The Time Has Come

When I began Starting the Next Chapter a little more than 2 years ago, it was with little idea of just how much time would go into it, how many friends I would make, and how attached I would become.  It's been a wonderful 2 years and I'm grateful for all of you readers out there.  You may have noticed a decrease in the number of reviews I have been posting over the past 5 months.  Perhaps you've noticed that I haven't participated in memes in quite some time.  Maybe you've even noticed my limited appearances on Twitter.  What it all comes down to is life.  I have much more on my plate now than I did when I first started out.  There are medical issues to deal with, a growing daughter in need of more and more education, and only a short span of time to accomplish it all in.

This isn't a complete goodbye, however.  While StNC will no longer be up and running, I will be finding a new home to review at on a part-time basis.  The awesome Megan at Book Brats has invited me to share my bookish opinions there.  If you enjoy my reviews, you will be able to find me there.  I want to thank you all for sticking with me over the months and years.  It's be so much fun getting to know my readers, fellow bloggers, and some truly wonderful authors.  Thanks go out to: Amy at Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes, a wonderful friend and librarian extraordinaire, without whom I would have thrown in the towel a year ago; Hannah at The Book Vortex, a great friend and a great critique partner who I share so much in common with; and Ruta Sepetys, a top-notch author and wonderful friend who has inspired me to write in earnest once more and who gives the best writing advice.  Special thanks go to my co-bloggers who stepped in to help when I needed it: GiGi, my crafty fairy godmother and partner in crochet crime; Shalena, teller of hilarious stories and a truly awesome author event travel buddy; and Nikki, long, long-time friend, book pal, coffee buddy, and kick-ass future librarian; and, of course, Megan, for copious gchats, reminding me I don't have to feel guilty for wanting to go part-time, and for offering me a place to do so.

Reading Into Romance - Guest Post w/ Cayla Kluver

Hello, all!  I'm happy to have the chance to host a stop on the Harlequin Teen Reading Into Romance blog tour today.  Stopping by today we have Cayla Kluver, author of the Legacy trilogy.  Cayla will tell you all about a vital key to romance in her books: kissing.  I hope you enjoy and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post.  Good luck!

First Kisses

As we know from the beginning of Legacy, Steldor is a lady’s man, well-experienced in wooing women, and an excellent kisser.  This is clear from Alera’s reactions to some of his advances.  Even though she dislikes him, she recognizes his masculinity and inherent attractiveness, noting after one kiss: “…he departed, leaving me slightly off balance, as I had not anticipated such tenderness from him, and highly unsettled by the knowledge that I had enjoyed both his kiss and his touch.”

As for Steldor, his first kiss with Alera is one he will never forget, for it was the first time a woman ever rejected his advances.  He is at his romantic best, having taken her to dinner and then for a walk in the Palace gardens.  But when he sits with her on a bench and leans in to kiss her, she pulls away, appalled that he would make such a presumptuous move on her.  Before he can kiss her again, she springs to her feet and hastens to London.  Certainly not the way Steldor is used to having his evenings end!  This was, of course, not only Alera’s first kiss with Steldor, but her first romantic kiss, period.  And even though it was entirely unwelcome, she admits to London that “when we were sitting on the bench, I couldn’t think.  He has this amazing… scent.”

Interestingly, up until this first kiss, Steldor was pursuing Alera primarily because she was his way to the throne.  But after this experience, he sees her as a challenge, a handful, and well worth pursuing in her own right.  As strange as it seems, her rejection makes her more attractive to him.

Alera’s first kiss with Narian occurs later in Legacy, and is presumably the first time he has kissed a woman.  It is a forbidden kiss, and comes in the aftermath of Alera learning about the Legend of the Bleeding Moon and being advised to stay away from him.  He has just defeated Steldor in the Exhibition at the Harvest Festival’s Tournament, and she seeks him out in his tent, where his injuries are being treated.  She confronts him about the legend, and the kiss is his way of telling her that he loves her and has no intention of hurting her or her kingdom.  Alera describes the kiss in this way:  “His vivid blue eyes captured mine of deep brown.  As my heart pounded, his lips met mine, lightly at first, then more insistently, and I succumbed to his embrace.  I melted against him, my hands upon his back, all reason having abandoned me.  After several moments, our lips reluctantly parted…”  While she has long been attracted to Narian, this may be the moment when she realized she has fallen in love with him.

So what’s the power of a kiss?  Both Steldor and Narian would seem to be excellent kissers, which would indicate the magic is not in the manner of the kiss itself.  But perhaps a kiss helps to identify your true feelings about someone.  In the case of Steldor, it strengthens Alera’s dislike of him.  With Narian, it confirms that she loves him.  So don’t take a first kiss too lightly, or engage in one too soon.  And above all, pay attention to what your instincts are telling you!

About the Author

With the book industry currently in a debate over print vs. digital, Cayla Kluver, born October 2, 1992 in Wisconsin, truly embodies the next generation of author. At just 19 years-old, Cayla has already published her debut novel Legacy in three different formats.

It all began with self-publication and the creation of her own publishing house (with the help of her mom, called: Forsooth Publishing) in 2008. Cayla was then offered a digital debut with Amazon (was the premier title for Amazon’s self-publishing program, Amazon Encore) in 2009. Finally in 2010 Cayla was signed to a three book publishing deal with Harlequin TEEN.

She has cats, dogs and horses, and watches more crime shows than is probably healthy.  Her office is filled with twinkly lights, candles and fun colors.  She loves Robert Louis Stevenson and the Beatles, and you can follow her on Twitter @CaylaKL, as well as join her fan page on Facebook.

Check Out the Other Stops

Monday, March 4th - Karen Ann Hopkins and Temptation:

• Bittersweet Enchantment

• The Cozy Reader

• Paulette's Papers

Wednesday, March 6th - Liz Fichera and Hooked:

• Bumbles and Fairy-Tales

• IB Book Blogging

• Chick Loves Lit

Friday, March 8th - Cayla Kluver and the Legacy series:

• YA Bibliophile

• Rex Robot Reviews

• Starting the Next Chapter

Monday, March 11th - Aimée Carter and The Goddess Test series:

• Coffee, Books and Me

• Book Nook

• Bookshelf Banter

Wednesday, March 13th - Julie Kagawa and The Iron King series:

• Refracted Light Reviews

• Page Turners

• Mundie Moms

Friday, March 15th - Katie McGarry and Pushing the Limits:

• Alice Marvels

• Bewitched Bookworms

• Katie's Book Blog

Monday, March 18th - Rachel Vincent and The Soul Screamers series:

• Fiktshun

• Parajunkee

• The Bookish Brunette

Wednesday, March 20th - Hannah Harrington and Saving June:

• A Bookish Escape

• The Book Cellar

• Basia's Bookshelf

Friday, March 22nd - Jordan Dane and In The Arms of Stone Angels:

• Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf

• Fantasy Book Addict

• Swoony Boys Podcast

The Giveaway

Today's Daily Prize:

Your Choice of 1 of the Books in the Legacy Trilogy

The Grand Prize:

HarlequinTEEN dresses you for a romantic date with this beautiful, unique heart shaped locket! And in case it’s a chilly spring evening, don’t forget the matching beautiful Pashmina!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review - Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

by Kristen Simmons
publisher: Tor Teen
date of publication: February 12, 2013
format: hardcover
pages: 400
source: publisher
series: Article 5

From Goodreads:

The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

Article 5 introduced us to Ember Miller, a girl at the mercy of the totalitarian government that has gained power in what was once the United States.  Being guilty only of the crime of circumstance, Ember finds herself the victim of a horrific reform school and the adults that run it.  Not knowing exactly whom to trust, Ember escapes and must do all she can to reunite with her mother and make it to a safe haven where she has the chance to live her life as she was meant to.  As it turns out, this is not going to be at all easy as several things have already gone wrong.  As we find out in Breaking Point, Ember is struggling even more with both her circumstances and the actions of both the government and the resistance.  On the surface, Breaking Point is the continuation of Ember's journey toward safety.  There is more to it than that, however.  At its heart, Breaking Point is a closer look at Ember's heartbreak, fear, and inner struggle with her own feelings of guilt.

You really have to feel for Ember at this juncture.  As if her world hadn't been shaken enough in Article 5, things just keep getting worse for her in Breaking Point.  Her inner turmoil is evident as she struggles with her trust of those around her as well as her trust in herself.  You can really get the sense that she is on the edge and is barely hanging on.  The one issue I had with Ember this time around, however, was a certain sense of wishy-washy behavior that, after a time, just began to give me a headache.  There's struggling and then there's lack of commitment to one's decisions.  It often seemed that Ember would make up her mind about something only to immediately thereafter do a 180 and go right back to her surly, introspective ways.  I kept waiting for her to find the fire within and fully commit to doing something.  Alas, I never quite saw this from her.  Sure, she went through the motions of fighting back, but it didn't feel like her heart was all the way in it.  I truly hope to see more spirit from her in book 3.

The settings for Breaking Point are superb as ever.  Taking place in Knoxville, TN; Louisville, KY; and Chicago, IL, Breaking Point exhibits some really vivid places with a great sense of desolation.  If you are familiar with any of these cities and are able to compare them with their counterparts in Breaking Point, it truly hits home just how drastic the events that led to things be the way they are were.  Reading about the version of Knoxville seen in Article 5 and Breaking Point is especially striking for me since I grew up a mere 45 minutes from there and even lived there for a while.  Imagining walking through these damaged, more deserted versions of the places I know was nothing short of sobering.  It definitely helped to be able to fully visualize what was going on as I read.

Overall, Breaking Point was a great follow-up to Article 5 and, judging by the last chapter, book 3 is going to be absolutely intense.  Even though I wasn't able to connect with Ember as well, I definitely connected with the intensity of the situation at hand.  Breaking Point is a book chock full of action, thrills, and tension and would make a great read for fans of action-adventure books and movies.  I must reiterate that if you haven't started this series yet, you should.  That the events are so utterly realistic and plausible give this series an edge of horror that is hard to deny.  Breaking Point is a definite recommendation that I can stand behind.

Buy Breaking Point at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This finished review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

 

Review - Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

by Gail Carriger
publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
date of publication: February 5, 2013
format: egalley
pages: 307
source: the publisher via Netgalley
series: Finishing School

From Goodreads:

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Sophronia Temminnick at 14 is a great trial more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners -- and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Her poor mother, desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, enrolls the lively tomboy in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage -- in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Though I love steampunk, I have a confession to make: Etiquette & Espionage is my first experience reading Gail Carriger's work.  I know!  I've been completely remiss in not reading The Parasol Protectorate series during the 2 years it has been on my TBR list.  Thanks to Little, Brown, however, I had the opportunity to read Etiquette & Espionage, the first in Ms. Carriger's new YA series.  I had heard much praise of Ms. Carriger's writing beforehand.  Now I know exactly why.  To say that Etiquette & Espionage is amazing doesn't even begin to cover how much I enjoyed this book.

I'll admit to at first being thrown off by the main character's name.  I soon adjusted, though, and quickly began to enjoy reading her story.  She's such a spunky, funny girl that you can't help but quickly become captivated.  With each failed curtsey, midnight foray, and discovery, Sophronia proves more and more that she has a future as a force to be reckoned with.  As if that weren't enough, you will also discover that there are some familiar characters to be found within Etiquette & Espionage.  Younger versions of Genevieve Lefoux and Sidheag Maccon can be found within.  Having promptly started reading The Parasol Protectorate series right after finishing E&E, I found it fascinating seeing them as youths as well as the women they become.  Perhaps one of my favorite characters, however, isn't a living, breathing being at all.  Neither is he a vampire.  This character is a gadget known as a mechanimal named Bumbersnoot (trust me, the vast majority of the names in Etiquette & Espionage are hilarious), who proved to be just as humorous as Sophronia.  I loved every minute!

The world-building, though perhaps not quite so technological as that found in The Parasol Protectorate, is nevertheless fascinating.  Not only does Etiquette & Espionage take place at a school, it takes place in a floating school.  It doesn't get much more intriguing than that.  Between the finishing school, the boys' school for evil geniuses, and Sophronia's home, there is so much to discover from page to page.  The rich environments combined with the novel inventions are simply fantastic in every shape of the word.  It makes for a rich world for Sophronia to have adventures in and shows much promise of getting even better in the next installment.

Ever since I finished Etiquette & Espionage, I have been simply devouring everything by Gail Carriger that I can get my hands on.  It has been a while since an author has made me want to read everything they have written one book after another.  If you, too, have yet to experience the writing of Ms. Carriger, take my advice: prior to reading Etiquette & Espionage, make sure you have The Parasol Protectorate books readily available.  If you love E&E as much as I did, you'll probably want them before the warmth from your hands has faded from the pages.

Buy Etiquette & Espionage at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.