Title: Body & Soul Author: Stacey Kade Series: Ghost and the Goth #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Ages 12 and up Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 1, 2012) ISBN-10: 1423134664 ISBN-13: 978-1423134664   Sexual Content: Kissing Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Today we have a special guest joining us…Will from Stacey Kade’s BODY AND SOUL (available now from Hyperion Book CH). Abigail got to interview Will about his ghost girlfriend and semi reformed mean girl Alona, what it’s like being a ghost-talker, and even get some info on the odds of a happily ever after for this odd but addictive couple. Want to learn more about the final book in The Ghost and the Goth trilogy? Be sure to check out all the stops on the Body & Soul blog tour hosted by Teen Book Scene & look for Abigail’s review later this month.

ATUF: Can you tell us the best & worst thing about being a ghost-talker?

WILL: The best thing? Helping people, I think. And having proof there definitely is something after this life. That tends to change your perspective a little.

The worst thing is the lack of privacy. Walls, doors, shower curtains, none of those mean anything to ghosts when they really want to talk to you.

It’s hard to find a cover that’s not worth a thumbs up this week. These covers are a crop of great lighting, lovely colors, and sex appeal.  That should make it no surprise that Abigail and I are all over the map for both our Best and Worst choices.  Despite my usual love of cartoon covers, REAL VAMPIRES HATE SKINNY JEANS didn’t work for me this week.  And though both of us were a little confused by what body parts were on the cover of DIETY, but Abigail was totally skeeved out by what little she could decipher.  With so many great covers, it all comes down to personal preference on which rise to the top.  Which strike your fancy this week?

 

Betrayed by Ednah Walters 

Not Yet Available for Pre-Order.

Description: Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side. No Author Comment Available.

Series: The Guardian Legacy #1 Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Spencer Hill Press Release Date: June 2012 Source: Publisher
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
This cover has a very classic color palette, but the arched sun salutation on the cover is a little overly dramatic for my taste.	Overly dramatic is the perfect description.  And this so doesn’t look like a YA cover.  I thought it was paranormal YA until I read the description.  It is a HUGE improvement over the original though.

Previous version

 

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Dani Harper’s Dunvegan from Birkie Peterson & a chance to win CHANGELING DREAM**

Deadly Destinations day two features one of my favorite sarcastic and jaded protagonists, Stacey Kade’s Will Killian, a reluctant high school Ghost-Talker who teams up with recently deceased queen bee Alona in THE GHOST AND THE GOTH (read my review HERE).  Will is giving us a tour of one of the key locations in his and Alona’s new book, QUEEN OF THE DEAD (available now & you can read my review HERE), The Archway Theater.  Thanks to Disney Book Group, three of you who comment on this post will win a copy of the book!  See details below

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Will Killian’s Guide to The Archway Theater
by
Stacey Kade

Will Killian, Ghost-Talker
Location: The Archway Theater, Decatur, IL

So...I don't scare particularly easily. And that's probably a good thing. Otherwise I'd have cracked a long time ago with what I deal with on a daily basis. Thanks to my "condition," I can see, hear and touch ghosts. And they can see, hear and touch me. Which, as you can imagine, kind of sucks.

I could try to avoid all the places with ghosts, of course, but then I'd never leave my house. Ghosts tend to attach themselves to significant locations from their lives (or deaths)--no surprise there. But they can also latch onto people they once loved (or hated). In short, even the least haunted place you can think of--the produce aisle of the grocery store, for example--probably has a ghost or two, even if they're just the ones you brought with you.

But there are definitely some locations that are worse than others. Places I won't go. And not just because it only takes one well-aimed push from an angry spirit to send me tumbling down the stairs to my death, though, that's a consideration. Mainly it's just because these "special" places? Creepy as hell.

Basically, ghosts are energy, usually created when people die unexpectedly and/or violently. And when you've got a bunch of people who died unexpectedly and/or violently all at once...yeah. Stay away. That kind of mass event creates a unique energy that you do not want to experience first hand.

There are stories about ghost battalions still marching at Gettysburg over 150 years after their deaths, so powerful that even people without my "gift" can see and hear them. Those spirits are trapped in re-enactment loop--to them, it's still their final battle. Every day.

Around here, in Decatur, Illinois, that special place is the Archway Theater.

You know how every town has that one scary location--ramshackle cabin, patch of woods, warehouse, whatever--that's rumored to be haunted and it's become a challenge/badge of honor to try to stay the night there on Halloween? Yeah, that's the Archway for us.

Only the people who try to stay the night there...they come out seriously scared and messed up. As in, years of therapy, stays in the mental hospital, and suicidal--that kind of messed up.

The Archway was built in the twenties, so it's old, but the not the issue. The real problem is that some genius had the bright idea to take advantage of some primo abandoned real estate and built it right on top of the remains of the old Archway hotel. Which had burned down in the middle of the night a decade before, killing sixty-some people in one night.
Yeah. But hey, the initial city builders constructed most of Decatur on Indian burial grounds--not kidding--so what do you expect? 

So...the Archway hotel burns inside the theater. Every night. And those poor spirits relive their deaths. Again and again and again. That's enough to make anybody a little confused and cranky.

Add to that the intrusion of disrespectful sight-seers wanting to gawk and make fun, and yeah, they're seriously pissed. And dangerous.

The Decatur Historical Society has been trying for years to save the theater and re-open it. I've heard they're getting ready to start a new campaign, and they're offering tours of the building as a fundraiser. Which is incredibly crazy, in my opinion. A massive lawsuit waiting to happen.

I guess most people don't believe in ghosts.

But if you're thinking about going to the Archway, my only advice is...don't. Because, the truth is, what you don't believe in can still kill you.

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About Stacey Kade

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.  She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and three retired racing greyhounds, Joezooka (Joe), Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy). When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television with her Roswell DVDs, staring rapturously at Jason Behr. Visit Stacey Kade online: Website|Blog|MySpace|Twitter

Want to read more from Stacey?

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Giveaway provided by Disney Book group

Three winners will each receive a copy of QUEEN OF THE DEAD by Stacey Kade

June 7th 2011 by Disney Book Group

Description:

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello?! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger,Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Click HERE to read my review

Order from

Giveaway Guidelines

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2. Leave a comment for Stacey & a way to contact you unless it’s listed in your profile

3. All Deadly Destinations winners will be announced on August 7th

4. See our Giveaway Policy if you have any questions

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

Title: Queen of the Dead Author: Stacey Kade Series: Ghost and the Goth #2 Cover Art: Tom Corbett Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 31, 2011) ISBN-10: 1423134672 ISBN-13: 978-1423134671 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to homosexuality Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Review

After THE GHOST AND THE GOTH, I’m no longer shocked by how much I enjoy this series.  The characters are anything but cardboard, Kade handles both the male and female POVs of her protagonists with equal aplomb, and in this sequel deepens and expands her world without breaking the rules she initially set for it.

Will and Alona.  I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I read first chapters of QUEEN OF THE DEAD.  I loved learning more about the source of Will’s ghost-talker abilities and appreciated the new characters who represented the opposing side of the help the dead/help the living issue.  I thought it was very thoughtful to explore a different opinion and forced me (along with Will and Alona) to look at the bigger picture in a way I would have never considered.

On a more personal level, the relationship between Will and Alona is still fascinating and complicated, more so for Will than Alona.  She deals very well with being dead, but Will doesn’t have it so easy.  They are attracted to each other, but Alona still has a lot of ‘mean girl’ in her that she doesn’t struggle with quite as much as Will would like.  It culminates in an ending that was so shocking and yet was inevitable the more I thought about it.  Honestly, I can’t wait to see where they go from here.

I flew through QUEEN OF THE DEAD not even realizing that hours had gone by until I did a double take at the clock.  It’s the kind of book that refuses to be put down. Despite the taunt from the description, the cliffhanger is survivable (barely), but it is a killer set up for the still untitled third book in The Ghost and the Goth series.  However long it takes, it will be worth the wait.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
The Ghost and the Goth (4/5)	Tynga’s Reviews The Book Scout A Good Addiction

 

Book Description

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star…and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

Review

Book 1 in The Ghost and The Goth Series

THE GHOST AND THE GOTH was like a combination of Can’t Buy Me Love (or Mean Girls) and Ghost. There is a fun, superficial high school setting, a socially shocking romance, and a supernatural twist that made this a perfect end of summer read.

THE GHOST AND THE GOTH tells its story through two protagonists: Popular cheerleader turned ghost Alona, with her slightly shallow yet keenly observant voice, and then loner freak who sees ghosts Will, with his sarcastic and jaded outlook on life.  The scenes work well with each POV.  Hats off to Stacey Kade for her choices because I never felt like I was missing out on a better perspective from a different character (something I often struggle with in multiple POV books). 

I expected the romance and I got it.  Alona and Will have a truly believable relationship that doesn’t jump from loath to love in one page.  They are thrown together and have to genuinely work at overcoming their respective prejudices and their eventual coming together was all the sweeter for that journey.

What I didn’t expect were the several surprising plot developments.  The supernatural elements and the ghost mythology that Stacey created led to a kind of scary mystery that really gave THE GHOST AND THE GOTH a deeper, richer story overall.  The ending is completely satisfying, but also sets up the sequel, tentatively titled Princess Poltergeist which releases sometime in 2011. 

YA Warning: The cover for THE GHOST AND THE GOTH is super cute (I was a little afraid that the story might be too cute for my taste, it wasn’t).  But if you’re thinking about picking this one up for your favorite tween, be aware that there is some sexual dialogue.  In the first chapter alone a girl gives oral sex to a guy at a party.  It’s not graphic or described in detail.  And homosexuality is a fairly significant theme throughout for adults and teenagers.

Sexual Content: References to sex. References to oral sex. Homosexuality

My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (June 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142312197X
• ISBN-13: 978-1423121978

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Hyperion Books

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Disagree with my review?  Contact me with your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.

Addicted 2 Novels has the cover for Torment (Fallen, book 2) by Lauren Kate (due out September 2, 2010).  I think it is simply stunning!

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Sophistikatied Reviews has the cover art for Jealousy (Strange Angels, Book 3) by Lili St. Crow due out July 6, 2010.  The cover looks a bit like a new CW show…but I’ve heard only good things about this series.

 

It’s a good thing Dru Anderson is fast. Because the sucker chasing her isn’t slowing down—and he won’t rest until he has tasted her blood and silenced her heart . . .

Dru’s best friend, Graves, and her strange and handsome savior, Christophe, are ready to help her take on the ultimate evil. But will their battle for Dru’s heart get in the way of her survival?

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Pirate Penguin Reads has the cover for Stacey Kade's debut The Ghost and The Goth due out July 6th 2010.  Looks like a romantic comedy movie poster…I’m on the fence with this one.

After a close encounter with a bus, Alona Dare goes from homecoming queen to Queen of the Dead. She’s stuck as a ghost in the land of the living with no sign of a “big, bright light” to take her to a better place. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser. More than anything, Will wishes he didn’t have the rare ability to communicate with the dead, especially the former mean girl of Groundsboro High. He’s not filling out any volunteer forms to help her cross to the other side, though it would bring him some welcome peace and quiet. Can they get over their mutual distrust—and quasi attraction—to work together? Readers of this spirited paranormal comedy won’t want this odd couple ever to part.

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In her newsletter, Rachel Caine revealed the cover for Ghost Town, (Morganville Vampires, book 9).

The fragile peace between humans and vampires in Morganville is in trouble, and when Claire takes drastic action, she's put under serious pressure to re-establish the barriers that keep the town residents inside, and wipe the memories of those who leave. But working with her half-crazy vampire boss Myrnin means that things don't always turn out as planned ... and as the people of Morganville begin acting strangely, Claire and her friends must solve the mystery and try to put things right. But one by one, her allies are turning on her ... even the ones she trusts most.