Some random babbling and updates :)

Just want to take some time to throw a few things out there. I have been so busy I haven't had time to read or come on here. My father and stepmother have come to visit (they live in a different state) so I have been trying to soak up as much time with them as I can.

Anyway, tomorrow night I will be posting the Back to Books Giveaway which starts on Thursday. I will be gone all day tomorrow at the Mall of America (first time ever!) and hopefully I will be back in time to post it. I live in Wisconsin so it's like a 4-5 hour drive and I have no idea how long we will be out there.

Update on a few things. I have 2 galleys to read (yay) and I just got an ARC of Metamorphosis by Devon Ashley in the mail today (even louder yay!). I can't wait to read all of them. Starting on the pile tomorrow on the long drive to and from the Mall of America.

Don't forget to stop by after Thursday to enter the giveaway!!

Paradox - The Angels are Here by Patti Roberts

Paradox - The Angels are Here (Book 1) by Patti Roberts

Fantasy

Rating: 2 Stars

Nine hundred years ago, under the complete cover of darkness, the Grigorian army rose silently from their underground lair and attacked the Bulguardian Royal Palace. The bloody and violent battle between the two most legendary houses raged on. All but destroying the majestic Royal City of Altair.

It was not the first war that Juliette had endured between good and evil. And it most certainly would not be her last.

Today, a little girl's world is turned upside down by a visitor,the Angel of Death. She finds herself trapped in a nightmare, consumed by her paralyzing loss and overwhelming grief. The haunting visions and untimely deaths of others are a constant reminder that life and death are only a heartbeat away.

First thoughts: I think I won the e-book of this during one of the giveaway hops. I can't remember where but I'm pretty sure I did. Anyway, the cover is kind of neat. It's very pretty and mystical. The synopsis is okay. I don't think I would have picked up the book in the store if I read it though. I'm not a huge war person but the angels got me. I've been liking the angels lately.

Writing Style: Patti doesn't have this awful writing whatsoever. She is good at describing things and makes it easy to connect with how the characters feel. It just feels like she plopped pieces of a great story together without making any sense of it. I felt confused most of the story and a reader shouldn't feel that way. It should flow and the plot should be evident in the story. I just don't get it.

Characters: The evil people are kind of gross to me. I mean I didn't get much background on them whatsoever so it might be normal to have relationships with you siblings in their world. I felt they weren't explained enough and I was confused on what their purpose was. Grace seemed like a normal 12 year old girl. She acted like it and her language definitely fit. The thing that threw me off was the first time her visions were mentioned. The detail of her visions were just thrown in there like it was a last minute decision. Also, I know who the Angel of Death is now that I have read it but they never told you in the book there there even was one. You just knew this person was different not what she was.

Final Thoughts: This is the first book that I have read that I am just not interested into buying the next one. It made no sense and was confusing so why would I buy another one that will probably just be the same. I don't even know what the evil people are after and what the story has to do with Grace. It's probably safe to assume they are after Grace but it just doesn't say it or even lead up to it. From this first book there is no connection between the two worlds this author is presenting as far as I can tell. Everything just kept popping up with no real hook. Like Grace's visions, I didn't read the synopsis before I read this one so I had no idea they were coming and then they were just there. No introduction to them. They just happened and then was like "oh, she had them her entire life" when they didn't even present it in the story. This one definitely felt forced which is lousy because I can tell this could be a great book, if only the readers could figure out what is going on.

Randomness and junk! :)

I have been falling behind. I'm kind of disappointed in myself but it's hard to get into this Pardox story. I'm pretty sure I won this one. I don't want to give up on it but if I can't get into it soon I might have to put it aside because I have a time limit on two galleys I have and it's getting close.

Anyway, I was going to wait till I have another giveaway but I decided to enter the Back to Books hop. I wasn't going to because I don't have enough extra money this month to buy another book but I got a real surprise in the mail yesterday. Remember Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott? I won that one through FreeBookFriday.com and they sent me to book free. Well the book wasn't signed so when I contacted them to let them know they said they are working to get me a signed bookplate. Well they didn't, they sent me another book. o_O

So now I have two of the same book. So I'm giving away one of them, the unsigned one. Only because the signature was personalized so my name is written in it. So check back on September 1st to enter my giveaway. It should be pretty cool.

Anyway, back to reading and some writing. Hopefully I will be posting a review in the next few days but somehow I doubt it. That's only because the school year is starting and I am the Color Guard Coach at my old high school and that starts up tomorrow. Busy, busy, busy!

Bits of You & Pieces of Me by Kimberly Kinrade

Bits of You & Pieces of Me by Kimberly Kinrade

Collection of short stories, poetry, and essays

Rating: 4 Stars

A collection of short stories, poetry & essays on life. While each piece stands alone, together the chapters tell the story of an idealistic girl in love with love who discovers the demons of a splintered heart when that love turns violent. Through it all, she climbs her way back to Hope and finds that in the end her True Heart remained Unbreakable.

This collection includes some horror short stories, dark poetry on painful love and difficult subject matters such as domestic violence.

First Thoughts: I got this as an e-book for 'liking' Kimberly's Facebook page to enter to win a print copy of the book. I didn't win the copy but I did get the free e-book. Anyway, I have had it for awhile so I decided before I get to my next galley that I would read this one. The cover is really adorable. It's simple and the colors are beautiful. The synopsis is not like a normal book. It explains what the book is and the pieces it has. It pretty much has a bit of everything.

Writing Style: There are so many different pieces of writing but I can say that Kimberly stayed consistent. Each piece that was dark was definitely dark. Each piece that was drama filled was definitely filled with drama. I had no issues with her writing style here. I did find a couple mistakes in spelling though. But really, what book doesn't?

Characters: This part is not that easy. There were different stories in here with different names but from the sound of the synopsis they all come together to tell one story. Each piece was brilliant on it's own. The short stories had the action, the characters you could sympathize with or even relate to. The poems don't really have characters but I think if you understand them you could relate to the narrator like I did.

Final Thoughts: I guess I'm not much of a fan of these types of books. I really liked it but at the same time I was bored. It's books like this one that make me miss my fantasy/science fiction books. There were some creepy short stories in here that I enjoyed though, so the book did have my attention and I definitely didn't have to force myself to read it. So I couldn't just give it a bad review because I was bored so I kept it professional. My favorite essay was The Minute. It is so cute! I could definitely relate to this essay and I think everyone else would too.

This is Dawn.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR BEST FRIEND IS SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR ENEMY?

Paige Wildes is a Witch. Every member of her family are witches. They live a secret, hidden life protecting the humans from witches and demons who hurt them. They protect the innocent.

Corey Meyer is a Witch Hunter. His family have been passing down their knowledge to each generation. They hunt every magical creature they can find and vanquish them.

When the two lives come together everything they have ever known falls apart. Corey was raised to believe that all magical beings are evil - including Paige. Paige was raised to stay away from ancestral Witch Hunters because they kill first and ask no questions at all. But when something they didn't see coming hunts for the two families, can they push all that they have known aside to save themselves and maybe each other?

I changed the cover and have gone through and cleaned it up a bit. I know it's not perfect but I am asking a little help from my followers and from my fellow inkpoppers. I posted the new cover and the preface with the first six chapters to inkpop.com and have asked for critiques. I am hoping to get some real criticism. I'm not going to pretend my book is awesome, that's why I put it on there in the first place because I know it's not the best it could be.

So, if you feel you have extra time and want to read the first chapter or the whole thing I would love it if you would and give me real feedback. I need all the help I can get. I know I can do it on my own but I want to see how it looks from the reader's perspective. That's what I care about.

You can find the preface and first six chapters HERE.

Thank you!

My favorite rejection...weird but definitely true.

I finally got my last e-mail reply from my first batch of queries and I have to say it's my favorite rejection. Weird, I know. How can someone have a favorite rejection? Well, my first one was just a flat out no. The last one one I got (before my last last one) was a little nicer saying the usual "Thank you for thinking of us" and "It's a great story but not for us." But this last one really struck a chord with and I realized something has to change.

I actually got constructive criticism from this one agency. I have been waiting forever for them answer and yes, it hurt a little for it to be a rejection but at least since it was a rejection they told me what made them choose what they did and what I should do to make it better.

They told me they think I have something and they were engaged by my plot and my premise but they felt that my writing was chunky and felt unfinished like it was a first draft, which I thought it wasn't. Then they told me I should consider going through it again before submitting it anywhere else because they think I have talent but obviously if the writing isn't fantastic no one will ever glance my way.

You see why I like it? They didn't just tell me no, they explained why it is a no and now I know what I need to work on to make it better. I don't want to have a book published if it's not my best work. I don't want the readers to feel that it is unfinished. I want them to love it. That agency helped me see what was wrong with my work and now I can go back and try to make it better. That rejection was probably a good thing to happen to me even if it was a rejection and I am still without an agent.

So I have decided to go through it again and fix all my common mistakes and try to liven it up and make it feel less chunky. I am also going to make Dawn, the Witch Hunter Trilogy available on inkpop.com, well just a few chapters. I put Princess of the Rebellion on there a while back and I got some tips for that one so maybe I will get the same for Dawn.

Princess of the Rebellion was the first book I wrote and for now I have lost faith in it. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I needed a break from it and I'm just not ready to go back to it. I will someday because I already have a sequel planned for that one. But like I said, I don't feel like writing it so I'm not going to waste my time because if I don't feel it I know it won't turn out good.

So, I have revamped Dawn. I am starting at the beginning and attempting to make it even better than it was before. I started with the first six chapters and decided to make a new cover. I really hate my first one. The same thing happened for PotR and my second one for that was way better. I definitely feel my new cover for Dawn rocks. It has everything to do with the story, not that anybody would know that because no one has read the story, but I feel it is a perfect fit. A new beginning for this story.

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

YA, Realistic Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

First Thoughts: I actually got this book from FreeBookFriday.com. I love that site. Every week they have a contest to giveaway free books. They have expanded and now give away 4 different genres every week: Fiction, Teens, Romance, and Indie. I'm usually a fantasy type girl. Give me witches, vampires, and magical powers and I am in heaven. But the synopsis got me thinking I should at least enter because I know it would be something I would enjoy.

Writing Style: Elizabeth seems really good at making people believe what she is writing. You could feel how sad and lonely Abby was. It was very moving and Elizabeth had a fantastic way of showing you exactly how Abby felt.

Characters: Abby is like any other depressed teenager. She is really depressed though. She thinks everyone chooses her sister, Tess, over her and she lives in the shadows of Tess but really isn't. Abby just made some bad choices when she knew they were bad. Tess is not a great character though, in the beginning. She sounded full of herself and absorbed, maybe even obsessed with her image. It turns out to be more than that and near the end you start to connect with her. I love Eli. He is perfectly imperfect. He is the kind of character I would like to see more often. People are obsessed with these gorgeous, mysterious guys who will sweep them off their feet and Eli is nothing like that. It's fantastic.

Final Thoughts: I loved this book. It's not my type of reading but after reading it I could not help but giving it 5 stars. It's a great story that could happen to anybody. It brings you to the real world and you see that the issues that happen in this book actually do happen in real life. Teenagers become obsessed with their looks and sometimes make choices that put them in danger. Depression is a real issue many teens are dealing with. There are other things that teens are going through that has to do with this book but I don't want to spoil it. If you read it you will know exactly what I mean. I recommend people to read this book. It's a wonderful book.

The reason for my silence...new baby!

Wow. I have been so busy for the last couple days. I haven't read any books, I haven't been on here, or anything else. Want to know why?

Her.

My twin sister had her baby on Wednesday afternoon. This is Charlie Marie. She is 7 lbs and 5.2 ounces of pure cuteness! I have spent the last three days driving my sister's other son, Tyler, back and forth from the hospital to see them and watching him while his mommy is in the hospital. Now we are all home and comfy. Tyler is being a wonderful big brother and I am so proud of him. He is quiet when the baby is sleeping, gets mommy whatever she needs, and helps her take care of Charlie. Can you believe he is only 4 years old?

Anyway, hopefully everything gets back to normal (I really doubt it). I hope to get back into reading tonight and hopefully posting a review tomorrow. And maybe a couple other writing pieces.

Have a great weekend!

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

YA/Science Fiction
Rating: 5 Stars

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

First Thoughts: This is my official, first ever, physical ARC. I entered to get it and they never told you if you won or not, they just sent it. So getting it in the mail was a complete surprise to me. I was going nuts for at least 3 hours after I opened it. So anyway, I was nervous at first because this book is about space. I'm not a big space story fan. The cover is beautiful in a simple way. I really love it. They synopsis (from Goodreads.com) is what had me worried. I love the synopsis but it screams "SPACE STORY!!" (Had to do that, it's kind of funny. Go ahead you can laugh at me.)

Writing Style: This is the kind of third-person writing I love. They stick to one person at a time and show clearly when they change it up to someone else. I was never confused who was talking, I never had to reread it to be sure or understand. It was fantastic! Everything just fit. I could feel everything and there were many points that I was like (and almost yelled out) "I can't believe that just freaking happened!."

Characters: Waverly is basically a normal teenage girl. She loves a boy but of course she doesn't know if she is in love with him. Well that is until she was without him. She is strong and brave and she is someone other girls can connect with. Kieran is completely blind as a bet. Not in the literal sense, though. He is the spoiled teenager who is blind to the things around him because he is stuck in this little fantasy of a life. He is the golden child and the adults treated him as such. I don't think he is all bad, even in the end. He is stuck in that world of his and doesn't realize what it looks like.Seth, I have to say I want to hate him but like him at the same time. He was wrong for what he did but then again maybe the facts in his head were right. You never know, do you?

Final Thoughts: I have never loved a space story like this one. This is such an intriguing book. It's not like anything I have read before and I am kind of sad I have to wait for the next one. This book isn't even on sale yet so it's even longer of a wait for me. I can't wait though. This book is amazing and all I have to say is you better be reading it when it comes out September 27th. You will definitely not regret it. Well, I can't say definitely because some people actually hate space stories and might hate it. But still, this book is amazing!

Summer Giveaway Hop Winner!

WOW! There was such a great turnout for my giveaway in the Summer giveaway hop. I had 153 people enter with a few who did not enter right and were disqualified (like someone who answered yes instead of putting in their GFC so no idea how to even check and someone who decided to use two e-mails but use the same names for the extra entries.) and 382 qualifying entries!! Wow!! You guys are awesome. Anyway, the winner is:

Marci Clark from Texas!

Her entry to 'like' my Facebook page is what won!

(That is why no matter how much it bothers you and me, extra entries do help sometimes)

So, congrats Marci. She has already confirmed and her book has been ordered and she is ready to go!

Thanks again for everyone who entered! I can't wait to join another one!

Awesome News!

I just want to take a moment before I announce some really cool news to welcome all the new people so far! Thanks so much for following me and I hope you will all stick around too.

The Summer Hop ends tomorrow night so if you are here to enter, it is located on the right side. Just click the image and it will bring you directly to the contest page.

OK, so now the news!!! Macmillan Audio saw my review for Dragon's Oath and they loved my review so much they wanted me to help show that Dragon's Oath is also available in audio book. They sent me an copy of the audio book to giveaway to one lucky follower!! Well actually for this one it's not going to be a requirement to follow me but it can be an extra entry.

At the same time as that giveaway I will be having a second prize but that is something for something else. As a celebration for when my House of Night page gets 150,000 'likes' I will be giving away a signed copy of Dragon's Oath or if it takes too long it will be Destined. Who knows! Anyway, I can't wait to host that giveaway. So stick around so you don't miss it.

Familiar Strangers by Evelyn Burdette

Familiar Strangers (Forbidden Bloods #2) by Evelyn Burdette

YA/Fantasy

Rating: 4 Starts

The past can change you...

The past proved to be too difficult for identical twins Claudia and Melina Grimwood. After dealing face-to-face with Rebels in brutal situations a mere month ago, the girls are finally able to take a break and fly back home to California. It's here where both girls truly begin to struggle internally with overcoming their past and their new personalities begin to surface.

If inner battles weren't enough for the twins, both girls develop strange feelings of being watched and once back in Shukova, they begin finding creepy notes hidden amongst their belongings. All proves too much for Melina, who finds rebelling with one of the school's biggest troublemakers comforting. And as Claudia tries to get her sister back on track, she finds herself becoming less and less like herself. While the twins struggle against their true identities and their past, the problem worsens and they find themselves fighting another brutal battle full of mysteries and sinister situations. This is the exciting second installment in the Forbidden Bloods Series.

First Thoughts: I knew this book was coming out but when I was talking to Evelyn one day she told me that she was sending me a copy. I was so happy because, at the time, I didn't have extra money to buy the book. The thing that got me even happier was Evelyn mentions me in the acknowledgments in the beginning of the book. She thanks me for advertising her page on my House of Night page. I was glad to do it and I didn't need to free book or my name in the book but it was a wonderful gesture and I was super excited to see it. Okay, so time for the serious part. I have to admit I was disappointed with the cover. Evelyn makes fantastic covers and I wonder if she will ever consider redoing this one. The cat and bird are just so boring. Covers are meant to grab people but this one looks like a children's book. The synopsis is great though, if someone looked passed the cover and read the back cover they most likely would have bought it.

Writing Style: Yay!! This one was just written by Evelyn. Nothing against Grace, but I really wasn't a fan for her writing in Silent Screams. Evelyn seems to be doing so much better on her own this time. She was able to channel Melina from the first book and actually make her character more believable and likable this time through.

Characters: Claudia is pretty much the same. She was changed a bit because of the trauma from the first book but she was starting to get back to normal. Until the parts with Melina. Melina starts to channel her inner Claudia and begins to start acting rebellious which is totally a Claudia thing. It's nice seeing Melina as a person and not the stereotypical goody goody who seemed fake.

Final Thoughts: This one is so much better than the first book. Silent Screams was good but I think it being written with a co-writer set it up for destruction. You had two different people writing and two different writing styles. To me, it didn't work. This one is so much better. It does make me think though. If Grace came up with her own book 2, would I feel the same way for that one as I do this one? Probably not. I think I prefer Evelyn's way of creating characters. This is a great book. It ends pretty good letting you know there is more to come but I haven't heard anything about a book 3 from Evie. Which makes me sad...ah well, maybe someday.

Silent Screams by Evelyn Burdette and Grace Charlton

Silent Screams (Forbidden Bloods #1) by Evelyn Burdette & Grace Charlton

YA/Fantasy

Rating: 3 Stars

Pain should never be kept a secret...

Identical twins Claudia and Melina Grimwood learn this lesson quickly as, on their sixteenth birthday, life as they know it turns upside down. They are abruptly yanked from their sunny California life and dropped into the Canadian Rockies, where they must attend Nicholai's Academy, a school for vampires, witches, werewolves, and shapeshifters.

There they learn they are what the supernatural call Forbidden Bloods, a result of the illegal union between a vampire and a witch. While Claudia shows the signs of being a vampire and Melina exhibits the powers of a witch, both girls develop minor powers from the other side and the telepathic ability to communicate with each other. When their new life takes a turn for the worst, the deeply connected sisters begin keeping secrets from each other. Rather than turning to each other in their time of need, they hide their pain and attempt to deal with it themselves, causing the trauma to escalate.

First Thoughts: I met Evelyn through the House of Night page I run and she asked me if I could advertise her page on my page. I did and soon they had a contest for sharing and getting more fans and with my friends plus the House of Night fans, I won the first book and it was signed. The cover fits very well with this story. The castle is very mysterious because it is surrounded by mountains and the colors give it that creepy feeling. The synopsis is what got me. I am a twin myself so I instantly connected with this story and couldn't wait to read it.

Writing Style: This book was co-written by Evelyn Burdette and Grace Charlton. If I remember correctly they both wrote for one of the twins. Evie was Claudia and Grace was Melina. So you had two people with completely different writing styles for a separate character. Genius idea! For being their first novel, the writing wasn't that bad. There were a few things that bugged me but that was mostly with the Melina chapters. You could definitely tell the differences between the writing. It's not the best writing in the world but it's definitely not the worst.

Characters: Claudia and Melina are twins. The cool ones too, they are complete opposites. I know exactly how that feels so it was easy for me to connect with them. I'm not like either of them but still, I think I share traits with both of them. Melina, the witch, is calm, sweet, and very friendly. She's kind of predictable though. The 'oh so sweet' with the boyfriends and such. Nothing new to me. Claudia, the vampire, was the tough one who was strong willed and never hid how she felt. She's the wild child. I love her attitude. I was a little like that myself so it was easy for me to connect and relate to Claudia.

Final Thoughts: Looking back, this book isn't the greatest book in the world. It's a great concept, I love the ideas for this. I think what my problem was is that it was written by two different people and you could just feel it through the words. Dual-narratives are so difficult to keep up with but I love them so much at the same time. It is a great book and I am so glad I got a chance to read it and have it on my bookshelf.

Wicked Lies by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

Wicked Lies by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

Adult Fiction

Rating: 3 Stars

If At First You Don't Succeed

For two years, Justice Turnbull has paced his room at Halo Valley Security Hospital, planning to escape. Justice has a mission—one that began with a vicious murder two decades ago. And there are so many others who must be sent back to the hell that spawned them. . .

Kill. . .

Laura Adderley didn't plan to get pregnant by her soon-to-be ex-husband, though she'll do anything to protect her baby. But now reporter Harrison Frost is asking questions about the mysterious group of women who live at Siren Song lodge. Harrison hasn't figured out Laura's connection to the story yet. But Justice knows. And he is coming. . .

Then Kill Again. . .

All her life, Laura has been able to sense approaching evil. But that won't stop a psychopath bent on destroying her. Justice has been unleashed, and this time, there will be no place safe to hide. . .

First Thoughts: I entered to win this book on Goodreads.com from the First Reads Giveaways and was very proud that I won. This is the first and so far the only one I got from them and was excited for the opportunity to read it. The cover looks like any other adult cover format. It has that mysterious look to it with a person running. Not really something I would be into but I decided to try it out. The synopsis is really intriguing and is what got me to into the book and got me to enter the contest. It's been a long time, but I like mysteries and cop books. So I tried it out.

Writing Style: I know this was co-wrote by two sisters, it says in a personal letter after the story by Lisa Jackson but I don't know exactly which parts where who's or if they just sat down together or wrote it. It was pretty good though. The thing I disliked the most is the third-person. They jumped back and forth between characters randomly throughout chapters and who was telling the story, it got confusing and at times I couldn't keep up. When I finally figured out who a certain part was following I had to go back and reread it to understand what I was reading.

Characters: Laura is a person from a weird past trying to make the best out of her screwed up situation and she fit the part well. She seemed scared for her baby but then did a whole 180 when she put her life and her baby's in danger for thrill. It didn't really fit in with me. Harrison is my favorite. He is so strong and strong willed. His faith in himself was fantastic. He knew he was right and wasn't going to give up no matter who made fun of him for it or who tried to tear him down. Great character.

Final Thoughts: Overall, I liked the book. It was pretty good. I have to admit I had to force myself into this book. I was close to half and still forcing myself to read. I was so tempted to put it down and read something else but I needed to get the review done for Goodreads.com. The thing was that I felt I was missing something. I couldn't put my finger on it until Lisa Jackson told me in her letter. This book was a sequel. I had no idea. They didn't post it when I entered the contest. I don't like entering to win sequels because chances are I haven't read the first and won't have time to. So the no warning sucked a bit. Oh well. It was a good book and I don't regret it.