artsy musings of a bibliophile

Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

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Title: My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 1 August 2009
Pages: 279 (eBook)


Synopsis
She doesn’t see dead people, but she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. 
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who’ll be next…

My Rating
* * * 
The Review
Right after reading My Soul to Lose, the prequel to the Soul Screamers series, the personality of Kaylee Cavanaugh prepared me for kind of series I was getting into. So I expected the first book to be a slightly clichéd but an overall refreshing series. However, I do have few issues with how the story progressed. 
First off, there is a slight mention of Kaylee’s fellow high school footballer in the prequel. Apparently, Kaylee’s social circle is next to non-existent and Nash is the incrowd. Why am I not surprised? Moreover, he develops a rather sudden interest in Kaylee because of what she is. I am not liking this at all now. 
So that’s where it is made clear that Kaylee, unbeknownst to herself, is beautiful and even though Nash is somewhat of a womanizer, he’s totally into her. Therefore, there is a lot of sexual tension between them all the time. And that would have been totally fine, if not for the looming factor that they both belong to the same species and so, everything is intensified for them including the sexual tension…well, maybe.
Moving onto Nash Hudson, I liked him, he didn’t act like a jerk, got jealous at the right moments and isn’t in lieu of anything bad actually. Plus, he was all over Kaylee when she needed him to help her. In short, there was nothing much unlikable about him and he seems like the perfect guy for Kaylee. I liked his take on things as well, even though he seemed to be (slightly creepy) calm than other people in stressful situations. But that could totally be because of the Influence.
The character of Tod however, has more of that perpetual scowling and frowning going on. He seems to have more depth than Nash at certain moments in the book but he is really just more prone to sulkiness than Nash. I can’t really say much about him but, I would say this that he is a lost soul and still trying to find his place in the world despite his status as a grim reaper.
Even though the characters had depth and there was apparent growth as the story progressed, there were some things I couldn’t quite get acquainted to. Like the whole system isn’t much organized even though they are talking about death which should be much more than it is shown to be in the book. It was also somewhat distracting to read the book knowing that Emma, the BFF, was grounded for more than half of it and so couldn’t talk to Kaylee when she was busy adjusting to the fact that she’s not human. What kind of grounded is that, anyway?
On a side note, thank the Lord that bean sidhes do age, by the way, however slow that process might be. Moving on, there was a lot of fresh dialogue and witty thoughts from Kaylee going on. The book also had its serious parts as well, so much that I found it emotional towards the end. I will be continuing the series and I hope it gets better as it has potential to be so.
Best Quote:

“The problem with getting everything you want in life is that you’re not prepared for disappointment when it comes.”

Interview: Shilpa Mudiganti Blog Tour

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Click the banner for the tour schedule.
I am so excited to have Shilpa Mudiganti here on my blog as part of the Always You Blog Tour! I read the eARC copy and as a debut by the author, it is awesome! Following is the interview that I did with Shilpa but first let’s get to know the author behind Always You.

About the Author

Shilpa M Mirza grew up making up stories in her head. Starting with innocent babbling, genre of her stories changed with lessons growing up teaches us all. She thought life would be all about her stories until she completed her technical degree. Security of an IT job lured her leaving her stories to continue brew up in her head. Yet soon she had to fall in step with what fate had planned for her and she penned her first romance novella, Always You to be published by Inkspell Publishing. There has been no looking back since then. Juggling her day job as an IT geek, she has penned down her pet project, an exciting fantasy story of lions and wolves which, to her utter delight, is going to see the light of the day early next year. She says you would fall in love with her wonderful hero and heroine.

When she has time to breathe, she spends time blogging, connecting with her readers and spending time with her loving husband. She lives at Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.

Shilpa Mudiganti can be found at 
 | Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher |

The Interview

Hello and welcome to artsy musings of a bibliophile, Shilpa. I read in your biography that you are also an IT geek. Can you tell me a little more about your journey into the world of writing? 
Yes I am. I work as a business analysis/solution architect at a major Internet firm. But my day job is due to my education. But I always loved reading books and fortunately, I felt the urge to write at a young age. My essays at school used to be well received and I realized I can write better than most. But then, I never really thought I can ever be a fiction author. I started freelance writer non-fiction about four years back and renewed my interest in writing after college. It was during one of those phases when I was talking to my friend about a story that I wished I could write, was when I realized may be I should. It was my friend who encouraged me to try it out and looked like I could write fiction. Since then, though unpublished I have penned 2 fantasy novels, one of which I am trying to polish for publication this year. Always You was a quick one but dear to my heart especially because this is my debut book.
I am a regular reader of contemporary romance and I enjoyed reading Always You. What inspired you to write books in the particular genre?
A long weekend of Mills & Boons books! As I mentioned before, I actually write fantasy but I have always enjoyed reading romance too. Books from Harlequin or Mills & Boons are my stress busters where I can just relax and read about hot men. It was during one long weekend when I read about 4 Mills and Boons books that I decided I should write one as well. That was how Always You came about. It started out as a challenge for me but ended up being very close to my heart. 
Was it difficult for you to become a published author or was it a smooth ride?
It was not at all smooth ride but for different reasons. I never bothered sending Always You to big publishing companies because honestly, this book is too small for that. So, my experience has been with small publishing companies which unfortunately, isn’t that great. But it was a good learning experience and I am glad I went through it!
What was your inspiration to write Always You?
Lots of romance books and hot men!
I liked the character names in Always You a lot, how do you come up with character names? 
It’s actually quite fun. I know my book’s characters and usually we have a picture of them. So, I just simply browse through a lot of names (A LOT) and say them aloud to get a feel. It depends on how the character is. For example, Alex or Alexander Knight is handsome hot, rich, tough and yet romantic. The name just felt right for him when I said it aloud. 
Where do you do your writing? Is there a special corner in your home or a specific time that you write during? 
No. With my day job that usually stretches to unholy hours, I write just about anywhere and on any device. I write on my phone, laptop, iPad, and paper. Usually by the time, a book is over, I have the work scattered on all these four devices and a lot of syncing is done later. That is why I love apps that let me sync all the devices! haha!
What book, if any, are you currently reading and who is your favorite author? 
I am currently reading Archangels’ Blade by Nalini Singh. My favorite author. Hmm. This is tough because I enjoy a wide range of books. But the one who would always be my favorite is Ayn Rand. She is more of a philosopher than an author. The only reason she qualifies as author because she wrote The FountainHead and Atlas Shrugged (and few other books explaining her philosophy). But her book left an indelible mark on my life and it continues to motivate me. So, I would say its Ayn Rand.
What is your next book, Painting Ethan, all about?
I am actually working on two books right now. Painting Ethan which is a romantic story and The Dark Morning, book one of a fantasy series. I am not sure which one is going to come first but at least one of it will be out this year. Painting Ethan is about a recovering drug addict who meets Ashley, a content writer at their bus stop. Its a bitter sweet story about his struggle to not be close to Ashley who brightens his life with just a look. It has a very nice ending but I sincerely hope readers like it. It is intense like Always You and both Ethan and Ashley are lovely.
The Dark Morning, on the other hand, is the book one of a fantasy series called Legends of Elavanh. It is the story of Aira, who discovers her role in the magical shape-shifting tribe of Raikas and also gets to meet two attractive brothers Akshit and Samar. Its an action packed book and very unique considering it is based in the deep jungles of north east India. I cannot wait to share the books with all!

Thanks to Shilpa for the interview. It is great to feature her on my blog!

What do you think, guys?

Review: Always You by Shilpa Mudiganti

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Title: Always You
Author: Shilpa Mudiganti
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell
Release Date: 6 March 2012
Pages: 112 (eARC)


Synopsis
Lyla had to move on. With Nick, her fiancé. So, what if she cannot seem to either forget or forgive Alex, the modern day Casanova who broke her heart. She will try again. Just as she had done for the last 5 years.

What Lyla did not know was all that Alex wanted in those five years was her. Because the Casanova had fallen in love. Five years back, when Alex met a grieving Lyla at his friend Andrew’s grave, the world had blurred in the background. He fell deeply in love. Yet, Alex was harboring a secret that, if known, would destroy his relationship with Lyla and it did.
But now, fate brought them together in such a way that they had no option but to remain dangerously close – dangerous enough for Lyla to fall in love with him again. How can she?, she argues. Not after what she knows about Alex? What he did to Andrew?

It is true Alex seemed different. Changed. And attractive enough to defeat her defense against their dark past. But is it enough? What will happen when two broken people with a past come together? Can they forgive or heal?
My Rating
* * * 
The Review

Always You is a short entertaining read and I finished it in a few hours. What attracted me to Always You is the awesome cover with Eiffel Tower in the background which I just love! Moreover, the cover fits the story perfectly which I think is an important thing for any book.
From the beginning of Always You, it dives into the heart of the matter. Lyla has been hurt and deceived by Alex five years ago, but she still is unable to move on despite being engaged to another. She has decided to move back to Spain after her current project. But little did she know that she was to meet Alex again and what it would do to her. She wanted her last project to be memorable and boy, was it! Needless to say, she still has feelings for Alex as do Alex himself. But stubborn as she is, Lyla chooses to ignore those.
I fell in love with the character of Alex because he had so much to offer to the reader! Sensitive and down to earth, Alexander Knight is a character who is hot and caring at the same time. A Casanova for sure!
From then on, as Alex her boss and a business trip to New York and Paris on the schedule, it is a whirlwind ride into the world of second chances and how much damage can misunderstandings initiate. I really loved how the author has managed to integrate the whole concept by writing such a thought-provoking story.
I really enjoyed Always You and it is a really good debut by Shilpa Mudiganti. I will surely be looking forward to more books by the author!

Best Quote:
“She hated him more than anything else. But why couldn’t she find anyone who could replace him? As night fell over her window, she wondered if she really had tried or was it that she didn’t want to forgive and forget.”

Procrastination Much?

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Hey all!
I have been so busy with school work and classes and everything that I haven’t had time to update on my blog. Where do the days go? Is procrastination involved? You bet! Plus, I am so behind on my 2012 reading challenge that it is shameful. But ironic as well, because reading really helps me alleviate stress!
But, I am back now and will be blogging regularly again. First up, I signed up for a blog tour of Always You by Shilpa Mudiganti. I will be doing a review and an author interview (my first, I am so excited!) on 27 February 2012. Everyone, stay tuned for that!
This is one of the many forms of procrastinations that I have gone through the past month:
All I can say is, wish me luck!
Sana

Review: My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

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Title: My Soul to Lose (Soul Screamers, #0.5)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 1 July 2009
Pages: 87 (eBook)


Synopsis
It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it’s the worst day of her life.
Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.
She tries to convince everyone she’s fine–despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she’s crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities….
My Rating
* * * *
The Review
I thought I should read My Soul to Lose before starting the first book in the Soul Screamers series. I am glad I did. The premise certainly looks promising because Kaylee Cavanaugh, the main character is nothing short of witty. There are dark, foreboding parts to the story but her sarcasm makes it all seem less dark and more refreshing. 
What I didn’t like was the little cliché about the almost non-existent social status for Kaylee and the hunk of a high school hero in Nash Hudson. I don’t want this as something more than my thinking it is. But as it is high school, I hope it would be fun reading about the escapades Kaylee and her BFF, Emma, are bound to go on. 
Overall, My Soul To Lose is a very interesting take, aside from the usual, on the paranormal fantasy element.
Best Quote:

“And as she dialed, color suddenly drained from the world, like The Wizard of Oz in reverse. Emma went gray. The cops went gray. The shoppers went gray. And suddenly everyone stood in a swirling, twisting colorless fog.
I sat in the fog.”