This is the biggest cover art post we’ve had in awhile, and there are some treats on both ends of the Good/Bad spectrum today.  I spent a fair amount of time staring at Katie MacAlister’s TALE OF TWO VAMPIRES cover, as well as Jeannine Garsee’s THE UNQUIET (as a sucker for both hot men and visual tricks).  I saw my very first Amish/Vampire crossover book, which you can just bet is going to be closely followed by me reading my first Amish/Vampire book, and at least one old-school-romance cover surprised an audible “woof” out of me when the page loaded.  As a special treat, at the very end of the post we have our dearly departed ATUF girl’s video debut in S. M. Reine’s “Making of an Indie Book Cover”. Enjoy!

 

 

I sometimes have a hard time objectively evaluating cover reveals for beloved series (how can you untangle the adrenaline of a new book coming out from the cover itself?).  This week I didn’t give many thumbs down, but my affection for the Sookie Stackhouse series as a whole couldn’t overcome the unfortunate scene depicted on book #12.  To balance that disappointment, however,there was a rare “bare chest with floating animal” cover that actually got a thumbs up. Enjoy!

*This title will be released on September 6, 2011*

Title: Sweet Venom Author: Tera Lynn Childs Series: Medusa Girls #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (September 6, 2011) ISBN-10: 0062001817 ISBN-13: 978-0062001818 Sexual Content: References to sexual activity Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Review

When I hear the word ‘Medusa’ it immediately conjures up the famous Ray Harryhausen snake haired creature from the original Clash of the Titans movie.  SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs’ version bears little resemblance.  Instead, she imagines teenage monster hunters who are the only ones who can see the mythological beasties that prey on humanity.  No snake hair.  No serpent bodies.  No turning people to stone with a glance.  These descendants of Medusa have lethal venom laced fangs, the ability to hypnotize with their eyes, and three powers uniquely theirs. 

Gretchen, Grace, and Greer are the three monster hunters who were separated at birth.  All three do have very distinct personalities, which I appreciated, but those distinctions all kiss the cliché line more than I would like.  Gretchen is the tough and jaded one who has been fighting monsters for years on her own.  She’s super sarcastic and supremely unimpressed with everything.  She took a long time for me to warm up to and is responsible for the less than stellar start in SWEET VENOM.  Grace is the sweet, brainy sister.  She’s big into computers and not so much into sticking up for herself.  Greer is the sister we meet towards the end of the book.  She’s the socialite snob who is more concerned with not ruining her shoes than with the monsters attacking them.   

Imagine teenaged Charmed but with Greek Mythology and you get SWEET VENOM.  Not all the sisters endeared themselves to me, but the mythological ride was a fun one.  I also really liked the guys in this book, two of whom clearly have big secrets they are keeping.  In fact, I would have loved to read a whole book just about Grace and her mysterious older brother.  Fair warning about the ending.  I wouldn’t even call it a cliff hanger since the story doesn’t really get started until the end.  The whole book is about the sisters finding each other, accepting their fate, and deciding to work together.  The rescue mission, answers, romances, and fights will all have to wait for the next book in the Medusa Girls series which will be published in 2012.  I had enough fun with this debut that I’ll be looking forward to it.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	The Book Worms – 3/5 Throuthehaze Reads – 5/5 Never Gonna Grow Up! – N/A

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Christina Henry’s Costco from Maddie & Bezzle & a chance to win BLACK NIGHT**

Continuing with our final week of Deadly Destinations, today we’re dipping into the ocean and visiting Tera Lynn Childs's undersea Merkingdom of Thalassinian, the setting of FINS ARE FOREVER (available now from HarperTeen).  I spent last summer enjoying FORGIVE MY FINS, calling it ‘sparkling splash of a story full of crush worthy guys, adolescent teen angst, and magical romance.’  Want to get your fins on a copy of the latest book? HarperTeen has offered a giveaway copy to one commenter.  See details below.

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Your Thalassinian Dream Vacation
by
Tera Lynn Childs

Are you tired of the heat and humidity of summer? Do you daydream about cool waters and exotic locations? Have you ever wanted to dive under the ocean and never come back? Then maybe you need a holiday in the sub-Caribbean paradise of Thalassinia. Let Thalassinian Adventures plan your trip.

When you first arrive in Thalassinia, accompanied by a royal tour guide, you might think it is just another part of the natural underwater world between Florida and the Bahamas. Another section of reef and rocky outcroppings, covered in colorful sealife like fans and anemones and kelp in every color of the rainbow. But if you look closely, just beneath the surface, you’ll notice the patterns that indicate a mer-made landscape.

Your royal tour guide will swim you into the city center, within floating distance of the palace walls and the best shops and restaurants Thalassinia has to offer. Customize your tour with add-on adventures like wakemaker rides through dense kelp forests, pearl harvesting in the great Thalassinian oyster beds, or—for the truly daring—a Great White derby at the racetrack.

For those with more relaxation in mind, a casual swim through the kingdom always leads to unexpected discoveries. The sea spas of Thalassinia offer the most rejuvenating salt scrubs and seaweed masks in all the oceans. Explore the rainbow of colors in the royal gardens, visit the Thalassinian Marketplace to find countless treasures, or simply enjoy the view from your hotel room as merfolk and sealife float by on the current.

Whatever your ideal vacation entails, let Thalassinian Adventures help you plan the underwater adventure of a lifetime. To request more information, send a messenger gull to our offices in the historic district.

~ the friendly staff of Thalassinian Adventures

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About Tera Lynn Childs

Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, the mermaid tales Forgive My Fins and Fins Are Forever (June 28, 2011) and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa, starting with Sweet Venom (October 4, 2011). She has also epublished two fun chick lit romances, Eye Candy and Straight Stalk. Tera lives nowhere in particular and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. Visit Tera Lynn Childs online: Website|Blog|Facebook|Twitter

Want to read more from Tera Lynn Childs?

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Giveaway provided by HarperTeen

One copy of FINS ARE FOREVER by Tera Lynn Childs

Available now from HarperTeen

Description:

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up—Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams?

Tera Lynn Childs’s sequel to Forgive My Fins offers another tail-flicking romance with plenty of fun, sun, and underwater adventure.

Read an excerpt

Order from

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US addresses only

2. Leave a comment for Tera & 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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Don’t miss any of the tours & giveaways from Deadly Destinations.  Check out all the previous posts from this event!

**Visit Tynga’s Reviews today for her PSF Interview & Giveaway with Kasey Mackenzie author of RED HOT FURY & another giveaway for FORGIVE MY FINS**

Tera Lynn Childs is author of the delightful new mermaid tale FORGIVE MY FINS, which I called ‘a sparkling splash of a story full of crush worthy guys, adolescent teen angst, and magical romance.’  Tera is here today to answer a few questions and giveaway a couple copies of FORGIVE MY FINS!  Details below.

Tera Lynn Childs (Authora neo) is a newly discovered species of authorfish who always dreamed of being a mermaid but never got closer than a career as a competitive swimmer. She loves to spend as much time as possible in and around water (until her fingertips turn all pruny) in the vain hope that one day her legs will magically turn into fins. When stuck on land, Authora neo can be found writing in coffee shops across the country, prowling for cool mermaid gear on Etsy, and spending way too much time online.

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Interview

ATUF: I loved how you mixed in mythology and controversial sites from antiquity like The Bimini Road in creating Thalassinian. Are those areas that have always interested you, or did you discover them while researching FORGIVE MY FINS?

TLC: I have always been interested in everything mythological and mystical. I think it's a combination of loving learning about ancient cultures--which are the foundation of so much of our modern culture--and the challenge of solving a giant mystery, like The Bimini Road. Since childhood, I've dreamed of being the one to find the lost city of Atlantis or figuring out the real purpose of the Nazca lines or proving that the JFK assassination was a government conspiracy. I might not be able to do those things in real life, but in fictional worlds of my creation I can answer them however I like.

ATUF: How much fun did you have inventing the sea slang that Lily uses, and can you give us your favorite sea slang filled sentence?

TLC: My favorite Lily sea slang is son of a swordfish, I think because it's something I could totally use in real life. I had a blast coming up with fishy alternatives to things we say, like when Lily curses she says damselfish and froggin' instead of actual swear words. I really wanted to the go the extra step to make Lily seem as real as possible, and tweaking her speech to use sea-themed phrases made her mermaid self more credible.

ATUF: My favorite scene in FORGIVE MY FINS has to be when Lily and Quince hide out in the bathroom. That's when both Lily and I started looking at Quince with new eyes. Can you tell us about your favorite scene?

TLC: Do I have to choose a different scene? Okay, okay. I really love (and loved writing) the scene in the blue hole, when the fishermen show up. I don't want to spoil too much for the readers who haven't gotten to Forgive My Fins yet, but it's in that scene that Lily first ignores what she thinks she wants, what she thinks she's always wanted, and just ... feels. Total fear has a way of putting things in perspective. My heart raced as I wrote it, and I hope readers feel the same way.

ATUF: If FORGIVE MY FINS were ever made into a movie, who would your dream or, to keep things interesting, nightmare cast be?

TLC: My dream cast... That's tough, because I have a very particular image of my characters in my head. I make character collages, and the key image for Lily was a picture of Shakira, only Lily is pale with lighter blonde hair. I don't think Shakira can act, either. My image of Quince is Eric Dane (McSteamy from Grey's Anatomy) but he's definitely too old. And my mental image of Brody is Brody Jenner (hence the name) and, well, I know he's a reality TV actor, but I don't know if he's a real TV actor. So, at the same time that's my dream cast and my nightmare cast, because I don't think any of them would be right for those roles.

ATUF: What are some of your favorite titles/authors in the paranormal genres?

TLC: My first paranormal loves were romance authors like Sherrilyn Kenyon, Karen Marie Moning, and Kresley Cole. Now that I'm a YA junkie, I devour books by Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Meg Cabot (especially the 1-800-Where-R-You series) and Lisa McMann. They all give me the best kind of shivers.

ATUF: I love the title FORGIVE MY FINS, it screams mermaid book. Did you have a difficult time choosing it? Can you share any rejected titles?

TLC: Sorry, no failed titles to share on this one. It's been called Forgive My Fins from the very beginning, back in 2006. I had the title before I had most of the story. I'm not sure how or why I chose the title, maybe I just liked the alliteration, but it really turned out to have a significant double meaning for the story. It couldn't have had another title.

ATUF: The cover art for FORGIVE MY FINS captured my interest long before I was able to read it. What can you tell us about the cover art for FORGIVE MY FINS? Do you know who the artist is?

TLC: Isn't it gorgeous? The very first draft I saw wasn't quite as beautiful--Lily had a kind of underwater texture on her skin that made it look like it was falling off. Ew. In the end, though, Designer Amy turned it into an absolutely breathtaking cover. And just wait until you see the cover for the sequel. Even. Better.

ATUF: The epilogue of FORGIVE MY FINS sets up another book in this series. Do you have plans to write more about Lily?

TLC: I feel like I was a little cruel to leave such a cliffhanger in the epilogue, but because the story of Forgive My Fins wraps up into such a neat conclusion, my editor and I decided we should add something that would tell everyone there's more to come. The sequel, Fins Are Forever, will be out in summer 2011. After that? Well, we'll just have to wait and see if there is more Lily swimming our way.

ATUF: What other projects can we look forwarding to reading from you soon?

TLC: Right now I'm polishing the first book in a new trilogy about triplets descendants of Medusa who discover it's their destiny to guard the door between the world of monsters and the world of man. Neither the series nor the books have titles yet. The first book is set to release in fall 2011, with the others to follow each fall. Other than that, I've got a few uncontracted ideas I'm working on, but nothing that's ready to share.

ATUF: If FORGIVE MY FINS was a Frankenstein book compiled from elements of other books, what would some of those other books be?

TLC: Hmmm..... Let's take one part Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, one part Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and one part Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman.

ATUF: In honor of Paranormal Summer Fest, can you describe your perfect Paranormal Summer read? And where would you love to be vacationing while reading it?

TLC: My perfect paranormal summer read would have to be heavy on the romance (well, that's my perfect read in general), with a beachy or tropical setting, and maybe a little magic under the moonlight. And I'd love to be reading it on the beach, either in Miami, San Diego, or some tropical locale I've never visited--Bora Bora comes to mind. Long, balmy days filled with nothing but warm surf, frozen drinks, and hour upon hour of reading. Paradise.

ATUF: Thanks so much for stopping by Tera.  Come back anytime!

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Visit Tera online:

• Website
• Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter

Want to read more from Tera Lynn Childs?

Oh. My. Gods.
1. Oh. My. Gods.
2. Goddess Boot Camp

Fins
1. Forgive My Fins (read my Review)
2. Fins Are Forever (releasing summer 2011)

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Tera Lynn Childs

Two (2) signed copies of FORGIVE MY FINS by Tera Lynn Childs

 

Book Description

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Click HERE to read an excerpt of FORGIVE MY FINS

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES

1. Open Internationally for 1 copy & US/CA for 1 copy
2. Fill out the form below
3. Entries for all Paranormal Summer Fest giveaways must be received by Midnight MST on July 4th.  All the giveaways winners will be announced on July 6th.

I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.  And please say hi to Tera. Thanks!

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Interested in being interviewed on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME

*FORGIVE MY FINS will be released on June 1, 2010*

 

Book Description

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Review:

I may fantasize about falling in love with a vampire or werewolf, but I dream about being a mermaid. A mermaid princess would be even better, and Lily Sanderson gets to be both.

In the tradition of Disney's The Little Mermaid and more recently Aquamarine, FORGIVE MY FINS is about a mermaid princess torn between two worlds and the problems that accompany each, like having to find a mate before her eighteenth birthday or lose her claim to the throne, putting up with a irritating yet suddenly attractive neighbor who delights in tormenting her, and finding the courage to reveal her true identity to the guy she's secretly loved for years.

The mermaid world in FORGIVE MY FINS is a fully flushed out sea kingdom. Mermaids have their own distinct culture, rituals, magic, and even slang. Tera Lynn deftly weaves in elements from mythology and antiquity in creating the merkingdom of Thalassinian. And the underwater world contrasts nicely with the out of water world of Seaview high.

I did get a little annoyed with Lily's attitude especially as it was constantly directed at the too-good-to-be-true Quince. He gives new meaning to the word long suffering. I never understood why he fell for her. To borrow some of Lily's sea slang, she was a complete seawitch to him. He does one romantic and selfless thing after another for her and she treats him deplorably.

Lily’s behavior aside, there are several scenes that will make the hearts of teenage girls everywhere race, and while not a teenager myself anymore, I got swept up the the romance between Lily and Quince too.

What's a better summer read than a mermaid story about first love? FORGIVE MY FINS is a sparkling splash of a story full of crush worthy guys, adolescent teen angst, and magical romance. Lily tends to transform her attitude almost as often as she does her scales, but I really enjoyed this story. The epilogue hints that we'll be seeing more from Lily and Quince in the near future. I'll post the details when they are available.

Sexual Content: kissing.

My Rating (out of 5):
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (June 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061914657
• ISBN-13: 978-0061914652 

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Harper Collins

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