“People are dying to get here……….”

When Alice Forster receives an email on the day of her murdered sister’s funeral, it seem like a sick hoax. An invitation to the virtual world of Soul Beach, an online paradise of sun, sand and sea where Alice can see her sister again. But only the beautiful, young and dead reside on Soul Beach, and Alice’s sister doesn’t remember who stole her life. Can Alice discover not only the secrets of Soul Beach, but the identity of her sister’s killer before she ends up the next victim?

Soul Beach is entirely new and fresh and will have you deep into the mystery from the very get-go. It’s a unique mix of paranormal, murder mystery, teen angst, family ties and an in-depth look at some of the worse aspects of human nature. Alice’s journey will, at times, break your heart as she gets sucked under by her grief, and have you cheering from the sidelines as she takes pro-active steps to help those trapped on the beach.

Harrison has deftly managed to convey a world which seems so perfect on the outside yet retains sinister undertones. Paradise may be more trouble than it’s worth.There is something not quite right about Soul Beach and even at the very end of the book, you are still trying to put your finger on exactly what it is. The relationship between Alice and Megan is poignant yet not sickly sweet as I first feared it would be. The inner look at the devastation to the lives of those left behind is honest and real. The plot is fast moving and the red herrings that keep popping up will hold your attention in a vice-like grip. The ending will leave you keen for book two of the trilogy.

Soul Beach is the first YA release from the author of the bestselling “Secret Shopper” novels and an amazing start to the trilogy. Come visit Soul Beach and discover “paradise” for yourself.

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Indigo (1 Sep 2011)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 1780620063
• ISBN-13: 978-1780620060

Visit the authors website.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pURgpocAsEc&feature=player_embedded

Most people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death; and in the words of Jerry Seinfeld, ‘That means that people would rather be in the casket, than giving the eulogy.’

Really! Really? Seriously? Why?

Okay here’s a bit of history; I figured out in about grade 2 that during school, any oral presentations are perfect opportunities to make the other kids suffer really enjoy my speech, because they are a captive audience. They can’t go anywhere and nobody liked detentions, so they’d shut up and at least look like they were listening.

I can remember making over half the class come up and help me do my movie review of Return to OZ. We were allowed to do a ‘quick’ reenactment, which would have been fine but nobody else had ever seen the movie. (If YOU haven’t, why not?) Nothing like making Amanda and Joseph crawl around on all fours making a squeaky noise like the wheelers. HA!

Anyways what I am trying to get at is that the worst thing that happened was the teacher pulled the pin and suggested perhaps picking something a little less involved for my book review the following week. I wasn’t given a bad mark either, even though it really did suck as far as presentations go.

I got top marks in grade 11 by flinging old Girlfriend magazines around and playing a Little Pattie song, – He’s my blonde headed stompy wompy real gone surfer boy – (Yes, that’s the name of the song) The argument I made was the negative impact of the objectification of women in the media. I made the other kids sit up and take notice, right up until I played that song. *evil grin* then the suffering element came into play. I LOVED it.

Then we move into the cover band days when there was no teacher, there was no one there to smooth over any nerves I may have had before a gig. There was however alcohol, swearing, heckling and walk outs. But even when I was stepping out of the way from some drunken screwball slipping in the mud onto the stage I still remembered that I can make them all suffer… with the first line of the Offspring song, Pretty Fly For a White Guy. The collective moan was music to my ears. But they sang along.

I have taught craft classes with varying degrees of success, and I judge my success by the enjoyment of the participants… and their ability to laugh when I let them know I was about to make them suffer. (Trying to teach them how to make chain mail or a dream catcher)

So I guess by now you’ve worked out that my brand of making people suffer is to get them to smile, step outside what they would normally do, have no shame and to try something new, or just to be happy being a dag.

Sure I still get nervous, I shake like a leaf in the middle of a cyclone, and you know what though…? As long as I have the ability to make people suffer with a smile I’m happy. There is nothing to it.

Ever wanted to know the truth behind the legends of the Rangers of Araluen? Well now you can.

Even if you haven’t had the pleasure of delving into one of the Ranger’s adventures as yet- you have probably heard of the series. For the past seven years it has fuelled imaginations from the youngest bracket of the YA market right through to adults. Now some of our most burning questions are answered. Using inspiration from fan questions and letters, Flanagan has composed a collection of 11 short stories that are an absolute delight and full of fantastic answers that will still leave you wanting more. Packed with the same awe- inspiring action and stellar characters of the previous novels in the series, you will find each story flies by in the blink of an eye.  Even if you haven’t read the entire series, the stories are crafted in a way that will not leave you feeling lost at all.

For me there were three stories in the collection that stood from the rest. “The Wolf” is vivid and packed with action. The scene is carved into your mind right from the very first paragraph and doesn’t let go. The wolf’s pain and suffering becomes your own and although you should surely hope for his capture, you can’t help but hoping he slips away. Will’s heartbreak at the thought of losing Tug is poignant and you may just find yourself reading between the tears. Thankfully for all fans of a certain little pony, there is a happy ending of sorts.

“Foreword” sets the scene for the whole collection perfectly.  And it’s just plain clever.  You feel completely drawn in from the very get-go and using characters to find the lost stories we are about to read, makes the whole world become a little more real.

“The Fragment” is the shortest section of the book and will leave you desperate for more. The intrigue is raised up another notch and although you have just been on one heck of a journey of discovery, it lets you know without a doubt more secrets are hidden in the midst of time.

My least favourite was “The Bridal Dance”. This was mainly because there were too many characters and inter-woven relationships for me to grasp at once. It has nothing to do with the way it was written or the storyline itself, but my lack of knowledge of the series.

Although this is mainly aimed at the die-hard fans, new and first time readers to the series may also find the in-depth look a fantastic way to start the adventure, without too many spoilers. There is also an excerpt of Flanagan’s new series- “Brotherband” set in the same world but with a whole new batch of characters to get to know.

So if you’re a Ranger’s fan or know someone who is- make sure you pick up a copy and lay some of those burning questions to rest.

The Lost Stories- John Flanagan

Random House Australia

ISBN:978-1-86471-818-8

500 Pages

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781742751016

Imprint: Random House Australia Childrens

Published: 03/10/2011

$18.95

Summary

Retra – now called Naif – has escaped from Ixion, the island of ever-night. She doesn’t know if her friends on the island survived the battle between the Ripers and the rebels. But she does know that she must return home, behind the sealed walls of Grave, to find out why the Ripers have been seen there talking to the councillors. What links the two worlds?

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR THE NIGHT CREATURES BOOK 1: BURN BRIGHT

* ‘Absolutely raw and intoxicating … Do yourself a favour and pick up BURN BRIGHT if you’re a fan of dystopian fiction.’ nicegirlsreadbooks.com

Belinda Says:

Cover

Jaroslaw Kubicki’s illustration and the design work by Astred Hicks blend so very well. In my mind this cover is somewhat resembling Ruzalia.

Characters

Naif is complimented beautifully by the supporting cast.

Favourite

Liam. He’s sure of himself and tells Naif when she’s being somewhat dim. He’s kind hearted and strong. I wouldn’t mind having him as my tour guide.

Least Favourite

The Elders. Well, if you’ve read Angel Arias you’ll know exactly  why, and if not… there is a scene towards the end that cements my decision.

Beginning

Naif has to convince Ruzalia to allow her to go back to Grave to investigate why a Riper was seen in conversations with an Elder.

Storyline

It is a great adventure of dodging guards, dogs and locals who would tear them up and turn them in. They need to find out who is behind so many of the evils happening on Ixion.

Ending

Be careful what you wish for. Information can be dangerous and so can trying to catch an air ship when you’re on the run.

Thoughts

My heart was running a mile a minute for most of the book. The tension was thick and wonderful. I was saddened by the shortening of one character’s plotline and thrilled to know the third book will give me some answers. That sneaky Lenoir is gonna cop it.

Favourite Quotes

“Stupid you.” Liam

“You might land on the bridge. But you might not.” Jarrold

Lisa Says:

Cover

I can’t imagine how much hard work was put into making The Night Creatures’ covers! They both look amazing, not only are they awesome book covers, but their pieces of artwork, they are so pretty, and you can tell whoever worked on it put a lot of elbow grease and care into them!

Characters

What I really liked about the characters, were their names! A lot of them, are uncommon here in the states, I’m not sure if that’s the same in Australia. How different they were, and how they sounded when said out loud, made them very intriguing.

Favorite

I really like a few characters in Angel Arias, but I really enjoyed Jarrold. He was just that little piece of comedy, in such a serious situation! He just seems like the perfect little brother, that would do anything to help out.

Least Favorite

I don’t really have one, but I wished we could learn more about Joel, and Ruzalia. They’re both so mysterious, and play huge roles in the series, but we don’t know much yet. Hopefully in the next book 🙂

Beginning

To be honest, I was a little confused (nothing new, in the life of Lisa). There was just a lot going on, and a lot of different people. After re-reading it for the second time, I felt stupid for not catching on the first time. I would recommend reading the beginning slowly, a lot happens in a little bit of time!

Story Line

Had my attention in it’s grasp from the beginning to the ending! A few times throughout the book, it was hard for me, not to just turn to the ending and read what happens! It was very suspenseful!

Ending

The ending was keeping things open for the third book, I’m just glad they finally got on the ship, and are leaving Grave! And I was so happy that Liam was allowed to go too! He seems like such a sweet guy!

Overall Thoughts

LOVED IT! High expectations for the rest of the series!

2 Favorite Quotes

“Fross!” -Jarrold.

“Naif wanted to reassure him; erase his worry.”

Krista Says:

Cover

AMAZEBALLS! The picture does not do the cover justice. When you are holding the actual book in your hands it’s soft, it’s got vibrant colors and the colors just seem to melt into each other. Great visual and so velvety soft. Gorgeous

Characters

Favorite

My absolutely favorite character in this book was Liam. I am so interested in how the night creatures interact with each other. How they view the world as a creature and of course what they have been through.

Least Favorite

Brand, a backstabber, not sure if anybody like that could be trusted, by anyone.

Beginning

What I love most about this series so far is the constant action going on. Right from page one you are thrown into this fantastic world of light and dark, creatures and pirates. Naif is one of the best main characters to have, as she is very sympathetic to all of them and their struggles to try to just exist in such a complicated world, with so much anarchy and politics happening.

Storyline

As Lenoir tells Naif “Times are Dangerous” it’s so true. There is not one island that is not going through some kind of turmoil. What I would really enjoy to see is if this series takes off and we get to see Naif or other characters travel to some of the other places we have not seen yet. Visit the people and the way they live and interact would be awesome. This is the first series that I have seriously considered doing some fan fiction for, it speaks to me that much. In this 2nd book in the series we see Naif and Markes travel back to Grave, there is constant movement, decisions and interactions between new and fantastic characters that all play a steady part in getting the answers they need and their quest.

Ending

Ah! that ending. Had my heart beating fast, not sure what was going to happen next! I loved that it does not end on a cliffhanger, but you just are not sure until that very last page what is going to happen.

Overall Thoughts

I read through it so fast that I feel that I need to go back and re-read it immediately to catch everything I missed in my fierceness. Besides the fast pace of the story and the new characters introduced, seeing the Island of Grave through both Naif’s and Markes’s eyes was like hearing about 2 different places. Naif’s childhood was so locked-down that Markes seemed to have lived on a whole other island, so as we travel through Markes’ hometown and the difference between the two was so imaginative all on it’s own. We do not see acutal chapters written from Markes’ view, but through the dialogue back and forth throughout the book.

Favorite Quotes

Well my favorite quotes would give some spoilers away but here are a couple other’s I liked.

“Naif felt his tentacle caress her again, This time, though, he was holding something as well. It was rough hessian and the smell from it was putrid, like something dead a few days. She tried to push him away but his tentacle was strong and persistent, not withdrawing until he’d wiped the cloth over her.”

“You slow. Is Dangerous.” His tentacles curled down, gripping the ends of the wood. As they watched he slid off the crate and nudged it away. Underneath was a grate, filthy with sludge. He plunged his tentacles into the gaps and pulled it aside. “There is drop.”

I encourage all to sign the petition to help bring these books worldwide! Direct Link here http://www.strangemore.com/2011/07/interview-and-campaign-for-burn-bright.html

About the book: A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.

Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.

For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn’t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren’t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war

The thing that stood out most for me was Evie’s voice. She is a very opinionated and strongly spoken main character. She stands by the decisions that she makes and even when she is confused about what is going on, she never falters with her direct and to the point questions. Both Alex and Emil are not very straight forward with her, and she’s not stupid. Evie notices straight away when they are not telling the truth or even parts of the truth and she will point that out immediately. Both boys appear in her life very suddenly, although months apart. Her situation is both confusing, scary and intimidating.

Evie has a different kind of relationship with both Alex and Emil as well. When she meets Alex she is embarrased and makes jokes and has very fast come-back responses to his statements. He is very protective of her instantly and because of that he comes off as a little controlling and bossy in my opinion. He slyly takes away from Evie some of what makes her so strong. He doesn’t want her to drive her Mustang unless he is with her because it attracts other boys. He always wants to be the one paying and opening the doors as well. Although this seems gentlemanly, the way it is brought up in the story makes Alex seem a little to overprotective and secretive.

With Emil, he seems at first more laid back, he kisses her the first time he sees her. A love at first sight kind of attraction. He never comes off as hiding anything from her until the interactions with both he and Alex begin to show that they know each other. Although Emil never comes straight out in telling Evie he is intimidated by her car, they still have a relationship in which I feel she loses a part of herself to be with the boy.

When Evie finally sees that she needs time away from them both, I felt pride in her decision. If she cannot be sure of what she wants, how can she be sure of which relationship is right for her.  This part of the story is also where it becomes more of a page-turner and the answers and confusion really start to open up and we can see a direction for the story and their relationships with each other.

I have never been a fan of romances, love triangles or girls that never stick by their decisions. With this being the first book in a trilogy it really focuses more on the characters. We get to meet them, figure out their personalities and most of all see where the story may be going with their interactions with each other. There are a lot of emotions and drama happening, most of all a lot of questions and some and story-telling. As the story progresses and the questions are beginning to find answers, I had a desire to find out what happens next.

It took a good half of the book for me to really get into this story. The introductions of the characters, and their relationships between each other, although very necessary in the end, took awhile to get into. As we get to know the characters’ past in the 2nd half of the book and the neccessity of them finding each other, it really took on new interest. There is always an air of mystery surrounding both Alex and Emil. There are some scary moments that help build an ominous feeling. And as the story really takes off we get some great supernatural elements as well as a feeling of war ahead.  A battle between the Amaranthine Society and the Daevos Resistance that none of them saw coming.

Now that the characters and their past lives and stories have been introduced to us, I am anticipating very exciting things for the sequel. It is a great read for those who like romance, a touch of history and the supernatural.

—

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: December 6th 2011 by Pendrell Publishing

ISBN 982729793 (ISBN13: 0980982729763)

http://www.angelacorbett.com