Guest Post: Jodi from Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

 

Jodi Marshall and the Men in Her Life

 

There really aren’t any words to describe the men in my life, but I’ll give it my best shot. Alex is probably the best boyfriend any girl can ask for. Does he get jealous? Of course. He’s a guy. But he puts up with a lot, which sort of comes with the territory when you date the Chosen One. We met under weird circumstances considering he stalked me and then tore me out of my life to bring me to the Ophi school, but he saved my mom’s life and I think I suspected all along that he wasn’t trying to hurt me or be creepy. He’s just not good around humans, and knowing what I know about his past, I can understand why. So even with his flaws, he’s perfect in my eyes.

 

Next there’s Chase. Ugh. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that guy makes me want to punch him. He’s manipulative and controlling, yet my blood is drawn to his. It’s so unfair. I can’t help thinking having him in my life is punishment for all the bad things I’ve done—even if I didn’t do them on purpose. Chase is wicked hot, too, which makes it all that much worse.

 

Speaking of wicked hot, let’s move on to Hades. He’s the only guy I know that’s worse than Chase. Hades hates the Ophi and wants us all dead. Let me tell you, having him for an enemy is just as good as a death sentence. Good thing I’m a necromancer. (Yes, that was a really poor attempt at a joke.) If you ask me, Hades only hates the Ophi because he feels threatened by us. We aren’t gods, yet we have so much power and can steal his souls from the underworld. You can bet that gets his boxers in a bunch.

 

Looking at my guy issues, it’s no wonder that I had an absentee dad growing up. But I’ve come to find out that wasn’t his fault. You can’t exactly be around for your kid when you’re dead. Well…that’s not entirely true since I’ve raised my dad’s soul more than once. But while I don’t really know my own father, I have Tony. He’s more than just a teacher at the Ophi school.  He’s a friend and the closest thing to a dad I’ve ever known. He looks out for me and always has my back.

 

So those are the guys in my life. They all complicate my life in some way since I’m the one in charge of the Ophi, and that means I have to find a way to live with them. And Alex’s solution of just locking the two of us in a room and ignoring everyone else forever isn’t going to work no matter how many times he tries to tell me otherwise.

 

About the Author:

 

I write for children of all ages from picture books up to young adult. I am proudly represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. My debut YA, TOUCH OF DEATH, releases January 15, 2013 through Spencer Hill Press. Also look for my other upcoming YA novels: STALKED BY DEATH (Spencer Hill Press, July 23, 2013), THE MONSTER WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, April 2014), THE DARKNESS WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, TBA), and INTO THE FIRE (Month9Books, spring 2014). My debut MG series CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE releases fall 2014 through Month9Books.

Author's Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Touch of Death Series Trailer

 

Having fallen at the hands of Hades, Jodi's enduring torture like she never imagined. Worse, she has to watch her Ophi friends suffer along with her--the punishment doled out by the very people she'd sentenced to life in Tartarus. Hell. This is one reunion Jodi hoped would never happen, but now she must find a way to free them all.

Except the underworld is nearly impossible to escape.

Jodi's one chance may rest in raising the human soul she killed when she drank Medusa's blood.

But splitting her human soul from her Ophi soul means living a double life: One as an Ophi experiencing unspeakable torture and the other as the human she could have been if she never came into her powers. With her two worlds colliding, Jodi will have to make the toughest decision she's faced yet. 

 

And as a special bonus we've got the link for Curse of Death, a free short story set in the same world.

 

Title: Face of Death (Touch of Death, #3)
Author: Kelly Hashway
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
ISBN:  978-1-937053-92-5
Release Date: 1/7/2014

Blog Tour & Guest Post: Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2) by Kelly Hashway

I'm always super excited to get the chance to participate in a blog tour featuring a great book and fabulous author!  Today is no different as I get the opportunity to host the next stop for Kelly Hashway's sequel Stalked by Death in her Touch of Death series.  When I came across her series opener, I could not have had more fun with it and couldn't wait to dig into the sequel.  Kelly's been kind enough to stop by for a guest post and I won't keep you waiting any longer to check it out....

The Lesser-known Myths

I’ve been in love with Greek mythology since my senior year in high school when my English teacher taught an extensive unit on the Greek gods. I couldn’t get enough. After that I devoured anything on the topic. But after a while, you’ve heard all the common myths. So I dug deeper.

I was fascinated by the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus, and while most myths say he got his healing powers from a snake, I wasn’t buying it. First, I’m
terrified of snakes. They love me, apparently, since they find me everywhere I go, but the feeling isn’t mutual. So I kept researching and found a myth that said Ophiuchus’s power came from a gift bestowed upon him by the goddess Athena.  Now Athena gave Ophiuchus two vials of blood from the Gorgon Medusa. The vial containing the blood from the right side of Medusa’s body had the power to restore life to the dead. Ophiuchus used that vile and pissed off Hades big time because he was stealing souls from the Underworld.

Well, this made me wonder what Ophiuchus did with the second vile of blood. That vile was from the left side of Medusa’s body, the side that was poisonous. I knew there was a story there. I wanted characters who had both abilities, and I wanted the world to know more about Medusa because as far as I had heard, she was a monster who killed people by turning them to stone. How did she have the power to restore life?

Again, I did some research, and what I found was a very different Medusa. A beautiful girl who was sought after by Poseidon and as a result was cursed by Athena, the very goddess she served. I didn’t think it was fair. Medusa got a bad reputation through no fault of her own. So I wrote her as the person I wanted to believe she was. And that’s why you’ll see a very caring, motherly, yet totally
powerful Medusa in the Touch of Death series.

So why did I choose lesser-known myths for my books? Because I liked discovering something new, and I wanted to share it with my readers.

**Thanks so much again Kelly for stopping by the blog and for that fabulous guest post!!

And on top of everything, we've got a great giveaway for everyone to enter.  What's up for grabs?

A signed ARC of Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2) by Kelly Hashway

 

Stalked by Death Button

 

Stalked by Death Stickers

 

Zombie Limb Candy

 

Signed Touch of Death Bookmarks

 

Touch of Death Stickers

Who wouldn't want the chance to win this great book and all that awesome swag??!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Face of Death (Touch of Death, #3) by Kelly Hashway

About the Author:

 

Kelly writes for children of all ages from picture books up to young adult. She's proudly represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. Her debut YA, TOUCH OF DEATH, released January 15, 2013 through Spencer Hill Press. Also look for her other YA novels: STALKED BY DEATH (Spencer Hill Press, July 23, 2013), THE MONSTER WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, April 2014), THE DARKNESS WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, TBA), and INTO THE FIRE (Month9Books, spring 2014). My debut MG series CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE releases fall 2014 through Month9Books.

Author's Website:  http://www.kellyhashway.com/

Author's Blog:  http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyhashway?sk=wall

 

Having fallen at the hands of Hades, Jodi's enduring torture like she never imagined. Worse, she has to watch her Ophi friends suffer along with her--the punishment doled out by the very people she'd sentenced to life in Tartarus. Hell. This is one reunion Jodi hoped would never happen, but now she must find a way to free them all.

Except the underworld is nearly impossible to escape.

Jodi's one chance may rest in raising the human soul she killed when she drank Medusa's blood.

But splitting her human soul from her Ophi soul means living a double life: One as an Ophi experiencing unspeakable torture and the other as the human she could have been if she never came into her powers. With her two worlds colliding, Jodi will have to make the toughest decision she's faced yet.

I was so excited to get the chance to share this cover reveal I almost couldn't stand it!  Just about anything Kelly Hashway writes is going to fall in the category of information I want to get out there. 

January 7, 2014 is the release date so mark it down on your calendars and race out to the store or pre-order the title now so it's all taken care of. I know I'm not alone when I say how excited I am to see what Kelly is bringing to her readers this time around with an entirely new and final installment in an already fabulous series with new adventures for us to enjoy!  I for one cannot wait to see how she wraps things up for Jodi and the rest of the gang.

Guest Post: Author Kelly Hashway

Books: 

Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1)
Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, #2)

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

Highs and Lows

When I first stepped into the world of publishing, I had dreams of writing an amazing book and becoming a best seller.  I mean I grew up devouring book after book.  I knew what a great book looked like.  Kind of cute how naive I was, right?

I learned right off the bat that this industry is tough.  I received a ton of rejections when I tried to get my foot in the door by selling short stories to magazines.  But.... I kept writing.  And I kept reading.  Eventually, I did start selling my short stories and that momentum fueled me to rewrite my first novel for the third time.  Yes, third.  And while I queried agents and piled up the rejections, I wrote another book and another.  I cried many times, wondering if my dream was just that... a dream.  But I kept writing.  And I kept reading.

A year and a half after I began seeking publication, I found my agent.  Finally, I thought, this is it!  My agent took my book out on submission and I waited and kept writing.  During that time, I wrote a book called Touch of Death.  Drafting it in 14 days and working through revisions and my agent's edits.  All while the book we had out on subs remained unsold.  I had high hopes for Touch of Death, but as the months passed, my heart felt heavy and I wondered again if my dream was too far out of reach.  But I kept writing.  And I kept reading.

When my agent called me late one evening, I had just gone to bed after crying over how tough this industry is.  She said those magical words to me: "Your book sold."  I was speechless.  I laughed.  I cried.  And then I kept writing.

I think any writer you talk to will tell you publishing is tough.  It's full of highs and lows.  But in the end, the struggles make the successes that much better.  And through it all, you have to keep writing and reading because that's the heart of what we do.


**Thank you so much Kelly for stopping by!  I can only imagine what the process must have been like, but it was worth it if you ask me.  Touch of Death has become one of my favorites and for those of you readers out there who haven't had the chance to read it yet, go out and get yourself a copy...you won't regret it!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Reads in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at The Broke and the Bookish.  This feature was created because they're particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish (and who isn't?). They're all about creating new lists including a little bit of everything and I've been meaning to participate for so long but always seemed to get behind.  So here we are and hopefully you'll head over to their page and check out what everyone else put up for this week's Top Ten.

I was lucky enough to have the time and opportunity to read quite a large amount of books and most of them were down right amazing and became instant favorites of mine.  Still, despite the number of winners that I came to know and love, there will always be those that stand out among the others as being immediately close to my heart and while there are more than ten on my mind (sorry I can't list them all), I've done my best to narrow the list down for today's post.

Favorite 2012 Read #1:  Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) by Jamie McGuire

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

When I saw this topic header I had no doubt I'd be able to fill up the slots, the hard part would be narrowing it down to just ten choices.  Despite that, I had to include this title!  I think I can honestly say it was my favorite find this year.

Favorite 2012 Read #2:  Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This one threw me for a loop to say the least.  I didn't think another book would ever trump The Hunger Games in my opinion within the dystopian genre, but I was so wrong.  Never say never because I think this one blew it out of the water!

Favorite 2012 Read #3:  Significance (Significance, #1) by Shelly Crane

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track, but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating - barely - and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.
Then she saves the life of Caleb and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.
They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.
Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

A fresh and new change of pace for me from what I was reading up to this point and I loved it; so much so that I couldn't stop with just the series opener, but had to continue reading the rest of the series installments as well.

Favorite 2012 Read #4:  Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1) by Kelly Hashway

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

I've always been a fan of mythology and to have the chance to touch on Medusa and the spin Hashway threw into this series was nothing but fun and entertainment.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series brings.

Favorite 2012 Read #5:  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place. 

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. 

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them. 

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig. 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle. 

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 

A world at stake. 
A quest for the ultimate prize. 
Are you ready?

I've never considered myself to be a computer nut or a video game connoisseur, but I am a child of the 80s so when I was asked to consider this read for review I couldn't say no.  I'm so glad I got this opportunity.  The brilliance behind Cline's world and the competition he created was magical to say the least.  My only regret is that I wasn't able to be a contestant myself!

Favorite 2012 Read #6:  Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers. 

When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.

Heaven Beach, South Carolina, is anything but, if you live at the low-rent end of town. All her life, Leah Jones has been the grown-up in her family, while her mother moves from boyfriend to boyfriend, letting any available money slip out of her hands. At school, they may dis Leah as trash, but she’s the one who negotiates with the landlord when the rent’s not paid. At fourteen, she’s the one who gets a job at the nearby airstrip.

But there’s one way Leah can escape reality. Saving every penny she can, she begs quiet Mr. Hall, who runs an aerial banner-advertising business at the airstrip and also offers flight lessons, to take her up just once. Leaving the trailer park far beneath her and swooping out over the sea is a rush greater than anything she’s ever experienced, and when Mr. Hall offers to give her cut-rate flight lessons, she feels ready to touch the sky.

By the time she’s a high school senior, Leah has become a good enough pilot that Mr. Hall offers her a job flying a banner plane. It seems like a dream come true . . . but turns out to be just as fleeting as any dream. Mr. Hall dies suddenly, leaving everything he owned in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. And they’re determined to keep the banner planes flying.

Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

This is an author that can unfold a relationship to perfection.  Her characters are real and easy to relate to on various levels, and readers find themselves hard pressed to avoid becoming invested in their fictional lives.  Each of her books introduces new scenarios to learn from, new characters to fall in love with and keeps readers wanting more every time!

Favorite 2012 Read #7:  Darkness Before Dawn (Darkness Before Dawn, #1) by J.A. London

Only sunlight can save us.

We built the wall to keep them out, to keep us safe. But it also makes us prisoners, trapped in what's left of our ravaged city, fearing nightfall.

After the death of my parents, it's up to me--as the newest delegate for humanity--to bargain with our vampire overlord. I thought I was ready. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the monsters. Then again, nothing could have prepared me for Lord Valentine . . . or his son. Maybe not all vampires are killers. Maybe it's safe to let one in.

Only one thing is certain: Even the wall is not enough. A war is coming and we cannot hide forever.

This mother-son writing duo have proved two minds can sometimes be better than one.  Bargains with vampires, a dystopian society with a healthy mix of paranormal romance and I was hooked.  At the time I wasn't sure if this series would be picked up and future installments added, but now I can rest easy because 2013 brings readers a sequel to devour.

Favorite 2012 Read #8:  Touch of Power (Healer, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

Thank goodness for authors like Snyder because I don't know what I'd do without her creative and unique fictional worlds, her sometimes outlandish and always wonderful characters, her magic, mystery and romance are hard to beat!  Every time she starts a new series I get excited all over again, knowing without a doubt that I'm about to experience another amazing adventure!

Favorite 2012 Read #9:  Healed by Fire (Artemis Lupine, #3) by Catherine Banks

“The dark approaches. Fire will consume and restore, happiness and pain must be experienced collectively. Death for three will be the end.”

Her memory taken and her whereabouts unknown Artemis is taken in by a coven of witches who give her the name Chandra. After an intense interaction with the Beta of the Werewolves, whom she can’t deny a connection to, Chandra learns that there are people who know her true identity and that she’s not the only halfbreed werewolf alive. Is he really her mate? Just who was she in this previous life? Does she even want to find out the truth? And can she decipher the meaning of her death prophecy before it’s too late?

What a dark horse of a series this turned out to be, and I mean that in the best possible way.  I can't even remember how I came to find this series.  I'll admit the cover art almost had me passing it up, but for some reason I gave it a try and couldn't be happier that I did.  I fell in love with these characters and this third series installment left me with so much anxiety I wasn't sure I'd survive.  Banks has a great writing style and a real winner of a series to call her own.

Favorite 2012 Read #10:  Minder (Ganzfield, #1) by Kate Kaynak

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. 

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. 

A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. 

And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey. Especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

What a gem this title turned out to be!  I've had it on my shelf unread for longer than I care to admit but I finally rectified that situation.  As it turns out I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner.  I'm loving the characters, their special abilities, the adventure and danger, all of it.  Kaynak is leaving nothing out and her readers and fans are in for a very entertaining ride.

ARC Review: Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1) by Kelly Hashway

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

What a surprise!  I'm not sure I gave this book much thought prior to reading it but I'm almost glad that was the case because once I dove into this one I didn't stop until I reached the last page.  Hashway gave readers fresh ideas, new and exciting characters and a deeper look into Greek mythology that I couldn't get enough of to be honest.  I've always been a fan but I enjoyed the new twists that Hashway put on Medusa and even Hades, it was very intriguing and kept me interested until the very end.

Readers can look at this series opener as just that.  I think Hashway did a great job of laying the foundation and starting readers off with enough background details and information that we were able to keep up but not so much as to overwhelm anyone.  Because let's face it...there has to be enough of a history lesson for readers otherwise half the time you're reading you end up constantly feeling as though you're playing catch up instead of following along with the story line.  There was an even balance throughout and I enjoyed her writing style overall.  A wonderful combination full of small elements.  A little bit of romance, action, suspense and mystery all rolled up into an installment that will surely draw readers back for more throughout the continuation of the series.

Hashway is most certainly on my radar now and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for these new and exciting characters.  Make sure to check this title out and add a copy to your bookshelves at home.

I gave Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1) 4 shamrocks!!!!

Countdown: January 2013 (2)

January is one of my very months out of the year.  It always feels like a fresh start.  The crazy holiday season has drawn to a close, it's possible (depending on where you live) that the weather is still holding steady and not causing too many problems for those of us a with a commute to work, and there's just something about curling up with a good book during this month that makes me very happy.  I've usually got a few titles to choose from during this month due to my wonderful friends and family gifting me with something they know I love and hold dear to my heart.  The hardest part is usually deciding what to read first and how to stop myself from trying to read them all at once!  So with all these great titles coming out in this January I think us readers will have our work cut out for us.  How we'll find the time to get through all of these amazing titles is beyond me, but I'm certainly going to do my best!

Countdown Pick #1:  The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arnston (01/08/2013)

In this modern-day suburban town, one percent of all fatalities come about in the most peculiar way. Deaths—eight-foot-tall, silver-gray creatures—send a letter (“Dear So-and-So, your days are numbered”) to whomever is chosen for a departure, telling them to wrap up their lives and do the things they always wanted to do before they have to “depart.” When sixteen-year-old Gabriela receives her notice, she is, of course devastated. Will she kiss her crush Sylvester before it’s too late?

Friendship, first love, and fantasy artfully mesh in this magically realistic world that ultimately celebrates life.

Crazy, unique, and totally an idea that already has my head spinning.  It's the ultimate question don't you think?  What would you do if you knew you were running out of time?  Would you say goodbye to anyone in particular or no one at all?  Is there anything on your "bucket list" so to speak that you absolutely would want to do before it was too late?  Like I said my head is already spinning and this book hasn't even hit the shelves yet.

Countdown Pick #2:  Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick (01/08/2013)

In the tradition of 13 Reasons Why, a suspenseful and heart-wrenching novel from the author of Nothing Like You and Her and Me and You.Two years ago, Adrienne’s best friend walked out of her life. One week ago, she left Adrienne a desperate, muffled voicemail. Adrienne never called back.

Now Dakota is missing. She left behind a string of broken hearts, a flurry of rumors, and a suicide note.

Adrienne can’t stop obsessing over what might have happened if she’d answered Dakota’s call. And she’s increasingly convinced that Dakota must still be alive.

Maybe finding and saving Dakota is the only way Adrienne can save herself.

Or maybe it’s too late for them both.

If what this description says is true and this title will be reminiscent of Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why, I am in all the way!  As one of my favorite books on my shelves, it was one of those reads that will resonate with you long after you've finished the last page.  So if Strasnick brings something like that to the table I can't wait for my chance to get myself my very own copy.

Countdown Pick #3:  Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan (01/08/2013)

When two beautiful teenage stage magicians in World War II England meet a pair of handsome men who can do real magic, sparks fly. But is it illusion, or delusion? Opening-night jitters are nothing new for Phil and Fee Albion, who come from a long line of stage illusionists. The girls love to dazzle London audiences, but in the aftermath of the Blitz they're bundled off to the countryside, where they're safe from bombs and Nazis--and bored to pieces. Phil, always the passionate one, discovers a hidden college of real magicians led by the devastatingly handsome Arden. If only Phil can persuade these unworldly magicians to help England win the war! Daredevil that she is, she'll risk anything to give her country a fighting chance, even if it means losing her heart . . . or her life.

I honestly have no idea what this title is really about but I'm still looking forward to checking it out when it hits bookstores in January.  I have always loved magic and while I might wonder how certain tricks or illusions are carried out, I'd truly never really want to know the secrets.  There's something magical (for lack of a better word) about this book's premise and I'm really looking forward to discovering what Sullivan will bring to the table.

Countdown Pick #4:  Doomed by Tracey Deebs (01/08/2013)

Beat the Game, Save the World.
One Stuxnet type worm,
One Greek-themed MMO,
One real world scavenger hunt,
Three teenagers on the run,
And a ten-day countdown to total nuclear annihilation.

Pandora’s Box isn’t just a myth anymore …

When seventeen-year-old Pandora Walker opens an email attachment, she uploads the most frightening worm ever invented—and in doing so, brings about total technological Armageddon. Everything from the Internet to communications to utilities collapses and suddenly Pandora finds herself on the run from Homeland Security, the FBI and every police department in the country, all of whom blame her for the technological wasteland sweeping across the U.S.. With the help of stepbrothers Eli and Theo, her neighbors and the two hottest guys in school-- plus codes encrypted in a world famous MMO-- she sets out on a real life scavenger hunt that only she can solve. A scavenger hunt that pits her against one of the most brilliant men in the world—the maker of the Pandora worm. Her father. Only by unraveling the clues left by him in the MMO, and in real-world places around the U.S., can they hope to beat the clock ticking the days off until the entire planet is Doomed.

After reading Ernest Cline's, Ready Player One, I can't help but get excited all over again at the chance to read a title that focuses on a technological type of scavenger hunt.  I love the action and adventure that sounds like it'll go hand in hand with this type of title and I'm excited to get started.  Pandora sounds like a heroine readers will be able to get behind and root for the whole way from beginning to end.

Countdown Pick #5:  Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway (01/15/2013)

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

Ok so from what I'm reading this title has it all.  We're talking action and suspense, a touch of Greek/Roman mythology, romance and passion, and mystery and danger on overload.  I can't wait and I know I'm not alone.  When this cover was revealed online, readers, bloggers, etc...went wild.  Everyone is waiting to get their hands on this title and getting the chance to see for themselves if it's really as great as it sounds!

In My Mailbox (63)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I
never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week? 

For Review:

Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1) by Kelly Hashway (Thanks to Spencer Hill Press)

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

And as a bonus I got a very special package in the mail.  I'll be posting more in regards to this and all the fun stuff that's involved....but for now here are a few pictures!!!

Reached (Matched, #3) by Ally Condie (Thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group)

Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the "New York Times" bestselling Matched Trilogy.  After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising--and each other--Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again. In this gripping conclusion to the #1 "New York Times" bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.

This is what my copy actually looks like.....

Pretty cool right?  Make sure to check back in with me in the next few days to see what lays ahead regarding this upcoming release and all the fun stuff Penguin has planned for the next two months leading up to this highly anticipated release in November.  You won't want to miss out I promise!