Paranormal(ish) Movies & TV Edition!

ATUF had a post about some of the new TV shows and I thought I’d post a few of them, plus I found a few movies.

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The CW seems to be sticking with converting books to TV shows, and more power to them! Star-Crossed is one such title.

This one is supposed to be based off of a French comic set in a apocalyptic world where the earth is covered in ice. Basically a second ice age. I’ve heard how weird, yet beautiful, the comic is so I’m really curious to see how this will adapt to the big scream.

Byzantium looks really cool and I love these kinds of vampire noir. My only question: Is this part of Anne Rice’s universe of Interview With a Vampire? Or is it just the director or someone that has the connection? Really confusing.  

Sleepy Hollow, I’ve been in love with it ever since I saw that horrible cartoon version with all the music. Then I became obsessed after seeing Tim Burton’s with Johnny Depp. Yet I don’t feel really excited for this modern story that Fox is spinning. Maybe the trailer just doesn’t have enough to build it up. I’ll check it out, but I’m not expecting much.

The Originals is one that I’m really torn up about. (And now I know a spoiler about a certain couple that I’ve been secretly hoping would have hooked up this last season.) The Vampire Dairies finally got me completely and utterly hooked! But season 4 lost me. A spinoff could go a lot of places and honestly I thought VD was really starting to lose steam.

Hey, this is Klaus and New Orleans. It’s hard to go wrong.

This one I have no interest in, but I know there’s a lot of Frankenstein fans on my blog! So here is Frankenstein's Army. However, this really has nothing to do with the old school guy.

Frozen is one movie that I’ve been absolutely excited for!!! Disney’s interpretation of The Snow Queen? Yes! Yes-yes! So there. The trailer leaves some huge holes by it’s vagueness, but it made me laugh.

It is a musical which makes me nervous. Disney’s musicals haven’t been doing much for me. I miss the day of the classics. Here’s hoping this one redeems Disney. (Plus, the leaked still shots of the Queen look amazing!)

There are way more then what I’m posting hear, but I’ll save those for next week.

So I decided to leave you all with a trailer for a story we all know VERY well. Romeo and Juliet. That’s right another remake. This one is not out there to remake the story like Romeo+Juliet or the awesome Anime version. Nope this one is like a glorious tribute.

While I still think the love story is stupid I can’t get enough of it. I have high hopes for this movie as the trailer makes this look like a brand new thing that I haven’t seen interpreted again and again. Yeah!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and if you’re in the heat like me, hit the beach!

Wednesday Wishes

The internet problems still prevail! I hate having to wait for my internet provider to connect again so that I can upload these.

On a happier note, my gardening is going great. Even though you finish one project and fifty more pop up!

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Crave by Melissa Darnell

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Paranormal (Romance) YA
Series: The Clann, book 1

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

Just got approved for the second book, Covet. Which I didn’t realize was the second book. So now I need this one. There are some mixed reviews from my Goodreads pals about this one . . . so I don’t know. But witches and vampires sound like a great mix.

Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: Paranormal YA
Series: Teardrop, book 1

Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined. From Lauren Kate comes an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away.

Too be honest the suicidal lead does nothing but put me off of this title. However, the Atlantis theme makes sure that I have to read it! I’ve already read some pretty . . . honest reviews about this book from Goodreads buddies that I trust.

Yet, I didn’t completely dislike book 1 of Lauren Kate’s Fallen series—yes, I need to finish that on. So it can’t be all bad.

The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: YA Sci/Fi
Series: N/A

A teenage girl is transformed into a reluctant superhero and must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become.

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.

A ballerina who suddenly gets turned into a super hero! Say what?! Totally there. Oh, and that cover is just stunning! Hat’s off to the design team behind this one.

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Get it: Amazon | Goodreads
Genre: YA (Epic/High) Fantasy
Series: The Elemental Trilogy, book 1

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to revenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

OK, so there is going to be some romance in this one clearly they’re using it as a market pull. However, I’m still excited. I’ve been out of the Epic Fantasy genre for a while and the few titles that I’ve read to get me back in have both been YA and it’s going well so far!

So may I have some more please?

Review: Hostage to Pleasure

Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changeling, book 5) by Nalini Singh

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Mine to Possess

Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy--cool, calm, emotionless...at least on the surface. Inside, she's fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper's embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard's rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian's agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules...

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Review:

Dorian's character has always left me feeling fond of him, but there's that underlying annoyance. Basically the ultimate bad boy that is going to get paired up with a Psy, a race he can't stand—who has 100% justification to feel that way. The instant his character was introduced it was clear and I think the reason why I've never liked him is because his just a standard PNR man candy bad boy.

Overall Hostage to Pleasure was comfort food for the series. The love story didn't interest me because it was clear what all the struggle and conflict was going to be about. Sure that's true for most PNR's, but the last book proved that this series should be offering readers more.

That said Ashaya turned out to be an amazing character. It was great seeing a Psy mother openly caring for her child—well as openly as she could. Her personality and her Journal entries were absolutely fun. Plus, the big "secret" of the monster that she's running from but most protect was amazingly done. The reason for why she broke silence is chilling and also interesting as it correlates with the Darkmind on the Net.

The best part of this read was how the Human Alliance is progressing and all the other factions. Maybe it's a bad sign that I enjoyed all the other characters interrupting the main body of the story, but it bodes well for where this series is going in the future.

In the end, this book dropped the ball from where the last one left off. (Yes, I know Mine to Possess is going to be hard to beat.) Ashaya turned out to be a startlingly amazing character and I enjoyed every minute of her. It's clear Singh has some big plans for this series and I can't wait to see what the Ghost and the Human Alliance is going to do.

Sexual Content: Sexual humor, some standard HOT paranormal romance scenes.

 
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.

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Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW:	Amazon:	Goodreads:
An Enchanted Season (.5) Burning Up (.6) Slave to Sensation (1) The Cannibal Princess(1.5) Visions of Heat (2) Caressed by Ice (3) Stroke of Enticement (3.5) Mine to Possess (4)  A Conversation (4.5) Hostage to Pleasure (5) A Gift for Kit (5.5) Movie Night (5.6)  Branded by Fire (6) The Party (6.5)  Blaze of Memory (7)  Christmas in the Kitchen (7.5) Bonds of Justice (8) Play of Passion (9) Wolf School (9.1) Kiss of Snow (10) Wild Invitation (.5, 3.5, 9.5, 10.5) Tangle of Need (11) Poker Night (11.1) Stalking Hawke (11.2) Heart of Obsidian (12)  Shield of Winter (13)  Shards of Hope (14)  Allegiance of Honor (15)	An Enchanted Season (.5) Burning Up (.6) Slave to Sensation (1) The Cannibal Princess(1.5) Visions of Heat (2) Caressed by Ice (3) Stroke of Enticement (3.5) Mine to Possess (4) A Conversation (4.5) Hostage to Pleasure (5) A Gift for Kit (5.5) Movie Night (5.6) Branded by Fire (6) The Party (6.5) Blaze of Memory (7) Christmas in the Kitchen (7.5) Bonds of Justice (8) Play of Passion (9) Wolf School (9.1) Kiss of Snow (10) Wild Invitation (.5, 3.5, 9.5, 10.5) Tangle of Need (11) Poker Night (11.1) Stalking Hawke (11.2) Heart of Obsidian (12) Shield of Winter (13)  Shards of Hope (14) Allegiance of Honor (15)	An Enchanted Season (.5) Burning Up (.6) Slave to Sensation (1) The Cannibal Princess(1.5) Visions of Heat (2) Caressed by Ice (3) Stroke of Enticement (3.5) Mine to Possess (4) A Conversation (4.5) Hostage to Pleasure (5) A Gift for Kit (5.5) Movie Night (5.6) Branded by Fire (6) The Party (6.5) Blaze of Memory (7) Christmas in the Kitchen (7.5) Bonds of Justice (8)  Play of Passion (9) Wolf School (9.1) Kiss of Snow (10) Wild Invitation (.5, 3.5, 9.5, 10.5) Tangle of Need (11) Poker Night (11.1) Stalking Hawke (11.2) Heart of Obsidian (12) Shield of Winter (13) Shards of Hope (14) Allegiance of Honor (15)

Cover Coveting(10)

Cover art is found from Wicked Scribes, ATUF, Goodreads, social networks, and other sources.
***All cover art may not be final.***

I keep missing these posts! My internet provider keeps dropping the ball so every time I go to save covers or upload these post the internet goes out. It’s starting to really tick me off.

So here is hoping it makes it up this time.

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Black Heart by Christina Henry

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Black Wings, book 6 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: This series suffers from wonderful covers, and I love it! Hats off to the design team. Keep’em coming.

Champion by Marie Lu

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Legend, Book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: YA Dystopian Shera’s thoughts: Wow, this one seems like the design team really tried. The other ones are really cool don’t get me wrong. However, this one doesn’t quite fit. It’s just a tad to busy. One color would have been enough and the bullet hole might be too much. Sometimes less is indeed more.

City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: City of Dark Magic, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: YA Paranormal Shera’s thoughts: Love it! It fits the series well and it’s amazing how the simplest touches to the cover make it fantastic.

Contagion by Tim Lebbon

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Toxic City, book 3 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: YA Dystopian Shera’s thoughts: Another great cover for this series!

Dangerous Seduction by Zoe Archer

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Nemesis Unlimited, book 2  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance Shera’s thoughts: Nope. Not gonna cut it. Come on people lets try to create a decent cover. Cheap man candy just doesn’t cut it.

Desert Tales by Melissa Marr

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Wicked Lovely, book 6 (?) Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: YA Paranormal Shera’s thoughts: Her hand looks so bleached out that it really doesn’t look like a hand, but an awkward blur. Love that this is lighter touch to the series as this is a “new” fairytale.

Flamebound by Tessa Adams

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Lone Star Witch, book 2  Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Not as amazing as the first one, but still wicked awesome!! Love that the dress and sky switched colors.

Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti

Previous book(s) in series:

N/A

Series: Sins Brother, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Contemporary Romance Shera’s thoughts: Usually I don’t put Contemp on my Cover Coveting posts. Somehow I saved it, so it’s here. The title is hot, but I don’t like how small the word “FORGOTTEN” is. At least the army pants get the message across.

Hell Bent by Devon Monk

Previous book(s) in series:

N/A

Series: Broken Magic, book 1 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Urban Fantasy Shera’s thoughts: Hmmm, I don’t think it’s part of the Allie Beckstrom novels. Very cool!! It’s so exciting to see a man on an Urban Fantasy cover that looks so badass!

Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook

Previous book(s) in series:

Series: Iron Seas, book .5 Add it: Goodreads | Amazon Genre: Steampunk Shera’s thoughts: This is for the Kindle release for this short and I have to say I like the cover a lot. The audible one fits better to me, but I like it more.

They’re finally out!

This is kind of a dummy post for those of you like me that wait for movies to hit dvd/rental time and then completely forget when those movies do.

I certainly remembered Cloud Atlas, but a few more I had completely forgotten about.

All titles can now even be rented at Redbox locations, so feel the saving!

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Of course, Cloud Atlas! Which I find is being past over as too confusing. Sorry, but just because a movie makes you have to really watch it and take notice does not make it confusing. In fact, I loved it. Not only visually appealing, but you have to give it up to the message of freedom and equality.

Now here are the other titles I'd forgotten about.