Waiting on Wednesday (Times Two!)

WOW is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Release: October 2011

Summary: 

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

YA murder mystery? YAY! And as a side note, those intense eyes are kind of freaking me out ;)

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Release: July 2011

Summary: 

This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended.Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered.  

But then the Searchers make her an offer,one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack and the man she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Despite my immediate dislike of this cover (and the new paperback - both of which make me think "Adult Urban Fantasy"), I'm still really looking forward to this book. 

Besides, it's not the cover that matters - it's the wonderful story that the author creates beneath the cover! I loved Nightshade so much, and wish Wolfsbane was out now! I need to know what happens next!!

What are you waiting on this week?

Nightshade Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

Quick! Describe Nightshade in 7 words or less!

Secrets reveal two paths: love or destiny.

Okay, how about a bit more description?

Nightshade is the story of Calla Tor - on her upcoming eighteenth birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves who have fought for centuries on the front lines of the Witches’ War. But her predestined path veers off course when she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a human boy. Startled by her own violation of the law she’s sworn to uphold, she hopes the stranger will soon be a distant memory. When the boy turns out to be a new student in her school, Calla’s random act of kindness spirals into a whirlwind of deceit, hidden histories, and forbidden love.

What makes your main character, Calla, unique?

Nightshade is Calla's story and she was the inspiration for the book. I tend to write from characters and Calla was floating around in my head for a week or two before I started putting her story onto the page. I knew she was a girl who was also a wolf. I knew she was strong, but also in serious trouble. I couldn't figure out how someone so powerful could be in that sort of a fix. That's where Nightshade's world emerged, it was all about building a history and society that explained Calla's predicament. Calla stands out as a heroine because she’s a leader, she’s independent and she fights for what she loves rather than being swept up in events.

If you could trade places with Calla for a day (and have her abilities), what would you do?

I would spend the day running through forests and getting to know the other wolves.

Fill in the blank: "I could not have written Nightshade without...

The inspiration of a childhood spent exploring forests and the love of my family."

So really, who would you pick: Ren or Shay?

This is something I will never reveal. I’m Team Calla – it’s her choice, not mine.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks so much for sharing Calla’s journey with me!

Thank you so much for answering my questions, Andrea! :)

Onto the giveaway, I have one ARC copy of Nightshade up for grabs, courtesy of Penguin. It's US only, no PO boxes. 

ENDS September 30th!!!

ENTER HERE!!

And be sure to stop by And Anything Bookish tomorrow for the next stop on the Teen {Book} Scene's Nightshade Blog Tour!