Trumpets! Drums! Lights! Megaphones!

As of mid 2013 the NIGHT CREATURES series will be available in paperback and e-book worldwide through Amazon (so far it only been available in Australia and New Zealand from the wonderful Random House Aus Teens). As soon as we have some details on exact dates YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO KNOW!!! (We’re hoping May or June!)

We’ll be starting a countdown, doing give-aways, standing on our heads, doing back flips – you name it! We’ll have banners and badges for you to put on your sites, it’s going to be HUUUGGE!

Join us for all the fun, help us spread the word that NIGHT CREATURES IS COMING TO THE REST OF THE WORLD!

The first piece of news I can share with you is that the series will have new covers. Now I know you LOVE these ones(and so do I!), but AUSTIN DESIGNWORKS will be doing the new covers, and they are seriously good at what they do – I mean … they design my websites!:) And they recently designed new covers for my beautiful Sentients of Orion series.

You’ve waited sooo long and sooo patiently and your loyalty will be rewarded. But now, guys, its up to you to LET EVERYONE KNOW! Please help us!

Leave your name in the comments section if you’d like a banner for your website. Banner-sharers will become part of our Burn Bright VIP club and will get free NEW swag (old swag too, but new swag with the new covers on!) when the books are released!

We’re just a little bit excited (can you tell?)!

Burn Bright, baby bats!

Mid-August will bring us the second in the Percy Jackson franchise: Sea of Monsters. Based on Rick Riorden’s book, this time around Percy and his friends search for the famed Golden Fleece in order to save Camp Half-Blood’s magical borders from its foes. With most of the same cast as the first movie, I think we’ll see a good, fun film about this modern-day demi-god.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones will also be released in August. Based on Cassandra Clare’s uber-best-selling novel (and the first of six in this series), will tell the story of Clary Fray, a seemingly normal New York teenager, who learns of her secret bloodline – and the war that’s been going on under her very nose for years. Starring Lily Collins as Clary, Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, and an epic supporting cast including Aidan Turner (think Mitchell the vampire in Being Human and Kili in The Hobbit, *swoon*) as werewolf Luke. Described as an ‘epic adventure fantasy’, we can expect to see lots of demons, angels and, of course, Shadow Hunters.

I don’t think I’m alone in thinking late November is way too long to wait for the second Hunger Games movie: Catching Fire. I loved the first movie, and felt it was as true to the book as it could be, so I’m hoping the filmmakers do just as good a job of the second film. Katniss Everdeen – again played by Jennifer Lawrence – must again fight to save the people she loves – this time in the Quarter Quell. Expect more violence, more heartbreak and more political badness.

Finally, to round the year off: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, with the current release date being December 13th. If you’ve saw ‘An Unexpected Journey’ recently, I’m sure you’ll agree that this is another movie that can’t come too soon. A typical example of a bit of creative license being taken by the movie makers as compared to the book (hey, I thought it worked) – the two remaining Hobbit movies are bound to be box-office winners as well as visual feasts.

So what about you? Which movies are you hanging out to see on the big screen? Which ones won’t you bother at all with, and which ones will you wait for on DVD? Are you worried that turning your favourite books into movies will leave a permanent scar on how you feel about the story, or are you like me, expecting to see small changes that will hopefully enhance your memories of the time spent between pages?

Well, it looks as though 2013 is shaping up to be a huge year for those of us who enjoy going to the movies – especially those of us who like to see a much loved novel turned into something special for the silver screen.

There’s always that nervous anticipation: Will the filmmakers get it right? Will the heroine maintain her gutsy, confident and assured demeanour? Will the hero sound like he does in my head? Will he look like he does in my head? How much will they change? Will there be crucial scenes left out, while new ones are popped in to help with the move from page to screen?

There will always be changes – there has to be. No 400 page novel can be filmed word-for-word and then squished into two hours. But that’s (usually!) okay with me. As long as I can keep the book close to my heart, I like to look at movies as an extension of a favourite story.

So, to kick this year off, the first book-to-movie on my list (yeah, sadly there’s only room for a handful here, so we’re gonna miss a few hundred) is Beautiful Creatures. Based on the Supernatural Romance novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, release date is set for February 13 th in Australia, and the 14th elsewhere. The blurb goes something like this: ‘A young man and his mysterious new love interest uncover dark secrets about their families and the small Southern town where they live.’

Oz the Great and Powerful is due to hit the screens in early March. Based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel ‘Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, this one is set before the 1939 film starring Judy Garland. But don’t think Oz is just for the little kids. There’s some fabulously dark themes running through these books. Some big names are associated with Oz the Great and Powerful, including director Sam Raimi (think: the early 2000’s Spiderman trilogy, The Evil Dead, The Gift…) and main cast members Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz.

Another March release is the remake of Carrie, a remake of the 1976 horror classic based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. I’m guessing this one will be for an older teen/adult audience – if you know anything about Carrie’s story, you’ll know that there’s blood. Lots of it. And a Carrie remake – well, I’m not too sure about this one. It’s scary stuff – not just the blood and gore bit – but the whole ‘let’s remake a classic’ thing. Hmmm.

To round March off is The Host. Based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer (yes, she of the Twilight saga), The Host tells the story of an Earth that has been invaded by alien beings called ‘Souls’. Basically, Souls are parasites who take over human bodies. But Melanie Stryder isn’t so keen to let her invader – Wanderer – have her body to itself. I think this movie could go either way, (I’m hoping it’s awesome) especially since in the novel, much of the story happens between Melanie and Wanderer inside their shared mind.

So what about you? Which movies are you hanging out to see on the big screen? Which ones won’t you bother at all with, and which ones will you wait for on DVD? Are you worried that turning your favourite books into movies will leave a permanent scar on how you feel about the story, or are you like me, expecting to see small changes that will hopefully enhance your memories of the time spent between pages?

My favourite part of blogging is definitely the other bloggers! The book blogging community is wonderful and I’ve been amazed by the friends I have made through blogging. I’ve always loved reading, but none of my friends had the same taste in books, so I have been so pleased to find fellow bloggers who enjoy the same books I do and who can give me the most wonderful recommendations.

Which current reading trends have you been drawn to (dystopian, post apocalyptic etc)?:

I have read a lot of genres which are new to me this year including sic-fi and dystopian, but I always go back to contemporary. I have always enjoyed contemporary and have a soft spot for Australian contemporary in particular. Although, I will give almost any genre a go.

What is your favorite meme or post write up on your blog?

I don’t usually participate in memes simply because while I’m at uni I tend to lose track of things and would never remember to post on time! I do try and do my only little unique posts called Every Week I’m Shuffling where I share thoughts about some of my favourite songs.

Do you tend to like the hero/heroine/protagonist or the villain/antagonist?

This is a tough question. I’m usually more drawn to the protagonist, but I love it when the antagonist’s motivations are revealed as I feel like I can understand their actions in the book a little better.

Bel:

Cover

I have the UK cover and it features a white Bengal Tiger with piercing blue eyes, overlayed with henna type accents. The top corners are decorated in a light blue Indian motief.

Characters

I took a deep breath when reading this book because there are very few truly ‘bad’ characters through out the storyline. It made a nice change for the biggest challenges to be inner demons and battling negative internal dialogues.

Favourite

I HAVE to pick Ren. Cause… I want me one.

Least Favourite

Hmm… this is tough because there is only one evil character, and it would be too predictable to pick him. I guess I’d say Sarah. Making her family eat Brussels sprouts casserole must be a cruel, cruel person at heart. Ick!

Beginning

We’re told of the curse that made Ren and his brother into Tigers.

Storyline

Kelsey gets a job with a circus where Ren has been stuck doing tricks in tiger form. She wishes that he could be free and the wheels begin to turn.

Ending

UGGGHHHHHH!!!!!! I want the next book! NOW!

Thoughts

As I said before it was such a refreshing book. The characters felt genuine and India was the perfect backdrop for the action to go down. Some things seemed a little too easy, but to be honest if things got too complex it would have bogged the book down and ruined the flow.

Quote

“I didn’t really eat a Monkey Kells. I’m just teasing you. Monkey’s are repellent. They taste like meaty tennis balls and they smell like feet.”

Lisa:

Cover

After seeing this entire series in the book store, I couldn’t help but buy the first book; each and every cover of this series has a SHINY, and detail beautiful piece of art work as its cover!

Characters

There weren’t very many main characters in Tiger’s Curse. There were a few minor characters, but they weren’t mentioned very often. Not saying that this is a bad thing, but a bit interesting.

Favorite

Hands down, Mr. Kadam was my favorite person. He was the sweetest old man, and he was always so kind and caring to KelseyQ

Least Favorite

With only three main characters, I don’t have a least favorite. Kelsey and Ren each did get annoying at some points in the story, but not enough to where I didn’t enjoy reading about them.

Beginning

The story follows Kelsey; a teenage girl from Oregon who lives with two fantastic adoptive parents, and is looking for a job to make a little extra money. Stumbling upon a job offer, requiring her to take care of a tiger, Kelsey accepts.

Story Line

After working at the circus for almost two weeks, Kelsey is offered another job by someone who purchased a tiger and wants him shipped to India. Feeling unsure of what to do, and if to accept this job offer, Kelsey decides that its not every day she gets the chance to travel to Inida and take care of her favorite “tiger”. But upon her arrival, Mr. Kadam and Ren, the tiger, aren’t who they seem; instead they need her help to break the Tiger’s Curse that Prince Ren is under.

Ending

Extremely sad! Saddest ending ever, I cried when reading the last sentence! Towards the ending of the book, I felt annoyed with Kelsey’s quick change of mind about liking Ren, and Ren’s arrogance and extensive confidence that he could convince her otherwise.

Overall

I really enjoyed reading Tiger’s Curse, and the rest of the series is on my TBR pile to continue Ren and Kelsey’s adventure. I learned a lot about India throughout the story, including the different foods, the clothes, and the language. I thought that the educational comments were very interesting, and I really liked that the language was incorporated!

Krista:

Cover

The covers really know how to draw you in. The U.S. Cover for this one is blue, but it also has these overlaying colours/variances of pearl that really make the colours dance. Especially in the eyes.

Characters

Kelsey and Ren are the main focus of the story. I was pretty surprised throughout the story at how trusting Kelsey was, especially how she just picked up and moved across the world. Ren on the other hand, although very experienced in life is also a pretty quiet type and really comes off as the leader of the group – but in a very low-key/subtle kind of way (except when trying to get romantic with Kelsey, then he’s pretty hands-on).

Favourite

Mr. Kadam. Because he was the one character who’s motives I could understand. The most predicable and spot on character in the group.

Least Favourite

Although I didn’t hate Kelsey, I sure had a hard time with her. Especially when it came to her philosophies on why she couldn’t trust or like Ren romantically. She is a very hot and cold character, a little naive and I wanted to see her just let go of her guard against Ren.

Beginning

Kelsey is a foster child on the verge of her 18th birthday. Her friend takes her to see a Tiger show and she becomes enthralled with the idea of learning more about them and begins working with the trainer. She is soon invited to travel back to India with the tiger Ren. It is a well-paced beginning and the reader gets to learn a lot of the basics about Tigers and a little hint that Ren is not a ‘normal’ animal.

Storyline

Kelsey soon learns of the curse that was put on himself and his brother. It turns out that she is also a part of that prophecy and needed to help unlock the mystery that will turn them human again.  It’s an interesting plot with some weird things like Ren being able to change into a human for 24 minutes a day (why?).

Ending

As this is a series, we don’t get a lot of answers. But we do get more characters and twists to the story.

Thoughts

I enjoyed the parts of the story with action. We do get a good chunk of adventure and different animals as they travel through the jungle. The parts that I didn’t love as much were the romantic elements and interactions between the characters when they were human. Something felt a little off, especially on Ren’s side. But I do see the romantic element coming into play more in the following books (a tie in with the prologue to book 1?) It’s a pretty long novel. I know some readers who finished it in days, but this one took me a while – more down-time that I was hoping for, but it still entertained me with its magic, culture and setting.

Quote

“Perfect! Now we’re being chased by hoards of monkeys! Perhaps you would care to name their species as we’re attacked, just so I can appreciate the special traits of said monkey as it kills me!”

“Falling for him would be like cliff diving. It would be either the most exhilarating thing that ever happened to me or the stupidest mistake I’d ever make. It would make my life worth living or it would crush me against stony rocks and break me utterly. Perhaps the wise thing to do would be to slow things down. Being friends would be so much easier.”

http://www.tigerscursebook.com/

Paperback,498 pages

Published May 1st 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published January 11th 2011)

ISBN 1444734601 ISBN13: (9781444734607