Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #1 - Winter's Light by M.J. Hearle

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @Breaking the Spine! This is where we share upcoming books that we are desperately waiting for.

This week I am really looking forward to the release of Winter's Light by M.J. Hearle. I enjoyed the first book Winter's Shadow immensely and can't wait to read more about Winter & Blake!



Blake is gone.
He sacrificed himself to save Winter, leaving her alone, unprotected... hunted.
An ancient enemy is rising, but Winter is no longer the innocent girl who was fated to die at Pilgrim's Lament. She will not wait to be saved. She will do what she must to survive, even accept an unsavoury alliance with those who destroyed her love.
In the gathering darkness, the enemy of an enemy is not always a friend, and Winter must find the strength to stand alone and fight for the one she loves. For she is the key to unlocking the secrets beyond the veil of shadows.
And she is Blake's only hope.

How pretty is the cover? Her red hair just draws the eye right in. Let me know what your waiting on?

Spontaneous giveaway!

If I get 200 followers by midnight tomorrow I will giveaway 3 books by Aussie authors of your choice up to $30 from The Book Depository! So spread the word. Just follow me & leave your email in a comment below this post. It's international too.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Covered - Endure by Carrie Jones

The new cover for Endure by Carrie Jones is out! How pretty is it? I really enjoy these books and can't wait for Endure to be released. Have you read this series and do you like the cover?


Friday, January 20, 2012

New YA in 2012 with Strange Chemistry!



Angry Robot Announces Strange Chemistry Launch Titles

Strange Chemistry - the YA imprint of award-winning indie genre fiction publisher Angry Robot - has announced two deals that will help launch the list into publishing super-stardom.

Shift by Kim Curran

About The Book:
When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, e learns he’s not quite so average after all. He’s a ‘Shifter’. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he’s ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world quickly starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.


About the Author:
Kim Curran was born in Dublin and moved to London when she was seven. After studying Philosophy and Literature at Sussex University her plan of being paid big bucks to think deep thoughts never quite paid off. She became an advertising copywriter instead, specialising in writing for video games. She lives in SW London with her husband, if they’re not both off travelling. When she’s not writing she fences and plays guitar, both very badly.
Visit Kim online at http://www.kimcurran.co.uk/


Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

About the Book: Julie is an apprentice witch – or so she believes. When a dark power comes stalking out of the past to haunt her and her mother, Julie learns that she is far more than just a witch. With the help of her best friend Marcus and a rather unusual Great Dane, Julie has to race against time to ensure she can defeat the bad guy, save her mother and avoid being grounded – again!

About the Author:
Sean Cummings lives in Saskatoon, Canada. He’s a comic book geek, superhero junkie, zombie fan and a total nerd. His interests include science fiction, the borg, cats with extra toes, east Indian cuisine and quality sci-fi movies/television. Sean has been writing since 1978 (as a means of liberating his “inner nerd”) and his published works for adults include Shade Fright, Funeral Pallor and Unseen World, all published by Snowbooks. Poltergeeks is his first book for Young Adults.

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More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com.

These books sound great! I am looking forward to working with Strange Chemistry Books, it seems they're going to be bringing us some fantastic books in the coming years. Do you think these books sound like something you would read?

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Interview with Leigh Fallon


Welcome to Cotton Candy Reviews, Leigh. Thanks for joining us.
Thank you.

For those who have yet to read your book, can you tell us a little about it?
Carrier of the Mark or 'The Mark' is a paranormal romance set in a small seaside town in the south of Ireland.  Megan moves with her father from the US after he is mysteriously offered an amazing job. Megan is an easy going girl, devoted to her lonely father, and adaptable as she's moved around most of her life. But this time it's different. Strange things start to happen, she meets the DeRises, Adam, Rían & Áine, and soon discovers there's much more to them than meets the eye.  Megan’s life is about to change forever as she discovers that she is linked to the DeRises and destiny that is plotted out for them, a destiny full of magic, lore, and dangers.

Describe Megan and Adam in five words.
Sweet, intense, loving, devoted, friends.

What was the inspiration for Carrier of the Mark?
The inspiration for Carrier of the Mark came from a few places.  Firstly, I was living in Kinsale at the time.  Kinsale is such a beautiful place, its rugged gorgeous coastline, pretty multicolored village, and the absolutely stunning historical sites screamed to be written about.
The history and mythology that inspired me has been with me since I was a child.  I grew up in Dublin, Ireland.  I went to a convent school, grew up in the Dublin Mountains, and went on these amazing school tours to various historical sites around Ireland.  All this things contributed to Carrier of the Mark, and we work our way through the trilogy, you’ll see more and more of it come out.

Who have the main influences been in your life, writing wise?
I grew up reading Judy Blume, Virginia Andrews, Roald Dahl, and Jilly Cooper.  They’re all very VERY different, but they are all amazing and they really called to me.  I felt inspired by the contemporary humor of Blume, by the dark thoughts and twisted stories of Andrews, the laugh out loud humor of Dahl, and the sizzling romance and hysterical shenanigans of Cooper.  All those voices swirl around in my head when I write.

You first published you book on InkPop and it was then picked up by Harper Collins. Can you tell us a bit about that?
I uploaded Carrier near the end of December 2009. It quickly rose the ranks and stayed in the top five to reviewed by HarperCollins at the end of January 2010, I received my critique at the end of February.  It was very good, positive, with lots of excellent editing advice.  I thought that was it done.  I was happy to take my editing advice from a real live editor and head upon my merry way.  Then three weeks later I got an email that would change my life. Erica Sussman, a senior editor at HarperCollins Children’s books, sent me an email, saying that she loved Carrier and wanted to work with me on it. Two weeks later, I was offered a publishing contract.

 How does it feel to be a debut author?
It feels amazing; I still have to pinch myself sometimes.  I’m crazy busy all the time, there really is no downtime, but it’s worth the sleepless nights.

Can you give us a sneak peek at book 2?
Well it’s still with my editor so I can’t give too much away, but you can expect to see a lot more of Aine.  We delve further into her life, her power, and her struggles.  We also get to know Rían better and find out what makes him tick.  Things hot up with Rían…big time (pardon the pun (you’ll have to have read Carrier to understand the pun) LOL). 

You can find out more about Leigh on her website.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Title: Switched (Trylle trilogy book 1)
Author: Amanda Hocking
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: January 1st 2012
Publishers: Pan Macmillan
Available from: Amazon
Amazon UK
The Book Depository
The Nile

I received this book from the publisher.



Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she's not the monster her mother claimed she is she does feel that she doesn't quite fit in ...The new girl in High School, she's bored and frustrated by her small town life and then there's the secret that she can't tell anyone. Her mysterious ability she can influence people's decisions, without knowing how or why ...When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist...
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I remember reading about Amanda Hocking getting her publishing deal and have been looking out for Switched ever since. So many people have praised this series and it's no wonder she has sold a million copies. 
Switched is a fantastic start to the series, I hated putting this book down. I was immediately caught up in Wendy's story. It has one of the best openings in a book that I have ever read and it sets up the rest of the book so well. Wendy is such an appealing character, you can't help but like her. She never feels like she fits in anywhere and people have never made her feel welcome either. Her brother and Aunt are the only family she has left, but she quite often takes them for granted. Then she's thrown into the world of the Trylle and begins to learn she has a large role to play in a life she doesn't want. 

The world Amanda Hocking has created is extraordinary, constructing an entirely new version of folklore that will reinvigorate the Young Adult market that is so full of vampires, werewolves and fairies. Switched has an impressive array of characters, conflict, suspense and romance that there is never a dull moment. I was kept on the edge of my seat, biting my lip in anticipation. I can not wait for Torn and Ascend to be released! This is a series that is going to be huge in 2012. Grab your copy now!
4.5/5