August New Release Giveaway Hop

Summer is winding down and school is getting ready to start. Let's celebrate and have a hop!
I'm giving away one of these books that was released this month. You choose which one you want.
A giant thanks to Book Twirps and Refracted Light Reviews for hosting this hop.

To enter this hop you must be a follower of Mug of Moxie. Simply put your GFC name in  the comment box below.  This contest is open to all, including International. A winner will be drawn on September 1st.
Good luck!

Book Trailer: Maid of Secrets

I'll be reviewing Maid of Secrets tomorrow.

Book Review-In The Shadow of Blackbirds

IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS
By Cat Winters
387 Pages
2013
Abrams Publishing

Summary taken from Goodreads:
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
My Thoughts:
Creepy with a capital C.
I LOVE historical fiction-now combine that with Young Adult and you've hooked me. I fell in love with the cover first. It's beautiful, mysterious and a tad creepy. Happily the story was just as grreat as the cover.
Author Cat Winters has set her story at a time in our history that was filled with terror and fear.
In the Shadow of Blackbirds is set in 1918 during the height of World War I. Young men are being shipped over seas to fight in The Great War while here in the United States people live in fear of the Spanish Influenza.
People are dropping like flies on the shores of foreign countries as well as in our own backyard. People are paranoid and superstitious, desperately looking for a miracle cure for the flu.
Main character Mary Shelley Black has had her world turned upside down. She has been forced to leave her home in Oregon and relocate to San Diego after her father has been accused and jailed for anti- war activities.
San Diego offers family connections and the promise of a fresh start. San Diego is also home to her childhood friend/first love Stephen Embers who's fighting the war in Germany.
Things go horribly wrong when Mary Shelley decides to visit Stephen's family-while there she is convinced that Stephen's ghost is trying to communicate with her. Stephen's brother, a spiritual photographer and opportunist insists that Mary Shelley be photographed in hopes of capturing Stephen's ghost on film . To make money or to have closure?
During this time people looked for comfort and peace through seances and spiritual photography-a way to contact their dead loved ones or proof that their spirits lived on. Mary Shelley is a smart girl with a scientific mind-she's determined to investigate the strange happening and come up with a logical answer. She believes that ghosts are not real. Are thesee encounters with Stephen imaginary?
Things are not as they seem as Mary Shelley unwittingly gets caught up in a mystery that has many twists and turns along the way.
I absolutely loved how Cat Winters combined actual history of the Spanish Flu and World War I with the creepiness of seances and spiritual photography.
The attention to detail and research was incredible. I can hardly believe that this is her debut novel. I look forward to more from this writer.
For more information on Cat Winters visit her web page.
And I just read that Online Booklist just announced that In the Shadows of Blackbirds made the Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth 2013. Congratulations to Cat Winters!!
A big thank you to Abrams for sending me this book to read and review. It was given away last month as a prize in a giveaway.

Book Trailer: In the Shadow of Blackbirds

Book Review-PRECIOUS BLOOD

PRECIOUS BLOOD
By Tonya Hurley
June 2013
432 Pages
Simon and Schuster

Summary taken from Goodreads:
What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?
Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.
My Thoughts:
This is the first book in The Blessed Trilogy by Tonya Hurley.
This book was origianally published as The Blessed last year. It was re-released with a new title and a  beautiful new new cover by illustrator Abbey Watkins.
I can sum this story up in three words: Confusing, Bizarre and Intriguing.
I found myself having a bit of a love/hate relationship with Precious Blood.
Three very different girls, all through tragic circumstances end up at the same hospital on Halloween night. All three have given up on life and are knocking at death's door. Suddenly a mysterious and beautiful starnger named Sebastian visits each girl at their bedside gifting them with identical braclets and promise of better things to come.
Precious Blood is told from four different points of view-Lucy, Agnes, Cecelia and Sebastian which kept the pace of the story moving along but could also be confusing at times.
Although these girls have been brought together for a similar purpose(that remains a mystery throughout Precious Blood) they are all very different from one another. As the story progresses we find out more about each girl-their lives and trials are revealed. Lucy is an out-for-herself, party till dawn, it girl of the moment. Cecelia is a down on her luck musician who speaks to people through her soul baring music. And Agnes is the helpless romantic who just desperately wants to be loved.
Tonya Hurley's attention to detail is exceptional as she describes Catholic sybolism and the history of martyrs and saints. She reveals small bits while building suspense page after page.
On the downside  there were times throughout the book I was literally scratching my head and saying, "What???"
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the things that take place in the basement of the church....
 Is Sebastian crazy? If these girls are modern day martyrs and saints what is their purpose?
o many questions that I' hoping will be revealed in the second book(Passionaries) of this trilogy. But I  have to wait until January 2014!
So here's the beauty of Precious Blood-even with the plot holes and lack of character deveopment I'm sticking with it. Why? Because I'm hooked! I can't get this story out of my head. I REALLY need to know what happens next.
To read about Tonya Hurley, Precious Blood and more details on saints and martyrs she visit her website.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review Precious Blood. This book was passed on in a giveaway earlier this month.

Book Trailer-Precious Blood

Here is the beautiful book trailer for Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley.
I'll be posting my review of Precious Blood tomorrow.

Contest Winners

I have winners to announce!!
*Awesome ARC Giveaway-4 ARCs-The Lady Vampire
*Book Review and Giveaway-fml-Joana Vieira
*Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop-Precious Blood-Dukie Castro
*Summer Giveaway Hop-Maid of Secrets-Cindi
Thanks to all who have entered, hopped and participated.
I'll be doing some more hops and giveaways in the next couple of months-
*The Last Hurrah Hop-August 18
*Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop-August 20
*Books To Movies Giveaway Hop- August 27
For more information click on sidebar on the right of web page.