In My Mailbox (74)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren

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Gifted (hardcovers)
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Purchased (hardcovers)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Purchased (Kindle)
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Hana by Lauren Oliver
Airhead by Meg Cabot

I finally caved and got a copy of Mara Dyer - hopefully the hype is right! (Also, TPoM is officially the pinkest book I own)

What did you get this week?

Images from Goodreads

Bree Despain's TDD Trailer & Her Contest

Hey everyone! Have you guys all seen Bree Despain's new trailer for The Dark Divine? 

Bree is also having a huge contest, so go check it out HERE!

Lea 

Blog Tour: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain + Giveaway

Today is my stop for Bree Despain's debut novel, The Dark Divine (released on December 22nd, 2009). If you haven't read this novel, you absolutely must go check it out!!

Which character was the most difficult for you to develop in The Dark Divine?

Definitely Jude. He's such a complex character. He also seems so perfect at first, but probably has more inner conflict than anyone else in the book. There's so much going on with him, but most of it is behind the scenes because he doesn't have as much "screen time" as Grace and Daniel.

Secrets play a large role within the plot of The Dark Divine...what's one secret that readers' might not know?

Hmm, about me or the book? How about I give you one of each...

About the book: Don Mooney's family history becomes more important in THE LOST SAINT (the sequel to TDD).

About me: I live in a house full of boys, yet I can best any one of them in a burping contest. In 9 years of marriage, my hubby has only won 3 times.

What's your favorite memory so far regarding The Dark Divine (writing stages, pub day, et cetera)?
Probably my debut party. Because of the holidays, my official launch party signing was scheduled to be a couple weeks after my actual pub day. But I didn't want my book b-day to go without any celebration (how anti-climatic would that be!) so I threw a party for my closest friends and family to thank them for all their support.

My BFF (who is a wedding planner and photographer) handled the arrangements for me, and it turned out so amazing. We served food featured in the book, and there were so many candles and flowers in the place that it felt like a dream. The best part was being able to get up and personally thank each person who was there and share how they contributed to making TDD possible.

If you had to choose: Daniel or Jude?
Daniel. All the way.



Thanks for the interview Bree! I'm very excited for The Lost Saint!!

Now onto the giveaway, I have three lovely bottles of The Dark Divine violet nail polish (thank you Nisa!) to give away. Open only to US (sorry! If you have someone in the US I can mail to, feel free to enter).

Please go to The Sweet Bookshelf, http://thesweetbookshelf.blogspot.com/ tomorrow to see the next stop on The Dark Divine Blog Tour.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain Review

Book: The Dark Divine

Author: Bree Despain

Age: Young Adult

Pages: 372

Source: Myself/Bought

Summary:

A Prodigal Son 

A Dangerous Love

A Deadly Secret

Grace Divine -- daughter of the local pastor -- always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

Review: Bree Despain's debut novel is stunning and mysterious.

The novel starts off quickly with some intrigue, as Daniel Kalbi comes back into town. I've never quite read a novel that hooked me by the third page, but The Dark Divine did just that. Despain's writing has an addictive quality to it, and she seemed to effortlessly pull everything together in just the right way, with just enough mystery to keep you guessing.

The characters are drawn up perfectly on the page. Grace is the good-girl daughter of the local pastor, and she was easy to relate to. Daniel had "bad boy" written all over him, but he's sweet down to the core. Daniel's secrets draw Grace closer to him, as she tries to unravel the mystery of what happened between Daniel and Jude, and just what is Daniel.

Highlights: Despain's writing is addictive, and I never wanted to put the book down for a single second. I was also always curious about just what would happen next, and the ending definitely satisfied me. I also really enjoyed that Grace's religion wasn't delved into too deeply, and instead the novel dealt more with her morals.

Lowlights: Grace's "best" friend. What's up with crappy best friends in YA lately?

Rating:   

Lea

In My Mailbox 15

IMM is hosted weekly by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Bought:

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (yay 33% off coupons! The cover is soooo much more gorgeous in person)

Trade w/ Zoe from Zoe's Book Reviews:

Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (YAY!)

Won from Ellz Reads:

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Yay again!)


Hope everyone had an awesome week, and that you all have a great one again!



Lea

Waiting On Wednesday (6)

WOW was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Release Date: December 22nd

Summary from Bree's website:

A prodigal son

A dangerous love

A deadly secret...

I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant....I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. "Tell me...I mean...why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?"

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she'll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

Ah, it sounds like an incredible read! December never felt so far away...

Make sure to check out my interview with Bree here to learn more about The Dark Divine!

-Lea

Interview: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

1. What can you tell us about your novel The Dark Divine, and what makes it unique?

I think one of the things that make The Dark Divine unique is that the love story is not just based on attraction, but on a long term friendship. I hope this gives the relationship between Grace and Daniel a deeper, more meaningful connection, as opposed to two people who are drawn together purely by physical attraction or some mystical force. But also...Daniel is freaking hot!

2. As your debut novel, was it difficult for you to write and what inspired you?

Well, I didn't become a debut author overnight...though it sometimes feels like it. I have spent the last several years writing and working on various projects. Writing can be so exhilarating when the story just flows, but it's also a lot of work at times.

Inspiration for the story came a stormy night as I was waiting at a stop light and a conversation between a brother and sister just popped into my head. They were discussing an old friend who had suddenly reappeared in their lives. "He's dangerous. You have to stay away from him," the brother warned his sister. I was so intrigued by this that I knew I had to figure out what was going on with these characters. I think what inspired me most as I went along were the characters themselves. Once I started to get to know Grace and Daniel, I was more and more excited to tell their story. Those two and other characters in the book were just so fun to create and write, and I find their histories fascinating. Also--chocolate. It's always good for a quick dose of rejuvenation/inspiration.

3. What is going to be next for you? Is this novel a stand alone, or the start of a series?

I'm currently working on a sequel for The Dark Divine. It is so much fun to get to spend more time with some of my favorite characters (and a few new ones). And it's also fun to get to answer a few of the questions readers will have at the end of the first book. Depending on how the sequel goes, it's possible the story could end up being a trilogy. Time will tell.

Also, I have a couple of other paranormal romance stories waiting to be written after the sequel, along with a bit more of a sci-fi romance. I also enjoy writing contemporary humorous fiction, and would love to publish in that genre someday. 

Thank you for the interview Bree! I have to agree, chocolate = inspiration.

And everyone, you should check out Bree's website for a synopsis and a sneak peak of The Dark Divine. Who doesn't love a sneak peak?

-YABQ