Mundie Moms

Friday, July 6, 2012

Book Review: The Temptation by Alisa Valdes


Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: April 24th, 2012
Source: ARC received from publisher for review
4 stars: I Enjoyed It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Series: Kindred #1

His touch was electric. 
His eyes were magnetic. 
His lips were a temptation.... 
But was he real? 

After crashing her car on an empty highway, Shane is miraculously saved by Travis, a mysterious cowboy who walks out of nowhere. She is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time, she believes in “soul mates.” But Shane soon discovers that Travis is dead and that strict rules from the Underworld govern kindred spirits of different dimensions. Breaking these rules could destroy both their souls. And while Travis is almost impossible to resist, temptation proves to be the kindest enemy they encounter. Can true love surpass the power of pure evil? Part love story, part supernatural thriller, this first book in the Kindred trilogy will leave readers lusting for more! -quoted from Goodreads


A haunting ghost story mixed with romance, redemption and danger. The Temptation is a beautifully told story about a kindred who's trying to right the wrongs he did before his death and the beautiful mortal who's life he saves.

Before you think this is just another love story, there's so much more to it than that. I mean, yet it is one part love story, and another part paranormal thriller with an intriguing good vs evil plot line. This story has a paranormal twist that encompasses romance, and has a well developed relationship between the two main characters/love interests and plenty of evil that will cause your adrenaline to spike a bit during the course of reading this book. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this book! I don't know what I was excepting, but what I got was a fabulous read, and I wish I had picked up sooner than I did.

Shane and Travis's paths cross in an unlikely way and I loved being able to sit back and watch their relationship grow, their romance blossom, and see how these two characters change and grow over the course of this fast paced read. Shane is more than just a beautiful rich girl, with an incredible musical talent. She's genuine, down to earth and I loved getting to know her as her story unfolded. It was nice getting to see glimpses of who she was before her accident and how she changed after. Travis is the hero with a painful past and an uncertain future. The fact that his soul is currently in limbo puts him in a hard place when it comes to his feelings for Shane. There's definitely more to him that his south western cowboy manners and pretty boy looks. He's a genuinely nice guy and I think a lot of YA readers are going to fall in love with him. 

 I quickly fell in love with this story's setting! I don't know what it is about the rugged New Mexico desert, but there's something I found fascinating about it in The Temptation. It was the perfect setting for all that happens in this book, and I felt like it added something unique to the story. Though I've not yet been to NM in person, I felt like I was able to envision what it looked like based on Alisa's vivid details. Thanks to Alisa, I now want to take a road trip out to New Mexico to see her setting for myself.

The Temptation has an incredibly engaging plot line that not only flows smoothly, but offers a variety of different elements that kept me turning it's pages. I loved that Alisa wasn't quick to reveal everything at once, but instead carefully crafts a story that builds up at the right moments, allowing her to reveal bits and pieces of her plot at the right moment. This allowed me as a reader to really get into her story, and kept me invested with everything that was going on. I love it when an author captures my attention like that. I was hooked with this story. I wanted to know more about the world, the paranormal elements and the different characters that make up this story. 

If you're looking for an exciting read with a well craft paranormal twist,  a beautiful love story, and plenty of danger, I highly recommend picking this book up! Now if only the movie and the rest of this trilogy would hurry up and be out.....

TMI Movie Casting News!



Kevin Durand and Robert Maillet have been cast to play in the TMI movie! Variety, along with Cassie Clare have confirmed that both Kevin and Robert have been cast as Pangborn and Blackwell. These two are the due that of evil Shadowhunters who serve Valentine in his quest to find the Mortal Cup. As Cassie Clare pointed out, Robert is the giant guy who  is whacking Robert Downey Jr with a mallet in Sherlock Holmes: Games of Shadows and Kevin Durand plays the creepy "bad guy" in I Am Number Four. Both of which I would not want to have after me in any movie. Based on their roles in these movies, they'll have a terrifying presence in the TMI movie, as they should. 

Now, we can confirm that these roles are officially filmed:

Jace- Jamie Campbell Bower
Clary- Lily Collins
Isabelle- Jemima West
Pangborn- Kevin Durand
Blackwell- Robert Maillet

Filming for The Mortal Instruments is slated to start next month (August) and is set to be in theaters on August 23rd, 2013. The film is being directed by Harald Zwart. 


What do you guys think? 

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Uncontrollable by S.R. Johannes

I am thrilled to be revealing S.R. Johannes sequel, UNCONTROLLABLE today on Mundie Moms! This sequel is the book 2 in The Nature of Grace series and will be out on on September 24th, 2012. Check out this lovely cover that Vania at VLC Photos created for S.R.:




What do you guys think? I think the covers in this series are a perfect match for this series. S.R. Johannes is hosting a cover contest that kicks off TODAY! Be sure to visit her site to learn more at srjohannes.com


About the book:
As Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new "Red Wolf Reintroduction Program". 

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is growing silk plants. 

After a couple wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. When a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues. 

Little does she know, she is being hunted too. 

And possibly by more than one person.

PRAISES FOR UNTRACEABLE

"Grace is a spunky, independent, nature girl who doesn't need a boy to save her. With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page—and still begging for more!" -Kimberly Derting, author of the The Body Finder series (Harper Teen) and The Pledge series (S&S)

"This thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance. The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page." 
- Kirkus Reviews

"Johannes has done a marvelous job of creating a suspense-filled mystery with surprises that keep you guessing all the way to the end. Untraceable is a thoroughly engrossing and riveting page-turner."
-IndieReader

About the author:
S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes.  Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012. S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult) and was also recently nominated for as Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult).

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.  

Will Snippet from Clockwork Princess

With the YA Crush Tourney kicking off today, Cassie has treated fans to a Will teaser!!


Tessa leaned forward and caught at his hand, pressing it between her own. The touch was like white fire through his veins: he could not feel her skin, only the cloth of the gloves, and yet it did not matter. How you have kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire. He had wondered once why love was always phrased in terms of burning: the conflagration in his own veins, now, gave the answer. “You are good, Will,” she said. “There is no one better placed than I am to be able to say with perfect confidence how good you really are.”


Cassie also said that: "Every time one of the TMI/ID boys goes up for a round, I’m going to give you a snippet from a future book or a deleted scene about them. Doesn’t matter if they win or lose, I’ll just give you the snippet up front. You vote if you feel like it, hopefully ‘cause you love them, but don’t feel obligated."


THANK YOU Cassie for this fabulous teaser!! Be sure to go VOTE for Will! Check out my advocate post for Will HERE

Will vs Vincent- YA Sisterhoods Crush Tourney Begins!



It's day 1, round 1 of the 2nd annual YA-Sisterhoods Crush Tourney and today WILL faces off with Vincent from Amy Plum's Die for For Me & Until I Die series. I'm a little late to the game with my post, as I had internet connection problems yesterday and luckily Alyssa was able to step in and help me out. THANK YOU Alyssa! She did an amazing post, and I'm going to be incorporating part of that into my post today. 



First, I'd like to officially WELCOME you guys to Will's first round in the tournament! I'm thrilled to be co-advocating for Will, with Alyssa from TMI Source. Not only is Alyssa a HUGE TMI/ID fan, but she gets my love of Will, as she's as big of a fan of him as I am. That's get right to Will, shall we?! I'm sure he'd agree that we need to stop the chit chat and discuss him. 




Will Herondale is more than just piercing blue eyes and chiseled features. He's broken, strong, snarky, and one of the best Shadowhunters around ( he'd disagree and say he was the best). Boy does he know how to make us weak in the knees. Or as Alyssa had quoted that Jem would like to remind us,  When Will truly wants something,” said Jem, quietly, “when he feels something — he can break your heart.” ( As Alyssa said, "Ain't that the truth." Ha! We definitely get that, but he's worth that heart break.). 

There are so many things Alyssa and I could discuss about Will, but we're going to narrow our description of Will down to 5 things. 

Personality (SNARK): Who doesn't love a guy with a personality. With Will you will plenty of SNARK! It's definitely obvious where Jace got his snark from, though Will perfected it long before Jace did. Will's snark is part of his Shadowhunter charm. I mean, how can you not love a guy who's snarky. I agree with Alyssa when she said Will has some of the best one-lines and quotes ("Never trust a duck!") and it's all part of his charm. He know how to get to people while also getting satisfaction out of it. It's one of his many charms
There was a time I thought I was a ferret," Will said, "but that turned out to be the opium haze. Did you know it had that effect? Because I didn't.” –Clockwork Angel

His looks (SEXY): I don't think Alyssa and I need to remind anyone about the Dirty Sexy Balcony Scene do we?! 




"He bent to put his cheek against hers. His breath against her ear made her shudder with each deliberately spoken word. "I have wanted to do this," he said, "every moment of every hour of every day that I have been with you since the day I met you. –Clockwork Prince 

Or what about one of my favorites, that Holy Water Kiss..... 


For a moment their mouths pressed hotly together, Will's free hand tangling in her hair. Tessa gasped when his arms went around her, her skirts snagging on the floor as he pulled her hard against him. She put her hands lightly around his neck; his skin was burning hot to the touch. Through the thin wet material of his shirt, she could feel the muscles of his shoulders, hard and smooth. His fingers found her jeweled hair clasp and pulled at it, and her hair spilled down around her shoulders, the comb rattling to the floor, and Tessa gave a little cry of surprise against his mouth. - Clockwork Angel, page 297

TMI/ID fans already know Shadowhunters are sexy. They're lean muscled, quick, agile and you know just hot. But Will embraces the Shadowhunter look with his intense piercing blue eyes, ink black hair and those sexy Shadowhunter runes (don't believe me, look at that picture above). We believe being a Shadowhunter lends itself to Will's sexiness. 

Best Qualities (SWEET): One of my favorite things about Will is his sweet side. It's not a side that comes out often, but when it does it makes me sigh, and love him even more. You can't not love a guy who has an unwavering devotion for his parabatai Jem, has an incredible devotion to his cause and undeniable love for Tessa. That love that makes you feel all weak in the knees just from reading about it. Alyssa will win the argument with those who don't feel that Will is one of the sweetest guys in YA literature with this:




Tess, Tess, Tessa.
Was there ever a more beautiful sound than your name? To speak it aloud makes my heart ring like a bell. Strange to imagine that, isn’t it – a heart ringing – but when you touch me that is what it is like: as if my heart is ringing in my chest and the sound shivers down my veins and splinters my bones with joy.
Why have I written these words in this book? Because of you. You taught me to love this book where I had scorned it. When I read it for the second time, with an open mind and heart, I felt the most complete despair and envy of Sydney Carton. Yes, Sydney, for even if he had no hope that the woman he loved would love him, at least he could tell her of his love. At least he could do something to prove his passion, even if that thing was to die.
I would have chosen death for a chance to tell you the truth, Tessa, if I could have been assured that death would be my own. And that is why I envied Sydney, for he was free.
And now at last I am free, and I can finally tell you, without fear of danger to you, all that I feel in my heart.
You are not the last dream of my soul.
You are the first dream, the only dream I ever was unable to stop myself from dreaming. You are the first dream of my soul, and from that dream I hope will come all other dreams, a lifetime’s worth.
With hope at last,
Will Herondale

Selfless: Alyssa said it best when she pointed out that, "Will's selflessness is what makes him my favorite character in Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter Chronicles. He has sacrificed everything to ensure the well-being of those he loves. Whether it was leaving behind his family at age 12 or giving up the girl he loves (Tessa), Will has endured endless emotional turmoil at his own expense. Even after he learned he wasn’t cursed he still thought of others’ happiness over his own. It’s a quality that defines his character and makes the fangirls swoon.

“Tessa craned her head back to look at Will. “You know that feeling,” she said, “when you are reading a book, and you know that it is going to be a tragedy; you can feel the cold and darkness coming, see the net drawing tight around the characters who live and breathe on the pages. But you are tied to the story as if being dragged behind a carriage and you cannot let go or turn the course aside.” His blue eyes were dark with understanding — of course Will would understand — and she hurried on. “I feel now as if the same is happening, only not to characters on a page but to my own beloved friends and companions. I do not want to sit by while tragedy comes for us. I would turn it aside, only I struggle to discover how that might be done.”
“You fear for Jem,” Will said.
“Yes,” she said. “And I fear for you, too.”
“No,” Will said, hoarsely. “Don’t waste that on me, Tess.” –Clockwork Princess teaser


Talents: We don't know even know where to begin with his talents. Aside from being a kick-ass Shadowhunter, anyone that resorts to biting a vampire if necessary gets high marks in my book! As Alyssa said, he can charm the dickens out of anyone when necessary. I totally agree! I mean he says it himself here, I shall charm him with such force that when I am done, he will be left lying limply on the ground, trying to remember his own name.” -Clockwork Prince

AND: This boy is a reader!! Who doesn't love a hot, smart guy who can read. One of the things I love about Will is that fact he does read and he quotes from books he's read. One of my favorite quotes from Will is, "Sometimes, when I have to do something I don't want to do, I pretend I'm a character from a book. It's easier to know whatthey would do." -Clockwork Angel, page 224


Oh and we can't forget about the DUCKS! You know how tricky those ducks are!


I like ducks." Jem observed diplomatically. "Especially the ones in Hyde Park." He glanced side ways at Will; both boys were sitting at the edge of a high table, thier legs dangling over the side. "Remember when you tried to convince me to feed poultry pie the the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?" 
"They ate it too," Will reminisced. "Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.” 

Lastly, how can you note vote for guy who sings about DEMON POX! 
Demon pox, oh demon pox
Just how is it acquired?
One must go down to the bad part of town
Until one is very tired.
Demon pox, oh demon pox, I had it all along—
Not the pox, you foolish blocks,
I mean this very song—

For I was right, and you were wrong!
******
GO VOTE for WILL! Stay tuned to Mundie Moms for more Team Will and stop by TMI Source to read Alyssa's post here. We'll be posting more about the tourney!! Don't forget to #TeamCassie! Go VOTE WILL!

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