By Venom’s Sweet Sting, the second installment in Tiffany Trent’s Hallowmere series, was even better than the first, filled with more action, more mystery, and more of the dark Unhallowed. 

After Corrine discovers the mystery behind the strange disappearances and the dark Fey destroy Falston Manor, Corrine flees to Scotland with Father Joe, Miss Brown, and the remaining girls in order to find Rory and fight the Fey on their own ground.  However, disaster befalls them at every turn, first with the destruction of the ship they take to Scotland, then with mysterious attacks, disappearances, and of course, Corrine’s strange dreams and visions. …» more

 I first stumbled upon the Hallowmere series by Tiffany Trent at my friendly Books-A-Million a couple of weeks ago, and when I read the author information, I decided immediately to purchase the first two books. You see, finding another YA author who grew up in Southern Appalachia makes me happy, so I thought I would check out the books. Much to my delight, I am enjoying every word, as I have read the first three and plan to read the rest this summer. I was hooked  by the first book in the series, In the Serpent’s Coils, as it is filled with mystery, magic, and a wide variety of characters.

Set in 1865, Corrine has just lost her father, a soldier, and her mother, a nurse, to the Civil War and is sent to live with her cold and callous Uncle William in Virginia. However, when she begins to hear strange voices coming from a Hawthorne bush in the yard, voices that bid her to steal a unique stone in her uncle’s study, Corrine is sent away to Falston Manor, a home for girls like Corrine–girls who have problems, girls who are unwanted by their families. …» more

After having read Boys That Bite and Stake That, I decided the third in the Blood  Coven series, Girls That Growl, was a must-read.

And I must say that author Marianne Mancusi outdid herself with this one. Filled with some unexpected turns, Girls That Growl opens with Rayne McDonald, vampire and vampire slayer, getting a new assignment–but it’s not the typical slayer assignment. In order to fulfill her duties, Rayne must join the Oakridge High cheer-leading squad. Yes, the cheer-leading squad. So our combat-boot-fishnet-wearing goth must learn to get peppy in order to unravel the mystery behind the growling cheerleaders and the disappearances of two football players. However, there is more to Rayne’s story than just fulfilling her slayer duties. …» more

I am pleased to announce that I am every bit as pleased with Stake That by Marianne Mancusi as I was with Boys that Bite.  Told from the point of view of Rayne McDonald, the sarcastic, gothic twin of Sunny McDonald, Stake That is the clever story of a vampire-obsessed teen forced to become a vampire slayer–and apparently the first of her kind who will be able to pull off the vinyl pants.

While Rayne is a bit irritated that her bloodmate-to-be, Magnus, accidentally bit her twin sister instead, she is basically happy that Sunny is happy in her inter-species romance. However, Rayne is still longing for her vampire prince–and now that she must stake vampires or suffer from a terrible disease, she may never find him. However, as fate would have it, Rayne is partnered with Magnus’ brother, Jareth, who helps her solve her first vampire slaying case.  It doesn’t hurt that Jareth is devastatingly gorgeous and everything Rayne is looking for in the undead–except that he is every bit as jaded as Rayne, which causes them to argue like two old crows. …» more

If you are looking for a book that will leave you with an entertaining plot line, the perfect mixture of emotions, and a satisfying ending, then Marianne Mancusi’s Boys that Bite will be to your well-rounded tastes. 

So what happens when fashion forward teen Sunshine McDonald agrees to go to a new goth club with her oh-so-goth twin sister, Rayne? Disaster, that’s what!   In fact, Sunny is completely unaware that Rayne has applied to become a vampire and her application has been accepted. So the only reason she has begged Sunny to drive her to the club is to meet her bloodmate, Magnus. The problem? While Rayne is off looking for her dark prince, Magnus bites the wrong sister! So now Sunny is doomed to spend all of eternity as a vampire connected by blood to her sister’s chosen eternal mate–all due to a case of mistaken identity.  And while Magnus is everything she would be looking for in a guy–if he were mortal–Sunny has no intentions of becoming a blood-lusting creature of the night. Luckily, there is still time to correct the mistake. …» more

Be sure to have the Bayer aspirin close by because Blue Moon by Alyson Noel just might stop your heart.

Those of you who loved Evermore, the first installment in Alyson Noel’s The Immortals series, will be glad you waited for Blue Moon. Set to debut in August, Blue Moon is the continuation of the centuries-old love story of Ever and Damen, seemingly star-crossed lovers doomed to lose one another lifetime after lifetime.  However, when Ever chooses immortality at the end of Evermore, both Ever and Damen believe there is nothing to stop them from sharing eternity together. That is, until Damen gets sick. …» more

I have had several people email about the progress of my novel, The Seers: Dark Inheritance.  Several agents have expressed interest, and I have had two manuscript requests, one of which was rejected. However, I have decided to put the query process on hold. Most of the rejections I have received have been based solely on my query letter and are usually generic form letters. However, as strange as it sounds, the rejection I recently received of my manuscript was the best rejection I could have gotten.  

Being new at this and having never dealt with the publishing industry (other than my time as a reporter), I had some concerns with my story but no one to ask.  All I knew was that friends, family and students who had read my ms said they enjoyed it. As a writer, I felt like it was ready, but it wasn’t. Everything I had worried about before–the length, the complicated plot line, the hook, and the beginning–were listed as criticisms in the rejection.  I won’t deny that the rejection was painful, as I am sure they always are, but I have never been a quitter, and I have always tried to be open and receptive to criticism.  The best part is that the agent complimented my writing skills and deemed that my story has merit. At least I know that I can write, so it’s not my skills that are lacking. I just need to tweak what I wrote (which is a huge understatement). Therefore, I plan to take the agent’s advice and make drastic revisions to my manuscript. …» more