FOG

by Caroline B. Cooney

even the cover is enough to send chills down your back

about the book:

Will Maine’s historic Schooner Inne Bed and Breakfast be a safe haven for the island kids boarding during the school year—or the end of them all?

Christina Romney is thirteen, with a personality that matches her unruly but charming tri-colored hair. She is about to start seventh grade, and for kids from Maine’s Burning Fog Island, that means leaving their little white schoolhouse for regular classrooms and life on the mainland. Everyone assures Christina it will be a fantastic year. Mainland school offers great advantages, after all: extracurricular activities other than boating and fishing, a gym, a cafeteria, and more kids her age. Best of all, this year the boarding students will live at the historic Schooner Inne, a former sea captain’s house (and now a bed and breakfast) recently bought by the school’s charismatic new principal and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Shevvington.

But Christina is apprehensive. She adores the wildness and excitement of her island life. Boarding with her island friends will surely help: Anya, a beautiful senior, fifteen-year-old Benji, the aspiring lobsterman, and his crush-worthy younger brother Michael. But Christina’s apprehension sharpens when Benji and Michael aren’t as friendly as they used to be on the island, and Anya starts acting so strangely it seems she is slowly losing her mind. Christina is increasingly certain the Shevvingtons are behind all of these changes. But no one else can see the Shevvingtons’ eerie behavior—not other teachers, not her parents, not even her fellow island kids. Is Anya the one going crazy in the Schooner Inne—or is it Christina?

MY THOUGHTS

Good vs. Evil

That is the idea behind this incredible story.  Christina is a 13 year old girl from an off coast Maine island (Burning Fog Island) who, along with some other children, must move to the mainland for school. They must all board at the lovely Schooner Inne.  Seems great, but things are not as they appear.  To begin with, The Shevingston's are just a little off.  Strange.  Things go from bad to worse for Christina, and soon she is accused of being an unreliable, unpredictable problem child. (not true).  I loved Christina's spunk, and her unwillingness to follow the pack.  She questions everything and rarely falls prey to the mind games thrusted upon her by the Shevington's Anya, Christina's roommate and fellow islander, is losing herself.  She is slowly becoming a shadow of the person she once was.  The boys appear to be unaffected by the evil that surrounds them.

The book is eerie, spooky and fun all at the same time.  The ending is unfullfilling but leaves the way open for book two...

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves strange and unusual stories.   

COVER REVEAL

COVER REVEAL

for more information about

TIMELESS

visit

http://blog.michellemadow.com/2012/08/timeless-cover-reveal-and-giveaway.html

today we are hosting 
TRISHA LEIGH
author of
WHISPERS IN AUTUMN

Date Published: July 24, 2012

Synopsis:
In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.

Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.

The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes.

Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.

It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.

And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good


about Trisha:

Raised by a family of ex-farmers and/or almost rock stars from Northeastern Iowa, I’ve always loved to tell stories. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Film, I began to search for a way to release the voices in my head. I wrote a thriller and a couple of ghost stories, getting my feet wet and learning with each attempt. When I attempted my first YA novel, which would become Whispers in Autumn, I was hooked. I knew then my heart lay with telling stories about and for young adults, and for anyone who loves to read and recapture those fleeting “first” moments.

My spare time is spent reviewing television and movies, spending time with my large, loud, loving family, reading any book that falls into my hands, and being dragged into the fresh air by my dogs Yoda and Jilly.

MY THOUGHTS;
I must admit, I am somewhat tired of dystopian novels. Something about this book drew me in.  I was hooked from the beginning!
It is a unique combination of dystopian, and science fiction (yes,there are aliens...)
The main character is a young teenage girl named Althea.  It would not do justice to the character to merely describe her as multidimensional.  She is different, she doesn't quite belong.  You, as the reader, can actually feel what she is feeling.  You can see what she is seeing.  This, in my opinion, is the sign of a truly fantastic writer.  When I was finished, I reread the story.  Also a sign of a fantastic writer.   
I look forward to more books by Trisha Leigh.

How about an excerpt from the book?

The thought of Lucas watching me stroll about without my knowledge makes me both embarrassed and angry. “I don’t think so. I don’t need any extra attention, and you and your fish and your hiding in the shadows is bound to get one or both of us in trouble.”

“What do you mean, any extra attention?”

One evening alone with another person and my secret’s all but painted on my forehead. Running from the Wardens, frowning at Lucas, saying out loud that I don’t want to catch the Wardens’ eyes—any one of those actions is enough to land me in a bad situation. I force a smile, cursing my loose lips and ignoring the beads of sweat breaking out on my palms. “Did I say extra? I just meant attention. With the Wardens in town and everything. Goodnight.”

Lucas grabs my wrist and holds on tight, stopping me from heading to the Morgans’. His fingers tighten and my skin chafes as I try to twist free, his frigid touch relieving the burning panic for a moment. A wild look flashes in his eyes and he leans in until our noses almost touch. 

My breath catches as our eyes meet, a shocking level of anticipation mingling with fear. I push away from him, heart thrashing, but he only leans closer. I freeze, closing my eyes against whatever is coming next. 

Words emerge from his pale lips in a whisper, expelling breath frostier than the fall breeze winding about us. “Think about it, Althea. There’s a good chance one or both of us is going to get into trouble anyway.”

available to purchase on  http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Autumn-Last-Year-ebook/dp/B008NFVDTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344868033&sr=8-1&keywords=whispers+in+autumn 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-in-autumn-trisha-leigh/1112185846?ean=9781475235944

http://www.trishaleigh.com

@trishaleighkc

trishaleighkc.tumblr.com

http://pinterest.com/trishaleighkc/

THE SECOND EMPRESS

BY

MICHELLE MORAN

received from NetGalley for honest review

about the book:

National bestselling author Michelle Moran returns to Paris, this time under the rule of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte as he casts aside his beautiful wife to marry a Hapsburg princess he hopes will bear him a royal heir

After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the eighteen year old daughter of the King of Austria, is told that the Emperor has demanded her hand in marriage, her father presents her with a terrible choice: marry the cruel, capricious Napoleon, leaving the man she loves and her home forever, or say no, and plunge her country into war.

Marie-Louise knows what she must do, and she travels to France, determined to be a good wife despite Napoleon’s reputation. But lavish parties greet her in Paris, and at the extravagant French court, she finds many rivals for her husband’s affection, including Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine, and his sister Pauline, the only woman as ambitious as the emperor himself. Beloved by some and infamous to many, Pauline is fiercely loyal to her brother. She is also convinced that Napoleon is destined to become the modern Pharaoh of Egypt. Indeed, her greatest hope is to rule alongside him as his queen—a brother-sister marriage just as the ancient Egyptian royals practiced. Determined to see this dream come to pass, Pauline embarks on a campaign to undermine the new empress and convince Napoleon to divorce Marie-Louise.

As Pauline's insightful Haitian servant, Paul, watches these two women clash, he is torn between his love for Pauline and his sympathy for Marie-Louise. But there are greater concerns than Pauline's jealousy plaguing the court of France. While Napoleon becomes increasingly desperate for an heir, the empire's peace looks increasingly unstable. When war once again sweeps the continent and bloodshed threatens Marie-Louise’s family in Austria, the second Empress is forced to make choices that will determine her place in history—and change the course of her life.

Based on primary resources from the time, The Second Empress takes readers back to Napoleon’s empire, where royals and servants alike live at the whim of one man, and two women vie to change their destinies.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

my thoughts:

I've never before read anything by Michelle Moran.  This will not be my last book,  

I loved her style.  I find myself fascinated with anything dealing with Napoleonic court life. 

This is new for me, I've always much preferred Tudor and Italian history. (which is odd in itself

as I am of French descent) 

The characters are multidimensional, which I love about this book.  Moran has the ability to utilize minor characters to enhance her story.

Maria Lucia was a fascinating woman. The reader will feel mixed emotions for her, as I did. 

I recommend this book to any lovers of history.  I've already purchased more books by this author.  Can't wait to read them!

Grant Morris has generously provided six copies of his novel Deacon Leeds and The Pyramid of Symbols for six lucky winners! 

If you love young adult or middle grade books, don't miss out on this giveaway!

to enter the giveaway, visit

http://sarahsbookreviews1.blogspot.com/2012/07/giveaway-deacon-leeds-and-pyramid-of.html