, it’s in your best interest to get your query letter edited too, since that’s the absolute first thing the agent will see before requesting sample chapters.

Be mindful of your budget! If you receive the countless rejection letters that MOST authors are no stranger to, then be prepared to eat the cost of the editing. In other words, you may not get that money back. And if you go the indie route, you will have other fees to consider too (i.e., book cover, paperback formatting, etc.), but most self-pub companies offer package deals that will include all of that—and they even have editing services too.

In summary, there really is no choice as to whether you need a professional editor or not—the choice is simply what editor is going to be your lifelong business partner in your writing career. Best of luck finding your version of my Stephen.

~Ash

Author Info:

Ashley Robertson resides in sunny Orlando, Florida and loves reading and writing about everything urban fantasy and paranormal romance. When she isn't writing you'll find her spending time with family and friends, training in her home gym, traveling and exploring new places, drinking fine red wines, and making gourmet coffees with her Nespresso machine.

Find Ashley online:

Website Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Book Info:

Guardian angel Selene was so close to becoming an archangel—the supreme of all beings—until she fell in love with Cole, a forbidden dark one. Once she discovers her vampire lover has been kidnapped and the only way to save him is by abandoning her number one priority—Caitlyn, her human charge—there really is only one answer in Selene’s mind, even though leaving Caitlyn unguarded will most likely cause Selene to fall from grace.

But her choice to save Cole doesn’t come without a price…and now Selene is racing against time to not only save her dark lover, but find a way to keep Caitlyn alive as well.

With the help of a new vampire ally, Luke, Selene will push her diminishing angel abilities to the point where her very existence lies in the balance. Now threatened with the chance of becoming a fallen angel or even dying, Selene can only pray she’ll have enough time—and good grace—to save the ones she loves.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday What Are You Reading (105)

, by KT

It's Monday! What Are You Reading, is hosted by Book Journey, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Here's my posts from the last week:

Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent (Review)
Darklands by Nancy Holzner (Early Review)
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews (Early Review)

I absolutely loved Before I Wake. Rachel Vincent is such a talented author. I still cannot believe the next book will be the last in the series. I really am going to miss these awesome characters.

Darklands was a really great installment in the Deadtown series. With the way things ended, things are definitely shook up and the next book should prove to be very interesting.

Gunmetal Magic was really great, and I loved the new dimension it added to the already fabulous Kate Daniels series. I really love Andrea!

I featured Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews for Waiting on Wednesday

This week's Bargain Books & Kindle Deals

T.G.I.F this week was a throwback question, and I picked my favorite.

I'm giving away an ARC copy of Biting Cold by Chloe Neill. (Ends Tonight)

I'm also giving away a copy of Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews (Ends 7/26)

Ashley Robertson is giving away two copies of her new book Unguarded (Ends 7/30)

Also make sure you check back tomorrow for a giveaway of Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff

My Upcoming List:

Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff (Early Review)
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake (Early Review)
Biting Cold by Chloe Neill (Early Review)

Gunmetal Magic Giveaway

, by KT

I am so excited to be giving away Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews here on the blog! I really loved this book, and it will be a special treat for fans of the Kate Daniels series.

Here a snippet from my review:
"Every bit as good as its predecessors, Gunmetal Magic adds a new dimension to the already fantastic Kate Daniels world. Once again Ilona and Gordon proved just how fantastic they are as writers, seamlessly blending action, romance, and humor into a story that cannot be put down once it is started. Gunmetal Magic is not to be missed!"
Full review here

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels #5.5

Some people have everything figured out — Andrea Nash is not one of those people. After being kicked out of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend, Kate Daniels.

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano — the male alpha of Clan Bouda and Andrea's former lover — die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate ... and must work with Raphael. As her search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, Andrea knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a backseat to saving the world ...

Giveaway Provided by Ace Books

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Early Review: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

, by KT

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels #5.5

Life has hit rock bottom for Andrea. After finding out she was a shapeshifter, the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid kicked her out with prejudice, leaving her without the stability of the only real family and loyalty she has ever known. Even worse is the fact that she lost the loyalty of her mate, Raphael when she chose the Order over his Pack. The only thing holding her together is her work with her best friend, Kate in their investigative firm. But when she's assigned to investigate a multiple homicide of shifters employed by Raphael, and forced to work with him, all the fine threads holding her old self together finally snap, leaving a very enraged and unpredictable bouda in their place.

Andrea is such a damaged character, and in Gunmetal Magic we see her almost at her breaking point. Considering what she has endured, and how incredibly strong she is, it really shows just how hard things have become for her to come so close to breaking. To escape her past, she threw her entire loyalty into the Order, never once faltering even when it cost her the love of her life, Raphael. So, when they threw all of it back in her face and rejected her despite her many years of service, messed up can only begin to describe the state she was in. Yet, despite the horribleness of the situation, in all honestly I really think the Order dropping her was the best thing that ever happened to her. It forced her to finally face the other side of her nature. For years she has been living a half life as she suppressed her bouda side, but now that it has been exposed, she can't hide anymore. I only admired her even more as she started to pick up the broken pieces of her life to start the healing and made the hard decision of who she really wants to be.

In the previous books, I had rather mixed feelings about Raphael, at least when it came to him deserving Andrea. He was just painted as such a player as well as a very spoiled man. Andrea deserved much better than that so I was against them together at first. Then when he started to show his true devotion, I slowly melted and accepted Raphael. However, all that acceptance went out the window when he abandoned Andrea for choosing the Order over the Pack. Considering the Order was her "family" at the time, he had no right to behave the way he did. So, considering the fact that I already had a major bone with him, the stunt he pulled with another woman at the beginning of Gunmetal Magic had me seething right along with Andrea. Like her I just wanted to rail at Raphael for the hurt he had caused, and I honestly felt he was irredeemable. However, once I realized that he was hurting every bit as much as she was, I started to slowly open up to him again. I really enjoyed watching the two of them as they battled against each other, especially as it led to many hilarious moments. (Mating shifters are seriously crazy. Enough said.)

I have always loved Andrea's character in the Kate Daniels books, so I was really excited to find out she would be getting her own installment. She just had entirely too much going on for her personal messes to be justly resolved without completely overshadowing whatever crisis Kate was currently in. Even so, there still was a small worry that Andrea's installment wouldn't quite live up to the others. I shouldn't have worried as I absolutely loved it. Every bit as good as its predecessors, Gunmetal Magic adds a new dimension to the already fantastic Kate Daniels world. Once again Ilona and Gordon proved just how fantastic they are as writers, seamlessly blending action, romance, and humor into a story that cannot be put down once it is started. Gunmetal Magic is not to be missed!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

Pre-order:

Other Reviews:

Previous Books:

Magic Bites
Magic Burns
Magic Strikes
Magic Bleeds
Magic Slays

T.G.I.F. (12)

, by KT

Hosted by GReads

This Week's Question:

Throwback TGIF: Pick a previous question you posted on your blog in the past & revisit your answer. Has it changed since then?

I haven't been participating in this meme for very long, so the answer to any of the questions hasn't really changed. However I am going to re-post my June 8th question here because I really loved it, but it didn't seem to get a lot of notice, so hopefully the second time will be the charm. :)

(Re-post from 6/8/12)

Cast Your Own Story: If you could use existing characters from some of your favorite books to create a new story, who would be in it?

I would love to have a story about a couples retreat survivor style featuring my favorite couples from the Urban Fantasy Genre. They would all go head to head. Oh and the ones that lose must forfeit their man over to me for safe keeping *GRINS*

*Note: The couples listed below are who I want to see paired up, not necessarily who are actually together in the books. So, not spoilery for those who haven’t read the books :)

Kate & Curran	Clay & Elena	Riley & Quinn	Mercy & Adam
Gin & Owen	Cat & Bones	Camile & Smoky & Trillian & Morio grins	Rachel & Trent
Rose & Dimitri	Georgina & Seth	Allie and Zayvion	Joanne & Morrison
Ethan & Merit	Alex & Death	Jaz & Vayl	Elena & Raphael

In fact, I think I might do a blog feature showdown of these guys duking it out. Would that be fun? Would anyone be interested in being champions for any of the couples? Also, who are some of your favorites?