In the Shadow of the Lions, I Will Not Fear

Friends,Writers,Blogosphere, lend me your ears;

 

I come to renew my blog, and shamelessly praise it.
 

The evil I do (by not posting) will not live with me;

 

And the good I now do (by posting)will not be buried.

 

(adapted from Mark Antony's eulogy in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar)

 

 

 

So, that last line above, well, I couldn't make it fit very well with the original Shakespearean wording. But, I think I did a fairly good job at telling you all that I still love my blog and readers, and because of this, I feel bad about not posting in such a long time.

It seems that I keep making vows to myself to keep blogging on a regular basis (just as I do with dieting and exercise and writing and the list goes on). Well, here I am making the vow again, and this time I will stick to it. So, Welcome Back!

Here is my Thursday Trailer feature for In the Shadow of the Lion by Kimberly M. Jane:

"Fifteen-year-old Kathleen Gallant is on an archaeological adventure at Tsavo East National Park in Kenya when she unearths the grave of an ancient woman known as Njeri. The natives are horrified by this discovery; Njeri is so infamous that no local will even speak her name. They fear the discovery of Njeri's corpse will bring about pestilence and disease upon their tribe. The legend of Njeri goes back to the mystical Mchanga and Misitu War. This war was fought long ago, and historians are still unsure of how it ended. It seems the soldiers from this war apparently disappeared. Now news of local villagers either gone missing and even some found dead are worrying her friends, but Kathleen feels strangely drawn to the story of Njeri; she begins to have nightmares and visions of a past life and a battle of wills. Someone is taking over Kathleen's young mind-someone who wants revenge. With the help of her new friends Sekani and Okechuku, Kathleen discovers the ancient war never really ended. Under the influence of Njeri, she learns more about the past than she ever expected to-and realizes she may become the weapon through which Njeri exacts her revenge."

 

-summary from back cover

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I am so intrigued with this novel!  And, the music is so eerie and spookie that I almost got goosebumps just thinking about what this girl did with her demon-possessed, soulless black eyes and ancient, rusty dagger.  A definate must read just from the premise!  Also, to be honest, it reminds me of my own unpublished novel--the one where my main character, 17 year old Alex de Luna, merges with the spirit of 16th century Aztec girl.  But, Alex's eyes don't turn black, and she doesn't get all "hood" crazy either.

Chapter 1, "The Guardians," (love this title, by the way) starts off with the near mauling of a boy by a sneering hyena.  Apparently, the lions of the book title are not the ones to be feared in this chapter. 

Now, I seriously need to go read it!  The writing is really, really good from the beginning, and this is one way that I judge the quality of a novel and whether I want to keep reading it.  Works everytime.

By the way, the trailer gets 5 Stars and the cover art gets 5 Stars...these are bonus factors to me.

Thursday Trailer...So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)

It's comics, it's story...it's graphic novel! I love a good graphic novel every once in a while as I've mentioned before. Took a graduate course in the graphic novel and wrote a 20+ page research paper on one too. But I'm peculiar about the type of graphic novel I like to read. I enjoy one that is smart and funny--that makes a serious point without being serious--and that is character driven, meaning somebody drives the narrative and goes through some kind of journey. Something like So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow. Just the title itself is great.

Watch the book trailer below, and I know you'll want to read it. The Jewish high school setting is unique since we don't see it often in YA literature, and the illustrations by David Ostow enhance the pacing and character relationships.

Summary (from Micol Ostow website)

Despite his dreams of hipster rock glory, Ari Abramson's first-ever band, the Tribe, is more white bread than indie-cred. Comprised of four suburban teens from a wealthy Jewish day school, their Mötley Crüe is about as hardcore as SAT prep and scripture studies. But after a one-song gig at a friend's Bar Mitzvah -- a ska cover of Hava Nagila -- the Tribe's popularity erupts overnight. Now, Ari is forced to navigate a minefield of inflated egos, overbearing parents, misplaced romance, and the shallowness of indie-rock elitism. It's a hard lesson in the complex art of playing it cool. Loaded with sarcasm and delicious pop culture condescension (not to mention David Ostow's too-cool-for-school cartooning work), So Punk Rock is the VH1 Behind the Music story of an epic Jewish band that never was. If it got any more kosher, it'd be totally traif.

Thursday Trailer...Dreaming Anastasia

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Can't wait until I get my hands on this! It seems to have it all...suspense, intrigue, weird and unknown stuff, possible and impossible love story, and a re-imagining of Anastasia's story.

Don't you think the book cover is just so mesmerizing and beautiful.? I am a sucker for judging and choosing books by their cover. This one does it for me. (By the way, I've only been dissappointed a handful of times when I choose books based merely on cover art and the summary within the jacket flap.)

Summary:

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams… (http://www.sourcebooks.com/)

Thursday Trailer...The Iron King

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa


The Iron King

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.

Browse this book

Add to your site

Buy this book

Next in the series?

The Iron Daughter

and

The Iron Queen

Thursday Trailer...Get Ready for SEA

Have I already posted this trailer? I'm not sure, but I love it and this trailer is perfect for getting summer ready! I can't wait to actually read it, especially since Heidi is one of my friends on facebook! Can't wait until people have friend requests for me just because I'm a writer...

Summary (from Goodreads)

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Thursday Trailer...Perfect Chemistry

So, here is a very fun book trailer for one of the many books I've been reading lately--Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. I haven't gotten very far yet, but so far I enjoy the alternating points of view in the chapters and I like the Spanish phrases and lingo. It's about time Mexican-American culture is part of a mainstream book.

I especially love the book cover...don't you?

Summary:

Get ready for a whole new take onstar-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, bad boy meets good girl...

At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.
Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

Thursday Trailer...The Science of Monstrumology

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

I haven't read this yet, but everytime I go to the library, this is one of those books I want to check out. But, then I remember the other 20 books, or so, that I have stacked up in my classroom, bedroom, kitchen...everywhere. Anyways, the book trailer looks spectacular. Will have to read it this summer!

Summary and Excerpt:

These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets. The one who saved me . . . and the one who cursed me.

So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a young girl and the monster that was eating her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagus--a headless monster that feeds through a mouth in its chest--and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror threatenning to overtake and consume our world before it is too late.

The Monstrumologist is the first stunning gothic adventure in a series that combines the spirit of HP Lovecraft with the storytelling ability of Rick Riorden.

Thursday Trailer...13 Reasons Why

I read this book a while back (about a year ago). Since then, I've recommended it to many of m high school students. A very interesting premise...a girl leaves suicide for 13 people. But what I think is exceptional in the novel is the alternating narratives of the two main character.

SYNOPSIS

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

EXCERPT

A shoebox-sized package is propped against the front door at an angle. Our front door has a tiny slot to shove mail through, but anything thicker than a bar of soap gets left outside. A hurried scribble on the wrapping addresses the package to Clay Jensen, so I pick it up and head inside. I take the package into the kitchen and set it on the counter. I slide open the junk drawer and pull out a pair of scissors. Then I run a scissor blade around the package and lift off its top. Inside the shoebox is a rolled-up tube of bubble-wrap. I unroll that and discover seven loose audiotapes. Each tape has a dark blue number painted in the upper right-hand corner, possibly with nail polish. Each side has its own number. One and two on the first tape, three and four on the next, five and six, and so on. The last tape has a thirteen on one side, but nothing on the back. Who would send me a shoebox full of audiotapes? No one listens to tapes anymore. Do I even have a way to play them? The garage! The stereo on the workbench. My dad bought it at a yard sale for almost nothing. It's old, so he doesn't care if it gets coated with sawdust or splattered with paint. And best of all, it plays tapes. I drag a stool in front of the workbench, drop my backpack to the floor, then sit down. I press Eject on the player. A plastic door eases open and I slide in the first tape.
(All of the above from Jay Asher's awesome website)


BOOK TRAILER...THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST I FOUND

Thursday Trailer...The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

I've been wanting to read this book...sounds very interesting and the book trailer is fantastic. Makes me want to read it more! A Gothic Victorian novel! The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber.

Summary:

What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Hidden in the dark heart of Victorian London, the Romanesque school was dreadfully imposing, a veritable fortress, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met its powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadows, of the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She saw simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gift. This arched stone doorway was a portal to a new life, to an education far from what could be had at a convent-and it was an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death...

Book Trailer!

Quote:

The newcomer turned to face his students. Percy’s breath caught. Here stood the most striking man she had ever seen. Lustrous dark hair hung loosely to broad shoulders. A few locks turned out in an unkempt manner contrary to the rest of his appearance, while a few strands clung to his noble, chiseled features—a long nose, high cheekbones, defined lips like a Grecian sculpture and impossibly dark eyes. He was dressed in a long professorial robe that hung open over a smartly buttoned velvet vest, and a crimson cravat at the throat was the only colour this distinguished figure sported.

Thursday Trailer...Soul Enchilada

Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gil is a quirky gem of a book. But, why Soul? A pun meaning your spiritual soul and also soul food . Why Enchilada? That's in reference to the Hispanic ethnicity of the main characer. Why Soul Enchilada? The main characer is also African-American. Basically, the story is about...

From BooklistEunice “Bug” Smoot is a recent high-school graduate with all sorts of problems: she’s about to get evicted from the flophouse apartment she rents, she’s just been fired from her pizza-delivery job, and it seems like every day some idiot is giving her crap for being half-African American and half-Tejana. The only light in her life is her dead grandfather’s classic 1958 Cadillac Biarritz—and even that goes down the tubes when a demon named Mr. Beals materializes in the passenger seat and demands repossession of the vehicle. Turns out, her grandfather financed the car by selling his soul. Luckily, Bug’s crush, a car-wash attendant, just happens to moonlight for the International Supernatural Immigration Service and he’s got some ideas about how to deport this “Illegal.” Gill’s debut has weirdness to spare: there’s insect-puking villains, pizza-delivery contests with Satan, and some very high-stakes basketball. At times it can all be too much to swallow, but Bug is a refreshingly gutsy female protagonist with an attitude that will win over readers searching for something different. Grades 7-10. --Daniel Kraus



Girl meets boy at a car wash.
"Dog," she says.
"Dude," he says.
And probably this would have been a sweet teen romance. . . .
If Beals hadn't been sitting next to her in the car.
If Beals hadn't been a supernatural repo man looking to repossess her car.
And to possess her.

David Macinnis Gill delivers the whole enchilada. With a side of soul.

Thursday Trailer...I Heart You, You Haunt Me

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Another Lisa Schroeder book...the first I read sometime last year. And the first verse novel I had ever read! But I could have used about another 200 pages of it because I absolutely thought it was great. How do you let go of someone you loved when that someone is a ghost that haunts you?

Isn't the book cover lovely?

Thursday Trailer...(on Friday--oops) The Forest of Hands and Teeth

I have had two very busy days, but...here it is Thursday Trailer!

All I can say is OH MY GOD! for The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. It is my "NEW" favorite book. I just absolutely loved it! This is book will be my focus for all of next week because that's how much I love it!


Teen Book Video Award 2008 Finalist (The Forest of Hands and Te - For more of the funniest videos, click here

This book trailer was a Teen Book Video Award Finalist...isn't it awesome?

Thursday Trailer...Chasing Brooklyn

I am in love with book trailers...I don't know how long they've been around, but now it almost seems wrong to have a book and but not a book trailer to go with it. Whenever I finish a novel, any novel...I wan't a spectacular book trailer!

Well, I'm sure you guys can tell I'm trying to step up my blogging efforts. I've got Sundays Are For Blogging, Manic Monday Mini-Review, Totally YA Tuesday, and now Thursday Trailer. Hmmm...I need to throw in a few contests and then I will feel like a real book blogger. Can I keep it up? I really, really hope so!

Look at what I found today...it was barely uploaded on YouTube several hours ago.

A Book Trailer for Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder.




Love the premise, love the verse novel (a novel in poem form), and love the trailer!

Ready to be "Shiver"ed?

If you've seen my Shiver widget it says 00:00:00:00:00... 'cus today is August 2! If you've been waiting for this and haven't already bought it, get out there and get it because the big release day was yesterday! Especially for all you wolf pack fans...it involves a love story with a werewolf...in case you didn't get enough Jacob in Twilight. (I'm part of Team Edward, by the way.)

Enjoy Shiver ing!

And,what's with the whole paranormal romance craze?

My favorite...A Certain Slant of Light...I must blog about this soon...2 souls from another time take teen bodies captive and fall in love amidst the pangs of modern day teenage angst...more later...but must say the best part is when they finally connect in front the very crowded high school they both attend.

By the way, check out the book trailer for Shiver below. Yea! I figured it out!