Interview: Becca Fitzpatrick

Becca Fitzpatrick is the author of the debut novel Hush, Hush. Hush, Hush is now available online and in bookstores.

Questions on Hush, Hush:

Tainted Poet: First off, could you give us a brief summery of Hush, Hush?
Becca Fitzpatrick: Hush, Hush is a dark and sexy story about a girl who falls for a fallen angel with a dark agenda to become human.

TP: I really love the title. How did you come up with it?
BF: I had to scratch the original title of the book, because during the years it took me to sell the book, a popular YA novel came out with the same title. So I went back to the drawing board. I don't remember having a Eureka! moment when I knew I had to call the book Hush, Hush, but I do remember thinking the foundation of the book is about secrets Patch keeps from Nora. Since the definition of the word hush is “to keep concealed,” it just seemed to fit.

TP: Any favorite characters?
BF: Vee, hands down! She's hilarious and quirky. She's the best friend every girl needs in her corner.

TP: A lot of authors draw inspiration from fairy tales or legends. Was there anything that inspired you to write Hush, Hush?

BF: The very first inspiration for the story came from an experience in my own tenth-grade biology class. We must have been studying human reproduction, because my teacher asked me, in front of the whole class, to name characteristics I would be attracted to in a mate. I sat next to a really cute boy, and the thought of naming characteristics I might look for in a mate was a humiliation I was not about to subject myself to. But the experience always stuck with me, and when I sat down to write Hush, Hush, that little piece of my history evolved into an early scene in the book.

TP: Which of your characters would you say most resembles you?
BF: Probably the quiet girl who sits across the aisle from Vee in biology.

TP: Is there anything that separates Hush, Hush from other YA books?
BF: I think it has a great mix of humor and heart-pounding suspense. It's also for older teens – it has a sexy bite.

Other Questions:

TP: Are there any authors that you are particularly influenced by?
BF: I love, love, love Sandra Brown's romantic suspense. Killer stuff.

TP: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
BF: When I was eight, I watched Romancing the Stone for the first time. Kathleen Turner's character plays a romance novelist who flies to Colombia to rescue her sister from Bad Guys, and ends up finding romance and danger that surpasses anything she's ever written. As soon as I saw the movie, there was no turning back. I knew I wanted to be an author. Of course, I thought all writers hunted for treasure in Colombia with a sexy, mysterious guy who wears crocodile boots!

TP: Are there any particular foods and drinks that you like to eat and drink while writing?

BF: My snack choices vary day to day, but I always have a tall glass of water on my desk. I love water! Nothing else tastes half as good, in my opinion.

TP: Where is your favorite place to write?
BF: In my study. It's small and messy, but it has great bookshelves, three light-welcoming windows and French doors.

TP: What would be your ideal date?
BF: A competitive tennis match, followed by dinner out (preferably on a weeknight, when the crowds are missing). My current favorite restaurant is The Bent Fork – they have killer Rocky Mountain salmon! After dinner, return home and eat some mad awesome dessert. My husband and Betty Crocker make excellent cinnamon streusel muffins.

TP: What is one question no one ever asks, but you think needs to be asked?

BF: No one ever asks me what I'm listening to on my iPod right this very minute. And my answer is...the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack.

TP: Any last statements?
BF: Just thanks, Eli, for the great interview!

END

Thank you so much for being here with us Becca Fitzpatrick!

Click HERE to check out my review for Hush, Hush.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Re-read? Of course. :)

Recommend? I recommend this to any girl who loves a bad boy.

Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 400

Synopsis:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

My Thoughts:

Hush, Hush was a surprising and page turning treat. With great characterization and an intriguing plot, it made quiet the interesting read. I have never really read any books that deal with angels solely, so this was very new to me and it was interesting how Becca Fitzpatrick developed her world and, even more interesting, Patch's place in it.

While I did enjoy the book, I had issues with the pace. I found myself confused at places and had to re-read parts to really understand what the author meant, or what the character was really trying to say. My confusion was not only at the pace, but in general as well. At particular points I didn't understand what was going on or what was happening, and that was a main issue while reading.

Hush, Hush had great characterization and the characters were very real to me. Nora and Patch (even Nora's friend, Vee) all had their good points and flaws, which made them all very believable. While Patch is our typical 'Bad Boy', there is a lot more to him then just the stereotyped Bad Boy persona. On a deeper level, he just really wanted to be able to feel again, and I feel all his trouble is stemmed from that issue. Nora on the other hand is not exactly who she supposedly portraying. She made enough mistakes and took enough risks that it seems that she really is looking for a thrill, which doesn't exactly match her good girl, plan making character.

The phrase "Something beautiful, a contradiction" came into my head a lot while reading Hush, Hush, so I thought I should mention it because that's sort of how I feel about the novel. The cover especially. There is so much more going on then what meets the eye, but it is truly beautiful. I personally cannot wait for another book by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Details:

Cover: 5.0
Plot: 4.5
Characters: 4.0
Writing: 3.0

Welcome to Things That Go Bump In The Night Week

Hello! Welcome to my Things That Go Bump In The Night Week! This week is for all other creepy and crawly things that are not Vampires, Werewolves, or Ghosts. So this week you'll see.. Zombies, Faeries, Fallen Angels, and all sorts of awesome things! So keep a look out!

So, no Vlog for today (you'll see one at the end of the week). I just wanted to mention that my 200 Follower contest ends at Midnight on Halloween (so technically, it ends on Nov. 1st, but you guys get the gist). Also, everyone still has a week worth of posts if you are interested in winning the Hush, Hush poster and swag. So keep commenting! x)

So... Hope you guys enjoy my last week of my Things That Go Bump In The Night themed month!

Cirque Du Freak:The Vampire's Assistant

So I saw Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant on the 22nd (or the 23rd, since it was at midnight) for the midnight launch! I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it, though it was SO different from the book. It was cheesy in a good way, and I plan on seeing it again soon. I don't usually review movies, but since Cirque Du Freak is close to my heart, I thought I would write a bit about it.

If you read the books, do not go in expecting it to follow them closely. The Vampire's Assistant, in my opinion, was mostly composed of ideas from book 1, 2, and 11. There were characters from book 3, but the basic plot line from book 11 was thrown it which was interesting. New characters were thrown in, like Rebecca, and old characters were completely disregarded, like Debbie. I came in with an open mind and I have to say I enjoyed it.

When I first heard that John C. Reilly would be playing one of my favorite characters, Mr. Crepsley, I was horrified. How could someone who played a main character in Step Brothers possibly play serious Mr. Crepsley? However, after seeing the movie, John C. Reilly was my favorite character. He did an excellent job and I really loved his portrayal of Mr. Crepsley. Truely! So all those skeptics, watch the movie and see what you think. I can see why people might not like it, but I have to say that I will definitely be buying anything with Cirque Du Freak written on it in the future (Which I'm sure Hot Topic will eventually release). Because, there IS a little freak in all of us.

All in all, I give the movie a 4.0/5.0

**Warning, I am a bit biased. ;)

Some Ghostly Treats

Hello! How is everyone doing this week? Well, you have now heard a few ghostly tales from some fellow bloggers and I hope you have enjoyed them. I know I did. I just wanted to take a moment to wrap up the weekend with an overview of everything I have posted thus far! :)

For Vampire Week, we had...
-The welcome post
-Review on Night Runner
-Guest Post on Vampires by Taschima, The Bloody Bookaholic
-Guest Post on Vampires by Ali, The Romantic Scholar
-An extra's view on Vampire Diaries

Werewolf Week (uggh, Still sorry about this)
-Werewolf week welcome post
-My Thoughts on Werewolves

And then of course... Ghost Week! I won't list the URLs for Ghost Week only because since they are recent, they are easy to find. But here are some ghostly links you might enjoy. :)

-My review of Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe
-My Interview with Megan Crewe

Some great ghostly book recommendations are...

-Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

-Give Up The Ghost by Megan Crewe

-The Everafter by Amy Huntley
**I have not read this one yet, so I'm unsure if it is a ghost title, but it sure sounds like one! :)

Feel free to add some recommendations of your own!

Guest Post: Tina, Fantastic Book Review

I would like to welcome Tina, from FANTASTIC BOOK REVIEW! She is here guest posting about some very ghostly experiences. Thank you Tina for being with us today! :)

-Eli

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Hello everyone! I’m excited to be guest blogging for Eli today. When she sent me her themes, it was so hard to choose because I love everything paranormal. So I finally decided to go with Ghosts. Why? Well, if you’ve been following my blog, I tend to throw in snippets about how ghost/possession books freak me out and I have my reasons. Well, today you get to find out why.

So I want to ask everyone - Do you believe in ghosts?

Well, it’s ok if you don’t and it’s definitely ok if you do. What I want to share with everyone are some of my “ghost” experiences.

*Warning* KIDS DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Ghost Story 1: 1995

My sister and I were visiting our grandmother ‘s over the summer and we were bored out of our minds, so we came up with this brilliant idea to see if we can summon Bloody Mary. Now don’t laugh! So, we had to shake our jitters off before going into the bathroom. Keep in mind that we had a plan on how if we summoned her, what our escape/evacuation plan would be (We have overactive imaginations guys). So it was decided that I would stand by the light switch and if anything happened, I would turn it on. So we go into the bathroom, turn off the light and get into our positions. On the count of 3, we said her name 3 times while spinning in circle “Bloody Mary…Bloody Mary…Blood Mary” and then we waited: – It may have only been 10, 20 or 30 seconds but it seemed like forever to me but there was a flash in the mirror of a face /apparition and I jumped back and slammed my back into the wall while screaming at the top of my lungs. Let’s just say our escape plan didn’t quite work out the way we planned. My sister jumped into the tub (like this was supposed to shield her) screaming at the top of her lungs “Open the door!” Now, we all watch those scary movies where the clumsy girl falls down when she’s being chased or when she’s trying to get the darn keys into the car ignition or the front door then she drops them or she’s shaking so bad she can’t get them in. I swear I have not made fun or talked crazy about these folks again because I could not find the light switch or get the door open (We locked it so no one would interrupt us) because I was shaking so bad. My sister and I tore out that house and did not come back in the house for at least 2 hours until we were calmed down by our grandmother. She told us “God don’t like ugly!” LOL! You Think?! Well, what can you say to that? We were so scared and we’ve never attempted to do it again. No Joke Guys! Until this day we have no idea what it was that flashed in front of the mirror but we both saw the exact same thing, I guess that serves us right for pulling a stunt like that huh?

Ghost Story 2: Year 1997

My family and I were sitting around my old house lounging in my living room just chatting and reminiscing about old times. All of a sudden, this draft just comes in and let me tell ya, every last one of us looked in the same directions and we were all like “Did you feel that?” First, The AC was not on plus the room we were in was an addition to the house and we only had a window air conditioner not central air and there were no doors open in the house. Talk about crazy and you know how if one person runs, you don’t care what they are running from you take off and run too! We all rushed to the back door and we were so shaken up we couldn’t get the door open. I almost got trampled and every time we get together at family functions, someone always bring that up.

Ghost Story 3: Year 1999

So my husband (at the time my boyfriend) and I were visiting his mom on one of our college breaks and we always play these trivia games to see who can score the most points. So I was facing the wall where his shelves were on and he was facing me and the TV. Out the corner of my eye I saw something move and when I looked over at his shelf, his overnight travel case was moving (I know I’m not a telekinetic) and I just started screaming and pointing to his case and telling him it was moving. And guess what? When he turned around it stopped. He was like “your eyes are playing tricks on you.” I think he said that for his own benefit because he didn’t want to scare himself half to death and ended up saying it was probably his grandmother watching us play our trivia game. LOL! Seriously that really freaked me out!

**My family is big on telling ghost stories, so it’s normal to hear them told when I visit relatives (They have all had experiences at my grandmother’s house), let’s just say I’ve been desensitized a little bit or you could say in order for me to cope with weird things that I see like this, I’ve adopted the “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Approach. So If I see or hear something I ignore it unless my house alarm goes off. LOL! Sometimes I think I have a sixth sense and anytime something weird happens, it feels like a ticking in the back of my ear. I’ve heard my name called, I’ve heard weird noises in the house, the lights have flicked on and off and I’ve seen weird things. I don’t do double takes b/c I’m afraid of what I might find.

Well that’s all folks! I enjoyed sharing my stories and I want to thank Eli for inviting me.

If you love great ghost stories how about trying Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender. You can check out my review here.

Guest Post: Sandy, The Pirate Penguin!

I would like to welcome, Sandy from The Pirate Penguin's Reads here at The Tainted Poet! Welcome and thank you so much for guest blogging for Ghost Week here, Sandy!

-Eli

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Hi everyone! My name’s Sandy and I write book reviews over at Pirate Penguin’s Reads :) Anyways, Eli invited me to do a guest post and I’m more than happy to do so because I love her site! So now that you’ve gotten your share of vampires and a little bit of werewolves, let’s move on to something a little bit more spiritual…

Ghosts show up in all parts of the world; they’re universal and have been scaring the crap out of people for a very long time. What fascinates me about ghosts is that there are countless myths and legends pertaining to them; I could literally go to any part of the world and someone will have a ghost story to tell. So today I’ll be telling you about a particular ghost story-my own. Whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you. So… a few years back I woke up one night for no reason; you know, when you just jolt awake and can’t even blame it on a bad dream? Anyways, I saw that light was spilling out of my mother’s room into the hallway. My room is adjacent to hers so I had a pretty good view of her door; I was listening to her move around her room when I noticed a large silhouette filling up the space of the door. The shadow was tall, almost reaching the top of the door and when I looked closely, I noticed that it resembled a man and had a rather sharp profile. But because I was groggy I assumed that the lamp next to the door was throwing its shadow against the door. Instead of investigating, I let it go and fell back asleep. The next morning (after remembering the strange image I had seen), I went into my mom’s room to test out my lamp theory. I clicked the light on but the shadow that the lamp cast against the wall didn’t resemble last night’s mysterious figure. I then grabbed a pad of paper and drew a rough sketch of what I had seen to show it to my mom. She was very surprised by my drawing; apparently I had drawn an almost identical image of my grandfather. But I had never seen my grandfather’s picture or had even heard about him! Then she surprised me by saying that this wasn’t the first time I had seen my grandpa; when we were living in my childhood home, I went to her and told her that I saw a thin man sitting on the edge of her bed. When my mom told me that, you could’ve tipped me over with a feather. I was so stunned.

It’s been years since that night but I still recall very vividly the shadow on the door; I have no doubt that it was my grandfather checking in on my mom… after all, my mother was the only one of his seven children that left their country to start a new life somewhere else… I think it’s logical that a father would be worried for his daughter. :) This bizarre encounter I had cemented my belief that there lies another world beyond human life… and that a parent’s love for their child transcends into the afterlife.

Welcome to Ghost Week!

Jeez, these keep getting longer and longer! Anyone interested in seeing the Bloopers for this vlog? I only restarted it like a zillion times but there are a few particular ones my roommates think I should share with you all. xD Let me know if you're interested! I'll post them (might just post them anyways).

Rules for the contest (incase someone missed them):

-The only way to enter is by commenting on any posts from my themed month-- past, present, or future!

-It ends November 7th.

Eli's Weekly Post -8

Ahh! I am incredibly sorry for not posting for werewolf week! I have been beating myself up all day about it. Because I am super sorry about this, I decided to give you guys a hint for a contest I am announcing next week. Lets just say it would be wise to try to comment on any of my posts for the themed month. ;)

Ok! So back to begging for forgiveness... I am planning on throwing in a few of my werewolf posts that I was SUPPOSED to post this week in the 4th week. Again, I am super sorry about not being able to post in the past few days. They have been quite hectic... Though I was able to steal away from my busy life and go see ZombieLand today! Hilarious! I definitely recommend it to any zombie movie lover out there who needs a laugh. x)

Hope you guys can forgive me!

My thoughts on Werewolves

Hello everyone! I thought I would share with you my thoughts on the paranormal species we know as werewolves.

What is a werewolf exactly? Stereotypically, they are humans that turn to wolf-like-creatures when the full moon comes out. Usually they are dangerous, having no control over themselves when they actually turn. Silver burns them, and most often take the shape of silver bullets.

However, Young Adult novels have really taken werewolves to a new level. From Harry Potter to Shiver and Blood and Chocolate, werewolves have been seen throughout modern teen fiction. Every novel takes its own spin on this classic beast and either romanticizes it, or creates an even larger fear of it. It is actually really interesting to see how the werewolf has been transformed from monster to love interest. Where is the beast that once haunted our dreams?

Personally, I find the humanizing of werewolves fascinating. I love the idea that there is more to them then just blood lust and gore. That the human is still there, and just wants to be loved as well and anyone else. Mostly it seems, that you do not have a choice on if you become a werewolf or not. You were just the guy walking in the park at night and were attacked by "a large animal".

It seems crazy that people should hate someone caught in such a sad predicament. Of course we should be weary because when that person does change, they are dangerous. But it is not usually the humans fault. It is just their sad fate. Other times, like in Blood and Chocolate, you were born a werewolf. This is an interesting idea and actually should be feared many times more then the human who was turned. I expect a lot more werewolf titles to be showing up in Young Adult in the future. I personally enjoy hearing their story and reading the different ways authors can skew the myth.


Books that have Werewolves in them:

-Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
-Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
-Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis
-The City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare**
-The Demonata series by Darren Shan**
-Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow**
-New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (also, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn)**
Note on New Moon: Please do not spoil anything for readers who have not finished the series.

Werewolf titles suggested by commenters:

-Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith** (L.H. Parker)
-Need by Carrie Jones** (L.H. Parker)

**Please note that these titles are not exclusively werewolf titles, but contain werewolves within them. Also, may not be werewolves in the traditional sense.

Feel free to comment with more Werewolf titles to share!

Welcome to Werewolf Week!

Some changes for next week

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to let you guys know I am changing up this coming week. I have Werewolf week planned, and I am sticking with it, but I have to cut it short. Werewolf week will now be the 12th-16th or rather Monday-Friday. I had to cut the weekends off it because I really have a few other things to post this weekend that do not pertain to werewolves at all.

I also just got back from The Southern Festival of Books this weekend!! It was fantastic, so I hope to share the details this Saturday! Oh, and just for a small sneak preview since it pertains to Vampire week...

Vampire Diaries: An Extra's View

So since I live in Atlanta, the primary location of the shootings for Vampire Diaries, I happen to know someone who works as an extra! I asked if he would give us a little insight to being an extra on the show and what it's like and he happily obliged! Thank you Chris! -Eli

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Hey everybody, my name is Chris and I’ve been working as an extra on the series The Vampire Diaries. I’d like to thank Eli for allowing me to do a guest post to tell you guys a little about being an extra on the show and how I feel about vampires.

Being an extra is perhaps one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever done. And it’s also the most fun. As an extra, your job is to make the screen feel alive. An extra is either seen crossing the shot or standing in the background pantomiming a conversation to make the scene look more realistic. When not on set, we go to holding where we pass the time by chatting amongst ourselves, play games, and hang out until we’re called back on set. For the most part, time is usually spent in holding, and sometimes it’s for hours on end. But there are times when we barely get to see holding because of the amount of time spent on set. Because the time on site tends to be a six hours minimum and can go to fourteen hour shifts, you end up making close friends with the other extras. Sometimes you can get lucky and be called to be a stand-in if you look similar in size to the actor needing a stand-in. Also, you could get pulled to be a featured extra if you have the right look for the scene. I was lucky enough to get to do both.

When it comes to vampire traits, I prefer stories that stick with traditional vampire lore. Where vampires can’t go out in the sun, are weakened by lack of human blood, are unable to enter homes without an invitation, and don’t sparkle. I really like that for the most part The Vampire Diaries follows traditional lore. The vampires in this series are able to go out during the day as long as they have on their family crest ring, which protects them from burning in the sun. Stefan, the main character, is weaker than his brother because he refuses to drink human blood, and they must be invited into a house before entering for the first time. The Vampire Diaries does takes liberties with vampire lore just like any other series, but it doesn’t stray too far from general vampire myths.

Guest Post: Ali, The Romantic Scholar!

Today we have another special guest with us sharing her insight on Vampires! Please Welcome Ali, the owner of The Romantic Scholar! Thank you so much for doing this Ali. :)

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Hey all, so my name is Ali. I'm the reviewer from The Romantic Scholar, and I'm so thrilled to be a guest poster on Eli's page. As you have probably guessed by my blogs name, I am very big into stories that have a little romance in them. But I do love fantasy and supernatural genres. I'm so glad I get to share my two bits on vampires with you!

Vampires. So many different stories, so many inconsistencies. But who’s to judge what’s right and what’s not? I guess no one really can. Since there is no true story as to how vampires come about and what they are like and everything is based on myth and superstition, authors have been able to take liberties and put their own spin on the supernatural race. Take Stephenie Meyer for example: her vampires were able to go out in the sunlight without receiving harm and they glittered. And her “vegetarian” vampires were not weakened due to the fact that they did not drink human blood. Not to mention that they could enter a dwelling without an invitation. They were almost human. Which in a way worked, because it made the relationship more believable, but it made it harder to see them as vampires. So many people did not like that she took those liberties. But who’s to say that all of her ideas are wrong? Another vampire story? It all comes down to a matter of preference.

I for one don’t like all of the liberties that Meyer took. Because of all of the other things out, it just seemed odd that her vampires had no major weaknesses aside from bloodlust. I prefer the vampire who has limits. Who is no longer human, although can retain shreds of humanity. Take Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak for example: Darren is a half-vampire once he is turned. He can still go into the daylight. He doesn’t have to live off of human blood yet, but it makes him weak not to. It’s so much more believable that they are a different species and not just some super human. Then you have The Vampire Diaries. In this series, vampires can go out in sunlight, but only if they have a special ring on. They can survive off of animal blood, but it weakens them. They are unable to enter a dwelling unless invited in. These are very similar points to another vampire craze: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In Buffy, the rules are the same: except for there is only one ring and no retained humanity except for in Angel who has a soul.

There are so many different takes on vampires out there. And each person has his or her own preference. I don’t think it’s fair to say that others are wrong, but with the amount of variances, it’s not so hard to do. I think that aspects of vampires are going to continue to evolve. It’s become inevitable. So let’s just see what’ll come of it. ;)

-Ali

Guest Post: Taschima, The Bloody Bookaholic!

Today I have Taschima, of the Bloody Bookaholic here at my blog, giving her take on Vampires for Vampire week!! Thank you Taschima! --Eli.

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Before I beginning let me introduce myself. I am Taschima, supreme brownie maker. All who love brownies bow down to me!! Not really, but let me believe it. My blog's name is BloodyBookaholic. And I'm all about the supernatural.

So, I have a secret. A secret so dark, I think I won't let you guys know. Well, Ill tell you after I finish babbling for a bit. Be patient, it will come. Oh just so you know I have lured Eli out of her blog by putting books as trail and leading her to a cage where she will stay until I'm finished. But don't you worry, she is in there with books so, she's having a good time... I think.

Oh October, the month for the supernatural to flourish. My favorite month, if just for the darkness it entails. Anyways, so I'm going to tell you something, I am no fan of werewolves. Big, hairy, drink water from the toilet? Nah uh, not for moi. So I'm going to stick to my guns, and that is The Creatures of the Night. The Elite bloodsucking fiends. Elegant and sexy to the tenth capacity with some wildness and deadliness to them you can only but succumb to their wishes and desires. Yeah, I know, basically hotness in concept. My vampires.

So there are lots of different kinds of vampires. You got your savage ones, your sexy ones, warriors, spiritual vamps, even ones that put glitter on themselves so they look nice in the light of day.Talk about attention whores. Anyways my favorite type are the ones from The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Basically J.R. Ward, the author, portraits them as another culture. Another specimen of people, because they ARE people nonetheless. They are spiritual, have their own religion and everything, and a community. Which they are trying to keep alive by kicking some bad guy ass. But that's another story. The thing with these guys is that they need a little bit of blood to stay on focused. BUT not human blood as many others, but blood from their own kind. Apparently human blood ain't enough, too weak, and you could say that is rather insulting, but what would you prefer really? They also can't stay up past sunlight, they burn. This is my less favorite characteristic about them, but oh well can't win on everything. Plus they have the RAWR factor already installed since birth. So extra points ;)

Oh and they kick ass like there is no tomorrow. You see, what I think is that what most attracts us to vamps, other than super sexy guys who can sway you anytime they want and protect you, is the danger of being with one. The thing you cant really have. The forbidden. I mean even Eve had a weakness. And oh damn this is mine.

PS; My secret? I lost the key to Els cage and now I'm scared cause I don't know how to get her out. Anybody want to help?

Night Runner by Max Turner

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Re-Read? Absolutely. It reminded me of a certain other Vampire book... :)

Recommend? Yes! I think boys would love this book actually, which is rare for me to say. This book is definitely for both genders.

Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 272

Synopsis:

For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward isn't so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home. He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend Charlie visited him often enough; and Nurse Ophelia--the prettiest no-nonsense nurse ever--sometimes took him bowling. Of course, that didn't mean he had it easy. His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely. But it never once crossed Zack's mind to leave...until the night someone crashed through the front doors and told him to run. Now he's on a race for answers--about his past, his parents, and his strange sickness--even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths.

My Thoughts:

Night Runner was a face paced tale about a boy (named Zack) whose had everything but a normal life. It was interesting to hear about his life living in a mental ward and not being able to hang around kids his own age. How he went through his fathers death, and then a near death experience himself. Though, Zack actually did really well with it. His visits from his friend Charlie kept him in touch with the real world and that was enough for him. Zack is a genuinely good kid.

There was a ton of background information in this book, so that sometimes the characters appeared a bit flat and static. I really enjoyed the background info and I know it is very necessary for the story, but I wish there was a little more characterization for some of the smaller characters. I actually was very surprised by Charlie. I expected several different outcomes for him, but things turned out very differently. I liked it.

The story was very interesting and kept me reading and I actually finished this book relatively quickly (which is hard nowadays with college). The plot was easy to navigate and understand and I liked the spin they took with it. The pace held well and kept me reading, which is always a good thing. I loved the ending-- Though I won't spoil anything! This is a definite read if you have some spare time.

Details:

Cover: 5.0
Plot: 4.0
Characters: 3.5
Writing: 4.0

Welcome to Vampire Week!