Book Feature: Unnatural & Unwelcome by Michael Griffo (Archangel Academy 1 & 2)

Unnatural

Publisher:Kensington

Publish Date:February 22, 2011

Paperback, 480 pages

ISBN: 9780758253385
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal

Archangel Academy #1
About the Book:
In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it’s a place filled with secrets. Just like its students…

For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he’s ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran’s enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he’s ever known.

But Michael’s only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire—part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy’s confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here—and a danger more powerful than he can imagine…

Unwelcome

Publisher:Kensington

Publish Date:August 1, 2011

Paperback, 352 pages

ISBN: 9780758253392
Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal
Archangel Academy #2

About the Book:
 Archangel Academy is more than a school to Michael Howard. Within its majestic buildings and serene English grounds, he's found friends, new love, and a place that feels more like home than Nebraska ever did. But the most important gift of Archangel Academy is immortality. . .
Life as a just-made vampire is challenging for Michael, even with Ronan, an experienced vamp, to guide him. Michael's abilities are still raw and unpredictable. To add to the turmoil, the ancient feud between rival vampire species is sending ripples of discord through the school. And beneath the new headmaster's charismatic front lies a powerful and very personal agenda.
Yet the mysteries lurking around the Academy pale in comparison to the secrets emerging from Michael's past. And choosing the wrong person to trust—or to love—could lead to an eternity of regret. . .


About the Author:

Michael Griffo is an award-winning writer and one of six playwrights whose career will be tracked by WritersInsight.com until 2010. He is a graduate of New York University, has studied at Playwrights Horizons and Gotham Writers Workshop, and has written several screenplays.

*** I'm currently reading these so expect my reviews tomorrow - I've really enjoyed delving into the world Michael Griffo has created in Unnatural and look forward to seeing more of it in Unwelcome, so stay tuned for the reviews.***

Guest Blog, Book Review and Giveaway: The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

As fall settles in around the Panhandle of Texas, I’m getting excited about THE COMFORTS OF HOME coming out Tuesday, Nov 1, 2011. My favorite time of year is fall with the cool nights and sometimes rainy days.  The perfect weather to curl up with a book.

Since the idea of a small town of Harmony first began to form in my mind, I wanted to write about not only the ‘important’ people in a place who make the community run, but also about the quiet people who live their lives and get lost in their dreams.  COMFORTS is a book full of possibilities in love and life.  Read it on a cool winter day and I promise it’ll warm your heart.

In a closing note, I’d like to add that you are going to love a new character I introduce.  He’s just a kid (17) with long hair, and a dream to make it big in the music world.  We’ll be watching him grow up and fall in love several times before he figures women out. 

Come along with me to Harmony.  We’ll have a grand visit with the people there.

Wishing you much love and laughter in your life,

Jodi Thomas

www.jodithomas.com

www.facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: November 1, 2011

Paperback, 320 pages 
Fiction, General Fiction with romantic elements
 ISBN: 978-0425244487

My Review:
Coming back to Harmony with each book is like coming home to me.  Jodi manages to make the town of Harmony, Texas feel like my own home town and it's inhabitants like people I know and run into at the store.  Even though there are usually six months between installments, I fall right back into town life and the life of the people the story focuses on.  Yet if this was the first Harmony novel you were to pick up, I think that would be fine as well.  Jodi goes into enough back story to familiarize you with a character so a new person to the Harmony books wouldn't feel lost.

The Comforts of Home is different from the first two Harmony novels which focused mainly on one couple while focusing on the town too.  Now of course those two couples are settled down and we get to see some of them in this book which is a real treat.  But in this installment, several story lines are focused on.  Here several romances are given the spotlight and several characters with minor roles in earlier books are also given the spotlight.  Reagan and Noah are ever-present and I am glad for that - I want to continue to see them grow up in the town of Harmony.  I also love how Jodi uses people of all different ages in her books.  She doesn't focus on 20-something couples or even 30-somethings.  There is even a couple who broke up in WWII in this one who are either trying to reignite the fire or keep it going, depending on who's gossip you believe.

So there is romance, and that is wonderful, but the characters are what really make these books and The Comforts of Home is no exception.  Getting a closer look at Tyler, Kate, Ronelle and several others was great in this book.  Such different people with different lives, yet they can all come together when needed.  And of course some new faces are introduced and there are some definite interesting ones there as well that I can't wait to see more of in future books.

I won't give too much away but suffice it to say that the plot moves along swiftly.  I never wanted to put it down and I didn't want it to end.  I definitely don't want to wait until April for the next book, but I guess I will have to.  Until then I have the various stories going through my head and hopes and dreams for the characters to come.  So far Ms. Thomas has not disappointed and I don't expect her to anytime soon.  The Harmony series is like a roaring fire on a cool fall or winter day, comforting and relaxing, something that just makes you feel like you are at home.  That's what The Comforts of Home is like and it's perfect for these coming late fall/early winter days so make sure you get a copy and see for yourself.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

About Jodi

Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today best-selling author of 34 novels and 11 short story collections. In June 2011, WELCOME TO HARMONY won a RITA, the highest award for contemporary
fiction. Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon,
Texas.


Website
Twitter
Facebook

About The Comforts of Home:

In Harmony, Texas, twenty-year-old Reagan Truman has found her place, and found her family. But with her uncle taken ill and her friend Noah lost and disheartened with his life, Reagan is afraid of ending up alone again, and she's not the only one. When a terrible storms threatens the town, the residents of Harmony are forced to think about what they really want. Because making the connections they so desperately desire means putting their hearts at risk...

Giveaway:

I have been given 1 copy of The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas to giveaway to the readers of this blog. Simply leave name and email in Rafflecopter to enter.  Additional entries are available but not required.  Giveaway open to US/Canada only.  Giveaway runs through October 25, 2011.

FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - October 18

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"Can't believe you're a sophomore already;  my little guy's gettin' to be a man."  She was standing in front of the oak bookshelf looking at the spines of the books Michael had read and would most likely read again. They were his escape.  It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

From Unnatural by Michael Griffo

About Unnatural


In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it’s a place filled with secrets. Just like its students…

For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he’s ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran’s enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he’s ever known.

But Michael’s only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire—part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy’s confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here—and a danger more powerful than he can imagine…

Guest Blog: Teens and Their Supernatural Pursuits by Melody Carlson

Teens and Their Supernatural Pursuits
By Melody Carlson

Have you even wondered why some teens are drawn toward things like Ouija boards or psychics? Or why séances are still popular at sleepovers? Does it just have to do with Halloween and that spine-chilling need for a good scare? Or could it be something more? And, as a Christian, should you be concerned?

Those questions, as well as some confused reader letters, prompted me to tackle the “supernatural” in one of my teen novels (Moon White, TrueColors, Nav Press). And whenever I write an issues-based novel, I’m forced to research—and often in some dark places. So I began scouring websites, learning more about Wicca and the occult, trying to grasp what was really going on with today’s teens—and how I could write about it in a helpful and relevant way.

But, as usual, when I write a teen book, I go back to my own adolescence...trying to connect with my inner teen...and I suddenly remembered a short era when a friend and I got very interested in witchcraft. I had honestly forgotten about this time and was fascinated to recall how we scoured some witchcraft stores on a local campus—I think we even purchased a few things. Fortunately, this interest was short-lived and I became a Christian not long afterward.

However, as I reconnected with my inner teen, I had to ask myself—why had I looked into witchcraft back then? Why do teens dabble with it now? Suddenly the answer became crystal clear. I was searching. I’d been calling myself an atheist for several years by then, but I was spiritually hungry—starving in fact. Consequently I was looking for spiritual answers—something that would fill that empty void within me. I wanted a supernatural force in my life and I didn’t even care where it came from. I needed something bigger than me, more powerful than me, something to hold onto. I had no idea at the time that I was really searching for God.

This realization changed the way I viewed my research. Instead of feeling disgusted and dismayed by the witchcraft/Wicca sites (which are not particularly enjoyable) I began to recognize that these people (mostly girls) were simply searching too. They wanted a power source in their lives just like I wanted one in mine. They just hadn’t found God yet.

This led to another discovery. A girl who’s attracted to a religion like Wicca is usually seeking to gain some control over her life. Something is wrong and she wants to change it. To do so, she’s often enticed to purchase something—like “magical herbs”—to create a potion that will give her some control over her situation. Unfortunately, she doesn’t even realize she’s being tricked.

But think about it, wouldn’t you love to have control over a bad situation sometimes? Wouldn’t you love to be able to change the circumstances that make your life unpleasant? So what if someone offered you the “power” to do just that? Perhaps if you’re fifteen, you wouldn’t see that person as a charlatan and you would fall for it.  Which brings me to another important factor in understanding this generation’s attraction to the supernatural. Follow the money. The more I researched, the more it became painfully obvious that Wicca and witchcraft and the occult are money-making enterprises. Thanks to the internet, these savvy distributors sell anything imaginable—and many things you can’t. That leads to some serious motivation—these marketers want to hook their unsuspecting young customers and reel them in. Of course, these potions and trinkets and how-to books don’t come with a money back guaranty. Nor are they approved by the FDA. Yet they are a multi-million dollar industry.

So, in a way, it’s a perfect storm. Teens that are insecure, lost, unhappy, and searching...meet up with an unregulated industry that offers supernatural answers and power and control...for a price. And, oh yeah, I never even mentioned how this opens a door for Satan to slip in and wreak havoc. For that...you’ll have to read the book.

About Moon White by Melody Carlson

Heather's curiosity in Wicca brings new confidence and reassurance but alienates her from others. Even so, this enchanting path seems harmless, even helpful.

But when terrifying things begin to happen that Heather can't explain, it becomes clear that she has less control over her world than ever before.

The eleventh book in the teen fiction series TrueColors , this book discusses spiritual warfare, tragedy, anger, and more.

In My Mailbox (5) + Swag comment giveaway

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. To see this weeks list of participants go here.

Another great week, and what makes it so hard is there are several books here I am dying to read, yet I have commitments to fulfill.  Sigh, but I'll get to read them soon.  What did you get this week, or if you are a reader not a blogger, what here do you see that you are dying to read or haven't even heard of.  I'll throw some bookmarks and swag in an envelope to one lucky commenter this week, US/Canada only, ends 9/23.

 

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

On sale date: November 1, 2011

From: publisher

Tour Date: October 18, 2011

The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

On Sale Date: October 4, 2011

From author for reviewing The Promises She Keeps (which I loved)

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Anthony John

On Sale Date: April 12, 2012

From Teen Book Scene Tours

Remembering You by Tricia Goyer

 On Sale Date:November 2011

From Litfuse Publicity

My Own Worst Frenemy by Kimberly Reid

 On Sale Date:August 30, 2011

From: Publisher for Teen Book Scene Tour

MWF seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche

 On Sale Date:January 3, 2012

From: Publisher 

The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan

  On Sale Date:October 25, 2011

From Publisher 

Say You'll Be Mine by Julia Amante

   On Sale Date:October 25, 2011

From Publisher 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (win)

  On Sale Date:September 13, 2011

Won from Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer

Dreamland by Alyson Noel

  On Sale Date:September 13, 2011

Won from Marcie at To Read or Not to Read

Weekly Preview & Giveaway (2)

Welcome to week two of my new feature where I preview what I will be reviewing this week and also where you get a chance to enter to win one of the books I am reading this week plus two books from my giveaway page.  All you have to do to enter is leave your name and email in the Rafflecopter below.  All other entries are optional.  Open to US/Canada only, ends 10/22.  Please note The Concert Killer,
Second Hand Heart, Change of Heart, and Amongst the Ruins are not part of the giveaway - I read the ebook version.

First up last week's winner is: 

Audrey (email starts with:  arho...)  

Audrey will be notified tomorrow, but if you are Audrey and you see this before my email feel free to email me at crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com

Up for Review:

The Comfort of Home by Jodi Thomas (review, giveaway and guest post on Tuesday)

In Harmony, Texas, twenty-year-old Reagan Truman has found her place, and found her family. But with her uncle taken ill and her friend Noah lost and disheartened with his life, Reagan is afraid of ending up alone again, and she's not the only one. When a terrible storms threatens the town, the residents of Harmony are forced to think about what they really want. Because making the connections they so desperately desire means putting their hearts at risk...

Unnatural and Unwelcome by Michael Griffo (reviews with Teen Book Scene Tuesday)

Unnatural:

In the town of Eden in northwestern England stands the exclusive boarding school known as Archangel Academy. Ancient and imposing, it’s a place filled with secrets. Just like its students…

For Michael Howard, being plucked from his Nebraska hometown and sent thousands of miles away is as close as he’s ever come to a miracle. In Weeping Water, he felt trapped, alone. At Archangel Academy, Michael belongs. And in Ciaran, Penry, and especially Ciaran’s enigmatic half-brother Ronan, Michael finds friendship deeper than he’s ever known.

But Michael’s only beginning to understand what makes the Academy so special. Ronan is a vampire—part of a hybrid clan who are outcasts even among other vampires. Within the Academy’s confines exists a ruthless world of deadly rivalries and shifting alliances, of clandestine love and forbidden temptations. And soon Michael will confront the destiny that brought him here—and a danger more powerful than he can imagine…

Unwelcome:

Archangel Academy is more than a school to Michael Howard. Within its majestic buildings and serene English grounds, he's found friends, new love, and a place that feels more like home than Nebraska ever did. But the most important gift of Archangel Academy is immortality. . .

Life as a just-made vampire is challenging for Michael, even with Ronan, an experienced vamp, to guide him. Michael's abilities are still raw and unpredictable. To add to the turmoil, the ancient feud between rival vampire species is sending ripples of discord through the school. And beneath the new headmaster's charismatic front lies a powerful and very personal agenda.

Yet the mysteries lurking around the Academy pale in comparison to the secrets emerging from Michael's past. And choosing the wrong person to trust—or to love—could lead to an eternity of regret. . .

Baby, It's Cold Outside by Susan May Warren (Litfuse Publicity tour Wednesday)

Five strangers with broken hearts. One raging blizzard. Brrr, baby, it’s cold outside! But a warm fire and a string of Christmas lights just might provide the perfect remedy.

It's been years since Edith Miller hosted the annual Snowflake, MN, Christmas Extravaganza. After her
son was killed in the war, some five years ago, her Christmas spirit died along with him. So she is more than happy to loan all her Christmas decorations to Stella Hanson, the new teacher in town. After all, what does she have to celebrate?

But when the blizzard of the decade traps Stella—and four other wanderers—in Edith’s home, Edith finds that by opening her door, she just might open her heart to a new reason celebrate Christmas.

The Concert Killer by R.J. McDonnell (ebook, guest blog, review Thursday)

A religious fanatic serial killer, who hates rock music, tries to shut down the concert industry. A group of independent concert promoters hire private investigator Jason Duffy and his staff of former outpatient mental health clients to catch him. The killer believes that God rewards His favorites with the most money, and keeps score of his victims on the back of a dollar bill. Jason uses his background as a counselor and club musician to battle his cleverest and most twisted adversary ever.

The author of the 2010 Mystery/Thriller of the Year, Rock & Roll Rip-Off, once again adds LOL humor in between compelling action scenes. Besides offering readers a backstage pass to the music industry, The Concert Killer brings to light a potentially catastrophic danger that few have ever considered.

A Necessary Deception by Laurie Alice Eakes (Revell blog tour review, Friday)

When young widow Lady Lydia Gale helps a French prisoner obtain parole, she never dreamed he would turn up in her parlor. But just as the London Season is getting under way, there he is, along with a few other questionable personages. While she should be focused on helping her headstrong younger sister prepare for her entré into London society, Lady Lydia finds herself preoccupied with the mysterious Frenchman. Is he a spy or a suitor? Can she trust him? Or is she putting her family in danger?

Readers will enjoy being drawn into this world of elegance and intrigue, balls and masquerades. Author Laurie Alice Eakes whisks readers through the drawing rooms of London amid the sound of rustling gowns on this exciting quest to let the past stay in the past and let love guide the future.

Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Author this or that post, Teen Book Scene tour, Friday)

Vida is 19 and has never had much of a life. Struggling along with a life-threatening heart condition, her whole life has been one long preparation for death. But suddenly she is presented with a donor heart, and just in time. Now she gets to do something she never imagined she'd have to do: live.

Richard is a 36-year-old man who’s just lost his beloved wife, Lorrie, in a car accident. Still in shock and not even having begun the process of grieving, he is invited to the hospital to meet the young woman who received his wife’s donor heart.

Vida takes one look at Richard and feels she’s loved him all her life. And tells him so. Richard assumes she’s just a foolish young girl. And maybe she is. Or maybe there’s truth behind the theory of cellular memory, and maybe it really is possible for a heart to remember, at least for a time, on its own.

Second Hand Heart is both a story of having to learn to live for the first time, and having to learn to live all over again.

Change of Heart by Jackie Chanel (review for the Blog Tour de Force on Saturday, ebook)

Millions of adoring fans...loving and devoted parents...fantastic friends...the world belongs to Asia Pierce, at least she thinks so.

There is only one thing that eludes the girl who has it all...unconditional and everlasting love. Asia wants what every woman wants, the fairytale. And Asia always gets what she wants.

With three men vying for her heart, Asia has a decision to make. Who can she trust? Which one will love her the most? The answer is right in front of her. But will years of bad judgement and one bad romance cloud her judgement? Will one more bad decision make her miss out on the best thing that has ever happened to her?

Change of Heart will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride as Asia's career and love life spiral out of control until she makes the decision that will change her life forever.

Amongst the Ruins (The Chronicles of 2020 #1) by Saewod Tice (author interview for Sizzling PR tour)

In the year 2220, only about 15% of Earth's population have survived and thrived after the Nuclear Disaster of 2020.

With the collapse of modern society, the population has regressed into eight clans.

Amongst these clans, an unusual girl grows from child to adult.

Raised on the run and in hiding, Shilo wants to be free of the expectations of women. But in a ruined world where anyone could be an enemy, only the radiation-twisted mutants are clearly identifiable. A fertile female is a precious treasure, and any lapse in caution can mean a loss of the freedom she longs for.

Training as hard as a soldier would, in order to free herself from social constraints, she finds herself faced with an offer from a new clan--an offer that provides her with what she desires. But her recently found independence brings discovery, and discovery brings two very different men from her past—and each of them is determined to claim her.

One is obsessed with owning her, the other desires her as the only person who can make him love again