Wintercraft Book 1

WINTERCRAFT:
Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw

Crossing Over To The Dark Side!

Albion was a country at war. It was a war that had been going for so long that no one knew why it had started and few alive could remember a life without it. But war wasn't the only threat. Kate had always been taught to be prepared for the wardens, but it had been ten years since they had come to her town of Morvane and too many had become complacent. So no one was prepared when the wardens returned.

But with the wardens came another threat, Silas Dane, a deadly killer and a man determined to hunt down Kate for her Skill. Silas has been sent to capture Kate for the Albion council and retrieve the book Wintercraft, a powerful tool that is deadly in the wrong hands. However, Silas has his own plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

Silas destroyed Kate's home, sold her uncle into slavery and kidnapped her. But he also saved her life several times over, never once broke his word to her and from the beginning was always truthful with her. Unlike Edgar, her best friend who along with her uncle she considered her only family. Kate soon learns that Edgar has been keeping secrets from her, BIG secrets, and not just about his past. Is she really any safer with her best friend Edgar then she is with the deadly killer Silas?

Wintercraft is a powerful object and deadly in the wrong hands. Kate was just an ordinary girl with a quiet life until the day her Skill showed itself, and her magical heritage was revealed. A dark twist onto the magical girl genre where a unique and ancient world is created full of dangers and the dead with a mystery to unfold. A fast-paced adventure across country into a deadly city and across the veil into death.

Jenna Burtenshaw @ Hachette

Wintercraft

On sale: 01 June 2010
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9780755370962
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Skilled
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: three out of five
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Soul Screamers #3

SOUL SCREAMERS:

My Soul To Keep by Rachel Vincent

Take A Deep Breath!

After a month of being grounded Kaylee is ready to get out and have some fun and to finally be able to spend some time with Nash, her good looking, popular and all together too good to be true boyfriend. However Nash doesn't seem quite himself lately, but Kaylee has bigger problems to worry about.

Her first night out in a month and disaster has struck in the form of Demon's Breath. Somehow it has made its way across from the Netherworld only to be become the most popular drug to be used by the most popular guys at school. Those balloons can sure become addictive.

Things quickly move from bad to worse as Kaylee realises that everyone she loves is somehow mixed up with Demon's Breath and the Demon behind it. In the end no one is safe and no nothing will be the same, least of all Nash who as it turns out really is just too good to be true.

It's My Soul To Keep if a demon doesn't get it first. Kaylee is facing her hardest challenge yet and that's not just because it's the most dangerous. Issues of trust, sex and drugs are immersed in the supernatural as Kaylee uses her bean sidhe abilities to unravel the mystery surrounding those around her. But after being deceived, lied to and used will she be able to forgive herself.

Rachel Vincent Webpage

Rachel Vincent @ Harlequin Teen

Soul Screamers

Netherworld Survival Guide

On sale: 01 June 2010
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781921685569
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Balloons
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: four out of five
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The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed

The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle:
The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss
illustrated by Nate Taylor

Once Upon A Time!

The Princess and Mr. Whiffle live alone together in a marzipan castle, but they don't mind for they are the best of friends doing everything together. They have many great adventures facing many dangers, though none of these dangers are real but for one exception; the Thing beneath the bed.

Here at the first of three endings you can decide to stop before things get too frightening and you can still pretend that there is nothing too terrifying about the Thing beneath the bed, or else you can go on if you dare.

If you are brave enough to read on then you, along with the Princess and Mr. Whiffle, will be given a great surprise. But that sudden joy will soon turn to sadness when curiosity takes hold, a sadness that leads to terror in the night.

However you can still stop here at the second ending, it is not too late, but if your curiosity has got you hooked and you must know more, then proceed with caution for you have been warned before.

You have come this far and there is no turning back now, but why would you want to when a happy ending is just around the corner... but happy for whom?

The most shocking twist so far is yet to come, a twist that will haunt you long after the last page is read, a twist that will also amuse you if you can get over the shock. You were warned.

The Thing Beneath the Bed is an original and beautifully illustrated fairytale filled with gorgeous images that create a feeling of both innocence and malice. It is a dark and quirky story with a disturbing ending that will leave a smile on your face. Definitely not for children! though I'm sure that they will love it.

Patrick Rothfuss Webpage
Patrick Rothfuss @ Subterranean Press

On sale: 31 July 2010
Price (US): $25
ISBN: 9781596063136
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Marzipan or the Thing
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Book Of Faery Magic

The Book Of Faery Magic
by Lucy Cavendish & Serene Conneeley

'Come Away, O Human Child'

Faeries are not just tiny girls with butterfly wings dancing around and granting wishes, although they certainly can be just that. For hundreds of years faeries and their kind have been a part of our lives in some way or another, through stories and songs, and superstitions and customs. Weather you believe in them or not faeries have always been a beautiful, feared, enchanting, inspiring influence to us.

The Book Of Faery Magic is the ultimate guide to all things faery while still being entertaining, informative and enthralling. If you believe in faeries or are just curious there is much for you to learn from this book, from their history and legends, their magical gifts and sites, to their own unique beings found around the world. There are also quizzes and recipes and crafts to keep you busy while you explore their magical world.

Lucy Cavendish Webpage

Serene Conneeley Webpage

Paperback @ Mermaid Magic

Paperback @ Amazon

Faery Magic

On sale: 13 May 2010
Price (AU): $34.95
ISBN: 9780980548723
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Faery
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Corine Solomon #1

CORINE SOLOMON:

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre

Touching The Past!

It has taken several hair-dyes, numerous identities and a trip across the border for Corine to begin to feel safe enough to call one place her home, but that all changed when her ex Chance turned up on her doorstep. Someone they both love dearly has disappeared and Chance wants Corine back, but not just to help find his mother.

Corine is gifted, she can find things, know things, all with a single burning touch. She spent most of her life running from those who wished to exploit this gift. She spent most of her relationship with Chance using this gift to make money. In the end she came to believe that it was her gift Chance loved not her. But could she have been wrong?

Blue Diablo is just the beginning of Corine Solomon's series of adventures, taking you on an action packed journey into the darker side of life. Here the things that go bump in the night really are as terrifying and full of dangers as nightmares suggest. It's a fresh take on the supernatural where cultures, religions and monsters collide and where you're just as likely to be stalked, shot at and arrested as you are to be cursed and set upon by zombies.

Ann Aguirre Webpage

Ann Aguirre @ Hachette

On sale: 01 July 2010
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9781907410369
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Blue
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: four out of five
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Competition

Win Free Books

The lovely people at Hachette Children's and Winter Flings have offered me a bunch of books to giveaway.

Already at Winter Flings there are several competitions running:
- daily competitions to win the book of the day
- an automatic entry through the daily competition into the major draw to win an iPad
- bonus spot prizes on Facebook
- bonus spot prizes on Twitter
and now...

I am giving away to FIVE lucky winners a prize pack, each containing FIVE awesome books currently featured on
Winter Flings.

The Prize Packs will include ONE copy of each of the following Books:

Gallagher Girls 01: I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You

Night World Bind Up 01: Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness & Enchantress

Alone 01: Chasers

Skins: The Novel

The Silver Blade

For your chance to win ONE of FIVE of these great Prize Packs containing these books, leave a comment below stating what your ideal Winter Flings read is and why.
Australian entries only.
(Note: this same competition is also available for entry through my livejournal.)

Entries close 31 July and winners will be announced both here on my blogspot and on my livejournal on 1 August.
Good Luck

http://www.winterflings.com.au/

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The Fool's Girl

The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees

How Many Shall Fall For Her!

A young woman emerges from the sea, a lone survivor from a shipwreck, onto a foreign land. To preserve her virtue she presents herself to the Duke of Illyria as a man. In this disguise many mix-ups and mistaken identities are plotted through before Viola is able to reveal her true self to Orsino, the man she loves. Thus the story of Violetta's parents is portrayed by Shakespeare. But what has Shakespeare to do with Violetta, and what is she doing so far from home in England?

The Fool's Girl is many things, Stephano's girl, Viola's daughter, Duchessa of Illyra's, but she is no Fool's Girl. I really wanted to like this book, there are so many elements that on their own are exciting and mysterious and if explored more would have been very interesting. There are pirates, politics, Shakespeare, allusions to faeries, and love. Unfortunately the end product is a story of a girl who is always protected by one shinning knight or another.

Celia Rees Webpage

Celia Rees @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 May 2010
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781408803325
Recommended age: 12-18
In a word: Viola
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: probably
Star rating: two out of five
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The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella

The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella
by Stephenie Meyer

Life Is Better Second Time Around!

For Bree life began in a burning flame of agony, before that all her memories are dark and murky. With the life Bree led as a human it is hardly surprising she prefers life as a strong and powerful vampire. But life as an all but immortal 'God' is not all its cracked up to be.

As a newborn Bree spends most of her time thinking about feeding, with the constant thirst burning in her throat there is little chance for anything else. But a series of events will lead her to question all that she has been taught about her new life and she comes to realise that she is being kept in the dark in more ways then one.

The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner is a bitter-sweet Eclipse Novella highlighting a life of a girl smart enough to discover a truth no one is able to see, but not quite strong enough to walk away when she had the chance. If a vicious and violent newborn is able to find friendships and love where her human self could not then her second life as a vampire, as short as it was, was well worth the pain. A great insight into the events in Eclipse, this is one for the fans.

Stephanie Meyer Webpage

Stephanie Meyer @ Hachette
Twilight Sage

Bree Tanner

On sale: 05 June 2010
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9781907410369
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Bree
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: three out of five
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Winter Flings

Today is the first of July and also the first day for Winter Flings.
Haven't heard of it? Where have you been...!

Winter Flings is your opportunity to spend the next 31 days of winter with a hot new date or dates as the case may be.

Every day in July you will be introduced to a new book to 'date' and with 31 eligible bachelors up for grabs you're bound to find a 'date' that's just right for you.
As well as your book dates you'll also find plenty of other fun things to explore such as competition and downloads.

Join the fun and make your 'date' today.

http://www.winterflings.com.au/

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