"The Moon and the Tide" by Derrolyn Anderson

From Goodreads: "The Moon And The Tide is book # 2 in the Marina's Tales series.

Just when things seem to be all figured out, Marina discovers that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than she ever imagined. When a terrible accident exposes her secret, she discovers that her whole life has been one big lie, and has to cope with more than one kind of betrayal.

A dangerous enemy arrives on the scene, putting her bravery to the test and forcing her to use all of her new-found talents to protect her family. Will good win out over evil? Can love triumph over jealousy?"

 
I always find it a booger in YA books when (typically in the second or so book of a series) the female lead character (who is a newly discovered paranormal being who is starting to come into her abilities) starts to be held back by her boyfriend (who was once entirely supportive of her abilities) because he no longer feels entirely secure in his place in her newly ever changing life (ie. Laurel and David in Aprilynne Pike's "Wings" series, Kaylee and Nash from Rachel Vincent's "Soul Screamers" series, Clary and Jace from Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series, etc.) and therefore I was a bit disappointed to see that occur in this book. I especially find it frustrating when the male character jumps into the relationship with his girlfriend knowing that his she is in no way conventional (ie. she is a mermaid or she is a fairy) and yet he expects an entirely conventional girlfriend.

While the big reveal of this book didn't take me all that much by surprise, as it was hinted right from the get-go of this book, I was still excited to see how Derrolyn would have played it out- obviously she did a breathtaking job on it! Furthermore, this book was filled with a ton of action (ie. kidnappings, helicopter crashes, surfing wipe-outs, etc.) and while all of the action could have been overwhelming I never once thought while reading it, "OMG another accident? What is this? One Tree Hill?"

And I never would have thought that I would have found myself interested in surfing at all, but it is clear that after reading this book Derrolyn really knows what she is talking about- I think that I may have become as obsessed as Marina was with this past time. Once again, the characters were great- especially Shayla, the new addition to the gang. I can totally understand why she acted the way that she did in the first book, you can't help but feel for her and hope that Marina's vision of her does come true.

All in all, this is an amazing sequel to "Between the Land and the Sea"- I seriously cannot praise this series enough. I cannot wait to see what Derrolyn has in store for us next!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

"Between The Land And The Sea" by Derrolyn Anderson

From Goodreads: "Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. In just a few weeks after moving to the small beach town, sixteen year old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past to learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her...and maybe even find true love along the way.

Between The Land And The Sea is the first book in the series "Marina's Tales". Her story continues on in book two, The Moon And The Tide."

I know that mermaid books surged in popularity a few months back but for some reason I never jumped on  the mermaid bandwagon and looking back all I can do is shake my head at my stupidity. By not jumping on the bandwagon I now know that I missed out on a ton of great releases- this book included. If I had to sum this book up in a few words it would be "simply breathtaking". Everything about this book was done right, from the character development, to the unique plot line, to the romance, to the pace of the story itself- I seriously could not have asked for a better read.

As mentioned, the character development in this book was superb. Derrolyn masterfully molded characters that were so easy to relate to and characters who the reader could truly come to love, from Marina, to Ethan, to Abby, to Megan, to Evie, to Cruz (so basically all of the characters). Because Marina was so cultured and financially better off than all of the characters she could have really let it get to her head, becoming an arrogant person that no one could stand, but she didn't allow that to happen at all. She was genuinely a nice person who was entirely concerned about everyone around her. As for Ethan? Well, he totally could have been a cliched jocky/ overly popular/ pretty boy but he was anything but that, like Marina, he was beyond selfless, always putting everyone else's welfare in front of his own. Cruz, Megan, and Evie were the cherry on top of this book, adding such a comedic spin to it- I always had a smile on my face when reading of their antics.

All in all? Well, clearly I enjoyed this book! I highly recommend it to everyone (and I truly do believe that it can make those somewhat wary of mermaid stories into believers). Derrolyn is an author that we should all keep our eyes on- this book is truly one of the better books I have read in quite some time and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, "The Moon and The Tide"!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

On My Wishlist...

 

On My Wishlist is a great event that Book Chick City runs every Saturday. It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!
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"Memento Nora" by Angie Smibert

From Goodreads: "A teen struggles to hold onto her memories-and her identity-in a world that wants everyone to forget-and keep on shopping. Three dynamic teens come together to create a comic book of their memories."

"Drowning in the Dark" by Allison Karras

From Goodreads: "There’s a demon walking the streets of Freeport. And only teenager Samantha Carver can stop it.

It’s hard to outrun your past. But that’s what Sam thought she could do. After moving to a sleepy town on the Oregon coast to live with relatives, she thought she was safe. She thought she could be someone different. She thought she could be a normal teenage girl.

However, the quiet coastal town of Freeport is no refuge. After a girl at the high school is brutally murdered, the police believe Samantha’s cousin and best friend, Terry, is responsible.

But Samantha knows what her friends, teachers, and the police don’t. The murderer isn’t human. Samantha has seen this before. Too many times. She has witnessed the dead rise from their graves and do unspeakable things. She carries the scars on her skin and the sorrow in her soul to prove it.

The evil that she thought she had left behind in the rotting graveyards of her past is still stalking her.

Will Samantha be able to save Terry, Freeport, and herself from the malevolent power that threatens to rip her world apart? Or will she succumb under a surging tide of evil and drown in the growing darkness that surrounds her?

In the tradition of Amanda Hocking and Charlaine Harris comes a paranormal romantic thriller with more chills than a cold and windblown night on the Oregon coast."

The first thing I noticed about this book was that it was a mere sixty or so pages long. As such, I felt similarly to how I did prior to reading Jools Sinclair's book "44" (which was only around 79 pages or so), that due to the length of the book the plot would be rushed, that there would be lack of character development and so forth, however, as I began reading the book those worries soon dissipated as the fantastically developed characters and plot emerged.

Samantha was such a dynamic and realistic character that the reader could really relate to. She was (almost) always an extremely selfless individual, protecting those around her (especially her loved ones) was her top priority. Terry was a quite a surprising character to me, so much surrounding him I wouldn't have guessed in a million years (ie. his reaction to finding out a character had died and so forth). The character that I am hands down the most intrigued by is Shane (Errrr... Kinda Shane)- I really want to know what his back story is!

My only real complaint about this book was the lack of romance (but then I remember that when your life as you know it is seriously blowing up before your eyes, romance is most likely the last thing on your mind). There were a few times here and there in the book when it seemed like things between two of the characters may have headed in that direction, only to take a sharp turn in the opposite direction.

All in all this is a great book for fans of Jana Oliver’s “The Demon Trapper’s Daughter” and Lili St. Crow’s “Strange Angels” series! The fast pace of the book will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time while reading it, making it a quick read and making you hunger for a sequel!

Rating: 8.5/10

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Interview with Author Toni LoTempio

From Goodreads:  "Raven Grace was a college senior with ambitions of a career in law enforcement when she met the demon Aega, whose bite turned her from mortal to Shapeshifter. Now a member of the Recovery Organization, Raven keeps the peace between humans and errant Hellhounds, trolls, wizards and the like while trying to track down Aega and bring him to justice. After a particularly dicey encounter one night with a Hellhound, she goes to the aid of a girl who’s been attacked and near death—and is amazed to find Aega’s bite mark on the girl’s arm. Determined to get to the bottom of this, she revisits the victim’s apartment and there discovers her closet is a portal to a parallel universe, where people she knows lead vastly different lives. She also gets a glimpse of the Recovery Captain there—a six foot, redheaded Scotsman named Finn McPhee, whose sexy accent and even sexier bod sets her senses aflame. Seeking answers, Finn takes Raven to the magickal underworld, where an ancient fae informs them the demon’s quest is rooted in Scottish mythology and magick. As they delve deeper into legend, the truth comes to light—Aega is only a pawn, subservient to another, darker demon…a being who knows the truth about Raven’s heritage, and who orchestrated her return to this parallel universe for the ultimate showdown. Now, Finn and Raven find their passion for one another must take a backseat to Raven’s battle with a dark force who won’t be satisfied until he’s claimed her soul for his very own…" 

Where did your inspiration from "Raven's Kiss" come from? 
Oh gosh, I wanted to write a book that was different from my usual vampire/ werewolf sagas and I've always been fascinated with the concept of parallel time, ever since Dark Shadows did it years ago. Shifters seemed to be popular, so I just sat down one day and created Raven, Finn, and the concept of Raven being able to travel to a world so much like her own, yet vastly different in many ways. 

Why did you decide to incorporate a plethora of different paranormal races into your books? (side note: I totally love when authors do this- I figure the more the merrier!) 
Actually, that's my philosophy too... Most of my books, published and unpublished, have a wide variety of characters. It gives the readers something to choose from (and also makes for great spinoff series... :) )

 Out of all of the books that you have written does one stick out as the one that you are most proud to have written? 
Yes, and it's one that is as yet not published- the story of a mortal girl who works on a gothic drama with a bunch of Others, and gets involved in solving mysteries. The title back then was SOAPSUDS SEX AND SILVER BULLETS. NAL almost bought it years ago, but their editorial board shot it down- so I'm retweaking it in the hopes of making a sale. If not, that one will be self published as well. If I had to pick one out of the ones that have been published, I'd choose WITCH'S PAWN- because I wrote the original draft when I was 16, and it's the first full length novel I ever wrote. 

How would you classify "Raven's Kiss"? 
Well, I'd like to say paranormal romance but I suppose there's not enough sex in it for that, ;) So I guess because of the wide range of characters I's probably have to say UF- there is romance in the book, it's just not in your face, more like implied. 

Cliff hanger endings- love 'em or hate 'em (both in your writing and in others writing)? 
I love 'em anywhere- especially on TV :) Have you seen Castle or Grey's Anatomy? Honestly, what better way to get people aching for more?

What are you reading now? 
UNDEAD AND UNWED by Mary Janice Davidson. Oddly enough, I just discovered her books! 

Since 2010 you have been publishing your books yourself, what is the most important lesson you have learned from doing so? 
That just because agents and publishers turn down your book does not mean it's not good, or that you can't find an audience for it- you just have to do a little more legwork. 

Any words of wisdom for aspiring authors? 

Write. Relax. Write again. Repeat. And have an infinite amount of patience. Whether you are seeking an agent, to become traditionally published, or want to self publish, this truly is a business of "hurry up and wait". Something will happen, exactly how and when it's supposed to :) 

Thanks so much Toni for stopping by!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...
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Title: Nyx in the House of Night

Author: P. C. Cast
Release Date: June 7th, 2011

From Goodreads: "With more than 10 million copies sold internationally, and 7 million copies in print in North America alone, P.C. and Kristin Cast’s House of Night series, featuring fledgling teenage vampyre Zoey Redbird and her friends at the Oklahoma House of Night vampyre boarding school, is more than just another vampire series. 

A big part of the reason is its strong mythological underpinnings. From Nyx, the goddess worshipped by the series vampyres, to the Cherokee legend that drives the plot, the House of Night series is infused with elements from multiple mythos and religious traditions to create a new, modern mythology all its own.

Edited by P.C. Cast, Nyx in the House of Night—a 2-color illustrated guide to the House of Night series—brings these rich mythological influences to life, providing the real-world stories behind the series and insight into the way those stories are used to create the captivating story of Zoey and the House of Night. 

Chapters includes:
• Wiccan ritual
• The original story of Erebus and Nyx
• Cherokee mythology
• The historical significance of tattoos
• And more 

The book also includes an original introduction and chapter on Scottish folklore by P.C. Cast herself."