Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
Release Date –  December 28 2010
Publisher Website –  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages -  310 pages
My Rating- 2.5/5
**obtained from the library**

**************MILD SPOILERS******************

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Terrell delivers the first book in a dark, edgy new angel series about a girl drawn into an ancient conflict that threatens everything she knows, even the life of the boy she loves.

Fallen Angel offers an interesting perspective on angel mythology, however the characters were hard for me to relate to.

Ellie and Michael are the main characters in the story. Two teenagers who begin to suspect that they may be something more than human. I feel we did not get to know the characters that well. I could barely picture them, and I wish they had been developed more. This made for a disconnect that was prevalent throughout the entire book.

I really liked that Ellie and Michael are both equal. They both are going through the same thing, and they are both supernatural. Too often we read of the supernatural being in love with the human (or vice versa) so it was nice to see it from a perspective that we don’t often get to see. It made the relationship seem more natural, even though it happens very quickly.  The relationship is intense, passionate and consuming for both of them, and as with most YA novels there is an underlying element to the attraction.

The relationship between Ellie and her best friend Ruth seemed a little awkward and strange at times. Ruth was overly dependant on Ellie, scarily so. It could have been a interesting development to dive deeper in the psychological reasons behind Ruth’s behaviour, but it wasn’t fully dealt with or explained.

Fallen Angel has an really intriguing premise. The synopsis doesn’t give much away, but as I reading I could see the mythology the author wanted to incorporate. I though the Book of Enoch was a great touch, and wished that would have been explored more. The novel has a lot of vampire references and qualities.  Blood is a huge plot point, and the characters actually think they are vampires at first. Applying this mythology could have been very intriguing and unique, but in a way I felt the author really wanted to write about vampires. A large part of the book is Ellie and Michael trying to determine what they are and I feel the title gives it away to the reader. This made me less invested because I knew the end result.

While the promise of an interesting premise, and good mythology was there, I was hoping to dive deeper into the story. It left me vaguely wishing the novel focused on the angel aspect more. I do think the second book maybe stronger, and that a younger teen would enjoy this novel a lot more.

Cynthia Hand Guest Post

Stopping by today for the Angel Event is Cynthia Hand, author of Unearthly and it's sequel Hallowed. Cynthia has provided a guest post about why she wrote about angels. It's fascinating to see what drew an author to a particular subject!

Thank you Cynthia for taking part in this event.

 Why did I choose to write about angels? This is a question I get a lot these days, and I always feel a little funny answering it, because the truth is, there was never a clear, definitive moment where I said to myself, “you know what? I’m going to write about angels!” It just sort of came about organically.

The seed that became Unearthly was always Clara—I clearly started to hear the voice of this character, this girl who knew that it was her destiny to save a boy who she kept seeing in visions. (For the record, usually in life it’s not a good sign when you’re hearing voices, but as a writer that’s how it usually first comes to me, a voice that wants to tell a story. Call me crazy, but I can accept that kind of craziness. It’s worked out pretty well for me so far. ) So I started to hear Clara’s voice, and she began to tell me about this mission that she was on. Then I lit on this fantastic image of a forest fire, and once I had that, the story began to unroll itself. With the forest fire came the setting of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and with the setting came the character of Tucker, this other, more rough-and-tumble boy who captures Clara’s attention and complicates everything beautifully. So suddenly I had the who, the what, the where, and the when.

Now all I had left to do was think of the why. And write about the how.

The why led me to angels. First off, I knew that I wanted Clara to be special; I wanted her to be a modern-day, bona fide hero. But I also knew I wanted her to be human. I didn’t want her to be a vampire or a fairy or any other kind of wholly supernatural creature—even though I love reading those books; don’t get me wrong. I wanted her to have some unique problems, sure, but I also wanted her to have very normal, human problems. I wanted her to be a high school girl who gets completely tongue-tied around the boy she likes.

I kept mulling over the word “hero,” and then, in one of those freakish writerly flashes of inspiration, I remembered this one obscure little passage in the Bible that talked about heroes—the Nephilim, the offspring of angels and humans.

I’d been interested in the Nephilim since I was a little girl and read Madeleine L’Engle’s book Many Waters, in which the main characters travel back to the time of Noah where there are angels walking around on earth, and some of the angels have children by human women. This idea always fascinated me—what would it be like, I wondered, to know that you’re part angel, the blood of the divine running through your veins? It would be crazy, right? Maybe it would be cool, maybe you’d have all these neat powers, but it might also be a lot of pressure!

As soon as I hit on the Nephilim idea, I knew that’s what Clara was, and all the other pieces of my story tumbled right into place. Then I had loads of fun coming up with the rules and mythology of the new world I was creating. That’s where some of the real joy of writing comes from—it’s just wildly fun to invent all these cool things and see them play themselves out on the page. I also kind of fell in love with how the story immediately began to operate on two levels, the surface level where Clara faces all her real-life challenges, and another deeper, spiritual level where she is forced to confront all of the big questions of life, the “why am I here?” questions.

That’s the tricky thing about writing about angels—they are, at heart, a topic steeped in religious connotation. I never wanted to write a book that advocated any one religion or set of religious beliefs, but I also didn’t want to ignore the spiritual implications of the story. I did a lot of research on angels and their history, which was incredibly interesting stuff, but I also gave myself permission to take the pieces of information that lit up my imagination and leave the rest—to create a world that was fully Clara’s own. So in the end, I just wrote what happened to this particular girl and tried to make the situation as real as possible: if you found out you were part-angel, how would you feel about life? About the idea of God? About your duty to that God? About your place in the world?

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
Release Date –  May 29, 2012
Publisher Website –  Thomas Nelson Fiction
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -   320 pages
My Rating- 3/5
**obtained publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . . 

ANGEL EYES 

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake. 

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption. 

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start. 

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

Angel Eyes, for me, was one of those novels that I ended up not having a particularly strong feeling about upon completion. It was what I liked to call a “middle” book. It’s one of those books that had some great aspects to it, but I couldn’t relate to the characters as much as I wanted to.

The writing was something that actually stood out. Shannon’s writing really shined during the “Celestial” parts of the novel. Celestial refers to the angel realm that humans can not see.  Her talent and the world she created was more evident in these sections. The author put just enough of her own spin on the  angel mythology to keep it fresh. The halo from the cover is an important part of the story and I enjoyed learning about it,  and it’s power. It was unique as I had not read an angel novel that dealt with halos prior to this one. The way the author made it apart of this story was interesting.

The characters were all fairly likeable. Brielle is a broken girl who has been through a lot when we first meet her. She feels she is responsible for something horrible that happened and moves back home to escape. I was really invested in this part of the story. The mystery of finding out what event had broken Brielle to the point she’s at when we meet her. Brielle slowly comes to terms with what happened and becomes stronger during the coarse of the novel.  Jake, the boy next door and love interest, is sweet and kind. I wish we would have gotten to know more about him. Hopefully that will happen in future novels in the series.

Brielle’s capability of seeing the angel realm changes her life and her acceptance of it happens quickly. I felt this made sense, as she has proof of the existence. It is not like she could ignore what she is seeing. It was great to bypass the entire acceptance part of it and instead of Brielle struggle with the impact it was going to have on her. What did she do with this new knowledge? What does it mean for her future? And most of all how would it impact her beliefs? These questions play a big part in the overall plot of the story and shape Brielle’s character.

This book may not appeal to everyone has it does have a large religious component to it. It’s one of the more “religious” angel novels I have read. You can tell the author’s faith is important to her and it is reflected in her writing. The novel’s themes of acceptance of faith, belief, and questioning why bad things happen are all important to the plot of the story and link into the religious nature of the story.

The ending left me curious about where the author will take this story in future instalments. While this book may not be for everyone, and I myself didn’t feel strongly one way or another about it upon finishing, the writing and mythology certainly make this author one I would read again.

Interview with Shannon Dittemore

Today I have Shannon Dittemore, author of the upcoming novel Angel Eyes stopping by for an Q and A. If you want to learn more you can view the Goodreads page, follow Shannon on Twitter or visit her website. Angel Eyes will release on May 29. Thank you for stopping by Shannon!

Describe Angel Eyes in three words

You can't unsee.

Cheating, right? I stole that from the book jacket, but it's a great summary of what's going on in Brielle's world. She sees things she can't unsee, learns things she can't unknow, and that's... well, that's a problem for her.

How would you describe Brielle?

Cold. Scared. Guilty. When we meet Brielle, she's just suffered a major loss and feels she could have prevented it. Now, if I were to describe Brielle at the end of the story, I'd use very different adjectives.

How would Brielle describe Jake?

"He's a stalker who has no business being gorgeous. And he's hot... I mean his hands, his hands are hot. Sheesh."

What would you say is the most unique aspect of your angel mythology?

I'm going out a limb a bit here because I've kept myself fairly sheltered from other angel books. Not because I dislike them, but because I'm still working on this trilogy and I've needed to keep my own world--and its rules--clear in my mind.

But, from what I have read, I'd say there are probably three things that set Angel Eyes apart. First of all, there isn't a single reference to the Nephilim in my books. The idea of angels marrying the "daughters of men" is not discussed as a reality or a back-story. I went another direction entirely and I hope readers will find the journey compelling.

Second, my source material, in nearly every way, was the Bible. I took liberties of course, creating my own characters with their own stories. But, I grew up fascinated by the angels of scripture and I've wondered what it'd be like to see them. What would it be like to talk to them, to understand their task here on earth. And wh+ile my stories are contemporary, I wanted my angels to be believable theologically. So believable that they could fly back into the pages of that big coffee-table Bible Grandma always had out. I don't know if I've quite accomplished that, but I hope I'm close.

Oh. And there's a halo. Yup, a halo. *zips lips*

What sort of research did you do for this book?

Well! I work with teenagers and young adults, and I have for years. Being a dedicated people watcher certainly helps. I also did some reading on the tragedy of child trafficking, which plays a bit part in this story. I do hope to learn more about this very real, very unsettling issue and I'd love to see young people doing what they can to fight it. And of course, the Bible and I are good friends. If you're a writer, it's impossible to get away from the phrase "write what you know," and I did my best to do just that.

Jessica Shirvington - Guest Post - Embrace Blog Tour

Today I am part of the ongoing blog tour for Jessica Shirvington's Embrace. I have Jessica stopping by with a guest post about her novel and setting.

If you haven't read this wonderful novel and would like a chance to make sure to stop by and enter the giveaway I am hosting.

You can learn more about Embrace over at Goodreads, follow Jessica on Twitter and visit the author website. Thank you Jessica for stopping by again during the angel event!

Where Are You From?

By Jessica Shirvington

In my first draft of EMBRACE (there were eight!), I didn’t set the city. I was in two minds the entire time. I suppose I was drawing on all the places I have been around the world. Although I now live in Sydney, when I started to write EMBRACE, my family and I had just moved back from six years living in London. And prior to that, I’d spent quite a lot of time travelling to many cities around the world – so much so, that when I was writing scenes in EMBRACE, I found myself thinking of different cities around the world and never being able to truly decided which one most suited Violet’s world.

In my second and third and fourth drafts, I chose different cities (I’ll never tell) from around the world and set Violet’s story there. But each time, it felt forced.

I wanted her to live in a city, as opposed to some small town where all these major apocalyptic events just miraculously found her. To be believable she had to be in a metropolitan environment, but which one?

In the end, the answer was … any of them, and none of them. It wasn’t that the cities I chose didn’t work; it was that in my mind I’d amalgamated them into what I needed for her story to work for me. So I made the decision to give that option to all of my readers and simply called her city, the City.

It isn’t the ‘done thing’ usually, but I believe for this story, it works. I want readers to be able to put this story where they know. If they live in a city, it can be there, if they live in a rural area, then it isn’t a stretch for them to imagine a city nearby. It is an element of control that I wanted to give to the reader.

That said, I like a little control myself … and I discovered that by giving this open setting for Violet’s hometown, it also opened up the possibility to use other locations around the world that would really pop off the page.

In ENTICED (the sequel, out in September!), Violet and her friends find themselves travelling to Jordan – on a quest to the place of Moses’ death – Mount Nebo. In EMBLAZE (book 3, out March 2013) they travel to the island of Santorini in Greece, which is small and stunning, and holds terrors that none of them are prepared for.

Each book I take the characters somewhere new and as I write the series, I have discovered how very important this is to me. I want my characters to go to the world, to find the problems and be part of the solution, rather than the fight always, and too conveniently, finding them.

Interview with Wendy Higgins

Today I am welcoming Wendy Higgins to the blog for a Q & A. Her novel, Sweet Evil, will be released by Harper Collins on May 1st. To learn more about Sweet Evil be sure to visit the Goodreads page. You can also follow Wendy on Twitter and visit her website.

Describe your book in 3 words

Sensual, dark, and tender

How would Anna describe Kai?

Sexy. Confusing. Tortured. Did I mention sexy?


What drew you to fallen angels?

Angel lore is fascinating to me, especially the idea that angels are capable of revolt. The whole “good vs. evil” thing captures me every time.


Is there anything unique or different about your angel mythology?

I think the big difference in my story is that I’ve chosen to use the traditional Biblical approach to angels, including mentions of God & Lucifer, which I realize might take some readers out of their comfort zone. I’m hoping people can keep in mind that it’s a work of fiction and appreciate the twist I’ve put on it.

Did you do any specific research for your novel?

I researched angel and demon names and what legends say about their power and purpose. I also had to research a lot for the cross-country trip, making certain I got the timing and locations correct.


What are your top three books about angels?

To be honest, I purposely shy away from angel books. I don’t want to be swayed by what is or isn’t in them. I did read Unearthly after I’d finished drafting, and I really enjoyed it. I also recently adored The Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

7 If you listen to music while writing, is there a particular song that describes Sweet Evil?

Oh, man, I’ve got a whole playlist! I think my marketers *might* be adding the playlist to the Amazon page. “My First Kiss” by 3OH3, Feat. Ke$ha is the fun road-trip song that comes to mind at the moment.

If you could go back in time to any time period and any place, where and when would you travel to?

Probably Elizabethan or Victorian England, when women wore elaborate dresses…although the corsets would get really old after awhile.

What has been the most surprising part of getting published?

Every single stage has surprised me. I’ve been surprised by what little control authors have in the process, and how long everything takes, lol. Thankfully I’ve learned to trust HarperTeen. I’ve also been surprised by how amazingly supportive the blogging and online community of readers has been. Love you guys! Thanks for having me!

Wendy's novel happens to have a super sexy cover and I have a few signed

bookmarks showcasing it. I am giving one away with the 2 prize packs being offered during the event, and I am also giving one away with this interview.

To enter simply leave a comment and I will select a winner on April 15.

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Mercy by Rebecca Lim
Release Date – October 19th 2010
Publisher Website – Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 281 pages
My Rating- 8.5/10
**obtained publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Mercy ′wakes′ on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else′s business -- or thinks they do. But they will never guess the secret Mercy is hiding .... 

As an angel exiled from heaven and doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, Mercy is never sure whose life and body she will share each time. And her mind is filled with the desperate pleas of her beloved, Luc, who can only approach her in her dreams. 

In Paradise, Mercy meets Ryan, whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is now presumed dead. When another girl disappears, Mercy and Ryan know they must act before time runs out. But a host of angels are out for Mercy′s blood and they won′t rest until they find her and punish her -- for a crime she doesn′t remember committing ...

Imagine waking up in someone else’s life and what that would feel like. Mercy experiences this regularly. She’s an angel who is sent to inhabit the bodies of individuals who need assistance. She’s forced to do this with very little memory of her real existence as a means to make amends for a crime that she doesn’t even recall committing.

Mercy is quite a character. Full of fire, sarcasm and pure awesomeness. She is like a firecracker. The first thing she says to Ryan Daley upon meeting him is that she is considering what he would be like in bed. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, and she isn’t afraid to show that. She was quite tender and caring towards the girls she shares a body with. She wanted to leave them with a better life than what they had when she arrived: helping the abused girl get help, getting the shy girl to talk, etc. This is why she’s there, and she takes that very seriously.

Ryan was equally well developed. His devotion to his sister is inspiring. He doesn’t give up hope even when everyone else does. He has basically put his life on hold to dig, pry and figure out where his sister is. It is a quality that bonds him with Mercy as she is trying to find someone as well - herself.

I almost hesitate to call Mercy an angel novel. While Mercy is certainly an angel atoning for sins she can’t even remember, the novel revolves around the mysterious disappearance of Lauren Daley. A young singer and sister to Ryan Daley. Mercy’s host body Carmen is set to stay with the Daley family and Mercy figures she’s supposed to help solve the mystery.

The novel’s mystery aspect was stellar. Creepy, suspenseful, and packed a punch that you don’t see coming. It made the novel for me. The angel aspect is softly touched upon and the novel would have worked with any paranormal aspect really. The fact that Mercy is sent to make things right plays into the angel aspect but otherwise it is not really developed as much. I am guessing this will be explored more in the subsequent novels. I am curious to find out more about Mercy and why she has been sentenced to atone.

The banter and teasing between Ryan and Mercy is filled with sexual tension, while there is a romantic spark between Ryan and Mercy it isn’t the focus of the novel. They barely get to figure out their feelings for each other with everything else that is happening. It was refreshing to see this take a back seat to the real situations facing the characters. It made it feel more honest and genuine.

The ending is somewhat closed. It makes you feel like Carmen’s story is ending, but Mercy’s story is just beginning and you can only hope that Ryan will play a part in Mercy's life in the future.

A wonderfully unique concept that played out against a brilliant mystery that provided some genuine chills. Mercy is perfect for people looking for an angel novel that is nothing like what they would expect.

Saints and Sinners

I am, of course, referring to those hot angels. Here I divided up some of the Saints and Sinners (my personal favourite) that we've come to love. While I might be partial to a bad boy some of the saintly hotties (looking at you Jackson!) make me want to turn them into sinners.

Saints

Daniel

Where you can find him - Lauren Kate's Fallen series

What makes him a Saint - His desire to do good, his sacrfice for love and his willingness to support his friends all make this angel pretty swoon worthy.

Jackson

Where you can find him - Scott Speer's Immortal City

What makes him a Saint - His honour, him wanting to stick to his beliefs, and the desire to do the best he can. His willingness to protect Maddie, at any cost, certainly ups his hotness factor as well.

Devin

Where you can find him - Jocelyn Davies' A Beautiful Dark

What makes him a  Saint - he's a rule follower (rigidly so) and puts honour and integrity above all else. He is also loyal no matter what, a pretty desiable quality in any hottie.

Sinners

Phoenix

Where you can find him - Jessica Shirvington's Embrace

What makes him a sinner - Hello temptation! Sexy, a little dangerous and gorgeous enough to make a girl get a little out of control! Phoenix lives a little on the dark side, but that just makes him even sexier.

Patch

Where you can find him - Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush series

What makes him a sinner - a bad boy who wears leather and smokes? Pretty sure that qualifies Patch for this category. His fallen status only adds to his allure.

Cam

Where you can find him - Lauren Kate's Fallen series

What makes him a sinner - Bad boy Cam and his fallen angel status fit in best here. While he may show that there are more shades of grey when compared to the saintly Daniel this angel certainly is the sinner of the two.

Asher

Where you can find him - Jocelyn Davies' A Beautiful Dark

What makes him a sinner - A complete disregard for the rules. A knack for mischief and the whole bad boy vibe make him less than angelic, but we wouldn't want it any other way.

There you have some of the hottest angels. The only question left is - which do you prefer Saints or Sinners? Let me know in the comments, and if I left any angels out let me know that too!

Upcoming Angel Books

If you've been following along with my Angel Event you might be wanting some new angel books to curl up with. Here are some upcoming releases that will leave you breathless with anticipation.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins - May 1, 2012 (goodreads)

A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies - September 25, 2012 (goodreads)

Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore - May 29, 2012 (goodreads)

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick - October 23, 2012 (goodreads)

Rapture by Lauren Kate - June 12, 2012 (goodreads)

While we have no cover for it Jessica Shirvington's Enticed will be released in September of this year. Can not wait as I enjoyed Embrace. 

Which angel novel are you most anticipating? 

Angel Event US/Canada ONLY Giveaway

I feel like sharing the angel love. Here is a US/Canada only giveaway that will run until Sunday April 15 when the event ends.

Up for grabs is a copy of Embrace by Jessica Shirvington and a STUNNING Sweet Evil bookmark signed by the lovely Wendy Higgins.

To enter just follow the Rafflecopter instructions. PLEASE make sure your address is either in the USA or Canada.

Good luck!

Angel Event International Giveaway

I feel like sharing the angel love. Here is an international giveaway that will run until Sunday April 15 when the event ends.

Up for grabs is either a copy of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, OR a copy of Mercy by Rebecca Lim (winner's choice) and a STUNNING Sweet Evil bookmark signed by the lovely Wendy Higgins.

To enter just follow the Rafflecopter instructions. PLEASE make sure Book Depository ships to your country.

Good luck!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Release Date –  January 4, 2011
Publisher Website –  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages - 435 pages
My Rating- 8/10
**purchased**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . 

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. 

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. 

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? 

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

To follow ones heart, or do what is expected of you. A situation most teenagers (heck, even adults) find themselves in at some point or another. Unearthly revolves around a young angel making that exact choice. While this may sound typical of angel novels, Cynthia Hand puts her own twist and fantastic writing to use to create something totally engrossing.

I loved Cynthia’s take on angel mythology. There are varying degrees of angel  - full, half and quarter. Each angel has a purpose, something they are on earth to accomplish and it’s imperative that the angel completes their purpose. Her take on fallen angels, and the varying wing colour was also something I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to diving into this mythology even more in subsequent books. Her writing is well paced, and filled with vivid imagery. I could easily picture the mountains and landscapes of Wyoming.

Clara Gardner is part angel. She gets to deal with typical angel stuff like learning to fly, figuring out her purpose which comes to her in vision form, and navigate high school while doing it. I loved this about Clara. If you take away the angel part to this story it still would resonate with people. Every teenager deals with making friends, crushing on the cute boy and having pressure from parents and others around you. I found Clara to be determined, and quite capable. I was refreshing to see the female character be the supernatural element in the story. Often in this type of story the male character is the angel/vampire/werewolf/etc and the female character falls in love with him. This provided a different perspective that I fully enjoyed.

Clara and her family move when Clara’s visions lead her to Wyoming.  She set out to meet Christian, complete her purpose and hopefully make some friends. Clara’s plans come to a screeching halt when Christian turns out to have a girlfriend, who happens to be a “mean girl” of the worst variety. Her purpose faces further complications when she starts spending time with Tucker. Clara never expected to fall in love with him especially since she is drawn to Christian as well. All of this takes her focus off what is suppose to be the biggest thing in her angel life, which is completing her purpose. With pressure and expectations pushing on her, Clara has to make a hard decision: Can she both love Tucker and Christian? Can she make her mother proud and still be true to herself?

I really enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Clara’s brother Jeffrey is a typical teenage boy who resent having to move. Her new friend Wendy is such a great friend to Clara you can’t help but love her. Clara’s other friend Angela is keeping her own secrets. Each is developed slowly, and fully to make the world Cynthia’s created even more vivid.

The boys in this novel. Sigh, I know my opinion is most likely unpopular but I adore Christian. He is kind, friendly, and has a lot in common with Clara. I had heard about the amazing Tucker and was prepared to be swept off my feet. When Tucker first saunters into Clara’s life my initial reaction was “THIS GUY? This is who you are all swooning over? Seriously? The jerk?” but I quickly changed my mind. Tucker is sweet, caring, and a nice guy. He and Clara have an electric, intense connection that I will admit is sweet. I just think Christian is the better fit for her, and I can’t wait to get to know more about him - especially after that ending!

Cynthia Hand has mixed romance, angel mythology with some pretty typical situations people can relate to and create a highly enjoyable read that will you leave you want to grab it’s sequel Hallowed right away.

Angel Pecking Order - Jessica Shirvington Guest Post

Today for my Angel Event Jessica Shirvington stops by to talk about the angel pecking order in her novel Embrace. I loved this novel, and am very happy to have Jessica stop by twice during this event.

Thank you for stopping by Jessica!

Angels Have A Pecking Order

by Jessica Shirvington

Researching for EMBRACE, I discovered the entire subject of Angelology to be truly fascinating. In the end, I chose to go with the most popular theory, that there are 3 choirs of angels and within each choir, 3 ranks.

At the top of the angel hierarchy sit the Seraphim. They are the angels that are supposed to burn with an all-consuming white flame and who perform the all-important role of maintaining the source of Existence within the physical world.

Following the Seraphim come the Cherubim, and Thrones. I always like the descriptions of the Thrones – bringers of justice.

In the second choir are Powers, Dominations and Virtues. And in the third choir – Principalities, Archangels and Angels (guardians).

In writing EMBRACE, discovering each of these ranks and their purpose on earth was what led to the development of my characters powers. Each character is specifically placed within a rank of angels and then given powers accordingly. For example: Griffin is parented by a Seraph angel, meaning he is a leader and his unique power is a mind power (that of reading and delivering truth) to correlate with the description of the Seraphim’s function in the universe. It is a great way of keeping order to the power pool!

Each angelic rank also has a different appearance and different color that represent them and I found this really interesting. Any time I describe an angelic image, it relates back to this research in some way. Additionally, combining this research with things like the Chakra has led me to the use of color as a representation of power and also gemstones as a link to old mythology. 

For example: Phoenix’s hair is like opal – so black that it shimmers with purple and it catches the light exposing streaks of dazzling silver. First, I loved the idea of his hair being different, but also, it linked to the significance to his power, and his heritage in the story. 

Basing the story around the bones of angel mythology and hierarchy gives me a solid structure to use as my foundation. It anchors the story and gives me direction any time I think the story might be straying.

Also, it allowed me to develop one of the big mysteries within the series: what rank is Violet from?

Immortal City by Scott Speer

Immortal City by Scott Speer
Release Date – April 3, 2012
Publisher Website – Penguin/Razorbill
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 336 pages
My Rating- 8/10
**obtained from publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect--everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat … and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

The novel opens with someone driving recklessly down a sharp turning road. The guy is pushing the limits because he can; he is protected by an angel. These are not the Angels that you’re used to. These Angels are considered celebrities by the public. They protect people but do it for a price. If you lucky enough to afford this protection, and be assigned an Angel you can take the risk. For the other, less fortunate people, you won’t be as lucky. The first chapter make you aware of the glaringly unfair advantage the rich and powerful have.

Jackson is the hottest, and most talked about Angel in all of Angel City. He also happens to be one of the youngest Angels to be commissioned as a Guardian. He is followed by paparazzi, on the cover of many magazines, and the dream guardian of girls (and women) all over the world. Jackson is a little full of himself, but it doesn’t come across as annoyingly so. He has had people tell him how special, wonderful and good looking he is and it’s hard not to let that go to your head. Jackson is also very focused. His duty is very important to him. The protection he is assigned is going to be his number one priority and he takes it very seriously. He’s been training is whole life for this. It’s this part of his personality that I really liked. He’s doing what he thinks is right and is trying to not disappoint anyone. He has a huge weight of expectations on his shoulders, and the pressure might just prove to be too much for the young angel.

Madison is immediately likeable. She’s just a girl who wants to get through high school, get into a college and get out of Angel City. She doesn’t have time for boys, parties, and especially has no time to obsess over the Angels like everyone else. Her parents died when she was young and she lives with her Uncle and they are just trying to survive. Maddy wants nothing to do with Jackson when she first meets him. Something that is made even more clear when she goes on her first date with him. His world and her world do not mix, and Maddy isn’t really interested in trying to fit into it. I loved that she didn’t just fall at his feet. I can totally see why Jackson would pursue her because she offered him something he didn’t have before - a chance to be seen as Jackson instead of JACKSON GOODSPEED.

This novel is much grittier than I was expecting. It’s filled with the darker side of LA but infused with Jackson’s “celebrity” lifestyle. The author uses rain, darkness, and an overall feeling of dread to keep the flim  noir feel throughout the novel. I can picture the detectives in trench coats, and old Hollywood glamour.

The author has a background in directing. This comes through in his writing and as a result this novel practically screams to be made into a CW TV show. So many of the scenes are laid out in a way that you can not only visualize the surroundings but it leaves you with a feel of the scene. The first time we are introduced to the horror of angel wings on the Walk of Fame is chilling, and set up to be a striking image. The blood, mixing with the grittiness and rain in LA back dropped against the glamour of the Angels is almost a metaphor for the novel itself.

The twists and surprises in the novel were actual surprises. There were a few I could see coming, but plenty of things caught me by surprise. The angel serial killer part of the storyline was quite well done. The killer’s reasoning is believable, and the systematic way it was being done was chilling. The motivation behind it had turned into something darker, and that often drives people to extremes. I was happy to say that I did not figure out the killer before it was revealed but upon reflection the clues are there.

Scott Speer mixes danger, glitz, glamour, romance, and adds a huge dash of crime noir to create something really unique. This book may not be for everyone, but I fully enjoyed the atmosphere, characters and surprises the author created.

Until Next Time by Amy Lignor - Blog Tour - Q and A

Today officially kicks off my two week angel event.

I am happy to welcome Amy Lignor to my blog with a fantastic Question and Answer for the first post in this event.

If you want more details about her novel you can find them by going to the official website. You can also near more by visiting the author's blog.

To purchase the book you can visit the following -

Kindle buy link
Nook buy link
PDF buy link

1) Describe Until Next Time in 3 words.

Unique. Dark. Light.

2) What would you say was the most influential in shaping the story of Until Next Time?

Locations, wardrobe, customs - these are all important when it comes to this series - however, my relationship with Emily and Matt is the most influential part of the tale. I had to go as in-depth as I possibly could with these characters, because they really are the yin and yang that represents every single person on this planet.

With every bit of cynicism that Emily shows - and this is a girl who actually knows that her ‘home’ is real but begins to disbelieve - she also has to show a loyal bond to the people who have taught and raised her. She’s the side of the team who has to listen, understand and protect others, while fighting the fact that she doesn’t really like them all that much. Emily is dark, even though she’s the ‘lightest, most forgiving’ facet of the angel/warrior team.

On the flipside, when it comes to Matt, our ‘relationship’ also had to be in-depth. Matt is the warrior, therefore he’s the defender and killer, if need be, in certain situations. His conscience is heavy with the fact that he has committed errors that harm other people, yet he still remains the most light-hearted of the two.

Dark and light have to blend well with the angel/warrior team, because I truly didn’t want this series to be seen as a YA that’s simply a paranormal love triangle. I very much wanted my characters to be real, and speak to all ages. Yes, there’s humor and fun, but when they’re human they have to deal with the same things we all do which, hopefully, allows the readers to identify with them.

3) How would Matt describe Emily?

Matt Says:

Boy, is she strong! I pick up my blade to thrust and parry, and wipe out the evil in front of me because I was trained to be better than the enemy. Yet, Em can simply walk into a room and, with one stare, I’ve seen the enemy falter and lose. Her strength comes from such an incredible soul, I can’t tell you. Her mind is going constantly, questioning everything that she knows and everything we’re learning. She tries to separate the good from the bad so she can put everyone first, even though she really needs someone to talk to. We’ve gone through it all, with so much more to come, that I can tell you Em has been an annoying sister, a true friend, a partner who will never give up on me, my protector, and the one part of any of my lives that I never want to lose. Without Em, well…that’s when my Hell comes.

4) What drew you to writing about angels?

Readers of the blog tour will probably get bored of this answer (J), but Matt came to me during a time in my teenage years when I was hurting and questioning everything. Matt was a young man in my mind who still had that fire and energy that all us ‘young people’ were supposed to have. He looked at the world with wide eyes and wanted nothing more than to be among people. Even though this is someone who came from perfection, he viewed the imperfections of earth as the real Paradise. As I matured, Matt became a past ‘memory’ that helped see me through a really tough time, but when I lost my father at too young of an age, this friend returned - and I thought it was time to tell his story.

5) What sort of research did you do for this novel?

As far as the ‘up above,’ there was really no study, except for my favorite place where Emily and Matt love to go. That incredible library is based on my favorite place - the NYPL (and if I could’ve placed Patience and Fortitude somewhere in there I would have J). When I speak about Ireland, how the bar is carved, the way the community gets together and treats each other as a family with their heroes and villains - all the way to the Dublin streets - came from research I have done with sites such as, UNESCO. I have an adult adventure series (Tallent & Lowery) where each book ‘links’ three historical places, so I’ve had the privilege of studying everything from the Irish world to Petra to Alexandria. My mother is a career research librarian, so delving into history, myths, legends, ancient customs, etc., is one of my favorite things to do!

Thank you Amy for stopping by. Look for a review of Until Next Time on April 5th.

Angel Event

The tentative schedule looks like this (subject to change)

Monday April 2 - Interview with Amy Lignor author of Until Next Time (blog tour)
Tuesday April 3 - review of Immortal City by Scott Speer (release day review)
Wednesday April 4 - Jessica Shirvington Guest Post
Thursday April 5 - review of Until Next Time by Amy Lignor
Friday April 6 - review of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Saturday April 7 - a look at some upcoming angel novels to be released this year
Sunday April 8 - Saints and Sinners
Monday April 9 - review of Mercy by Rebecca Lim
Tuesday April 10 - interview with Wendy Higgins author of Sweet Evil
Wednesday April 11 - Guest Post by Jessica Shirvington author of Embrace
Thursday April 12 - interview with Shannon Dittemore author of Angel Eyes
Friday April 13 - review of Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
Saturday April 14 -  Guest post by Cynthia Hand
Sunday April 15 - review of Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell

Look for the first post tomorrow!