Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Earth by Shauna Granger (Elemental #1)

Hello gorgeous people!  Welcome to this stop on the Elemental Series Blog Tour :)

Title: Earth by Shauna Granger

Published: May 1^st, 2011 by Shauna Granger

Source: Provided for free for review

Format: eBook

Challenge(s): eBook

Grade rate: B

Shayna and her two best friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers, they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town. Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but then the nightmares start.

Shayna suffers nightmares of being chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it's only a ploy to draw her out; she can't let someone die because of her.

My Review

I enjoyed Earth, it was a quick and fascinating read! 

Earth is mostly about magic. It is very interesting the way different believes are mixed in a way to makes sense to the reader, on one hand we have witches/warlocks, magic, herbs, candles, stones and the like; on the other hand we have very structured religious beliefs and even guardian angels.  Of course, there are also bad guys, demons and other things that go ‘bump’ in the night.

Shayna and her friends were born with affinity to the elements.  Shayna is an earth elemental, Steven is a fire elemental, and Jodi has affinity to air and all of them have a strong bond.  Of the three friends Shayna is the stronger ‘witch’ of the bunch.  Shayna is a grounded character, she is selfless, and good to the core; she is loyal to her friends.  However, she doesn’t always make the best decisions; it’s a good think that her friends have her back.  I love Steven the most; he is a lot of fun to be around!  Jodi is okay, but I think she is also jealous of Shayna’s looks and power.

The characterization is really good, although is always disturbing to be how little involvement some parents have in their children’s life. 

The story is told from Shayna’s point of view, and flows effortlessly.  The plot is expertly executed and fairly simple.  I was able to guess who the bad guy is, but that didn’t spoil the fun for me.  It is nice to read a book in which the characters know what they are and what they can do from the beginning.  The writing flows nicely, and it gives the reader enough background to understand all the nuances of the magic being performed.

I definitely plan to read the rest of the series Air and Water. (Besides I’m dying to know what happens with Jensen!)

Here are some non-spoiler quotes:

“…and eventually I found myself, unsurprisingly, at the bookstore.  I loved this place.  It was huge with a coffee shop on the first floor full of my people, coffee drinkers and readers.”

“I wanted to open the door.  I thought of all those horror movies where the girl is home alone in the middle of the night and stupidly opens the door for the crazed killer.  I always yelled at those girls and thought they deserved to die for being so stupid.  Was I going to be that girl?”

About the cover:  It is a beautiful cover, I love the colors and the intensity of Shayna’s eyes.

Find it here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble  

About the Author
I don't do well talking about myself. So as basics go, I have recently self-published the first two books in my Elemental Series, Earth and Air, Young Adult Urban Fantasy novels. Look for the third installment, Water, coming in 2012!
I have been working on the Elemental Series for the last four years and plan for it to be a 5 book series. It was a hard decision to self-publish but it's been an exciting and terrifying ride.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

Here is the information for the giveaway:

Grand Prize:

There is a signed copy of each paperback, Earth, Air and Water and a matching bookmark for each. There is a mini Jack-o-lantern (that I carved) and an awesome, sparkly candle (electric) and some fun Halloween treats that include candy, stickers and copy of one of my favorite Halloween movies, Monster House. (US only)

 3 other winners will also receive a ebook from the series, winner’s choice from Earth, Air or Water.  (Open Internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of YA Bound Book Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by YA Bound  Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Review: Crave by Melissa Darnell (The Clann #1)

Title: Crave by Melissa Darnell
Published: October 18th 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley for review
Grade rate: B+

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.
For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

My Review

Crave was a really good read for me.  It was fast paced, interesting with a mix of paranormal beings that I’m sure we are going to learn more about as the series continues.

One of the things I like most about Crave is that the story is told from alternating points of view, this way we get to know what is happening to both Savannah and Tristan.  Savannah was a nice character, she tries to be strong and follow the rules but it gets hard since there is no precedence for someone like her.  She is a little insecure, but I sure don’t blame her!  I loved Tristan, he is a handsome, protective, and loving character and I really enjoyed seeing the world (and Sav) from his perspective.  The rest of the characters were well developed, but absent on the last half of the book.  I really liked Ann; she is a good friend and deals with the “strangeness” that surrounds her very well.

The writing was easy to follow and at times funny.  The plot was well developed (if a little predictable) especially since we are introduced to a new paranormal “universe”.  To me the forbidden romance takes precedence over the paranormal, and I really enjoyed that.  I will definitely read the sequel.

About the cover: The cover is really pretty and both the color read and the natural setting is a significant part of the story.  I also like the placement and font of the title and the contrast of colors.

Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Title: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz
Published: June 28th 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Source: Library
Grade rate: B

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.
But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

My Review

Spellbound was an enjoyable read for me.  The plot was somewhat predictable, but I still liked the story. 

Emma is a character that I liked after reading about a quarter of the book.  She is insecure, but is quite understandable due to her past, a lot of things had happened to her in her short life. Emma learned a lot about herself (I bet more that she bargained for!) so in a sense this was a book about self-discovery.  I am glad that Emma did indeed grow into accepting who (and what) she is.  To me the characters (except for Emma) felt a little one-dimensional.   I wish we could have got to spend more time with both Brendan and Emma’s best friend Angelique.  Brendan is in one word perfect (except for the ignoring Emma part); he is handsome, rich, strong, and the thing I like most, very loving and protective of Emma. (I know, I know, what can I say?  I’m a sucker for romance).  I loved Emma’s cousin Ashley, she was so happy and bubbly that was almost contagious.  And I also liked Francisco and the tasteful, down to earth way that he was portrait.

The plot was a little predictable.  The insecure female character, the hurtful unjustified gossip, the mean beautiful girl, the bully, the handsome ‘perfect’ male character, were all present in Spellbound.  The unique things that make me like the story were the introduction of a paranormal twist, in the way of past lives, witchcraft and even ghosts.  That part was quite interesting and justified the instant attraction between Emma and Brendan.  The writing was easy to read, and the flow effortless. 

If you like the combination of romance, paranormal, and destined lovers, this is the book for you.

About the cover:  I like the cover a lot.  Both the shattering glass and the dark are important parts of the story.  I like the way she (Emma) seems to be floating on space (time) and I like the font and the placement of the title.  One thing I didn’t like was the synopsis of the novel; I think it was a little misleading.

Review: Crushed by K.C. Blake (The Witch-Game #1)

Title: Crushed by K. C. Blake
Published: July 13, 2011 by Smashwords and Amazon
Source: Provided by the author for review
Grade rate: B-

Each year they play a secret game: Crushed. The girls pick their targets carefully and blow enchanted dust into the boy’s faces, charming them, but this year Kristen makes a grave mistake. She chooses the wrong boy and almost dies that same day. Coincidence? Maybe.

But something isn’t quite right about Zach Bevian. He doesn’t behave like a boy who’s been Crushed. He goes from hot to cold, from looking at her with contempt to asking her out on a date. She doesn’t know what to think. Does he hate her or is he truly falling for her? Is he trying to kill her, or is he trying to save her?

My Review

‘Crushed’ is a fast read that has an original premise based on a game played by three teenage witches.  Is an interesting take in the world of witches and wizards. There are no wands, but instead there use their power and spells.

The characters were well developed, even if they seem to come across as very volatile and immature at the beginning.  Kristen is a complex character that undergoes an incredible transformation, at the beginning she acts the way Zach assume she is: the typical spoiled, popular, overachiever; but he soon discovers that you cannot judge a book by its cover (don’t we know that!)  The Noah sisters are triplets, but opposite in every way.  Kristen is the responsible one, Brittany is the explosive one, and Cindy is the peacemaker that mediates between her sisters.  I was a little taken aback by the dynamics between the sisters (that’s all I’m saying since I don’t want to give anything away.)  It was also weird that the over-controlling (and often absent) father left three teenagers unsupervised.   I loved Zach, although I don’t know if I could be as forgiving as he was. I also liked Grandma Noah quite a bit.

The plot was good, if a little predictable.  The scenes with Zach and Kristen were enlightening and very sweet.  Ms. Blake’s writing was easy to read and light.  I found it a little weird and unbending they way that witches (or wizards) lost their power, it didn’t make sense to me. 

Overall ‘Crushed’ is a quick and interesting read and I am looking forward to get to know the Noah sisters a little better.  Thank you to Ms. Blake for providing me with a copy of ‘Crushed’ for my review.

About the cover:  The cover shows Kristen (blond, red lips) wearing a witches’ hat.  I like the cover, although I don’t care for the block font.  The small print under the author’s name says: “Beware. Games can be Deadly”