Exclusive Excerpt + GIVEAWAYS: The Embrace Series

Are you a fan of The Embrace Series? If not, you very well should be :)

By far, my favorite YA angel series and today I have such a special treat for you!

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Sourcebooks I have an exclusive short story to share with you. It retells parts of chapter 14 and 15 from Embrace, from Claudia's point of view. Excellent write as always - and sad. So much of Violet's life is full of sadness.

Read on!

And when you're done I have more goodies to share ;)

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A Violet Eden Chapters Short Story: CLAUDIA - FAMILY TIES My feet tangled beneath me and I stumbled forwards, almost taking a full-on nosedive. I couldn’t believe it! I found my balance, hitched my backpack up and powered on. I was going to be late, again, and Giuseppe was going to kill me. No, worse, he was going to fire me. Last time was ‘the last time!’ he’d said, shaking his finger at me, blowing the greying curls that fall over his eyes. But I needed that job. I needed all of my jobs. So I kept running, knowing that by the time I arrived at the Pizzeria I’d be disgusting and sweaty, and in-desperate-need-of-deodorant. Plus, I was still in my Hades wait-staff uniform, another thing that never went down well. Working a full cycle of shifts at Hades and the opposite at Giuseppe’s had me slogging from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week and constantly running from one side of the city to the other in the 30-minute-between-shifts gap. I rounded the corner, almost there. Giuseppe would forgive me. And if he started yelling, I’d just cry. That always worked. He was a tyrant, but the man couldn’t handle tears. I pulled up short of the restaurant when I heard an all-too familiar whistle. Panting, I looked around until I spotted him. The second I saw my brother, Sean, my stomach churned. Something was wrong. What now? What more could possibly go wrong? As if our lives didn’t suck enough already. He was hidden beneath the shadow of a sunken doorway across the street. I put my hands on my hips and waited. If he wanted to talk to me he could damn well cross the road. I could just about feel one of his heavy sighs from over the street. He was only three years older than me, but he’d assumed the man-of-the-house role a while back and since then he acted as if he was twenty-two going on fifty. “Real discreet, Claudia,” he said harshly, pulling me by the arm to the side of the pavement. He was wearing his street clothes, which meant he hadn’t been working one of his legit jobs today. I tried not to notice. “Sean, whatever it is, I don’t have time. I’m late for work again. Giuseppe will give my job to one of his five million cousins if I don’t hurry up.” His expression softened. I wasn’t the only one who worked constantly. There was a time when all Sean did was chase his med degree and chase girls. He was so different back then, but those days were well and truly gone. Everyone thought he’d have this amazing future, become some kind of medical savior. I guess in a way he had – just not the way he’d thought he would, and not the way that guaranteed any kind of bright future either. Sean was our family’s savior. After what Dad did … Sean kept us all going, kept us together and safe. He looked over his shoulder. He was scared. More than usual. I grabbed hold of his clammy hand. “What is it?” He shook his head, more to himself than me. “We have to go, Claude’s. We have to pack up and leave.” “But, but … we need more time! We don’t have the money yet!” “Shh,” he snapped, his eyes urgent as he looked up and down the street. “I have it. I pulled in a favor. Claudia, we have to finish this. We’ll give them the money after your shift tonight and then we’re out of here. All of us.” “Why? I mean, if you have the money, wasn’t that the whole point? If we give it to them won’t they leave us alone? This is supposed to be the final payment.” We’d worked so hard for the last year. It had all been leading to this. Every single cent we’d made had gone to them. “They’ll never leave us alone, Claudia. I … I don’t know what they are but they know things … and they can do things that normal people can’t. I … I saw one of them this afternoon …” he paled and grabbed me by the shoulders as if to steady himself. “I can’t even tell you, it was so horrible. I just know we have to go. We have to get Taylor and Mum away from this place.” I knew he was right. Deep down, I’d always known the men who Dad had been mixed up with before he died were not normal. I don’t know how, instinct I guess. Sean had always known too, even if we hadn’t wanted to admit it to one another. It was why we’d being working so hard to pay off Dad’s debt. Whatever gambling mess he’d gotten himself into, it had ended up costing a lot more than simple interest. I knew I wasn’t the only one in my family who suspected his death wasn’t just a simple car accident. Sean and I had never told Mum about what his body looked like when we’d gone to identify him. We never would. I nodded. “I can ask for my pay tonight. Here,” I fumbled in my bag, pulling out my wallet. “I have my pay from Hades, too.” Sean sighed with relief as he took the money. My contribution was important, but Sean was the one who brought in the big bucks. He’d given up everything and I knew he couldn’t be doing anything good to bring in the kind of money he was. I wished I could hate my father for it. But he was a victim too. “I’m going to get us away from all this, Claudia. We’ll go somewhere else and start fresh. We’ll get Taylor into a good school. You’ll be able to go back to art school. Everything will be better.” I looked toward the pizza restaurant. I could hear Giuseppe’s booming voice. “I better go.” I threw my arms around my brother and he hugged me back briefly. “I have to go organize a few things. Stay in the restaurant until I get back. Then we’ll go give them the money and we’re gone.” I bit my lip nervously, but nodded. “Be careful, Sean.” He mustered a small smile. “Don’t tell anyone, okay. We have to just disappear.” He was looking around again, pulling his hoodie over his head. Whatever he’d seen had more than frightened him.<br /> “I know. I won’t.” * * * I watched the clock on the wall. Giuseppe yelled at me for twelve minutes, which was a long time even for him. I tried to turn on the waterworks but they didn’t come. I don’t know if it was because I was too petrified something might go wrong with Sean’s plan or if I was too excited about the prospect of finally being free of Dad’s unfortunate legacy. Sean had known about Dad’s gambling when he was alive. Apparently a few weeks before the accident Dad had broken down and told him he was in trouble – that the people he owed money to were dangerous and would come after him. Sean had dropped out of university and started his first shift at a bar that night. I remember yelling at him the next day – not knowing why he’d done it – calling him a deadbeat loser. I went through the motions. Collecting dirty plates, loading them up on my already tired arms. At least working here, the customers didn’t get too drunk or handsy. Some nights after a shift at Hades my overly pinched ass was the sorest part of all. Here, I just had to put up with being yelled at by Giuseppe and Mario and Antonio and, well, there were a lot of them, for six hours. At least this would be my last six hours of that. I took a deep breath while making my way to the next table, topping up their wine. Everything was about to change. If Sean and I could just pull this off, if we could get Mom and Taylor packed up tonight, by tomorrow … by tomorrow we could be starting our new life. I could get another job and actually use the money for something I wanted. I knew the first thing I’d buy – after a haircut. Paint. “Pizza, Claudia!” Mario yelled at me, from behind the wood-fired oven. I collected the three scorching hot pizzas, which meant one was, resting against my wrist, but I was used to it. I’d been working there for over a year, my arms had burn scars that I was sure would never go away. I delivered the pizzas and noticed new customers seated in the dinky corner. We were obviously full – it was always the last table to go. I headed over, recognizing one of the diners. Violet Eden and I had gone to the same school, but I’d been ahead of her and apart from the one community art course, we rarely crossed paths. But now this was twice in a few weeks. Weird how that can happen – as if someone is suddenly supposed to be in your life for some reason. She was looking at me, panic drawn all over her face. Last time I saw her she was at Hades with some hottie, getting drunk on the sly. Nothing I hadn’t done a couple of years back – half her luck. Anyway, she’d forgotten my name. It’s so easy to tell when people do that – maybe because it happened to me all the time, all they see is my bright red hair. Taking those last few steps. I twisted a little so my name badge would be in her line of sight and as I stopped in front of her table I flicked my hair back giving her full view. I could tell the moment her eyes latched on to the golden nametag by the relief flooding her features. “Hey, Violet,” I said. “Hey, Claudia. So this is the other place you work at,” Violet said, recalling our last conversation. At least she’d remembered that. “Yeah, unfortunately.” I smiled but something about her was off. She was tense, sitting high in her chair, holding the menu with an almost desperate grip. I thought she looked a little frightened. I leaned towards her, about to ask if she was okay, before stopping myself. I barely knew her, and I was about to know her a whole lot less once this city was in our rearview mirror. So instead, I decided on something more neutral. “Shitty tips and crap boss, but it works,” I said with a shrug, using the movement to step back a little. Violet smiled awkwardly, looking between her dinner partner and me. I looked at him for the first time and almost fainted right there. “Claudia, this is Phoenix,” she said, kind of leaving things there, up in the air. I wasn’t much help. I was speechless. He was beautiful. I mean, not hottie like – he was utterly, earth-shatteringly and painfully beautiful. Did people like this actually exist? He had this presence around him, some kind of humming vibration coming off him and I … Oh. My. God. I just wanted to dive in, lose myself in it. He didn’t even look at me but it didn’t matter. I felt as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. I stared. I wasn’t usually brazen with guys and especially not ones who looked like that … but I couldn’t look away, couldn’t bear to take my eyes from him, even if all he was doing was staring at his menu, completely disinterested in me. “Pleasure,” he said, now looking over his menu to Violet. But when he spoke something happened; a feeling foreign but not, came over me as if it wasn’t mine but had being molded from me somehow. A sureness … that Sean had been right. We needed to leave this city, get as far away from here as possible. Strangest of all, I knew the light-bulb moment had something to do with the guy sitting at the table, Phoenix. I swayed, overwhelmed, and had to brace a hand on their table. Violet was watching me strangely. Fair enough, I was macking on her dinner date. How did she suddenly have all these adorable guys around her? “Hi,” I said, trying to recover, looking at Phoenix. “Can I take your order?” Violet cleared her throat. “I’ll have the Diavola pizza, thanks.” I saw Phoenix smirk. He was looking at her so intently. She had her eyes cast down, avoiding his. I almost reached out and slapped her. It wasn’t just that I’d been unlucky in love with a string of guys that fit into the live-and-learn category of life, it was that with everything my life had – or rather had not – turned into, to have one person look at me the way he was looking at her just for one moment. I couldn’t imagine a more heavenly thing. Phoenix glanced my way briefly. “The same, and a glass of the Cabernet,” he said dismissively. I nodded, writing it down, trying to process the overpowering influx of emotion I was experiencing. Yet again, I was so sure all of a sudden that I had to leave – had to get away. I staggered away from the table, desperately needing to get away from them, but half wanting to grab a hold of Phoenix and beg him to take me away. But with each step my mind seemed to clear. I had no idea what was going on, but the feelings that had started to stir when I’d been near that guy stayed. The weirdest thing of all was that, I felt as if Phoenix had been trying to help me. I shook my head at myself. Crazy. He didn’t even know me. I went to the bathroom to pull myself together. Whatever had just happened, it didn’t matter. We were leaving. Everything would be okay. I splashed water on my face and reloaded the toilet-paper holders before heading back out to the busy restaurant, grabbing empty glasses from tables as I passed. That was Giuseppe’s rule, ‘never waste a walk anywhere; you go to the kitchen, bring something with you! You leave the kitchen, you take something out!’ “Pizza! Claudia!” Mario yelled. I grabbed the pizzas and got back to my tables, avoiding Violet and her friend. When I spotted Giuseppe I even got up the gall to ask him for my pay at the end of the shift. He spat out a string of words in Italian and marched off. I smiled. For Giuseppe, that meant yes. I actually felt bad that I would have to leave without saying goodbye. Maybe Sean would let me write Giuseppe a letter once we were settled. “Pizza! Claudia!” Mario yelled, again from behind the wood-fired oven. I made my way over to the two waiting Diavola’s. Violet’s order. I dropped the dishes on their table quickly, trying not to look at Phoenix. Now that I’d managed to get my head straight, I didn’t want to risk it all muddling up again – and I didn’t want to do something stupid like throw myself at him right in front of Violet. For some reason I couldn’t trust myself around that guy so I concentrated on my other tables, hoping that I might be able to make some extra tips. When the peak-time slam settled down, I offered to go out back and start on clean up. It was usually the job everyone avoided, but I wanted to do something nice for Giuseppe and it meant I could daydream about where Sean and I would take the family. Taylor would be so excited. She hated her school. We’d had to move her into a public school six months ago because we couldn’t cover the private tuition fees. She didn’t complain but the new school didn’t have a music department and I’d heard her crying every night for the first few weeks. Taylor had an amazing voice – I’d never heard an eight-year-old like her. And she loved choir. There was something about her – she was good. Sean and I both knew it – of all of us Taylor was the best. She would do something amazing with her life. Make a difference. And Sean and I would do anything to protect her so she could. I started wiping down the prep benches and putting away ingredients in the cool room. I wouldn’t care if I never ate a pizza again in my whole life. Pizza and the occasional pick up from the kitchen at Hades had been the basis of all our family meals for the past year. There is only so much pepperoni one person can take. I hummed to myself as I worked. This was it. Everything would be better once we were gone. We’d done the best we could, paid off Dad’s debt and now it was time to get on with our lives. Maybe Sean would go back to med school. Maybe Mum would be happy again and let go of some of her guilt. I think she knew what Sean and I had to do to keep us safe – she just couldn’t bear to talk to us about it. Mum was an Irish woman and her pride had been stripped away, but with this new start … I tied the rubbish bags and used my back to push open the alley door that led out to the bins. Caught up in the disgustingness of my shoes sticking to the dirty ground, I didn’t even look behind me and backed right into what felt like a brick wall. A very human-shaped brick wall, that is. I dropped the rubbish and tried to spin around, but I barely made any progress before an arm closed around my neck and started dragging me into the darkness of the alley while I gasped, watching the kitchen door slam shut. Beyond the sounds of my scuffling feet and strangled whimpers I could hear the noises of the world around me – the traffic, the hustle, the buzz of distant voices in the air. But they were so far away. Already I feared I would never again be a part of those noises coming from the end of the alley – the sounds of life. I screamed, struggling to get away from the person dragging me into the darkness. But he was so strong, it barely seemed an effort for him to counter my attempts until, all of a sudden, he dropped his hold on me so fast I fell to the ground. Too sacred to look around and face my captor, I scrambled on hands and knees, my sights fixed on the kitchen door. If I could just get inside … But he grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled so hard the fabric ripped apart. I heard a growl. I froze. Whatever feral noise that was, it was not anything human. Did he have an animal with him? Before I could stop myself I spun around in a crouch to see him and terror I’d never believed existed encased me. He was incredibly tall and eerily thin, except for his shoulders which seemed to be twice the width of him. He sneered at me wickedly, as if enjoying my fear and ran an eager hand through his bright white hair that stood out like a beacon on his otherwise black outfit. “You should not have tried to leave. You belong to us.” Oh God, help me! I desperately looked down the end of the alley. “No, no,” I stammered. “We … we have your money. My brother will be here any second. We have all of your money!” He watched me with hungry eyes that had me trying to shuffle back. “Your brother needs to be taught a lesson. You’re it.” He was going to kill me. Sean would come to get me in an hour and he’d find me dead. I didn’t want to die. “Please!” I panted between fear-filled gulps. “Please, we’ll do anything. We’ll get you more money.” “Should’ve thought of that before.” He shrugged. “But they don’t send me to negotiate,” he growled. I backed up until I hit the wall, sobbing and let out a final scream. The man moved fast, inhumanly fast, grabbing me by the hair, pulling me to my feet. All I could think about was Taylor. I prayed that she would at least go on. That Sean would find a way to keep her safe – I knew he would. The tall blond winked as his hand moved back. He was going to beat me to death and by the look in his eyes – he was planning to take his time. But just before his hand should have collided with my face, he stopped, his arm dropping and his attention drawn to the end of the alley. I strained under his tight grip to see what he was looking at. Someone was walking towards us. I started to scream again, a high-pitched desperate holler for life. The man yanked me savagely, twisting me so my back was to him and his arm, once again, was around my neck. When the person coming down the alley was only meters away I saw who it was. Phoenix. Violet’s friend. But he looked different. Stone faced his cold eyes were fixed on the man holding me. Suddenly, I didn’t know if things had just improved for me or not. ‘This is not your business,” the man holding me said menacingly. Phoenix shrugged like he didn’t have a care in the world. He didn’t look frightened at all. “Just made it mine, Cherub,” he said the last word with venom. “She’s our property,” the man snarled. Phoenix didn’t respond. I wondered if he was considering just walking away. If he did, I was dead. Footsteps pounded down the ally and another figure came into view. “Violet!” I screamed before I could think. “VIOLET! HELP ME!” The man yanked my head back, his grasp on my neck tightening while his other hand clamped down over my mouth. I kept my desperate eyes on Violet. Oh God. I’d just brought her into all of this. What had I done? She couldn’t help me, how could she? She was just a girl, younger than me. She was watching on, petrified. If I had another chance I’d yell at her to run. Phoenix whispered something harshly at her but then he turned back to us, a different type of resolve now on his face as he positioned himself between Violet and us. “Release her,” he said, his voice quietly rebounding off the alley walls threateningly. I felt the man back up half a step and he did something to me. It felt as if thick syrup was poured over my body, inside and out, covering all of me and then hardening, like glass. Impenetrable glass. And I was locked within. He threw me down, my head smacking into the concrete and looked at me with absolute hatred as he commanded, “Kneel before me.” I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to kneel for him even though deep down I was still there, was still petrified, he owned me. I had to do as he commanded. I crawled to his feet, blood dripping from my head onto my hands and I knelt. “Beg me to take your life,” he spat at me. My mind fought feebly. Sean was supposed to come for me. Was this the price I would pay for dreaming? Would this be the price Sean would pay, too? My heart pounded with fear as the tall man’s image morphed into something terrifyingly creature-like. I considered I might already be dead and in some kind of hell. Either way, I was in absolutely no doubt, I must do as I was told. “Kill me. P-p-please,” I stuttered, tears streaming down my face. “No! Let her go!” I heard Violet scream. But it was all too far away now. “Claudia! Claudia, run!” She may as well have suggested I fly. Did she not see the terrible things surrounding me? The man pulled me up, spinning me to face Violet and Phoenix and put a hand flat on either side of my face, holding me still. “If you want her, come and get her,” he challenged, adding another word at the end I did not know; “Grigori.” He lifted me into the air, holding me out toward them. Pain registered distantly. People were not supposed to be held mid air by their heads, but I just dangled, completely disconnected, locked away in my glass prison. I knew what he was going to do. As if he had somehow whispered it tauntingly in my ear. Violet launched herself toward me, panic-stricken but brave, eyes on mine, arms outstretched. She knew too. And then, I saw Phoenix. As if he’d somehow forced me to look in his direction and instantly … everything, all the pain, the fear, even the feelings of entrapment vanished. I was me and I was not afraid. I was at peace.
Now for the extra goodies :)

3 chances to win a piece of this fantastic series.

Giveaway #1: Embrace (Embrace #1)
Open to INTERNATIONAL entries from anywhere The Book Depository will ship
1 winner (purchased by me)

Giveaway #2: ARC of Entice (Embrace #2) + Tote Bag
Open to US entries only
2 winners (shipped by me)

Giveaway #3: Emblaze (Embrace #3)
Open to US or CANADIAN entries only
1 winner (supplied / shipped by Sourcebooks)

Use the Rafflecopters below

Enter 1 or all 3 just please pay attention to who each giveaway is open to :)

Let me know if you have any questions!

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway **for anyone who noticed - I updated this post a few hours after it went live because I used the UK / Australian title of the series (The Violet Eden Chapters) instead of the US one (The Embrace Series) -- oops! Sorry!!**

Book Review: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Emblaze (Embrace #3)

Jessica Shirvington

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication: March 19, 2013
Pages: 464
Format: ARC
Acquisition: received from the publisher

Synopsis:

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

(from Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Good and evil, heaven and hell, right and wrong - which side would you choose? For Violet this question is at the very center of her life. Everything revolves around what is right and good - what she must do and what is evil (or forbidden). She is one of the strongest female characters I have come across in a while in YA lit and I absolutely love her!

The tensions that started in Embrace and continued in Entice have built up to a breaking point. Violet and her friends are giving everything they have - and it might not be enough.

Fantasy and reality collide. Angels are real. Evil is real and Violet just might hold the key to it all.

A fantastic story!

Emblaze picks up pretty much were Entice left off and I'm chalking it up to Shirvington's phenomenal writing because unlike what happens most of the time for me when I pick up a book 3, I hadn't forgotten ANYTHING about Violet's world. Only a few pages into Emblaze and every detail from the previous 2 books were fresh in my mind. This is rare and it was awesome!

With slews of paranormal creatures to choose from in YA readings, I feel that angels can be overlooked. Shirvington has filled a void, for me at least. I love the world she has created and her characters feel like old friends.

This is truly one of my favorite series and it's one I can't recommend enough! If you like angels - you must read these books. If you're on the fence - pick up book 1 today and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Will I continue the series?
Yes oh yes! No word on when the US edition of book 4 will be out but it's already been released in the UK (title: Endless).

Rating

5 / 5 Stars

The Embrace Series
#1 Embrace
#2 Entice
#3 Emblaze
#4 Endless (UK release 2012)
#5 Untitled (?)

Entice Me Day Celebration

In celebrations of Jessica Shirvington's Violet Eden series, Sourcebooks is throwing it's biggest online party ever and YOU'RE INVITED!

Follow @EmbraceSeries on Twitter and check back all day long for exclusive content and secrets

At 2pm EDT on Sat September 15th, Jessica will be online live reading from Entice followed by an interactive audience Q and A - RSVP HERE!

You'll really want to join in the chat because not only will Jessica be sharing awesomeness with us, during the chat a GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be picked!

What you can win:
*A Nook Color
*ebook copies of Embrace and Entice
*An exclusive early excerpt of Emblaze
*a "Sizzling  Reads Library" prize pack from Sourcebooks Fire

ENTER HERE!

From September 7th to September 15th Entice Street Team members are also here to bring you exclusive content, book excerpts and behind the book secrets, along with several chances to win some awesome prizes.

Today it it my pleasure to act as AMBASSADOR for NYLA and RUDYARD

We meet Nyla and Rudyard in book 2 Entice and I for one loved them!

You can read their bios HERE

Tough as Nails

Nyla and Rudyard may be new but they’re a force to be reckoned with. Nyla may look like tall, slim goddess with a dazzling smile, but she’s all warrior underneath.  And she teaches combat at the Grigori Academy in New York—something she’s come to teach Violet.  Rudyard is like night to Nyla’s day: affable, polished, refined; he’s the academic of the group.  But don’t let the mild-mannered exterior fool you: he’s also a fighter.

The most intriguing thing about them?  There’s more to their partnership than meets the eye.

Listen to Jessica give her thoughts on these two from her sun-room in Sidney.

All the links :)

Celebration INVITATION

Embrace Series HOMEPAGE

Embrace Series on FACEBOOK

Embrace Series TWITTER

Take the Embrace QUIZ

My review of EMBRACE

My review of ENTICE

Book Review: Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2) by Jessica Shirvington

"With moments of elation and a few moments of true heartbreak - I was enthralled from beginning to end..."

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 464
Series: 2nd in The Violet Eden Chapters
Acquisition: I received a free ARC for review from the publisher

Summary:

Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.

Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.

The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed. (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
I've always been partial to angel stories so when the chance came along to review the second book in Shirvington's series there was no way I was passing it up.

Intoxicating is a word I would use to decide this one. Lots of characters, lots of drama, life and death situations, good guys who bring a whole new meaning to the word hero and villains that love to hide around every corner. Entice is a thrill ride of a book.

The romance is epic, or tragic depending on your point of view. Violet and Lincoln walk a razor sharp edge and while reading, you get the feeling that at any time, one of them could slip. I do have to say though, by the end of the book I was a little tired of their drama. It was very warranted mind you, as they didn't have a lot of control over what was happening to them but again, the - will they won't they, I'm not good enough for him, she's too good for me- roller coaster ride got a little old at times.

New characters added greatly to this book's appeal for me. Not that I didn't love the original cast from book 1 but I felt that the different aspects and personalities of this infusing of fresh faces really added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

Final verdict:
Lots of drama, like I said, but lots of action too. The world that Jessica has created with this series gets under your skin. It's full of ancient history but in the end, everything could rest on the actions and decisions of 1 person.

With moments of elation and a few moments of true heartbreak - I was enthralled from beginning to end and book 3 could not be here fast enough! The ending was a killer and I can't imagine what else could go wrong (or right) for Violet and the people she cares about.

If you're read Embrace, you have GOT to pick up Entice and if you're a fan of angels in YA and haven't started this series yet you really should.

Overall Rating:

4.5 / 5 Stars

Books in The Violet Eden Chapters:
#1 Embrace
#1 Entice
#3 Emblaze (March 2013)

Author's website / Goodreads / IndieBound

Entice Teaser Trailer from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Starting on September 7th we are gearing up for Entice Me Day - chapters releases, giveaways and lots more. 

Check it out!

Cover Reveal: Entice (The Violet Eden Chapters #2) by Jessica Shirvington

Here’s the scoop!

Seventeen-year-old Violet Eden’s is back! With a destiny is to protect humans from the vengeance of exiled angels it becomes clear that it won’t be easy as even her partner, Lincoln, is hiding something.  And now she has to learn to live with her feelings for him while they work together to stay alive and stop the exiles from discovering the key to destroy all Grigori.  It isn’t easy. Especially when the electricity between her and  Phoenix ignites and she discovers his hold over her has become more dangerous than ever.  Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme with a race halfway across the world to find the one artifact that could tilt the balance of power between Angels and Exiles.  And the ultimate betrayal will be exposed.

And here's the cover!

It releases in September from Sourcebooks Fire and I can't wait.

If you're impatient like me you can read the first two chapters now! Head over to Sourcebooks BEA page and click on the cover.

Still not enough? How about a special vlog Jessica made about her favorite reading space? Love the accent!

And! Be sure to keep your eye on www.embracetheseries.com for details about Jessica's two-week book tour in September.

What do you guys think of the cover?

I'm not sure I love it but I'm definitely excited for the book. 

Embrace was a fantastic read for me (check out my review) and I do love the insight Sourcebooks Fire editor Leah Hultenschmidt shared - "For Entice, we really wanted to have the cover reflect the darker edge of the story and Violet's toughness" -- I can very much see that! 

Add it to your wishlists or pre-order it now :)

Goodreads / IndieBound / Amazon

Contest! Win Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

DETAILS:
* 1 winner from the US or CANADA
* Book will be shipped by the publisher
* Contest ends March 9, 2011 at 11:59pm EST
* Fill out form below to enter

Book Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

***2012 Debut Author***
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: March 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (US)
Pages: 367
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: received an ARC for review

Summary:

It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden… (from Goodreads)

My thoughts:
If I had to pick one word to describe how I felt after reading Embrace it would have to be breathless. The tension in this book is fantastic. Emotional and physical and everything in between. There is such a raw sense of feeling behind this story that I dare you to read it and not be swept away.

Part love story part myth - full of action, suspense and mystery. Also full of love triangles! Ok, only 1 but 1 is enough. Now you have to understand, I absolutely hate love triangles. Being completely honest, books with love triangles stand a better chance of being thrown across the room then they do earning a place on my bookshelves.

So! All I have to say is that Jessica must be some type of magician. Because not only did I love Embrace, I loved the entire story - love triangle and all.

It was really the myth behind the story that really drew me in. The angel hierarchy Jessica created is intriguing and I loved the ways in which angels have played a part of human history. The whole concept of bad or dark angels has always fascinated me and Embrace, for me at least, takes this concept to a new level.

Along with a fantastic storyline, Embrace also has strong characters. I loved some and I hated others and it was wonderful.

Final verdict:
A refreshing read for me. While I love paranormal stories, they can be a bit over the top at times. Embrace was a perfect balance for me - believable situations mixed with unbelievable realities. I highly recommend Embrace and I can't wait for it's sequel. I really don't know if I'll be able to hold off ordering a Australian or UK copy!

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Author's website
Goodreads
IndieBound

These covers are all beautiful!

The Violet Eden Chapters

US Release by Sourcebooks Fire

Embrace (March 2012)

Entice (September 2012)

Emblaze (March 2013)

Originally released in Australia by Hachette

Embrace (October 2010)

Enticed (March 2011)

Emblaze (October 2011)

Endless (2012)

Released in the UK by Orchard Books

Embrace (October 2011)

Enticed (March 2012)

Released in Germany by Random House

Erwacht (April 2011)

Verlockt (February 2012)

Gebannt (August 2012)

Cover Reveal: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

March 1, 2012 from Sourcebooks Fire

It starts with a whisper.

            “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Strange dreams leave her with very real injuries and there’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms. The guy she thought she could fall in love with just told her he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. And she keeps hearing a distant fluttering of wings.

Violet Eden is having a very bad 17th birthday.

But if angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Embrace Cover Shoot from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Website / Facebook / Amazon / IndieBound

What do you guys think? Are you excited to read Embrace?