When word first broke that there was going to be two Snow White movies released in 2012, it only took one glimpse at the stunning trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman (in theaters Friday June 1, 2012)to settle the which-one-will-be-better debate. No contest. SWATH looks epic in every sense of the word, and considering the massive talent both on and off screen, it’s no mystery why. I know exactly where I’ll be this Friday night, and I’m guessing if you’re reading this blog, you have plans to hit the theater too. In the meantime, we have a very cool giveaway thanks to Universal Pictures via Big Honcho Media where you can win a SWATH Prize Pack including a T-shirt, necklace and ring set, cell phone mirror, and a copy of SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN novel. Enter below!
18 May 2012
Wow do we have a cool giveaway today. As the final stop in the GODDESS INTERUPTED blog tour, Harlequin Teen has put together a Summer Goddess Giveaway prize pack filled with Aimée Carter books, gift cards, a a few goodies perfect for the summer. All to celebrate the release of GODDESS INTERRRUPTED, the second in Goddess Test series (available now from Harlequin Teen). Harlequin Teen is also spilling details about Aimée’s next books THE GODDESS INHERITANCE and MASKED!
Goddess Interrupted Blog Tour Wrap Up and What’s Next for Aimeé Carter
17 May 2012
We are excited to have Shona Husk here to talk about KISS OF THE GOBLIN PRINCE, the second book in the Shadowlands series (available on May 1, 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca), specifically why goblins are better than shapeshifters and vampires. Julia reviewed KISS OF THE GOBLIN PRINCE calling it, “a wonderful Paranormal Romance, [but]strongly weighted towards Urban Fantasy as well. ” And thanks to Shona’s publisher, you can win a copy! Details below.
Goblins Rule, Shapeshifters Shed, and Vampires Drool!
by
Shona Husk
Now don’t get me wrong I love a sexy brooding Vampire as much as the next gal, I’ve even written sexy rock star Vamps for Ellora’s Cave. But how many times can you be bitten before anemia becomes an issue and your friends start to question the bruises on your neck, wrists and other areas. Also let’s face the reality that forever is a really, really, long time, and while you might love him for the first 200 years after that will his sullen angst still be hot or just plain annoying? Plus that trip to Fiji is out because of the sunshine. In the long term a relationship with a Vampire is probably not going to work.
14 May 2012
Giveaway provided by Simon & Schuster via Big Honcho Media
One copy of WRECKED (plus a water proof e-reader cover) by Anna Davies
10 May 2012
Today we are excited to have Justin Gustainis here today sharing his definition of urban fantasy and celebrating the release of EVIL DARK (available now from Angry Robot Books), the second book in his Occult Crimes Unit Investigations series. In case you missed it, Julia reviewed EVIL DARK earlier this week calling it, “Neither as hard-boiled as most police procedurals, nor as arcane as pure urban fantasy, EVIL DARK is a blend that does justice to both genres without taking either too seriously.” Check out the giveaway below for a chance to win your choice of a signed copy of EVIL DARK or an electronic copy.
What the Hell Is Urban Fantasy, Anyway?
by
Justin Gustainis
I don’t pretend that my topic for today is an original one. Arguments about defining urban fantasy (and distinguishing it from paranormal romance, dark fantasy, and horror) have been going on for years. But some of the discussions have been characterized, IMHO, by a lack of precision. Maybe that’s because the topic, by nature, defies precise categorization. But I’m here to take my shot at it.
Urban fantasy introduces a supernatural element into a world that is mostly like our own. The latter part of that definition distinguishes it from high fantasy, which is set in a world unlike our own. Much high fantasy takes place in a universe resembling medieval Europe, with the addition of magic and without the dirt, disease, and cruelty that characterized the real thing.
So, does urban fantasy have to, literally, be urban?
26 April 2012
We are welcoming back Julie Kagawa who is here to talk about THE IMMORTAL RULES and introduce us to one of her vampires: Kanin. This is the first book in the new Blood of Eden series about a world where vampires rule over humans. If you missed Abigail’s review of THE IMMORTAL RULES (available now from Harlequin Teen) , she described it this way: “Take the social structure of Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series and add the vicious, post-apocalyptic world from the Daybreakers movie and you get THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa.” Want to see how fun this book is for yourself? Enter the giveaway below to win a signed copy courtesy of Harlequin Teen via Media Masters Publicity. And check out the book tour details below for more giveaways & info on winning the GRAND PRIZE: Kindle Touch with with a special Immortal Rules cover!
Tall, pale and handsome "night owl" seeks partner for moonlight adventure. Lightening quick reflexes, excellent combat skills and a wry sense of humor. Prefers "take out" vs eating at home. Loyalty and street smarts a must.
Julie will be making appearances at three bookstores near her hometown:
* Tuesday, April 24th at 4pm - Barnes & Noble Livonia, Louisville, KY* Saturday, April 28th at 2pm - The Bookstore, Radcliff, KY
* Monday, May 7th at 5:30 pm - Lincoln's Loft, Hodgeville, KY
Don’t miss a stop on THE IMMORTAL RULES tour:
- Monday, April 16 - Paranormal Romance Blog – Tour Launch with Julie Kagawa *Enter to win the tour’s grand prize of a Kindle Touch with with a special Immortal Rules cover.
- Tuesday, April 17 – I Read Banned Books – The Fringe
- Wednesday, April 18 – I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read – Rules of the Fringe
- Thursday, April 19 –Supernatural Snark – Meet Allison
- Friday, April 20 – Mundie Moms - Life as a Registered Human in the Inner City
- Saturday, April 21 – Books Complete Me – Red Lung Disease
- Sunday, April 22 – I am a Reader, Not a Writer – Rabids!
- Monday, April 23 – Reading Teen – Waking Up as a Vampire
- Tuesday April 24 – 4 stops to celebrate release day for The Immortal Rules!
- Electrifying Reviews (Just Julie)
- Waste Paper Prose (Meet the Editor of The Immortal Rules)
- Page Turners (Meet the Cover Designer of the Immortal Rules)
- Bookalicious (A Guest Post from Allison)
- Wednesday, April 25 – Tynga’s Reviews - Welcome to The Wilderness
- Thursday, April 26 – Once Upon a Twilight – The Immortal Rules
- Friday, April 27 – All things urban fantasy – Meet Kanin
- Saturday, April 28 – Total bookaholic – The Inner City
- Sunday, April 29 – A good addition - Hierarchy of the Vampire Society
- Monday, April 30 – Reading Angel – Meet Zeke
- Tuesday, May 1 – Taming the Bookshelf - Tips for a Vampire: How to Safely Kiss a Human
- Wednesday, May 2 – Teens Read and Write - Sneak Peek at Book #2 of The Blood of Eden series
 Julie now lives in La Grange, Kentucky, with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian shepherd who is too smart for his own good and the latest addition, a hyperactive papillon. |
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Want to read more from Julie Kagawa?
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In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.
Unregistered humans cling to the fringe, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.
Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.
23 April 2012
We’ve got another debut author visiting the blog today. Shawntelle Madison’s new werewolf urban fantasy debut series debuts tomorrow with COVETED (available on April 24 from Ballantine Books). Shawntelle is sharing the ten sci-fi/fantasy books that that turned her into a genre fan girl, and she’s giving away a copy of COVETED too. See details below.
You can read all the previous Top 10 Lists HERE
Top Ten Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books That Rocked Shawntelle Madison’s World
by
Shawntelle Madison
In high school I was an avid reader. I read a lot of my mom’s books, but I hadn't really jumped into reading sci-fi/fantasy until I encountered these ten series/books that set off an avalanche of reading that turned me into a true fan of the genre. Let the awesomeness commence!
13 April 2012
Have you joined #TeamAmity yet? There are tons of ways to get involved (and tons of amazing giveaways too) Just search #TeamAmity on twitter to enter them all & don’t forget to clickety-click the Choose Amity links as often as possible. As promised, there are several fun ways to show your support for #TeamAmity and the upcoming book INSURGENT by Veronica Roth. Today kicks off a chance for you to win an amazing Dystopian YA Prize Pack including DIVERGENT & INSURGENT!
Labels: Contests, cover art, Divergent, Divergent Nation, Giveaway, team amity, Veronica Roth
29 March 2012
Today we are welcoming A.C. Arthur who is the author of TEMPTATION RISING (available March 29 from St. Martin's Press) , the first book in The Shadow Shifters paranormal romance series about sexy jaguar shifters. A.C. Arthur is talking about her fear of cats and why you’ll fall in love with her exotic shifters. Be sure to enter the giveaway below to win your own copy!
Enter The Jaguar
by
A.C. Arthur
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? A jaguar shape shifter. But honestly, when I decided to write a paranormal series this was the first and only entity that came to mind. The really weird thing is, I’m deathly afraid of cats! Yes, that is a true fact that anyone who knows me is well aware of. I have always been afraid of domestic cats and never even thought about getting close to a big or exotic cat. Still, the black jaguar (panthera onca) is such a beautiful creature that I just could not resist. There’s something about the eyes and the regal stature of this animal that had me mesmerized from the start.
12 March 2012
Today we are excited to welcome Gina Damico who is introducing her debut YA novel; CROAK (available on March 20th from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) about a teen who is sent to live in Croak, a town populated entirely by Grim Reapers. Julia reviewed CROAK yesterday calling it, “a hysterical parody of YA boarding school genre.” Check out the giveaway below to win a CROAK Prize Pack & let us know your favorite thing about reapers or your favorite reaper book in the comments below.
ATUF: What inspired you to write a YA about Grim Reapers?
GD: The characters of Lex and Uncle Mort just sort of popped into my head one day. I liked the idea of a grim-reaper-in-training, and since her parents probably wouldn't approve of that, it only seemed fair for her to be trained by her wacky uncle. And then of course, I couldn't let her tackle this task all by her lonesome - there had to be more teenagers, each wackier than the last. And before I knew it, the town of Croak had been populated, and a story was born. I really had very little to do with it.
Labels: Gina Damico, Giveaway, grim reaper, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, interview
06 March 2012
Today is the release of FAIR GAME, the third book in Patricia Briggs Alpha and Omega series (a spin-off of her Mercy Thompson series), which I reviewed earlier today saying that “Briggs is a master storyteller and her deft handling of mythology makes even the most fantastical supernatural worlds feel not just plausible, but every bit as real as our own.” In celebration of the new release, Ace has offered a copy of ON THE PROWL, which contains the first Alpha and Omega story. Did I mention it’s signed by Patricia Briggs!
Giveaway provided by Ace Books
One signed copy of ON THE PROWL by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, Sunny
21 February 2012
19 February 2012
We’re happy to welcome back Jennifer L. Armentrout to the blog just days before the release of her Lux series prequel, SHADOWS (available on February 21st from Entangled Publishing). If you are new to the Lux series, check out Julia’s swooning review of the first book, OBSIDIAN and it’s ultimate bad boy hero Daemon. SHADOWS features a brand new bad boy to fall for: Daemon’s twin brother Dawson. If you are thinking these otherworldly alphas are vampires, think again. One look at the description and my former obsession with Jason Behr from Roswell came back with a vengeance. Want to find out for yourself? Check out the giveaway below where three of you will win a copy of the first Lux novel, OBSIDIAN!
Why are aliens better than vampires, weres, and other creatures that go bump in the night?
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Like any lover of the paranormal genre, I love me some vamps, shifters, and other spooky supernatural creatures, but sometimes people forget that aliens are really just another ‘otherworldly’ creature and not just for the sci-fi lovers out there, but also the paranormal ones. So here is my list to why (completely bias) aliens are better than normal supernatural creatures:
14 February 2012
I’m excited to have Joan Swan here today, telling us a little bit about the first installment in her Phoenix Rising series, FEVER. FEVER had me hooked from Chapter 1, the hero and heroine have so much drama and danger swirling around them I couldn’t wait to find out how things would resolve. As my ARC arrived today, I’ll be heading to the couch to satisfy my curiosity once I click “Post”. Enter to win your own copy of FEVER below, or if you’re not the gambling type, pre-order a copy for March 1. After reading Joan’s interview, my finger is itching to pre-order BLAZE as well.
ATUF: I have been excited to read FEVER from the moment I saw the excerpt. Does the Chapter 1 that I read bear any resemblance to where you first started the story? What character or concept was the seed that got you started on FEVER?
Actually, the story always started here—in the hospital exam room where the hero, a convicted murderer, takes the heroine, a doctor filling in for an absent sonographer, hostage. That scene was the beginning of the idea for the book and everything else in the story stemmed from there.
Some elements of the scene changed from the original version because I first wrote Fever as a straight romantic suspense. So when I rewrote, Teague’s paranormal ability and Cassie’s reaction to it had to be included.
13 February 2012
11 February 2012
The most romantic day of the year is right around the corner, so this year, we’ve invited two supernatural storytellers to help us all celebrate Paranormal Valentine’s Day. Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe have teamed up to create the perfect read for the holiday: DATING THE UNDEAD (available now from Harlequin). “This unique guide to dating the undead is formatted just like your favorite magazine… with a paranormal edge. “Dating the Undead” includes tips for dating an immortal, beauty secrets to look eternally fresh, fun quizzes, recipes (including some killer cocktails), tons of photos, and plenty of other fun (and sometimes humorous) articles. The magazine also features ghoulish ads for brands like Coffin Klein, Vladimir’s Secret, G’Oréal, Rot Pockets, Jimmy Chew, Got Bludd?, and many others. Haven’t heard of these brands? Maybe your undead friends have.” Julia’s review is coming soon (she emailed me the day she got it to gloat about how ‘fabulous’ it was), but we’ve got a little taste for you in the form of the Top 10 Pick Up Lines You Might Hear from an Immortal & a chance to win DATING THE UNDEAD.
You can read all the previous Top 10 Lists HERE
Top 10 Pick Up Lines You Might Hear from an Immortal
by
Gena Showalter & Jill Monroe
