Hi everybody!

We are wrapping up another HOT month of amazing events here at Bitten by Books, and our August line up promises to be just as sizzling! Not only do we have lots of great events planned, there are over a hundred new reviews coming your way next month. If you forget the date for an event, you can always find out what is going on by coming to the site and clicking on the red highlighted dates on the event calendar located on the left hand side of the site.

MORE prizes and ways to win have been added to both of the blog carnival giveaways since it started this week, so head back over and pick your favorites for more chances to win. HURRY you have until midnight Pacific time Saturday to get your entries in!

Here are the direct links:
http://weirdstuffinmydesk.com/?p=133
and
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=738

Hop on over to Raven Radio for a great contest sponsored by Bitten by Books this month here:
http://ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog/?p=552

Prize winners over the last few weeks:
From the Nancy Haddock Author Spotlight:
Andrea C. - Autographed copy of La Vida Vampire from Nancy Haddock
Popin - Copy of St. Augustine Today Magazine from Nancy Haddock
Cindi - $20.00 Amazon.com Gift Card from Bitten by Books

From the Yasmine Galenorn Guest Blogging event:
Nancy - Three signed copies of Yasmine Galenorn’s Other World series, Witchling, Changeling, Darkling)

From the Christmas in July Event
Tamara - $30.00 Amazon.com Gift Card

From Faith Bicknell- Brown’s Guest Blogging Event
Jennifer - A FREE Book from the author

Now, for some AWESOME events for the month of August, mark your calendars!

Monday August 4th author Jackie Kessler will be in the author spotlight details are here:
http://bittenbybooks.com/?page_id=4

Wednesday August 6th author Ericka Scott will be guest blogging about Dark Shadows and how to use foreshadowing to enhance stories. She will be offering up FREE copy of her newest book as a prize for participants.

Wednesday August 13th join author Dahlia Rose for an exciting day guest blogging about Caribbean ghost stories.

Monday August 18th author Jeaniene Frost will be doing an interview and Q&A session with our readers. Bitten by Books will be giving away a $20.00 Amazon.com Gift Card.

Wednesday August 20th join author Esther Mitchell and find out where heroes come from, and explore the world’s greatest myths with a brand-new twist as Esther Mitchell takes you inside a world of mysticism, intrigue, and terror. If you think true love only happens in fairy tales… think again when you meet the dark side of love. One lucky participant will win a FREE copy of her book HOPE OF HEAVEN.

Wednesday August 27th join author Sapphire Phelan as she talks about how a horror author can write the same scary stuff for dark paranormal romance.

Monday September 9th author Joey W. Hill will be doing an interview and Q&A session with our readers. Joey will be offering up an awesome prize package of a print set of The Vampire Queen’s Servant and the sequel, The Mark of the Vampire Queen; OR, a copy of A Mermaid’s Kiss, her sensual paranormal coming out November 2008 (reader’s choice). In addition Bitten by Books will be giving away a $20.00 A Mermaid’s Kiss to one lucky participant.

–
Blessings,
Rachel
http://bittenbybooks.com - Book Reviews
http://weirdstuffinmydesk.com - Honest E-tailer Reviews!

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

In the second installment of the Phoenix Agency series, the focus is on agency partner Dan Romeo. After a kidnapping rescue mission in Mexico, Dan is preparing to take some time off to recoup from the mission. Instead of relaxing though, he travels to San Antonio to help his friend Chase Carpenter. Chase is the owner and CEO of Carpenter Techtronics and is on the verge of announcing a major new product nicknamed Oscar. As Oscar has the possibility of making his company billions of dollars, Chase has invited his friend Dan to the press conference and demonstration. With Dan’s background in the Phoenix Agency, Chase knows he can check their security over and make sure nothing happens before the demonstration.

Mia Fleming works for the DeWitt Museum in San Antonio as an art historian and Assistant Curator. She also has precognitive experiences, meaning that she gets visions. Sometimes when she’s awake and sometimes when she’s asleep; she never knows when they will hit. She’s had these since childhood and has always tried to hide them. Her family thought she was a weird child and even sent her to a psychiatrist. As an adult, she tried to help police using her visions but without having learned how to interpret and focus them, she’s only right about fifty percent of the time. She starts having visions of a large rock with hands reaching for it. When the visions expand into one of someone being stabbed, she knows she can’t ignore them any more and tries to figure them out based on what she’s seen. With a lot of research and more clues from her visions, she realizes that they are in some way connected to Carpenter Techtronics and sends them a warning email.

When Chase notifies Dan about the email, an investigation is launched. Dan is quickly able to track Mia down and confronts her about the email. When she explains herself, Dan understands that something big is possibly going on in regards to Oscar. It quickly becomes obvious that someone is trying to steal it and ruin Carpenter Techtonics. While things heat up with the investigation, there is also a spark or two burning between Dan and Mia. As time runs out, bodies start piling up and attempts are made on Mia’s life. Dan is in for the race of his life to save not only his friend’s company and invention but also the woman he’s come to love.

Visions Of Darkness is an action packed ride from beginning to end. I’m so glad this is a series as I have really enjoyed getting to know each partner in the Phoenix Agency. This story in particular contains twists and turns that you won’t expect. While I did figure out early on who one of the conspirators were, I was completely clueless about the second. Even with that though, there were still things that I did not see coming and I like that. This is a great series that I highly recommend and gladly give it five tombstones.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: The Lotus Circle
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419980510

To purchase an electronic copy of Visions Of Darkness click here.

Books in the Phoenix Agency series in the order they should be read:
Always On My Mind
Visions of Darkness

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Faith Wilding is a best selling author and currently experiencing a roaring case of writer’s block. As she tries to figure out a way to relax and break through the block, a voice echoes through her head and a wave of pain overcomes her. While the reason for the pain is unknown, Faith is very familiar with the voice. It belongs to her best friend Mark Halloran, team leader for a Special Ops unit who also happens to have telepathic abilities. Faith is a telepath too and they discovered in their teens that they could communicate with each other that way. The last time Faith heard from Mark was two years ago when he “popped in” to say hi.

This time though, he manages to tell her that he has been captured before the connection between them is somehow broken. The pain she felt, Faith realizes, is Mark’s pain. He’s either been injured during the capture or has been tortured. Faith is devastated. Though they’ve been friends since she was six and Mark eight, their relationship had evolved a few years ago. They had had one glorious weekend together before Mark left on one of his missions. He didn’t want to pursue things further until he was out of the Army and would be able to commit himself to a relationship without the threat of his possible death hanging over their heads every time he was on a mission.

Faith doesn’t know where Mark is now but she figures that she’s a writer; she can do research and hopefully find a way to get to him. Using a new book idea as her cover, Faith starts to contact people she thinks might be able to tell her anything about Mark’s unit or lead her to someone who can. She has no idea that the more people she talks to, the closer she is to danger.

Meanwhile, Mark is dealing with his own danger. Since his capture, he has been beaten and tortured. Mark’s mission dealt with taking down an arm’s dealer during a transaction in the jungles of South America. Someone connected to the dealer had tipped off authorities and Mark is the only one left who knows where the information came from. He’s stubborn in his refusal to give any information but he’s getting weaker with each day. His only hope is to keep sending Faith messages and hope she can find some way to get him out.

During Faith’s investigation, she attracts attention of people that want to keep things quiet. It is not until an attempt is made on her life that she realizes how serious things are. She has made contact with people that can help Mark and keep her safe. But will she live long enough to see things through to the end?

I absolutely loved this book! I’m not normally one for military thrillers but this one just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. There is so much going on within the story, but not so much that you can’t keep up. Not only do you get the story from Faith and Mark’s point of view, but you also see inside the heads of some of the various players in the conspiracy. I liked that because you get a better idea of what is going on and who is involved. Granted, you don’t find out the identities of the traitors till the end but that’s good. It makes you wonder and think about who it could be. It does, however, make writing a review somewhat of a challenge. I didn’t want to give too much away but trust me; you’ll want to read Always On My Mind!

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: The Lotus Circle
  
• Book Length: Novel
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781419980220

To purchase an electronic copy of Always On My Mind click here.

Books in the Phoenix Agency series in the order they should be read:
Always On My Mind
Visions of Darkness

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Soundwave’s Surrender is a futuristic novella is a spicy view into the life of Soundwave, a very talented mercenary. Her abilities to manipulate and create sounds that aren’t detectable by the average human ear has come in very handy. She accepts a job to hunt down a rebellion ship and furthermore, destroy her enemy General Pane. The destroying isn’t her job anyways and leaves that to those most capable when she spies an escape pod that thrusts out of the ruined and exploding ship.

Using her abilities, Soundwave talks a large bat-like creature into taking her into the air and tracking down that escape pod - knowing that it holds General Pane. Unfortunately, the noise from the explosion ricochets off the surrounding mountains and overloads her sensitive ears, sending the creature, holding both her and General Pane, into a fit and dropping them both to the ground.

White hot passion lights up the cave that General Pane has found as a hideout - taking the unconscious Soundwave as his prisoner. The language of the heated sex is just as it should be for this couple and their surroundings - detailed with some very colorful verbiage. The flow of the sensual action was great and there was quite a surprise in the midst of the fervor.

Ms. Brown touched on a skill that isn’t easy to do - at least it’s not always easy to read - each chapter is written almost exclusively from the other character’s perspective. It was a very interesting way to read into the story and it kept it alive for me, it kept each chapter fresh.

But what will happen to these two? Sworn enemies that can’t seem to keep their hands off each other … and they don’t hide the fact that they both burn for the other. This was a great view into these two characters which left me wanting more.

Book Stats:

• e-book, digital format
• Publisher: Changeling Press
  
• Book Length: Novella
  
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-1-60521-007-0

To purchase an electronic copy of Soundwave’s Surrender click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Engaged to a man she does not love and in a job working for a jerk she can barely stand, Sophia’s one escape is at the Midnight Mocha café. Seeing the handsome owner who makes her favorite caffeinated drink just happens to be an added perk. Just because he’s cute, friendly, and her personal hero (having saved her life once from a mugger and providing her with her daily dose of caffeine) does not mean she is interested in him in more than a friend, or vice versa. Right?

With a past he does not want to repeat and a secret he does not want to reveal, Alex is cautious in how he deals with Sophia. She’s taken and he does not want Sophia to know he has been attracted to her all this time and or worse, tempted to drink all her blood. She would think he was a monster. He knows it is best to avoid her at all costs but somehow he finds he has extreme difficulty just staying away. What is it about her that makes her so alluring and her blood smell so enticing?

This is a unique story of love, temptation, strength and self-realization. Alex and Sophia’s love is undeniable and the sexual tension is just as delicious. While Alex fights to keep Sophia away from him, Sophia fights to keep him near. In the end, both end up finding themselves and each other.

This story gets 4 tombstones. It was fast-paced from the first couple of pages. Even the way it was written was different in that the story was written from the perspective of the two main characters, with their points of view interchanging and at times overlapping. The only disappointing factor was the ending. The story kept building up and building up leaving the reader to expect the unexpected, only to have an anti-climatic ending. It made me ask, where, how, when and why. And then all of a sudden, viola! It simply ended. Still, it was a brilliant read, with extraordinary characters and surprising twists and turns that will keep anyone interested in reading more.

Book Stats:

e-book, digital format
Publisher: Amira Press
Length: Novel
ISBN: 978-1-934475-78-2

To purchase an electronic copy of Midnight Mocha click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Bitten by Books is excited to welcome author/publisher Faith Bicknell-Brown today as our featured Guest Blogger! Ann will be talking about Print vs. Ebooks. Check out the contest at the end of this post! You could win a FREE copy of one of Faith’s books!
****************************************************

Hello to all those avid readers and devoted writers out there!

My name is Faith Bicknell-Brown. I’ve been writing professionally for over twenty years with material in Penthouse Variations, Hustler’s Busty Beauties, and even non-fiction such as The Ohio Writer Magazine. I have several e-books published as Zinnia Hope, and some under my real name like my Avoid Writers’ Hell Series, as well as a couple of print books. I’m represented by TriadaUS Literary Agency, and have the most amazing agent!

First, I’d like to thank Bitten by Books for the opportunity to blog here today. I hope that something I talk about inspires or helps those who read and comment here.

In this day and age, writers are worried about the economy’s role on publishing. At first, as the price of gasoline skyrocketed and groceries, luxuries, and every day needs followed suit, apprehension filled me too. What if publishers cut back on their acquisitions? What if one offers to buy my novel but only at half of what they’d normally offer? What about sales? Will readers still buy paperbacks and hard covers, or will they cut back on such expenses? How will the economy affect e-publishing?

After a long discussion with my agent and chatting and emailing with those on my Avoid Writers’ Hell group, my authors, fellow editors, and readers, I’ve come to the conclusion that these worries are for the most part unfounded.

Sure, some big print publishers might cut back on acquisitions, but they still have to keep churning out books to keep the readership sated, so they won’t cut back much. Readers will turn to ordering online more, and with some online book sites offering discounts on shipping, it’s cheaper to spend the extra ten bucks to meet the free shipping requirement than it is for the gasoline needed to drive across town through horrible traffic, or, if you’re rural, the long drive cross country to reach a big town.

Heck, I’ve been buying most of my print books online for the past six or seven years! I’ll still continue to buy books through this method, so I’m sure there are other readers like me who will realize the ease and comfort of browsing books online and buying them in this manner too.

Moreover, due to the economy, I believe that e-publishers will see a surge in sales too. As both an editor and author, I see both sides of e-publishing. Buying green saves shelf space, and if you read erotic material, what better way to hide it than on an e-reader of some sort? Plus you can buy as many memory cards as you like that will often hold 200 or more e-books, but this varies from e-reader to e-reader. This summer, a new e-reader has hit the market called The Mentor. Check out the link and take note how thin this baby is! As for myself, I plan on buying the 9.7 model in black when it’s available. This one, dear readers, is purported to read all formats!

E-Books are more economical, so the rosy outlook on the economy vs publishing is that perhaps those who can’t afford to buy expensive print editions will turn to e-books. Sure, some e-readers are expensive, but when an average trade paperback costs $12.99 and you buy ten books, that’s $129.00, not to mention the tax. There are e-readers out there for under $100. Once the initial investment is over, an e-reader and a dozen e-books are cheaper in the long run.

Although paranormal romance is a hot genre in traditional publishing right now, it’s a very crowded market and tough for writers to break in. However, paranormal romance is very alive and well on the e-publishing scene, too, and provides a large venue for aspiring writers. What’s the allure of this genre? Why do readers snatch up the titles and input their card numbers, clicking the download icons like an overused ENTER button?

For writers, it’s the ability to write whatever and wherever their muses take them, but for readers, it’s a way to escape the confines of mundane life or a hectic schedule. With paranormal romance, you can become an vampire, a damsel in distress with magical abilities, see into a hunky hero’s mind and heart, beat up things that go bump in the night, create creatures that are unique, and wrap it all up in a romantic plot with a sexy, hot bow on top. Yeah, baby! Paranormal romance all the way! (Although I like to read and write other genres too, lol.)

I’ve written many paranormal romance titles, plus I have several more in progress. And hopefully, my werewolfy paranormal romance novel will soon be acquired by a NYC publisher—keeping my fingers crossed. You can find most of my erotic romances at www.freyasbower.com under my pen name of Zinnia Hope. Red Rose Publishing.com recently published my title Mr. Delicious, which involves warped humor, a naughty dragon, and some hot sex.

More of my titles will debut at Freya’s Bower, too, such as Thorn of Ebon, which is the first book in the Daughters of Trinity Series. And The Red Storm is newly re-released with updated prose and lots of sci-fi, mystery, and paranormal elements in the mix.

If you’re a writer and want to learn all you can about writing, I invite everyone to join my Yahoo Group Avoid Writers’ Hell (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Avoid_Writers_Hell), which is based on my how-to series for writers. The books can be found here: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/content/blogcategory/64/212
If you have any questions or comments, I’ll be around today to chat with you and answer questions. Many thanks to Bitten by Books for having me here today!

Regards,

Faith Bicknell-Brown

****************************************************
Questions and Contest: Now, I am going to open up the internet floor so to speak and let our readers ask some questions. Feel free to post as many questions or comments as you like. Faith will be answering them on and off the rest of the day.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do one or all of these things, and each one will give an additional entry. This is to win a FREE copy of one of Faith’s Books.

1. Ask the author a question (ask as many questions as you like, but only two questions count towards entries) and, your name will be entered for a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes mentioned above.

2. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter here on the right hand side of the site.

3. Post links to the interview here today at another blog or website and you will be given additional entries to win. You MUST post those links in one response here in this thread. The more places you post the event, the more entries you get, so spread the word!

4. Purchase a copy of ANY of Faith’s awesome books and send us a copy of the receipt for your purchase to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces) for an additional entry.

5. Watch the posts today in this thread for additional chances to gain more entries.

Be sure to include an email and name where we can contact you if you are a winner.

We will be awarding the prizes and posting the winners no later than Sunday, August 5th, 2008. Winner will be contacted via email and posted to the Bitten by Books website.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Here I am again with another book set in my favorite hometown of Seattle! The second I saw this title, I knew I had to read it, and am so glad I did. Seattle, home to the coffee mega corporation McBuck’s (this reminded me of a beautiful twist on name play, Starbucks and McDonald’s lol) is in an uproar when some of it’s barista’s come up brutally murdered, and nary a clue to be found as to who the perp might be. SPD calls in their super (on the sly) sleuth Harley Wolf to help them sniff out a clue. Harley’s got a knack for getting the job done when nobody else can. The guys down at the cop shop think he’s psychic, but really, he just has a keen sense of smell. So keen, he’d put a blood hound to shame.

You see, Harely’s a werewolf. Not your average run of the mill rip em up shred em up fur ball, but one with an ethics code that made even this reviewers head spin. Not only is Harley a whiz bang private investigator, he’s a vegan. Yep, a vegan. A soy latte drinking, non bunny killing werewolf. The guy doesn’t even wear real leather when he’s riding his hog (that would be the bike not the pink squealing variety).

The storyline is fast paced and has more twists and turns than a single short, decaf, breve, sugar free, no foam, no whip 140 degree latte (with a recycled sleeve if you please). Harley really thinks he’s onto the real killer when a series of even stranger events starts to unfold that throw him for a loop. Will he be able to unravel the truth before another barista loses their life?

Murdoch Hughes has combined, a crime thriller, werewolf storyline interwoven with a great environmental message that will have you laughing and on the edge of your seat throughout the book. Not to mention leaving you with your mouth hanging open at the end when the real killer is revealed. I haven’t enjoyed a book so much in quite some time. You will definitely want to pick up a copy of The Seattle Barista Killer today. I cannot wait to see what Mr. Hughes has up his sleeve for another book in Harley Wolf series.

Book Stats:

• Paperback and e-book: 216 pages
• Publisher: Mundania Press LLC (July 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594264864
• ISBN-13: 978-1594264863

To purchase a print copy of The Seattle Barista Killer click here.
To purchase an electronic copy of The Seattle Barista Killer click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Fire and Ice; the Sun and the Moon… Eclipse takes us on a journey through contrasts and comparisons, through gripping action and wonderfully human, mundane choices made epic by their effect on the world that contains Bella, Edward and Jacob.

Continuing the comparisons between star crossed lovers into the latest oblation in the Twilight Saga, Bella and Edward see distressing similarities between their affair of the heart and the doomed love of Cathy and Heathcliff, in Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Like Cathy, Bella must make a final choice between two men. Unlike Cathy, her choice is made difficult because both men are good choices. Ironically, they are both monsters, in the strictest definition, where Heathcliff’s monstrosity was completely in his own heart. This distinction is utilized skillfully; it allows the reader to climb into the skins of the characters, and examine the idea of being a monster, and how that status can be applied based more importantly on personal choice rather than physiognomy. Bella must also examine her own choices and the ramifications. Would she be a monster after making the ultimate life choice? Or is she already a monster, because some of the choices she makes knowingly cause pain to those she loves? Heady, evocative issues found within the framework of a vampire love story.

The Cullens and the Quileute Wolves must decide if they can put aside their blood bound enmity, to save Bella, her father, Charlie and the other inhabitants of Forks. They also have to get through graduation, and all the import that carries, as well. This may seem almost trite, and odd to mention in the same breath as discussing the safety and sanctity of lives. However, the inclusion of such an entrenched ritual of passage and growth in our society takes on new relevance and significance in this story. This is one of the last human experiences that Edward wants Bella to undergo. The fact that Edward and Alice will be doing it, too, just plays up the enormity, as they’ve done this many times before, but it is Bella’s first, last and only chance to go through this process. Also, Bella ties her mortality and the transformation into a vampire, to this critical human ritual, lending even more weight to the day and its consummation. Change is dominating theme in this series and in this book in particular. Many characters endure changes of the physical, mental and romantic kind. No one is left static, except maybe Charlie. And a girl’s father should perhaps always remain the same, to her rosy point of view, anyway.

The mystery begins will a succession of grisly, overly violent murders in the city, that may have ties to the Cullen family and Bella. In order to escape the ice cold examination of the Volturi, the governing body of the vampires, they must uproot and eradicate the threat. If they do not, then the Volturi may send a bevy of vampiric bounty collectors, who will remove all hints of a problem, permanently. The Cullens will do almost anything to keep the Volturi away, even teaming up with their enemies, the werewolves. This partnership brings Jacob, Edward and Bella into more frequent contact. This is a repeated situation that leaves Bella confused and conflicted about her feelings towards Jacob, and her devotion to Edward. Like the sweetest blood, the plot thickens as Bella must also deal with the propositions and compromises she is asked to contemplate by both of the men in her life.

The third chapter in the Twilight Saga eclipses Ms. Meyer’s first two novels. She is truly coming into her own as a writer in this novel. The emotions ring truer, even as we must deal with more of Bella’s lamentations about Jacob and Edward. The characters come into their own, as well. One of the most laudable aspects of this series, as whole, would be the maturing process of the main characters. A key element to a successful series is believable protagonists. You do not always have to like your leading ladies and gentlemen, but when you can feel their pain, see their hearts on their sleeves, and celebrate their triumphs, you are hooked. Or perhaps in this case, you are transfixed, held captive like a gleam of sunlight on the face of a perfectly cut crystal.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316160202
• ISBN-13: 978-0316160209

To purchase a print copy of Eclipse click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of Eclipse click here.
To purchase the complete unabridged set of audio CD’s of Eclipse click here.

Books in the The Twilight Saga in the order they should be read:
The Twilight Saga Boxed Set
The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn

To visit the author’s website go here.

(17 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Blood rushing through your veins, and your heart stopping, waiting for the actions and words of another to complete you and grant you the ability to breathe again….This is the reigning atmosphere in New Moon, the second submission from Stephenie Meyer in the Twilight series. Bella and Edward are the star crossed almost lovers in this story, like Shakespeare’s Juliet and Romeo. In the first story, the reader may draw their own comparisons to those classic lovers of literature; in this book, Ms. Meyer draws the comparisons for us. She quotes the Bard, and this helps put a frame around this story and clues the reader into the driving plot points of this addition to the Twilight Saga.

Bella is turning 18; she is almost morbidly concerned with the fact that she will be “older” than Edward, who stopped aging at the tender age of seventeen. Her birthday party, that she very grudgingly attends so as not to offend Alice Cullen, sets the stage for the pivotal action that sets this story on its melodramatic way through teenage angst. Edward, ever the protector, and Vampiric Marble White Knight, decides he must remove himself from Bella’s life, to protect her from what he is, and the dangers associated with comporting with vampires. Bella is struck down by this action, and much of the first part of this story takes us through Bella’s inner struggle to regain some sense of equilibrium in a world without Edward. Her Moon, that lights her path, is gone.

As day follows night, so the sun comes up when the moon has gone to rest. Jacob Black is Bella’s sun. Jacob has matured, somewhat, while holding onto his puppy love for Bella. As this tale unwinds, we find that puppy love matures into something more adult, real, and worthwhile. Jacob goes through changes, as well, when he finds that the Quileute Indians have a direct link to shape changing, and he is, in fact, a werewolf. Jacob reacts to this change, and the effects Bella has on his heart, in a very predictable, human fashion, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the paranormal reality surrounding both of them. He learns that the vampires are the natural enemies of his clan, which sets him against Edward in ways that go well beyond being a jealous suitor, fighting for Bella’s affections. Jacob is the shining Star, the true Sun of New Moon.

As Bella struggles to endure Edward’s absences from her life, she grows to know and love Jacob; she becomes dependent on his friendship. This comes to a head and is critical later in this saga. But for now, the action finally takes off when an old enemy comes back, hunting Bella. Also, Bella’s somewhat dramatic attempts to make herself feel again, to escape the new Edward-free reality, bring things to a turning point that takes the action across the globe, to Italy.

New Moon is a surprisingly satisfying read, in spite of the teenage anxiety that riddles the first half of the novel. Getting to know Jacob is a rewarding process, and lets you get a glimpse into the troubles that lie ahead for Bella, when comparing her vampire to her werewolf. Also, getting to know Alice Cullen so much better is a delight. She is at turns delicate and almost pixie-like, then she shows how amazingly strong she is as a person, and almost incidentally as a vampire. Jacob and Alice carry this story and help bring it forward from melodrama into the a fully fleshed, suspenseful addition to the Saga.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (August 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316160199
• ISBN-13: 978-0316160193

To purchase a print copy of New Moon click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of New Moon click here.
To purchase the complete unabridged set of audio CD’s of New Moon click here.

Books in the The Twilight Saga in the order they should be read:
The Twilight Saga Boxed Set
The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn

To visit the author’s website go here.

(14 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5)

 Loading ...

In 2006, Stephenie Meyer put forth her initial addition to the growing world of young adult paranormal fiction. The book met with immediate critical and public success. Fans are avidly awaiting the release of the movie adaptation of the first book in the series, to be released this Winter. Perhaps only slightly more anticipated is the fourth and final chapter in the series, Breaking Dawn, which will break light August 2, 2008.

In preparation for these two offerings, I went back to the beginning, with Twilight. In Twilight, we meet Bella Swan, the new girl in town. The town is Forks, a quiet, off the beaten path place where her father is the town sheriff. With this basic entry into our story, we could expect the turn of events to be fairly predictable, as so much young adult fiction relies on the “new girl” mystique to explain away a sense of “otherness”, and to create instant struggle and strife within the storyline. While Ms. Meyer does utilize these techniques, as well, she puts a pleasing spin on the tried and true methodology. Bella is smart, a bit self absorbed, as so many 17 year old teenagers, and she is entirely human and therefore very easy for the reader to identify with and enjoy. Bella has an ironic sense of humor and a slightly twisted sense of reality that makes most of her inner dialog quite entertaining. There are some viable comparisons to Shakespeare’s Juliet, but they are subtle, and almost tongue in cheek.

Bella’s Romeo, Edward Cullen, may be one of the best realized and developed vampires to grace the pages of a young adult novel. Edward is entrancing; the reader falls for him, just as Bella descends into her growing fascination and adoration of the cold, lovely creature that is Edward. Edward appears to be a youthful, chillingly handsome 17 on the outside, but he is actually a product of the early 1900’s. Carlisle Cullen rescues Edward from the brink of death by changing him, transforming Edward into a vampire with a moral code.

Ms. Meyer’s vampires are different from “typical”, traditional vampires in many ways that make them take on a credibility all their own. They shine; they can walk in the light of day, but due to their smooth, marble like skin, the glow, they glisten in the light like living, breathing crystalline creatures. They are unbelievably lovely. They do drink blood, but the Cullens are “vegetarians”, as they do not partake of human blood, only the blood of large game animals. Due to this, they, apart from other vampires, have golden, glowing eyes.

Carlisle Cullen brings his family together to form a coven that is unusual in the vampire world, because they elect to honor the sanctity of human life, instead of treating humans as prey. If I were to say I miss anything from the traditional vampire descriptions, it would only be the teeth. These vampires have venom, not fangs. There is something wholly predatory about fangs that I did find myself missing, but that is a small concession to make. All of the Cullens are intriguing characters, very well fleshed in their own rights, and not dependent on any preconceived notions or clichés. The Cullens are the strongest attractors to this book, and the series, in many ways.

However, the Cullens are not the only interesting friends Bella makes as she finds her self and makes her way in Forks. She renews a friendship with Jacob Black, of the Quileute Clan in La Push, a neighboring town to Forks. The Quileute Indians are an interesting bunch, and learning about them through the series is a dark delight. Jacob is slightly younger than Bella, and much younger than Edward, but he plays a critical role later in the series.

In this first part of the series, Bella is put in danger by Edward’s desire for her blood and her love. They must resolve this, to have any hope of a future relationship. The external danger finds Bella in the form of three drifters, vampires who wander into Forks. James, the leader of this little trio, is a tracker; he possesses preternatural tracking skills and he focuses his game on Bella. This chases leads our protagonists, and the reader, on an exciting rush back to Phoenix, Bella’s home town, and a truly nail biting confrontation.

Twilight falls not softly, but seductively upon the reader’s senses. Ms. Meyer preserves the innocence of her characters while teasing her readers with the knowledge that they will grow through innocence, adversity, heart ache, and into maturity. This is a tall order for a series, but Ms. Meyer does deliver on her promises. Bella is at the twilight of her youth; on the brink between teenager and young woman, and we get to go along for the ride into the sunset, and that’s only the beginning…

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (October 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316160172
• ISBN-13: 978-0316160179

To purchase a hardback copy of Twilight click here.
To purchase a paperback copy of Twilight click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of Twilight click here.
To purchase the complete unabridged set of audio CD’s of Twilight click here.

Books in the The Twilight Saga in the order they should be read:
The Twilight Saga Boxed Set
The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn

To visit the author’s website go here.

(16 votes, average: 4.31 out of 5)

 Loading ...