"To find out what a story's really about,' the Librarian said,

'you don't ask the writer. You ask the reader."


- SNOW & ROSE by Emily Winfield Martin


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Cover Reveal: Rua by Miranda Kavi


Rua 
by Miranda Kavi
Release date: September 3rd, 2012
Genre: YA Supernatural, Romance

SUMMARY

A girl with an unknown destiny. 

A boy from a hidden world. 

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. 

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window. 

He knows what she is . . . 

Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist. 



MY THOUGHTS

The cover is absolutely stunning! The colors! The designs! Beautiful indeed!
The story sounds quite intriguing... "a boy from a hidden world"
What world? Why hidden? 
And what is Celeste? Why does she have a purple light coming out of her hands?
What and who are all these creatures that show up? To help or hurt? 
SO many questions just from the summary, lol! I need answers already!
I'm looking forward to reading Rua... what do you think??? 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Miranda Kavi

Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.






A Cover Reveal for: 
BB Book Tours

Book Tour: The Wild Princess, A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughters by Mary Hart Perry

by Mary Hart Perry
Release date: July 31st, 2012
Published by: William Morrow & Company (HarperCollins) 
Genre: Adult Historical Fiction, Romance
Format read: ARC eBook



SUMMARY
(from Barnes and Noble)
"Four of the five daughters of England's Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were regal, genteel, and everything a princess should be. But one was rebellious, scandalous, and untamed. 
This is her story. . . .
To the court and subjects of Queen Victoria, young Princess Louise—later the Duchess of Argyll—was the "Wild One." Proud and impetuous, she fought the constraints placed on her and her brothers and sisters, dreamed of becoming an artist, and broke with a three-hundred-year-old tradition by marrying outside of the privileged circle of European royals. Some said she wed for love. Others whispered of a scandal covered up by the Crown. It will take a handsome American, recruited by the queen's elite Secret Service, to discover the truth. But even as Stephen Byrne—code name the Raven—vows to risk his life to protect the royal family from violent Irish radicals, he tempts Louise with a forbidden love that could prove just as dangerous.
In the vein of Philippa Gregory, Mary Hart Perry tells the riveting story of an extraordinary woman—a princess who refused to give up on her dreams, including her right to true love."





MY REVIEW

I really loved the premise of this story that Mary Hart Perry weaved together about the Royal British family, primarily focused on Princess Louise Caroline Alberta of England, know as the 'Wild Princess, taking place in the mid to late 1800's... and although the characters are all based on true British historical figures, the story is purely fictional and speculative.
The plot was carefully planned and descriptive, leaving no detail out, if flowed quickly and beautifully creating picturesque scenes and dramatic page turning moments.
Princess Louise is fierce, stubborn and determined to not be undermined and thought of as just a 'weak woman'. She was persistent in not only being treated as an equal and forcing the Queen to allow her to attend art school on her own, but was also determined to be treated as an equal among the throngs of men that surrounded her. Princess Louise took daring attempts to fraternize with the commoners, worked for woman's causes and reached out to those less fortunate.
Queen Victoria tries to tame her 'wild' daughter and finally brings her home to marry her off to someone who is not royal, which is something that had not happened in over 300 years, which made everyone believe that the marriage was truly made out of love and not an arranged one.
Many family secrets are discovered and revealed in the midst of  Queen Victoria's reign. The coalition with the Irish has forced the Queen to trust in an American bodyguard, Stephen Byrne, who used to guard President Lincoln... and who is now falling in love with the married Princess.
History has always questioned why the Princess, said to have married for love, was only seen with her husband when necessary and never had children.
The Wild Princess really painted a picture as to how the royal family lived in those days, what was expected of them and what could have happened behind those closed castle doors.
A must read for all those who love the Victorian era and historical fiction love stories!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Mary Hart Perry

Mary Hart Perry lives in the Washington, DC area, with her husband and two cats, in a perfectly ordinary house that is nowhere close to being a castle. She has neither a coach, nor footman or driver. You won’t find even one lady-in-waiting in her bedroom, and there’s no cook in her kitchen to whip up a luscious 6-course meal to fortify her when she’s too busy obsessing over her current novel to cook. However, she feels positively regal when she travels to speak at conferences. There they feed her very well, thank you! Her favorite things in life are writing, history, animals and the people who own them—including most of her family and all of her fans. 




A Book Tour for:
Innovative Online Book Tours

Monday, July 30, 2012

WELCOME to the PARTIALS READ-A-LONG!!!


It's time! It's time! Get out your books, it's time to read :) 


Cass (Books With Cass) and I are super excited to start reading Partials with all of you this week!
A HUGE thank you to everyone who joined in and signed up!!!

Here is our schedule for the next few weeks
Week 1 - Part 1, read pages 1 - 134
Week 2 - Part 2, read pages 135 - 239
Week 3 - (still Part 2 ) read pages 240 - 349
Week 4 - Part 3 read pages 350 - 472 (Finish!)

There is still time to join in and sign up!!!

When tweeting, please use hashtag #PartialsReadAlong

You can find Partials by Dan Wells here: 
- Amazon 

Thanks! and have fun reading :) 

Sunday, July 29, 2012

The Beehive Book News Update #14: The Girl Who... Edition

It's time for another blog and book update :) 
It's doesn't seem like it, but it really is a 'short and sweet' one, lol! 
Not much happened on the blog last week, sorry! I had every intention of pre-posting more reviews, but spending more time with my boys and family, and finally getting more sleep was much needed this past week ;) 


I'm also participating in Tynga's "Stacking the Shelves" this week :)

Last week on the blog...
- Thank you to all who voted for Daemon in the #YACrushTourney :)
- My "Waiting On Wednesday" post: Impostor (Slide #2) by Jill Hathaway.
- My review of Intangible by J. Meyers.
- My stop on the Frozen Heart book tour!

What I received for review...
- Reinventing Claire (eBook) by Darian Wilk (Adult)
The Cinderella Project (eBook) by Stan Crow (Adult)
- Perfectly Unique: Praising God From Head to Foot by Annie F. Downs

What we got this week...
- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
- The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
- The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While (eBook) by Catherynne M. Valente
- Bound (FREE Nook eBook) by Kira Saito



Thank you to...
- Zondervan and Breezy Reads.
- Crystal of Elegantly Bound Books
- Valerie of Stuck In Books 

Next week on the blog...
- My "Grown-Up Sunday" Post!
*Our READ-A-LONG begins on Monday, July 30th! There is still time for you to sign up and read Partials by Dan Wells with Cass of Books With Cass and myself :)
- On Tuesday, a Cover Reveal for Rua by Miranda Kavi and my book tour stop for The Wild Princess by Mary Hart Perry (oops, I double booked, sorry!)
- My Waiting On Wednesday Post! and I'm participating in a new challenge, watch for deets!!! and The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge!!!
- Finally, my review of Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson on Thursday!
- And on Friday, my stop on the Between (by Daniel Frost) book tour!

P.S... my little sister, Sarabeth of Chronicles of Sarita is celebrating her 2nd blogaversary!!! 
Go check out her blog - she reads cool books! and she scraps and creates awesome stuffs!!!
And of course she's celebrating!!! So, GO HERE to enter her giveaway
enter to win one of two different gift cards :) Woo hoo!!!

Thanks SO much for stopping by and leaving comments!
I really appreciate it :)
Happy reading!!!

Friday, July 27, 2012

A Book Tour: Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume (Adult - Excerpt/Review/Giveaway)

by Annabelle Blume 
Release date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Genre: Adult Romance, 18+
Format read: ebook, 95 pages

SUMMARY 

A decade surviving on her own. 
Three days with the enemy. 
Can love conquer all?

Cressenda knows how to survive. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside.

But Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both the blizzard and the Affinity, makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared?

A Frozen Heart EXCERPT
“You…you’re a...sympathizer.” It sounded dirty as the words passed between my lips. I wanted to snatch them back and swallow them down again. The sting of my insult was evident in the painful expression that settled on his face.

“It doesn’t matter what I am. You want to be free, don’t you? Then go.” His authoritative facade crumbled and the innocent hurt of a young boy dripped from his soul as he spoke. “You won’t get far enough if you don’t get out now.”

I placed my hand over his, unlatching his fingers one at a time from the tender inside of my bicep. My steps were measured and controlled as I backed away from the Guard. I neared the clear walkway of the Trade Path just as a shrill alarm sounded. Every transaction halted and everyone held their breath for a split second, merchants and traders alike. In the blink of an eye, the entire population of the Path turned to the entrance and moved hurriedly, as if they were trying to contain a generalized franticness.
“What is it? Where are they going?” I asked no one in particular.
“It’s a blizzard warning.”
I cursed. A blizzard. I’d never make it home now. Conditions would be impossible: no visibility, forty-foot snowdrifts, and gale-force winds. The boys and I would never survive. I stood, motionless, while bodies spun and twirled on the periphery of my consciousness. I was stuck in the Collective with nowhere to go and, worse, nowhere to hide.
“Come with me,” the masculine timbre commanded over my shoulder before lacing his fingers in mine. His gentle hold of my hand gave me comfort and lulled me into a hypnotic state. The Guard led me forward until I broke from my daze.
“Let me go!” I yanked my hand from his. “I have to get out of here. I have to beat the blizzard.”
Before I could break into a sprint, the Guard whirled me around. I teetered, stunned by the force. He moved in close and arched over me while he spoke. Not to intimidate but to cover me, protecting me from the eyes around us.
“You’ll never make it. Never. Come with me. You can wait out the storm at my cabin. When it’s over, you’ll be free to go.” His eyes searched my person for the answer to the question in his mind. Wherever it is you live.
I stared at him, doubtful and distrusting. I had only seconds to decide if this tall, hulking citizen of the Collective, official of the Affinity, could really, truly be a sympathizer.


MY REVIEW

Frozen Heart is a well-written short story that I would consider as an adult dystopian romance. It takes place in the "'Ice Ages" were the lands have permanently frozen over, humans are scarce and everything must be rationed and modified by the government, called the Affinity. The "Green Age" was long ago, that stories of a time were the lands were full of green grass, crops, animals and people were free to choose where they wanted to live and who they wanted to marry, are told and passed on as though they were fairytales. 
Cressenda is one of the few lucky ones that was born out of love. Her parents taught her how to survive in the cold harsh weather away from the Affinity, they knew that one day she would be on her own. At a very early age, their prediction came true. For ten years, Cressenda took care of herself and her two sled dogs. Living a full days worth away from the nearest compound, she knows how to take care of her little family, their home, how to stay as healthy as possible and how to navigate the weather and mountains in order to get to the trade for supplies when she is running low. 
On one of her runs, she runs into some trouble and meets Beckett - one of the guards to the Affinity. When he checks her identification, Cressenda knows that he is about to discover that she is an Outsider, she must decide quickly how to get away or she will be arrested. But luckily for her, a surprise snowstorm hits and Beckett offers to take her in until it passes over. 
Much to my surprise, there is a lot more to Beckett than I gave him credit for. And the electricity between Beckett and Cressenda can start forest fires. 
I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with the ending - I felt like it was a bit to abrupt for me, almost like a cliffhanger! I want more! I need to know what happens... hopefully there will be a part two to this. 
It is definitely a great quick read to satisfy anyone who is in the mood for a quick romance. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Annabelle Blume

Annabelle is a Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy Romance author, that is, when she's not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her Sociology degree did nothing to progress her writing skills, but has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle's unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She's also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com, where she expounds her knowledge of being a vixen clad in sweatpants.


Giveaway! Enter to win an ecopy of Frozen Heart!!!
A Book Tour for: 
Bewitching Book Tours

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

A "Nobel Beehive Award" Review: Intangible by J. Meyers


by J. Meyers
Release date
Published by: Self Published by J. Meyers
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Format read: eBook

SUMMARY
(from Goodreads) 
"Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it."




MY REVIEW

This book has it all! Superb writing, amazing story-line, suspense, action...
vampires, faeries, elves and prophesied twins, Luke and Sera!
Luke and Sera have always known that they were different. Since they were very little, they knew that they had to protect each other and must do what they have to do to keep their special abilities a secret from everyone, including their parents. They only have and trust each other.
And then Luke has a vision of Sera being killed by a mysterious being. He has never been able to keep his visions from coming true. And this is one vision that he is determined to find a way to stop... one that he feels he must do alone. He must protect his sister from knowing, from dying.
From then on, odd people keep showing up around Luke and Sera. They're being watched... followed.
Who are these people? What do they want?

As the story unfolds, we get to see everything through two sets of eyes, Luke's and Sera's. Each chapter switches from one twin to the other. The connection between these two makes their world so realistic and the jump from one point of view to the next was easy to follow and kept the momentum going.

I don't want to get into details because of possible spoilers.

This is a wonderful story for J. Meyers to debut with!
I highly recommend jumping into this series and reading this book today!


I highly recommend reading Intuition, a FREE prequel short story to  Intangible... 
(Barnes and Noble - Amazon

Intuition by J. Meyers
A bonus Intangible short story

"Luke and his twin sister Sera have unusual abilities. Hers is a gift—she can heal with a touch of her hand. His is a curse—he can see the future but he can’t do anything about it.

On a hike up the mountain, Luke has a vision unlike any other—one that leaves him terrified. Knowing that it will come true—and that he must do everything in his power to stop it—leaves his own future uncertain."



ABOUT THE AUTHOR - J. Meyers

J. Meyers grew up in Vermont and now lives in Central New York. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s chasing her four kids around, exploring the outdoors with them, relishing the few quiet moments she gets with her husband, baking sweet treats, and forgetting to make dinner. Though she cannot actually see the future nor heal with a touch of her hand, she likes to think her children believe she can. Intangible is her first novel.

Waiting On Wednesday #20: Imposter by Jill Hathaway


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine. 
This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night and make our shelves look all pretty :)

This week, I'm waiting on... 

by Jill Hathaway
Release date: March 26th, 2013

SUMMARY
(from Goodreads) 

What if a killer took control of you?

"Vee Bell’s gift (or curse) of “sliding”—slipping into the mind of another person and experiencing life, briefly, through his or her eyes—has been somewhat under control since she unwillingly witnessed the horrific deaths of her classmates six months ago.

But just as things are getting back to normal, Vee has a very bizarre experience: she loses consciousness and finds herself in a deserted area, at the edge of a cliff, with the broken body of the boy who took advantage of her on the rocks below.

As Vee finds herself in stranger and stranger situations with no memory of getting there, she begins to suspect that someone she knows has the ability to slide—and that this “slider” is using Vee to exact revenge on his or her enemies."

Why I'm waiting on... Imposter???

If you read Slide, then you know how ah-maaazing it is! 
Just think about it, if you were able to "slide" into other people's minds and experience what they go through, what would you do? Who would you want to "slide" into, or who would you not want to?
And now, in Impostor, it seems that someone is able to control Vee's ability?! 
Sounds creepy! I can't wait to find out who and why!!!

And, if you like, you can see my review of Slide right here!

What are you 'waiting on' this week??? 

Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading!!!

Monday, July 23, 2012

VOTE FOR TEAM DAEMON!!! #YACrushTourney



It's time! It's time!!!

Daemon from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
will be going up against Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars in the Young Adult Crush Tournament today (Monday July 23). 
Valerie from Stuckinbooks.com is Daemon's advocate.


For those who don’t know Daemon, he is from the Lux series (Obsidian and Onyx) by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 
To find out more about the series check out Jennifer’s website! 
Also check out the book trailer for Obsidian... 



Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys.” 
~ Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout


If Daemon wins this round, Jennifer will show a never before scene!!!
One of Katy and Daemon that takes place between Obsidian and Onyx!


Also, don't forget to join in on the twitter party that will be going on all day long. There will even be an opportunity to win some awesome giveaways. 
To join in, just use the hashtag #TeamDaemonFTW


And in case you need more convincing...

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Beehive Book News #13: The Messy Hair Edition

Hello bookie friends!
Hope you all have had a wonderful book week :)

Please excuse another midnight video, this time I'm in my PJs and have very messy wavy hair, lol! It's been rainy here and there isn't much I can do when the weather is like this, sigh... 


I'll be participating in Tynga's "Stacking the Shelves" this week too :)

Last week on the blog...
- Grown-Up Sunday Post: Can I Get An Amen? by Sarah Healy
- Cover Reveal: Hooked by Liz Fichera
- *READ-A-LONG with US!!! Partials by Dan Wells
- My review on Everneath by Brodi Ashton
- Waiting On Wednesday: Everbound by Brodi Ashton
- My review on Goosebumps Wanted: The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine
- My review on Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein

What I received for review...
Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett (Adult)
Lady Louisa's Christmas Knight by Grace Burrowes (Adult)
The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (MG)
- Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (YA)
- Aldo's Fantastical Movie Palace by Jonathan Friesen (MG)

What we got this week...
- Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone Special Anniversary Edition by J.K. Rowling (MG)
- Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson (YA)
- Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (YA)
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer (MG/YA)
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (YA)
Peter Pan & Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie (MG)
- Moleskin Sketchbook :)
- Big Nate Boredom Buster by Lincoln Peirce (MG)
- Big Nate From the Top by Lincoln Peirce (MG)
- Lego Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World by Jon Richards (Children/MG)
- Phineas and Ferb Deluxe Book Gift Set from Sam's Club (Children/MG)

Thank you to...
- Sourcebooks Casablanca, Zonderkidz, HarperTeen and Scholastic!
- Sandy of Pirate Penguin's Reads

Next week on the blog...
- Another "Grown-Up Sunday" Post!
- On Monday, vote for DAEMON (from Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout) during the YA Crush Tourney!!!
- On Tuesday, Look for a giveaway for Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry!!!
- Another "Waiting On Wednesday" Post!
- Friday is my Book Tour Stop for a review of Frozen Heart by Annabelle Blume. 
- My reviews on Tiger Lily and Intangible!

Here is why you should VOTE FOR DAEMON during the YA Crush Tourney!!!



P.S... if you haven't read Partials by Dan Wells, please consider joining our Read-a-Long!!!
There will be weekly discussions/questions, a challenge and a giveaway!!!



 THANK YOU so very much for stopping by!!! 
Have a good week, and happy reading :) 

A Buzz-Worthy Review: Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein


by T.M. Goeglein
Release date: July 24th, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Genre: YA Mystery
Format read: ARC 

SUMMARY
(from Goodreads) 

"Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventure. 

Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance - until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob). 

Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies - a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense - hidden in its pages is the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives. 

Action packed, with fresh, cinematic writing, COLD FURY is a riveting and imaginative adventure readers will devour." 

QUOTES I LOVED

"I like history. My mom always says, if you don't understand what happened in the past, how can you understand what's happening now?"
~ Max, Cold Fury (ARC) page 73

"It sounds like a silly bumper sticker, but a hug can keep a person alive." 
- Sara Jane, Cold Fury (ARC) page 222

MY REVIEW

This is definitely a book for those who love mafia-type stories! Once you get past the first 80-90 pages, the book is full of suspense and picks up speed. There are just enough descriptive passages about how this 'mafia' works without having the the story not lose it's momentum. The main character, Sarah Jane, is one kick-ass chick I don't ever want to mess around with! As scary and uncertain her life gets with every moment that she breaths, she is fierce and determined to find out what has happened to her family. 


This "ultimate power" and a few other small details in the story (trained rats?) made me think that this series may have an underlying supernatural thing to it, which is hard for me to describe because it did not go into too many details about the "ultimate power" yet... this is definitely an intro type of book, but do not be mistaken, there are no boring details here -  every single moment is to be accounted for. 

My only issue is that every single female character, other than Sarah Jane, were deeply flawed and unrelatable. Her mother, though loving and loyal, was secretive and seemed absent a lot. Her female classmates and friends were either gossips or bullies, and even her aunt was mean, controlling and vindictive. And although the male characters had their flaws too, they were more supportive and caring towards Sarah Jane. (The love between her and her little brother is heartwarming and adorable.) Which is wonderful to see. But I felt like it wasn't enough... it might just be me being a bit sensitive to how these female characters were portrayed.

However, I really did enjoy the typical aspects of the story where the mafia is involved - the typical stereotyped characters and their and names, quite humorous and fun. Yes, the whole book has a Bourne Identity meets the Sopranos vibe to it, but it is definitely the young adult version of it. The fight scenes and action are there, but not so extreme.

The ending just about killed me, but I couldn't see it ending in any other way! It's definitely a cliffhanger - not one that I expected at all! And it was such a good one too! One that you'll definitely appreciate and will keep you biting off your fingernails until the next book!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - T.M. Goeglein

T.M. Goeglein began his career as a writer of print and television ads for a host of advertising and media companies. As a screenwriter, he created both original scripts and worked as a script doctor for several production companies in Los Angeles. He was an original contributor to the Huffington Post 'Living' section, and continues to write for both the national edition and Huffington Post Chicago. Read T.M. Goeglein's stories on the Huffington Post.


His debut young adult novel, COLD FURY, will be published by Penguin/Putnam in 2012 and is the first in a trilogy; he’s currently working on the second book. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Laura, and two young children.



Thursday, July 19, 2012

A "Buzz-Worthy" Middle Grade Review: Goosebumps Wanted by R.L. Stine


by R.L. Stine
Release Date: July 1st, 2012 
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. 
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery and Thriller
Format Read: ARC

SUMMARY
(from Goodreads) 

"For the first time ever, Goosebumps is in hard cover! 
Catch the series' most notorious characters--undead or alive...

From horror master R.L. Stine come two new chilling stories in one spooky standalone:

The Haunted Mask has returned and is determined to make this the worst night of your life!

Where's the last place you would want to get stuck? A haunted pumpkin patch where the jack o'lanterns are after you!

And watch for Goosebumps: Most Wanted, an all-new paperback series coming in the fall."

MY REVIEW

You know a book is good, especially a middle grade book, when you dream about it, no, when you have a nightmare about it! People weren't kidding when they say that R.L. Stine is the Stephen King for kids! His descriptions and story-telling are bone chilling!

The Haunted Mask is split up into three parts, which gives us three point-of-views...
The story starts out with shop owner named William who enjoys creating beautiful, exotic and happy masks. He believes that his masks are to bring fun and joy to the persons wearing them. But when his estranged brother, Randolph, shows up with a proposition to go into business together, showing him a case full of the most ugly and twisted masks he has ever seen. They quarrel and things get quite intense and scary.
Now 40 years later, we meet Lu-Ann and Devin and they are talking about their plans for Halloween. Lu-Ann is tired of going to her friends boring Halloween party every year and now that they are older, she is hoping to make things scary and interesting. Meanwhile, Devin and his family are going to go live on a pumpkin farm for the whole week of Halloween and won't be around to go to the party.
On Halloween, Lu-Ann and her two friends, Brad and Marcus, go to Polly's boring Halloween party and weird things start happening. They run upstairs into the attic and find a chest full of masks. They decide to put on the masks to frighten the party-goers... little does Lu-Ann know that her mask is "special".
The story then jumps back a few days before Halloween showing us what Devin has been going through living on the pumpkin farm - which has not been fun... and the most scariest things have been happening too.
On Halloween everyone's story collides together creating the most suspenseful and scariest of all endings. R.L. Stine really does know how to deliver a good scare!

I highly recommend that parents read this first before giving to any children under the age of 8. My son is 8 1/2 and I'm not sure if I want him reading it yet even though he thinks the cover is one of the coolest bookcovers he has ever seen, lol! I guess I'll be finding out soon enough!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR - R.L. Stine

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

 
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