Sunday, December 27, 2009

Fire and Ice Giveaway

One of our amazing friends and one of our reviewers Heather is having a giveaway on her blog you would be crazy to not enter! Heather makes amazing jewelry inspired by the books we love. She currently has a giveaway in honor of Bree Despain's The Dark Divine book release. The inspired by TDD jewlery is amazing! The first place winner wins the bracelet pictured below! She also has jewelry inspired by Wings and Shiver. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Happy Holidays!


We want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday! We will be spending time with our families and will not be posting anything new on the forum and blog between 12/23-12/27. We will return for a couple days on the 28th and 29th to catch up on any news and then will be gone again between 12/30-1/02. We will draw winners for our pending giveaways in the New Year! We have some very exciting things planned for the new year! We are so happy to have you all joining us and can't wait for the great reads coming our way in 2010!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Romantic Times Nomination



Congratulations to our very own Aprilynne Pike! WINGS was nominated for the Best YA Paranormal/Fantasy Novel of 2009! The nomination for WINGS is by Romantic Times Book Reviews and Aprilynne is included in a group of fantastic authors such as James Dashner, P.C. Cast, Alyson Noel, and Kelley Armstrong. You can check out the rest of the nominees (including authors in other genres) here!

You can also read more about the nomination on Aprilynne's blog, where she also reveals the German cover of WINGS. It's absolutely gorgeous!!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Faerie Friday



Today for Faerie Friday we spotlight Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter (Book 1) written by R. J. Anderson; published by Harper Collins

Here is a synopsis from Goodreads -
Forget everything you think you know about faeries. . . .
Creatures full of magic and whimsy?
Not in the Oakenwyld. Not anymore.
Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull-witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake.
Only one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction?
Talented newcomer R. J. Anderson creates an extraordinary new fantasy world and weaves a gripping tale of lost magic, high adventure, and surprising friendship in which the fate of an entire realm rests on the shoulders of one brave faery rebel.

Book one was released in April 2009 and the second in the series called Wayfarer is due out in Summer 2010. We haven't read book 1 yet, but we are intrigued. I love the cover too! There is something about it! Spell Hunter has gotten EXCELLENT reviews on Goodreads! Has anyone read this book??? If so, give us your review!

Holiday Shopping

Don't forget to add our Late Bloomer Online tees to your Christmas must have gift list! Grab one for the book/faerie lover in your life, or grab one for yourself! There are two different designs and they are $18 each which includes tax and shipping! And if you order yours by Saturday, December 19th, you will get a Late Bloomer Online decal sticker free with purchase! The stickers can also be purchased separately for $5! Go to Fiction Addictions to make a purchase and help support our blog!!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Book Trailer - Captivate by Carrie Jones

Captivate is the much anticipated sequel to Need by Carrie Jones. A book trailer for Captivate was just released! Check it out!

Synopsis by Goodreads - Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town. A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

AUTHOR CHAT WITH JAMES DASHNER


James Dashner was kind enough to chat with us on Wednesday about his book THE MAZE RUNNER. If you missed any of our chat with James, you can find a replay here. Otherwise, go read THE MAZE RUNNER and learn more about James! He's is absolutely hilarious and awesome to chat with!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Cover Released



Sarah Rees Brennan released the cover of The Demon's Covenant today! Here is a first look!

Beautiful Creatures Giveaway



Kami and Margie sent us some awesome swag for Beautiful Creatures, and we are GIVING IT AWAY! (Okay well they may have included a few extra things for us to keep... we aren't THAT selfless :) ) ONE lucky winner is going to receive everything you see in the picture above. A SIGNED Beautiful Creatures book, BC stickers, A journal, 4 BC bracelets, Red Hots, Lemonheads, A blowpop, A gorgeous photo taken by Vania you can visit Vania's photosite HERE , a Castergirls.com sticker, and an exclusive inspired by Beautiful Creatures bracelet made by Mary Triplett!
This contest will run until January 15th. Only followers of the blog are eligible to enter the contest. One of Margie and Kami's favorite things are pictures of their fans with their book, or pictures of their book out in the wild! To enter the contest, each entry requires you to show us a picture of you with the Beautiful Creatures book! So run to your local bookstore, or walk carefully if there is snow where you are, and grab a BC book off the shelf and send us a picture of you with the book!!! If you can't link the picture in the comments below, leave a comment and email us the picture at latebloomeradmin@gmail.com! We will share the pictures with Margie, Kami and our affiliates castergirls!
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
*International entries are accepted however if you are selected as the winner, the shipping costs must be paid in advance through paypal.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Affiliate Happenings

Here is what a few of our affiliates are up to...


Mundie Moms has opened their own shop!!! They have some awesome stuff in their store!!! They are also gearing up for a pre-book launch chat with Bree Despain on December 21st! The Dark Devine is AWESOME! Check out the details on their blog by clicking HERE





Page Turners blog is still running their Holiday Blow Out Giveaways! If you haven't entered yet, now is the time to do it before you forget in the midst of all holiday preparation madness!




Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a copy of Firespell by Chloe Neill and Deadtown by Nancy Holzner on her blog! Check out the interviews with each author and enter to win!




FAERIE FRIDAY


Happy Faerie Friday! Today's spotlight is an interesting one for us. It hasn't been released yet. Julie Kagawa's THE IRON KING will be released in February, and it is definitely one of the books we cannot wait to read! Here is a synopsis from Julie's website: MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY— ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED…
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.


Be on the lookout for THE IRON KING in February. You can pre-order through Amazon or Barnes & Noble. We will also be chatting in February with Julie, so keep an eye out for that and our upcoming review! Enjoy!!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Another YA Book Movie???


It was announced yesterday that Fallen by Lauren Kate (as well as the three books following Fallen) have been optioned by Disney to make a movie!!!!

You can read the article HERE

We also previously made another post about other YA books being made into movies as well! And don't forget the recent news about the Beautiful Creatues movie deal! SO EXCITING!!!!

Book Review CANDOR


Title: CANDOR
Author: Pam Bachorz
Published: September, 2009

Rating:



Synopsis from Barnes and Noble: In the model community of Candor, Florida, every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks. The son of the town's founder, Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause.
But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant–perfect–through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. And Oscar' s built a business sabotaging his father's scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before they're turned. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?
Then he meets Nia, the girl he can't stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever. Keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

I picked up this book borrowed from a friend. I was anxious to read it and couldn't wait to get my teeth sunk in. I had heard so many good things about this book that I was literally bouncing with it. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed. It was a short read, one that I got through quickly, the concept is fantastic! This is especially true of the idea of a utopian/dystopian society that is not directly related to an apocalypse. However, I never really got into the "why's" of things; I never really understood the back story. I wanted to learn more about why Oscar's father, Campbell Banks created Candor. The reader is led to believe that there is a severe back story to why Oscar is in this situation in the first place, however, we are never taken to this point.

However, despite the brilliance of the concept, the execution was just not there. There seemed to be a rush to get somewhere, but I never seemed to get where I was supposed to be going. While I was intrigued by the main character's ramblings, his relationship with Nia (the main female character) seemed as though it was inserted haphazardly. Like Oscar needed a reason to do what he did, let's put Nia there. Like typical YA novels, there is a love story and the two main characters fall in love, I never really understood why. Oscar tells of his love for her as being forever and I couldn't connect with that. I even had to go back and read again to see if I skipped any parts where their relationship was "developed" enough to use the L word.........I didn't, but they certainly were sure they were in love.

Nearing the climax, I started getting rather excited and was anxious that the story was finally picking up the pace. I read feverishly to get to the end and the story certainly didn't go the direction I expected it to, but rather left me with a HUGE twist at the end and a major cliffhanger. While I
wasn't thoroughly impressed with the book, I am looking forward to a sequel, if only to have a resolution to the cliffhanger and the remaining story.

Reviewed by:


Holiday Gift Contest

In light of the chat we just had with Janette Rallison, we will be holding a contest to win a signed copy of Janette's book, JUST ONE WISH. If you've read JUST ONE WISH, you know that they underlying theme is giving and it takes place around the holidays. Quite the tear-jerker, it's a very special story about a relationship between a brother and sister.
Since it's the holiday season, we thought it would be fun to hold a short contest. Please fill out the form below and tell us about your most favorite holiday gift you have ever received.
This contest is open to our blog followers only and each entry will be judged by a panel of two individuals outside of Jen and Espe. The contest will run through Christmas Eve, December 24th. We will announce the winner by December 29th. Enjoy!!



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Dark Divine Book Trailer

Bree Despain the Author of The Dark Divine posted this fan made book trailer on twitter today! I loooooove it! Stay tuned for my review of The Dark Devine as well! It is a MUST READ!

Review of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title - The Dark Divine
Written by - Bree Despain
Published - December 22, 2009
Rating (see side panel for definitions)




Synopsis from Goodreads - Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul

From the moment I started reading The Dark Divine, I literally devoured it quickly. One of the best pieces of advice I can give to anyone getting ready to read this is to clear your day, because once you start the book, you won't be able to put it down. Just pull down the safety bar and prepare yourself for the rollercoaster ride that Bree Despain takes you on!

Grace has never stopped thinking about Daniel from the moment he left. They grew up together, and when he left, part of her went with him. Imagine her shock, when after three years of not knowing what happened and why exactly he left, he shows up, at her school, with his penetrating mud pie eyes. Grace is torn, on one hand her brother Jude is telling her that she should stay away from Daniel, that he is dangerous and he will hurt her, but Grace can't deny the feelings Daniel stirs within her. She tries to stay away, she really does, but their paths continue to cross and before she even realizes what happens Grace is knee deep in a secret she never saw coming.

The character of Grace is well written, she's a likable and strong heroine that recognizes her own strengths and weaknesses... she's believable. Daniel is the mysterious sexy guy that everyone wishes highschool boys had been like when they were in school. You can't help rooting for them and wanting more! Bree keeps the twists and turns coming and I even thought I had it figured out at one point and I was totally wrong! My only complaint is that the ending made me want more NOW!!! All in all, the plot is exciting, the characters engaging yet mysterious, and just like the title, the book is both Dark and Divine. A MUST READ!
Reviewed By:

Author Chat with Janette Rallison

If you missed our chat with Janette Rallison, NO WORRIES! You can check out the replay in our forum!

http://latebloomeronline.forumotion.com/book-review-blog-f43/chat-with-janette-rallison-t169.htm#571

Friday, December 4, 2009

Alyson Noel Giveaway WINNER







We have our winner for the GINORMOUS Alyson Noel Interview! This very lucky winner will receive a copy of EVERMORE, BLUE MOON, and SHADOWLAND all with signed bookplates!




CONGRATULATIONS TO JILL OF THE O.W.L.!!!




We will be emailing you shortly to get your mailing address! Congratulations and thank you all for entering!!



**Winner chosen using Random.org**

The Seven Rays Book Giveaway!



We have 3 copies of Jessica Bendinger's book THE SEVEN RAYS to give away!!!!



Since the underlining theme of the book is astronomy, for an additional +5 entries, tell us what your horoscope sign is and paste your horoscope for the day in the comments!!! It will be fun! You can also receive additional entries by...


+1 New Follower

+2 Current Follower

+2 Current Forum Member

+3 New Forum Member




*International entries accepted for the contest, however, shipping fees are required in advance through PayPal.


Contest lasts through December 30th. Winners will be selected the first week of January.

Good Luck!


FAERIE FRIDAY


Happy Faerie Friday! Today we spotlight what I like to call the "king" of all faerie stories. It's ironic, really that faeries may be the "next big thing" in YA literature, yet here we are paying homage to a story that is 1/2 a century old. I'm talking of course about Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. If you haven't had an opportunity to read this hilarious play of Shakespeare's, you must go read it! If you are a fan of romantic comedies, faeries, or hilarity....you will LOVE A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Here is a synopsis from the Shakespeare Resource Center:

Lysander loves Hermia, and Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, prefers Demetrius as a suitor, and enlists the aid of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to enforce his wishes upon his daughter. According to Athenian law, Hermia is given four days to choose between Demetrius, life in a nunnery, or a death sentence. Hermia, ever defiant, chooses to escape with Lysander into the surrounding forest.

Complications arise in the forest. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom Titania has adopted. Oberon instructs his servant Puck to bring him magic love drops, which Oberon will sprinkle on the Queen's eyelids as she sleeps, whereupon Titania will fall in love with the first creature she sees upon awakening. Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Oberon, overhearing Demetrius's denouncement of Helena, takes pity upon her and tells Puck to place the magic drops upon the eyelids of Demetrius as well, so that Demetrius may fall in love with Helena. Puck, however, makes the mistake of putting the drops on the eyelids of Lysander instead. Helena stumbles over Lysander in the forest, and the spell is cast; Lysander now desires Helena and renounces a stunned Hermia.

In the midst of this chaos, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing for a production of "Pyramus and Thisbe," to be played for the Duke at his wedding. Puck impishly casts a spell on Bottom to give him the head of a donkey. Bottom, as luck would have it, is the first thing Titania sees when she awakens; hence, Bottom ends up being lavishly kept by the Queen. Oberon enjoys this sport, but is less amused when it becomes apparent that Puck has botched up the attempt to unite Demetrius and Helena. Oberon himself anoints Demetrius with the love potion and ensures that Helena is the first person he sees; however, Helena understandably feels that she is now being mocked by both Demetrius and Lysander (who is still magically enamored of her).

Finally, Oberon decides that all good sports must come to an end. He puts the four lovers to sleep and gives Lysander the antidote for the love potion so that he will love Hermia again when they all wake up. Next, Oberon gives Titania the antidote, and the King and Queen reconcile. Theseus and Hippolyta then discover Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius asleep in the forest. All return to Athens to make sense of what they think is a strange dream. Likewise, Bottom returns to his players, and they perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding feast (which has since become a wedding of three couples). As everyone retires, fairies perform their blessings and Puck delivers a tender epilogue soliloquy.


This is a classic work of Shakespeare that so many modern works have been inspired by. It showcases the idea that faeries are in fact mischievous and create chaos. If you have not read it, GO NOW!!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Breathing by Cheryl Herbsman


Cheryl Herbsman Author of Breathing, has some great videos on her blog about her book! Check them out here and if you haven't read Breathing, pick it up! It is one of our faves! We did an Author chat with Cheryl and if you missed it, you can see the replay on our forum!

Hex Hall Cover


Rachel Hawkins was able to release the cover of her book Hex Hall! We LOVE IT! This is a book we CAN'T WAIT to read and review!!!! We are also hoping to get Rachel on at some point for an author chat so stay tuned (Rachel if you are reading this... I'll be emailing you! HA! :o) )
If you haven't heard of Hex Hall, be sure to put it on your list of books to read in 2010! The book will be released on March 2nd. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads -
When Sophie Mercer turned thirteen, she discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-Gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hecate Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward prodigium, a.k.a. witches, fae, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard. Three powerful enemies who look like supermodels; a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock; a creepy, tag-along ghost; and a new roommate, who happens to be the most-hated person and only vampire on campus. Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her friend Jenna is the number one suspect. Meanwhile, Sophie has a more personal shock to grapple with. Not only is her father the head of the prodigium council, he's the most powerful warlock in the world, and Sophie is his heir. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all prodigium, especially her.

Vote for Us!


This is the post in which we make a shameless plug! Ha! Our affiliate Mindful Musings Blog is having a contest for Best Blog. Espe and I LOVE what we do and enjoy bringing you this blog, thank us by nominating us! It would be fun to win!!! Plus, you can actually nominate up to 5 blogs!

Thanks for your support!!!!

XOXOXOXOXO

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Author Chat with Laurie Stolarz


Hi Everyone! If you missed our chat with Laurie Stolarz, author of Deadly Little Secrets and Deadly Little Lies, you can check out the replay on our forum!!!

It was a great interview and we had a great time! Thanks to Laurie for joining us!

Win A Copy Of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater!


Karin's Book Nook Blog is giving away a SIGNED copy of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater!!!! I've signed up! You should too!


Affiliate Happenings!

Here is what our affiliates are doing....



Page Turners is having a HUGE HOLIDAY BLOWOUT GIVEAWAY! Here is what you can win...

Grand Prize 1 - The Dark Divine ARC(signed) Dark Divine soundtrack CD, nail polish, bookmarks, stickers, a book from our list & a 2010 release pre-ordered to be delivered to you.

Grand Prize 2 - Beautiful Creatures ARC or Hardback(still being decided), T-shirt, a book from our list & a 2010 release pre-ordered to be delivered to you.

First Runner Up - One of our books from our Spotlight Author for November- Maggie Stiefvater(Ballad or Shiver). DD & BC swag and 2 book choices from our list.

Second Runner Up - DD & BC swag, including a BC inspired bracelet made by Mary Tippet Designs and 1 book choice from our list

Go to their blog to see the details on how to enter!




Mundie Moms is gearing up for their chats with Kami Garcia on December 7th and Margie Stohl on December 15th with a huge BEAUTIFUL CREATURES swag giveaway!!!!! You can go to their blog to see what you can win and the entry qualifications! Check it out!

Awesome Giveaway!




ParaJunkee is having a 200 follower giveaway extravaganza! Seriously, it's awesome! Check it out here!

Here is what you can win....

Books Up For Grabs:
Cat #1
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater



Cat #2
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Blue Moon by Alyson Noel
Sins of the Flesh by Cardidad Pineiro
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Lover Avenged by JR Ward


Go to her blog to see the contest details about how to enter!