Cover Art

Here are a few new covers that have caught my eye during the last week:



Published: January 7th 2011 by Macmillan Children's Books

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she's already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it's tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated: Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he's God's gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her ass. One thing's for sure - if she doesn't keep her wits about her there'll be hell to pay...


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Published: January 4th 2011 by DAW

There´s no description for this one yet. I´ve read the first book in the series, Mark of the Demon and the second one, Blood of the Demon waits on my TBR pile for me (as do so many others...). This cover however stands out in the series.



Published: September 7th 2010 by Harper Teen

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.



Published: February 1st 2011 by Berkley

Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires. But she’s just become a living, breathing weapon against them. Attacked by a desperate scientist, she is injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to vampires. And when the scientist is gunned down in front of her, his secrets die with him.

Declan Reyes was only half-vampire, but he hates them with all his heart. He knows that the poison in Jillian’s veins could finally destroy the undead kingdom. Also, the serum has had an unintended effect, making her blood irresistible to all vampires—including Declan, whose bloodthirsty traits are driven into a frenzy by her.

Driven by duty to protect her and by instinct to crave her, Declan takes Jillian into his shadowy world of blood and battle. But he soon realizes his increasing need for her may be a different kind of hunger…



Published: September 14th 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

For years, Jacob Reckless has been secretly disappearing to another world, a world behind a mirror, a world for which his father abandoned his family. The mirror world is Jacob's escape from reality. It's a place for treasure hunts and magnificent quests. A world where witches haunt the forests and giants and dwarfs roam. A world locked in a deadly war.

Jacob's secret seems safe, until one day his younger brother Will follows him, with disastrous consequence. Faced with a curse that is quickly turning Will to stone, the Reckless brothers are thrust into a race against time to find a cure before Will is lost forever.

Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, master storyteller Cornelia Funke introduces a lush, enchanting world where fantasy meets reality. Reckless is a thrilling adventure, a tale of heroism and loyalty, filled with danger, mystery, and magic--with fairy tales and legends re-imagined as never before.



Published: August 24th 2010 by Hyperion Book CH

Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that's not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia's mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just...happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, belieiving this way she can supress her powers and keep them hidden. But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia's days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats' kids and child geniuses--not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are they treating Dancia like she's special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome. And then there's her mysterious new friend Jack, who can't stay out of trouble. He suspects something dangerous is going on at the Academy and wants Dancia to help him figure out what. But Dancia isn't convinced. She hopes that maybe the recruiters know more about her "gift" than they're letting on. Maybe they can help her understand how to use it...But not even Dancia could have imagined what awaits her behind the gates of Delcroix Academy.



Published: October 19th 2010 by Philomel

While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all.

My Mailbox

To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.

Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.



Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course.

Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise...

And the award goes to...

I still owe 15 awards to awesome bloggers!

The first go to bloggers I´ve followed even befor I started blogging myself:

All Things Urban Fantasy

Tynga´s Reviews

Smexy Books

The Book Smugglers

Dark Faerie Tales

Amberkatze´s Book Blog

Fiction Vixen

Parajunkee´s View

Book Chick City

All those blooger are awesome persons have an excellent taste in book and their blogs are worth every visit. Thank you for all your great work!


The rest of the awards are to all those other bloggers I´ve found and got to know by hopping and blogging myself:

Savannah @ Books with Bite

Darkly Reading

Stella @ Ex Libris

The Unread Reader

One Book Away from Heaven

The Geeky Bookworm


To all of you bloggers: I really admire you for your work! Your blogs are always an inspiration! I´ve found so many great book through your reviews! Thank you so much!

I got an Award!!! Again!!!

Here's how this award works:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason!

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award! I’m sure they’ll be thankful ;-)

I don´t really know what to say! I´m so happy abou this award. I´d never thought that I might get an award anytime soon when I started blooging back in July:
You can´t imagine how much it means to me that some of you like my blog!
I seriously love you guys! And right now, espacially Paromantasy who has given this award to me! Thank you again so much!


So, about myself:

1) I spend too much money on book. I have to set a strict limit so I don´t spent everything I have. Yeah, I´m compulsive. :)

2) I have 6 pets: 3 cats, a dog and 2 rabbits. Their names are Bruno, Sammy and *cough* Mopsi (yeah, if you don´t speak German, it´s difficult to understand that one) for the cats, Snoopy or Schnuffi for the dog and..okay, now it´s really difficult... Bommelchen and Murmelchen for the rabbits. (no, I´m not weird.)

3) I love black clothes

4) My sister and I are very close, we even share an apartment, even though she´s five years older than me. We also look quite alike. Even my gradparents have sometimes problems telling us apart (at least from the distance!)

5) I don´t smoke, drink alcohol or coffee

6) I love gummi bears.

7) If I could be a supernatural creature, I guess I would be a shapeshifting immortal which with elemental powers! :)

I´ll let you know which bloggers I´ve chosen tomorrow!

Xoxo!

Friday Blog Hop

Yes, it´s Friday again! Time for a little hopping!

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - www.onceuponachapter.com
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!


Happy Follow Friday!

Another blog hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.
RULES: (in hopes of simplifying things for everyone!)

1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below (be sure to include how long you've been blogging and what genres you review!). If you post about the Hop on your blog, please link directly to your Hop post (don't forget to answer this week's question - see below!).

2. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

3. Post about the Hop on your blog! Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!

4. In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!):

RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?

Right now, there are two book I´m really waiting for in July: City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane and Wait for Dusk by Jocelynn Drake.

When I´m not reading...

When I'm not reading is a Thursday meme started by Missie, at The Unread Reader! This is a new way to find out about the bloggers behind the blogs and what they do when they're *gasp*... NOT reading!

To participate, grab the button, and find out more information about this fantastic meme, you can visit The Unread Reader HERE!


...right now, I´m sweating. Or both. Normally, the summers in Germany are nice, not too hot, not too rainy, just the right thing. This year however, it´s completly different. During the whole July and the last week of June, the temperature is around 96 degrees during the day and 77 at night. They say it might be the hottest July since 110 years. *puuuhhh*
Unfortunatly, my skin is rather pale and I easily get a sunburn, so going to a lake to relax is completly out of question. Throw me in the direct sun at noon for half an hour and I do a pretty good vampire impression (you know, when they start burning and smoking and eventually turn into dust? Yeah, that´s me at 1 p.m.)
Plus, I´m living in the top floor of my building, so my apartment is really really hot. At one point last week, the temperature in the kitchen was around 105 degrees. Talk about baking.
If it´s not hot, there are these crazy storms. There was even a small tornado near a island in the North Sea. Ever heard of tornados in the North Sea? No? Well, that´s because there aren´t supposed to be some. Hello Global Warming!

I really wish I could hide the whole day from the heat in a dark, cool room, but unfortunalty, I also have to study for my exams, as the end if the semester draws near...
So, if you don´t hear from me in a few days, I might have melted/spontaneously combusted in flames/died of the heat or some such thing! :)

Review "Twice Bitten"

Title: Twice Bitten, (Chicagoland Vampires, #3)
Author: Chloe Neill
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: July 6th 2010 by NAL Trade


Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.


*This review might contain spoilers!*

The shifters are in town for a convention to decide on which side they´ll stand in the imminent war. Gabriel Keene, the Apex we met in the previous book asks Cadogan house for help: he wants Merit and Ethan working security during the convention. But someone is out for his life and Ethan and Merit get sucked right into the world of the shifters.

The story starts right after the events of the last books and takes up speed fast. The book is really action-packed and fast-paced and gives Merit only few moments to catch her breath. I really liked how we get to know much more about the shifters, their culture, political stucture and motives. It´s good to se their POV for the strained relationship between vampires and shifters. Also, the members of the Keene family and Berna are a wonderful addition to Chicago´s supernational community. I´m really looking forward to reading more about them.

One of the things that made me like Chole Neill´s books so much is how she builds up sexual and romantic tension between Ethan and Merit. I love Merit and her snarky, sarcastic comments and her playful banter with Ethan. Thank god we get more of the two of them in this book! There´s a lot of change happening in their relationship because we finally get a glimpse of Ethans softer, sweeter side. The moment they share together is well written and exactly at the right point of the story. I hope I don´t give away too much if I tell you however that there´s no HEA in sight - yet, because soon enough, Ethan is his old guarded and calculating self and a new rival comes to town and puts a strain on Merit´s and Ethan´s relationship.
One of my favorite scenes was the girls´ night out. Merit´s role in the Cadogan House changes, she´s more integrated, as she seems to have come to terms with her being a vampire. And after the events of a training session with Ethan, she´s finally won a lot of sympathy in the whole house.

Chloe Neill´s Chicago is poulated with so many wonderful characters that I´m always a little sad when some of them are less prominent in a book. This time, I really felt we didn´t get to see enough of Mallory and Catcher (such a shame, Catcher´s really... you know :) hawt).

Chloe Neill´s books always make laugh, keep me glued to the pages and are over much too fast. I really enjoyed this book and can only recommend it to all the lovers of Urban Fantasy who like well-written, funny stories with a lot of action, great characters and the right dose of romance/drama.

4.5 of 5 points from me!