Pretty in Black by Rae Hachton Pages: 312 Publication Date: October 26th 2011 by Teen Pulse Age Group: YA Source: Blog Tour Series: Pretty in Black #1 Challenge(s): Ebook challenge, Young adult reading challenge, 150+ reading challenge,TBR pile challenge, Dusty Reads Challenge Buy this Book: Amazon Summary(from Goodreads):
Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both. [Ellie Piper] She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated. [Marcus Marble] How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind? Destroy? Or be Destroyed?
This book is a very quick read. I think I read it in under 3 hours. All in one sitting. The concept is pretty unique and interesting, that was my favorite part of Pretty in Black.
Marcus is mysterious and determined. I liked that about him. Even though his motives and reasons were not known, you could really tell that he has intense feelings for Ellie. Although I would have liked to see some of his thought process a little more developed. I wanted to get inside his head a little bit more and really get to know him.
Ellie seems like a smart girl, and I always like that in a character but she was too trusting for my tastes. It seemed like she just blindly accepted everything that she was told. And there were some strange things that she was presented with. All sorts of creatures and other worlds and things that she has never dealt with before and she took everything at face value. Someone would tell her something pretty fantasical, and she would just say ok, believe them and move on. I don't know that many people that this would be the case. Most characters or people would at least have some questions or doubts initially.
I think that because the book was pretty short, there was not as much room for development of characters or storyline. I did like that a lot happened in the book, but I think I would have preferred either a little less happening (and have the book at the same length) or have the book be a little longer and just develop the plot a bit more. The writing was good and the story arc was interesting but it just seemed a little rushed and unrealistic at parts for me. I am interested to see where the next book goes. I really like Marcus and Ellie and from the ending on Pretty in Black, I would like to find out what happens next. Im hopeful that because some of the foundation has been laid that book 2 will have a little bit more room for some development and details.
Hi. My name is Michelle. I'm a 24 year old law student and book blogger. Would you like to be my friend? because I want to be your friend! :) --------------------------
Ok, so it's confession time. I have joined a few different online communities over the past 12 years or so before I found the book blogger community. Some game communities (pogo.com), some bookish sites, (fanfiction.com, fandom forums) various yahoo groups, a harry potter message board. And I have loved them all. But one thing I noticed is that there are always these awesome tight knit groups of people that chat every day and have all these inside jokes and they actually get to know each other on a personal level.
I want that.
In each of these communities I have tried to find that. In the forums, I always go to the introduction site and talk to other people and introduce myself. I go onto discussions and talk with everyone. And it's not like anyone is ever mean to me. Everyone is polite and kind, but it never really goes past the initial stage. They are always one or two chats and then it kind of falls apart.
I am constantly stuck in the acquaintance phase.
When I found the book blogging community I instantly fell in love. I observed for a few months to get the lay of the land. I left comments, I read reviews and memes and I decided what I liked in blogs and what wasn't for me. Then I finally decided to take the plunge and make my own blog.
Once I got my blog up and running, I was so excited and I wanted some people to be excited with. I wanted people to gush about books with and to talk about blog and bookish things. Not all of my friends in real life share my love of YA books, or books in general, and it would be so nice to have some bookish friends.
Whenever I got a comment on my blog, I immediately went and commented, followed and stalked said blogger/person. I followed up with them, I tried to strike up conversation to let them know just how much I appreciated them coming to my blog. I also commented on other blogs, I tweeted like crazy and again I met some of the nicest people! But it never seemed to go past that first email or first few twitter conversations. And then I see these really tight groups of blogger friends that tweet, host blog events together, have deep convos, and while I am so happy for them- it makes me sad sometimes.
I can't help but think that sometimes it is me. Do I not seem friendly enough? Not approachable? Why don't they want to be friends with me?
I know that other bloggers are super busy and I know that I'm busy. When I want to tweet with someone, it might not be the best time for them and I have certainly had people tweet me when I'm busy and I'm just not able to respond. I totally get it.
But I love blogging so much and I love every single one of my followers and I respect everyone that has a busy life and still makes time to run and maintain such great blogs. I just want to make some deeper connections with people in the community.
So I'm asking you guys for advice. What do you think I should do?
And if you are in the same boat as me, or are just looking for someone to talk to- I would love to get to know you! Tweet me or email me. I love meeting new people and I would love to get to know some of my followers and/or fellow book bloggers better!
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Update: About 15 minutes after I wrote and scheduled this post I got some of the nicest comments from Evie from Bookish (You have probably been following, and loving, her blog for a while- but in case you aren't, you NEED to go check her out. She is awesome and her reviews are so thoughtful and detailed.) She even said that she wanted to catch up with me, and it made me realize that everyone is so busy.
We all have full lives outside of our blog and sometimes it is hard to balance both of them.
I am making a vow now to try and be more present online and really try to cultivate some more of my blogger friendships. Because there are so many amazing people out there that I want to get to know. and I want you all to hold me to my vow! Call me out if im slacking :)
Also, thank you for sticking with me through this long post. and If you didn't and you started skimming- I don't blame you at all. It was pretty long lol
For my stop on the Hotblood tour, author Juliann has provided an excerpt from the first book in the house of Slide novel. Thank you so much Juliann!
Excerpt:
This excerpt from my book, House of Slide, Hotblood is a scene after Dariana has stolen the Hotblood soul and is coming to terms with the life she had after her brother took everything from her along with her soul.
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That night I dreamed I sat at the piano, my feet swinging unable to touch the pedals as I carefully plunked out notes. Devlin’s laugh distracted me from the complicated chords and I looked up to frown at him but he had his cello. With a flick of his fingers he sent me off on a goose chase, trying to keep up with him. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t play the right notes but it didn’t matter since he followed me when I stumbled and made every mistake beautiful. The dream shifted until I played in the moonlight of the darkened music room, the notes perfect and dead. I watched my fingers move effortlessly across the keys, the sound distant, hollow. I let my fingers stop but the music continued, a piano playing the heartbroken chords of moonlight sonata.
I blinked awake in my bed but the song continued, distant, but definitely Beethoven. I jerked my blankets back and threw open my door. I didn’t think; I moved following the ghost of song, a melody that played out the ache inside of my chest. I ran down the stairs and through the hall and stopped at the door across from the room with jars. When I stepped through the door, I could make out the contours of a piano in the corner. It was beautiful— the black reflecting the light from the moon shining through the window, the white keys punctuated with sharps and flats. I was still for a moment feeling the cold that had wrapped around my heart for so long. Devlin had taken away music.
I stepped forward and knocked the bench over with my knees. The rattle as it hit the floor startled me and I reached for a leg to pick it up. Instead the leg came off in my hand, like pulling the leg off of a spider, I thought as I gripped the carved leg in my hand. Devlin had taken away dancing. My hand seemed to rise on its own volition, the leg above my head. I closed my eyes and for a second felt a flicker of the stillness and control I’d caught the first day of knitting, but the thought of Devlin taking away the beauty of music shattered the calm.
There was a crack as I brought the bench leg down on the keyboard. Devlin had taken away color. There was an anguished screech, a sharp crack as the keyboard buckled in the middle. Devlin had taken away my mother, crash, my father, smash, and myself. I kept hitting the piano, the splintered wood flying all around me. I felt the sting as slivers found my skin, my cheek, arm, but I kept smashing, until the leg I’d used was a splintered mess. I grabbed what I could of the former beauty and shoved it with all my strength. The crunch and tinkling as it struck the wall wasn’t enough.
I stood panting needing something else to destroy, grabbing fistfuls of my hair, wanting something to hurt, but I already hurt. The pain inside of me was more than any pain I could ever inflict on anyone or anything. I crumpled to the floor feeling like I’d been beaten up. In the end Devlin hadn’t just taken apart my life, he’d taken himself too. He’d taken the brother I loved and turned him into a monster. Thinking of Devlin as a monster was more than I could bear. I buried my head in my arms and cried until I thought my body was going to shake apart.
He stole a kiss from the
wrong girl…
Left without a soul, 17-year-old Dariana Sanders waited to die. There was
nothing left to live for, nothing to feel besides the aching cold that never
stopped.
Her parent’s marriage
was in shambles, and her brother, the only one who understood, the only one who
knew how to make the cold go away, was gone forever.
The only thing Dariana
knew with absolute certainty was that nothing could possibly be right again.
Enter Lewis Axel Nialls.
Luckily for her, impossible is right up his alley.
He can save her from the
forces that wish to destroy her. Of course who’s going to save him, from her?
Juliann C. Whicker was
raised with chickens, goats, and a cow named Mrs. Mooley who everyone
(neighbors included) chased down the street in a small college town. She now
lives in Southeastern Ohio with her four children, husband, and all the ticks
and poison ivy a soul could crave.
I have been SUPER busy lately, so the blog has been a little quiet, but hopefully I will be able to pre-schedule a lot of posts this weekend so next week is nice and full of fun stuff! And now I have a character interview from Masters of the Veil! oh yea, and there is a sweet $100 giveaway at the bottom of the post too! :)
So before
“Masters of the Veil,” happened, Dan sat down and interviewed some of his
characters. We won’t get into the details of how Dan got into Atlas Crown (the
magical community where the story takes place), but let’s just say it wasn’t
easy.
Super short character bios:
Sam Lock: High school football
star. Popular, sociable, and knows nothing about magic… yet.
Daphne Sunder: Beautiful, intelligent,
and one of the most popular young sorcerers in Atlas Crown.
Cassiella Pyx: Shy, kind, and sort of
nerdy. Even though she keeps a low profile, she is also one of the more
powerful young sorcerers.
Glissandro Thicket: Glissandro is a young,
mute sorcerer who speaks magically through music. He uses the horn of a
skull-wolf to create his musical language. He also keeps to himself.
Petir LaVink: Grumpy young sorcerer.
He hates outsiders. VERY good at magic.
Rona Rono: Teaches the best young
sorcerers in Atlas Crown (Daphne, Cassiella, Glissandro, and Petir). Was a
tribal king in Africa before he was brought to Atlas Crown.
May: Liaison from Atlas
Crown to the outside world.
***
Here are
some of the highlights of the interview.
Dan asked:
“What’s your dream in life?”
Sam Lock: I’m living it, baby! Did you see how
many scouts were at my last game?
Petir LaVink: You don’t belong here (at this point,
Petir raises his second-skin* at Dan). You’re lucky May says you’re ok, or I
would… You know what? I’m leaving (he leaves the room in a huff).
Daphne: Easy. I’m going to be head grower some day. Can you Just
imagine being in charge of the seven grow fields? Just being around all the
animals, and plants, and colors. It’s like the most important job in Atlas
Crown.
Cassiella: I don’t know. I guess… I don’t know. It
would be nice to meet somebody (she looks down at her feet). Can we go to the
next question?
Glissandro: <Translated from music> To be the
first in my family to go through mystical Omani** I want to make my brother
proud.
*A
hand covering made from magical materials, which allows you to “grip” the Veil.
Essentially, it’s how you do magic.
**Coming
of age ceremony that determines what branch of magic you study
***
Dan asked:
“What’s your favorite thing to do?”
Sam Lock: (Picks at his football jersey)
Seriously?
Daphne: Well, me and my girlfriends love to go to the hot springs
and relax. (She shrugs) And it doesn’t hurt that there’s usually some cute guys
there.
Glissandro: <Translated> The Tinker Hut. You
should see all the magical contraptions he has. Buttons that change the fabric
of your robe, dancing figures, detectors, little globes that you shake and it
snows around you. And there’s always something new.
Cassiella: I like the library.
Rona Rono: I teach. There’s nothing I like more.
The first time one of my students drapes* an object, well, there’s no better
feeling.
*Draping
is a magical technique that involves wrapping the Veil around something to give
it magical properties.
***
Dan asked:
“What’s the most impressive magic you’re ever seen performed?”
Sam Lock: (Grinning like an idiot) Did you say
magic? You mean figuratively, right? Because there was this one-handed catch I
had where I dove [rest of answer omitted because of extreme length].
Daphne: One time I was with May in the grow fields and she called
like every bird in Atlas Crown. Thousand of birds, every color imaginable, all
came and May tossed handfuls of seeds into the air and the birds each caught
one and flew away. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. There was no chaos.
The birds all fell in line like a dance. May said that another magical
community had lost one of their fields—she never told me how—so she was sending
a new one. It doesn’t get much better than natural magic.
Cassiella: I love watching Rona. He can drape
anything. He made me a wooden flower that only blooms on the full moon, but
when it opens up it gives off whatever smell would make me most happy. Last
moon it smelled like honey and nettle-melon.
Rona Rono: (His eyes darken) If you don’t mind, I’d
like to skip that question.
Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.
Author Daniel A. Cohen
Daniel A. Cohen was just your average business student. Microeconomics, finance, marketing… you name it, he had to do a PowerPoint presentation on it. One dark and stormy night, he was bitten by the radioactive realization that memorizing business jargon could possibly be the most boring activity known to man.
After gaining eagle-eye vision, abs that could grate cheese, and a talent for imagining things (including his cheese-grating abs), he wrote his first novel and began his epic battle against the formidable business jargon. He continues to fight the good fight by playing saxophone and writing YA fantasy, forever hoping his Veil trilogy will help inspire others to join his cause.
Author Daniel Cohen is offering one lucky person a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card.
Last day to enter is May 31st
Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
If you haven't broken the rules,
have you really lived?Excalibur has been pulled from the
stone, but what does it mean? Arriane (aka Ryan) DuLac doesn’t really
care. She's got bigger problems—as student president, she's got to put on the
Prom. While the Wizard Council debates their next move, she leaves the craziness
behind and heads home. But she can’t hide forever. Sooner
than she’d like Merlin (aka Matt) has her chasing mermaids on the trail
of the Fisher King. The wounded King defeated by Merlin’s brother, Vane,
in the past holds the key to save the future. On the journey, Ryan begins to
realize the friends she thought she knew, she may not know at all. At a time of
shifting alliances, she must decide whose side she’s on—the brother who
struggles to do right or the brother who dares to break the rules? And Ryan
must decide who she is—a regular or a champion? One wrong decision and her family falls apart. One wrong decision and
the world falls apart. No pressure.
I had my whole review written and I lost it all, so now this is take 2.
My Merlin Awakening had some pretty high expectations to live up to. I loved the first book and I was really excited to read this one and I am happy to report that it did not disappoint at all. I loved it just as much, if not more, than the first book. This series is shaping up to be amazing and I am super sad that there is only one book left. Maybe Priya will change her mind and switch it from a trilogy to a series? (well, I have my fingers crossed just in case)
Vane and Matt are perhaps two of the yummiest brothers ever. I really love both of them. I liked Matt a lot more at the start of the first book and only a little more than Vane by the end of the first book. With My Merlin Awakening I was Vane pretty much the whole way. I understand that Matt has it rough, he has to live with visions and he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders and he is really likable. I know he has feelings for Ryan and that he wants to be with her, but there is just something about Vane that won me over. He just gets Ryan and you know that he would do ANYTHING for her. He is super intense and he totally won my heart over pretty much from the start of My Merlin Awakening. I really want Ryan to notice how awesome Vane is, and I think to some extent she does but she is still so hung up on the "what if" with Matt that she doesn't really give Vane much of a change sometimes. And that makes me feel for him. The poor guy.
The amazing thing about Priya Ardis' writing is that it totally sucks you into the story and makes you feel like you are a part of it. I felt like I was Ryan, when she was torn with a choice- I was torn. I just totally related to her on every level. To me, that is the mark of a great writer. My Merlin Awakening is such an awesome story. I never wanted it to end, and I am dying to find out what happens next. I will just have to daydream about Vane until the next book comes out...
I love stories of all kinds--but especially the
gooey ones that make your nose leak and let your latte go cold. I started my
first novel at sixteen, writing in notebooks on a long train ride in India
during a hot summer vacation. My favorite Arthurian piece is the poem The Lady of Shalott by Lord Alfred
Tennyson and a gorgeous song by Loreena McKennitt. A hopeless romantic, I’m a
longtime member of the Romance Writer's of America.
Thank you so much to Priya for donating this prize to the tour! :)
Enter the rafflecopter to win! One winner will get a $25
Amazon or B&N gift card and a copy of My Merlin Awakening. Two additional
winners will also get a copy of My Merlin Awakening.
I am a 2L at Florida State Law School. I spend most of my time reading and studying law. In law school I have to write case briefs for all the cases I read. Here, I get to write book briefs. A much better (and more fun) use of my time.
Click here if GFC followers is down
If you would like to help fund the giveaways on this site (so I can afford to have more of them) please consider buying your amazon purchases through this link. Or by clicking on any of the book links I provide in my reviews. Thank you
