Book Spotlight: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her. 

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.
From Goodreads.com

Born and raised in the world of pirates, Ananna is not your typical girl. In the first pages, Ananna is being set to marry a son from an allying pirate clan. But being who she is, Ananna doesn’t want to be a wife to a pirate, she wants to run her own ship. So instead of being pulled into a life she doesn’t want, she runs away. However, there are consequences to her actions and the pirate clan will have none of it. They send an assassin after her, but he is not what she expects.
Naji has a job to do. He must bring the runaway back to the clan, but everything changes when he meets Ananna. Together they embark on a journey neither one of them ever expected. And that’s where the fun begins.
To tell you the truth, I had no idea what to expect from this story. I was going through (and still kind of am) a fantasy kick, and I was desperatly searching for a book that would help with my slight obsession. Well, this book kind of intensified that obsession just a bit.
The story blew me away. I was pulled in from the first pages, eagerly reading each word. Ananna is one of my favorite heroine’s right now. She’s strong, smart, and knows exactly what she wants. I loved how from the very beginning she stood up for her own beliefs. I was routing for her to win the whole deal! Then comes in Naji. And let me tell you, Naji? A-freaking-mazing. I adore him to pieces and I’m not ashamed to say it. He was a fabulous character to read. Not only is he swoon worthy, he’s smart and super skilled to kick anyone’s butt that stands in his way. And once Ananna is in his life, he’s also super protective.
The chemistry between these two is fabulous. I loved how we get to see their necessity turn to friendship and then...that’s right I just left that blank. Don’t assume anything by those dots people. Trust me, this whole book, make no assumptions.
I have to mention the ending. The ENDING! Seriously, I was very unhappy. There were lots of words spoken in fast succession. At work. With people staring. I want the next book RIGHT now. I’m not even kidding. That is all.
Seriously though, Cassandra created a beautiful picture of a world that is ruled by magic. Her characters are real, intense, and just plain amazing. I really felt like Cassandra had a good grip on her story and she showed it in this wonderful debut. This book comes out October 2, 2012. Buy it, read it, love it!

Happy reading, 
Valia

Road Trip Wednesday: Best Book I've Read in September

Hello lovelies, 
So I decided to participate in this weeks theme over at YA Highway. I really do love these Road Trip Wednesdays. Just a quick note or two and I feel like I'm blogging more often. (No, this is not cheating). 
Anyway, on to the topic for today: Best Book You've Read in September.
For me, it's a book I just finished and it's called Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger. 
Road Trip Song of the Week: Bullet by Jesse James (Click the link. Do it)

First of all, look at that cover. No, seriously, look at it. Isn't it gorgeous? I just love how different it is from the frontal close up that's been going around for a while now. Not that I don't adore those covers either, I do, but this one just took my breath away a little. 

Second of all, read the synopsis. Go ahead, I'll wait. 

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Now take a breath. Or two. It really is as awesome as it sounds. I'll be doing a full blown review within a week, so please come back and gush over the characters with me. 
I'm sad to report that this book is not out until March of 2013, but you MUST add it to your TBR list anyway. You won't be disappointed. Scouts honor (or something). 

What's the best book you've read in September?

Much love, 
Valia 

Book Spotlight: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Inhale. Exhale. 
Breathe. 
Breathe. 
Breathe . . .
The world is dead. 
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?
From goodreads.com

       The world is not like it used to be. All the trees are dead, and with their death came chaos. The world has no oxygen. The cities are built within a dome, with oxygen regulated by the Breathe officials. The people are divided into three groups of social standings, and freedom is a foreign word. 

Alina is a rebel, set on bringing back the right way of life, the freedom that was taken from the people when Breathe came into power. Bea is a girl from the lowest class, where anything but regular breathing costs more than she can afford. She can’t dance or sing, simply because she doesn’t have enough oxygen. Her best friend Quinn, is from the rich class, so he puts together a trip for the two of them into the Outlands. Then Alina comes along, and that’s where the real story begins. 

I loved everything about this book. I’m a huge fan of dual points of view, when it’s done right, and having three points of view was even better. I felt like Sarah did a great job with all three voices, brining the story to a whole new level. Alina is a tough girl. I liked her character and her no nonsense attitude. The only thing that I was a little put off of is the fact that every guy she met wanted to get with her. It was a bit of “Really? Again?” 

Bea was a great character. I think she may be my favorite. I felt like we really saw her grow throughout the book. She’s the girl anyone can relate her, especially in her love life. She pushes thru the challenges, and takes on the role of protector and fighter. I loved this girl!

As for Quinn, oh Quinn! He’s a handful of emotions. He starts out like any other rich boy. However, he doesn’t end like it, which I loved. I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character, and I loved seeing his relationship with Bea. Those two has amazing chemistry, and they complimented each other in a way that made my heart smile. 

The world of Breathe is both frightening and real. The journey the three must make in order to discover the truth behind the lies Breathe has been feeding them is beautiful and powerful. They have to learn things about themselves and each other, fighting for their right to breathe. After my little reading slump, this was just the book to excite me about stories again. Breathe comes out October 2, 2012. Buy it, read it, love it! 

Happy reading, 

Valia 

On New Projects: How to Make Your Creative Juices Flow

Hello Darlings!

       I know you’ve all heard about my new project by now (because I keep mentioning it, consistently. I'm excited so sue me!) Well, you’ve heard I’ve started one because really, that’s all I can tell you. That and a little more. 

It seems that every time I begin something new, I do it in a different way. My first book ever was more of just sit down and write. Then, I started doing a little more research. And then a little more. With book number 3, I saved pictures and documents to my Scrivener project. With the last book I wrote, I utilized Pinterest a lot for visual aids. To date, I have completed four books and each one was a completely different journey for me. 

Book number five is a whole new ball game. 

Remember when I shared a little bit about SmashBooking? I’m slightly in love with arts and crafts, and I’m getting back into that aspect of my life. SmashBooks are the best way to restart your creative flow and record some memories. 

So with Secret Turtle on a Journey book number 5 I decided to create a SmashBook entirely dedicated to my story. Basically, it’s like having a Pinterest board along with all your documents in a printed, tangible version. I’m in LOVE with this idea! I can’t share my “Secret Turtle on a Journey” Smash, but here are some examples of Smash pages I’m talking about. 

(All pictures taken from Pinterest and Smashaholics group on facebook! These ladies are fabulous!)

So tell me, is there anything that helps you write? Any special things you do before, during, or after you start your projects? 

Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my writing world. If you’d like to see more of these, or have any questions, let me know! 

Much love, 

Valia

A Tiny Book Haul of Huge Happiness

Hey lovelies, 

Sorry to say, no video for you this week. But I did get these two amazing books that I'll be diving into this weekend (even though I work). 

That's right! You see the wonderful beautiful copy of Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi! *SQUEE* I can't wait to see what happens next in that particular series. More Adam! Need. More. Adam. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13104080-unravel-me

And did you see the puurty copy of Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger? I'm in love! I've been itching to read this book from the moment I heard about it. So far, I'm in awe. Loving the dual points of view (you know I'm a huge fan) and the story! Will be posting a review for sure!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13445306-let-the-sky-fall

Guys, add these two to your TBR list! :-)

What's in your mailbox?

Happy reading, 
Valia 

Book Spotlight: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.
From goodreads.com

Felicia is in the pods. Dead at an early age, she is suspended in a place where memories are a constant companion. She spends hours upon hours plugged in, reliving all of the things that she lost on earth. Then, things start happening. When a friend disappears and a old flame returns, Felicia must chose if she wants to spend eternity plugged into a machine or if she’s ready to fight the battle against the Morati, the angel guardians. Felicia must learn to trust herself, and her unlikely allies, if she is to ever leave Level 2. 

I have to say I have heard a million things about this book. The huge hype this book received is quite the envy of a fellow author. The whole concept of the story, I think, is pretty amazing. The unique world Lenore created is fascinating. It’s the whole purgatory concept taken to a whole new level. I liked the imagery in this book, the way I could see the hive and the pods as if I was looking straight at them. 

However, while I loved the world created, I didn’t love the characters as much as I wanted to. Felicia had a lot of challenges to meet throughout the book. She grew as an individual, finally making decisions for herself in the end. Yet, I didn’t feel connected to her the way I wanted to. She simply wasn’t my favorite heroine and there’s nothing wrong with that. 

Julian was probably my favorite character throughout the book. However, I didn’t feel too connected to him either. I guess I was just looking for a little more depth to the both of them, maybe something to make me want them to survive, if that makes sense? I think I liked Julian the best because he’s the one who had some personality to his actions. I didn’t feel much for Neil, because I didn’t feel like we got to know him through Felicia’s memories. He wasn’t really a driving force behind Felicia’s actions, for me. 

Overall, I think Level 2 is a good book, worthy of reading. The world is beautiful and haunting, and the characters ignite your interest enough for the second book. I’m really intrigued to see where Lenore takes the series next and will be looking forward to reading book two. 

Level 2 comes out January 15th, 2013! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading, 

Valia 

Inspiration: On being scared of fighting for your dreams...

Hello darlings, 

See that right there --> 

My life right now. 

      It's amazing how one little change in your schedule makes the rest of it go into haywire. Work has been more than kicking my butt lately, and needless to say I haven't been doing as much writing. *Insert the SADDEST face ever* 

     I've started a new project, which is totally different from anything I've ever written and it's a bit scary. Scary and exciting. 

I love new beginnings. It's like the smell of a new car or freshly baked cookies (which I now kind of want). Yet, at the same time, I'm terrified of not being able to deliver the way I'd like to deliver. Obviously, I don't want to be a failure. No one strives to be that right? 

On the other hand, I'm still querying agents and yes, this is pretty much how I feel about it. It's a crazy competitive world out there, and the journey to get your work out there is very hard. I've been watching The Voice (pretty much the best voice competition ever) and it really makes me stop and think of the way I react to rejection. At least my tears are in private, can you imagine getting over being rejected on national television?

     There is a lesson in that which I wanted to share with you. When you fall down, get back up. When you feel like a failure, keep on going. There is nothing standing between you and your dreams but your own self-doubt. This is a lesson that I have to keep reminding myself of, because I am one of the worst self-critics out there. My challenge to you, and to myself, is not to give up. You never know if your success was in the next query letter, or the next audition, or the next interview. Everything is a battle, it's up to us if we're willing to fight it. 

Much love, 

Valia