Book Alert: Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

You all know that Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favorites here at Flippin' Fabulous - A Reader's Record, so I couldn't help but pass this cover and synopsis on to you.  This one doesn't release to September 2012 but if it has any of the fabulous-ness that Daimon + Half-Blood has then it will be well worth the wait!  And Jennifer knows ever since I browsed her website long ago that I have been dying for this one! 

|Goodreads|

Releases September 2012

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows. Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't? But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Daimon Blog Tour: Character Interview: Aiden

Daimon- The Prequel to Half-Blood Blog Tour
May 9th- May 13th

Character Interview with Aiden St. Delphi + Half-Blood Poster Giveaway!

"You guys really have no clue, how flippin' fabulous this is!  I get to interview Aiden St. Delphi!"  I look toward the door and notice Aiden stepping through the threshold, dressed in head to toe black. His gaze scanned the room until his gray eyes meet mine.  Swoon.

I can't help but fidget.  I've never done a character interview in this totally fabulous way before.  I wonder if my hair looks good?  He's totally giving me a weird look, I am guessing he wants me to start, but seriously, my heart is pounding.  Just breathe, Stacey.  

I give Aiden a small wave with a over the top smile, he returns with a head nod.  "Aiden, what are you exactly?"

"What am I?" He arches a brow. "Uh, well, we are called the Hematoi. My parent's were pure-blood demigods."

Ahhh.  That totally explains the hotness.  No way a kid with demigod parents could look anything less than that. "And the difference between you and half-bloods are what?"  I don't sound lame, do I? nope

"I really don't think there is anything different between our two breeds, but I guess that's not a very popular line of thinking. Others of my kind, the Hematoi, have pure blood. We are direct descendents of the gods. Half-bloods have the blood of a mortal and a hematoi. Some would say that makes them... something less. I don't necessarily agree with that."

Wonder where that leaves me? Hmmmm.  Right, the interviewer. "Is there anything you would change about who you are or your situation?"

He looks away, running a hand through his hair. "I wish I had chosen to become a Sentinel before I did. That is all."

"What is a Daimon, and why should we and everyone else be worried about them?"

"A daimon is your worst nightmare, mortal." Aiden leads back, crossing his arms over his chest. "But you probably want a better explanation that that. A daimon was one a pure-blood like me, but they became addicted to the aether-- the essence of the gods-- that exists with in us. From the first taste, the need for aether consumes and corrupts them. They hunt and kill without mercy. No one, not even you, are safe from a daimon."

Oh.  Yup, I'm pretty sure if I had aether I'd want to keep it.  "Do you remember a certain girl named Alexandria, Alex?  A half-blood who left the covenant three years ago."

"I... well, yes, I had heard of her. She had quite the reputation. I mean, I was aware that the Covenant believed she would make an excellent Sentinel one day if she... settled down a bit."

Ha.  I wonder if I what I just saw was her settled or not?  "What is your newest mission, job, contract... whatever you call it?"  Asking this, I have to take care not to twirl my hair and look further like a ditz.  See what I do for you guys?

"Well after completing my last duty.... finally, I should be returning full time to my Sentinel duties." He sighs as he recognizes the confused look on my face. "Hunting daimons. That's what a Sentinel does."

I frown. "But you're a pure-blood? Isn't that why you have half-bloods?"

Aiden shrugs. "I'm different."

I'd say.  Though, I really wish that guy by the door would quit tapping his watch.  He's creeping me out.  I get it, Aiden is busy, but really?  Let me at least have a few more minutes. "What do you enjoy doing when you are off duty?  Assuming you get to be a normal guy from time to time?"
"I don't have a lot of down time. Between my Sentinel duties and babysitting my younger brother, I've got a full plate." He pauses, a small smile tugs at his lips. "But I do like to play a little guitar from time to time."

Guitar.  Swoon. "If your life had a theme song, which would it be?"
"I couldn't tell you one song that one sum up my whole life, but right now, it would be something old school. Like Korn's Coming Undone. But I did just teach myself to play Dave Matthew's Two Step."

"Who are your best pals?  Do you guys cause any trouble from time to time?"

"I hang out with Kain, he's a half-blood Sentinel. Pretty cool guy. There's always Leon." He glanced over his shoulder, at the massive guy by the door and grins. "But he doesn't say much. But man, he's good to have around when you're battling daimons. He's built like a steamroller."

I can't help but giggle then wonder if Kain is maybe single. Dang.  The dude, who is apparently Leon, won't quit with the tapping of the watch.  I guess I better get one last question in there.  "And for all those *swoon-ers* out there, what exactly do you look for in a girl?  Also, boxers or briefs?" 

"I have no idea who these swoon-ers are. And really, I don't have much time for a girl so I really don't know what qualities I'd be looking for."

Seriously, has the dude looked in the mirror?  Swooners.  They exist.  Believe me. "There has to be something?"

"I don't know. I suppose... someone who is strong and smart, able to roll with the punches. Someone who understands that life isn't easy, isn't guaranteed, but can still live. You know, like, really live."

"Okay. And the answer to my other question?" I wait, grinning. "Boxers or briefs."

Aiden stares at me a moment, then his gray eyes darken to silver. "Neither."

The dude killed me dead.  What about you?

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Want a chance to win a SIGNED Half-Blood Poster?  Yeah, I thought you did.

Just LEAVE ME A COMMENT and tell me what you thought about my interview with Aiden!  One winner will be chosen at random.




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Would you like to read Daimon?  Yeah, I thought you would!

|READ DAIMON HERE| |DOWNLOAD AT GOODREADS| |DAIMON KINDLE|

|BUY A PAPERBACK!|




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Would you like to chat with Jennifer L. Armentrout and enter to win a signed book?  Make sure to stop by Read.Chat.Love Thursday @ 6:30 pm. est. for another Author Chat.



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About Daimon- The Prequel to Half-Blood:

Release Date: May 10, 2011 

Published By: Spencer Hill Press

Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing “I smite thee!” as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life.
For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. 
According to her mother, that’s a good thing. 
But as every descendent of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill. 
The daimons have found her.

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About 2011 YA Debut Author Jennifer L. Armentrout

|Blog| |Twitter| |Covenant Website|

Jennifer lives in West Virginia. All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true. Well, mostly.

When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. She shares her home with her husband, his K-9 partner named Diesel, her hyper Jack Russell Loki, and her pet turtle called Michelangelo. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent her time writing short stories. Therefore explains her dismal grades in math. (From Website.)

Review: Daimon

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Prequel to Half-Blood
Released: May 10, 2011
Published By: Spencer Hill Press
Young Adult
Source: Author, for review and blog tour
Overall: Flippin' Fabulous!
|Author Blog| |Author Twitter|

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty. 
According to her mother, that’s a good thing. 
But as every descendent of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill. 
The daimons have found her.

My Thoughts:

Don't let the size of this novella fool you.  If there is one thing Jennifer L. Armentrout did with Daimon it is pack this Prequel to Half-Blood with a whole lot of punch.

When I noticed how few pages there were in Daimon I really did wonder, How much am I going to get from this?  Very few prequel novellas have ever left me feeling satisfied and usually annoy me more than anything.  More times then not I have found they are not a great representation of the Author's writing and usually turn me away from further reading.  In the case of Jennifer L Armentrout and The Half-Blood Prequel, Daimon, the answer to that question is a lot!

When Daimon first opens we are introduced to Alex followed by her mother.  All in a short few pages time we are given a glimpse into the type of person Alex is and the struggles she endures fitting into a world she struggled to call home for three years despite the fact that she knew she'd never truly fit in.

The dialog and brief explanations that pass between Alex and her mother act as a quick study guide version of who Alex and her mother are, who and what they should be, where they should have been living and what they left behind. The whole situation left tons of questions on the tip of my tongue and is extremely mysterious, but Jennifer L Armentrout quickly gave up just enough information to sedate my questions for the time being.

Daimon is a novella with a point full of substance.  Not only does Daimon draw us in and give us a sneak peek at what 2011 YA Debut Author, Jennifer L Armentrout, has to offer us, it gives us something to grasp onto and prepares us for the journey of Alex and those she is finds herself with at the end of Daimon.

Fast paced, thorough, and extremely addicting, Daimon is a novella that is a must read.  Just know, while Daimon left a satisifying and lingering taste on my tongue it is barely enough to tide me over until Half-Blood hits the shelves! Daimon truly is Flippin' Fabulous!

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Would you like to read Daimon?  Yeah, I thought you would!

|READ DAIMON HERE| |DOWNLOAD AT GOODREADS| |DAIMON KINDLE|

|BUY A PAPERBACK!|

Meet YA Debut Author: Jennifer L Armentrout

YA Debut Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Author of: Half-Blood
Releasing: September 15, 2011
|Book Website| |Author Blog| |Twitter|

I would like to introduce you to 2011 YA Debut Author, Jennifer L Armentrout.  I actually *met* Jennifer through The Book Blogger Chat and totally squealed when she said she'd do an interview with me, even when I said I'd like to do another one later in the year closer to her book release.  

Thank You Jennifer for stopping by!  Make sure to keep reading for my interview with Jennifer.

Every Author has a story.  What is yours?

I wanted to write since I was wee little, because I fell in love with books. I started off writing short stories that totally didn't make a lick of sense and in my high school geometry class, I spent the entire year writing my first novel by hand. That's why I SUCK at math. But it wasn't till 2007 that I really started writing seriously. Half-Blood is actually my third 'real' novel I wrote, but first to be published.

I looked up Hematoi in google and all I came up with was your book synopsis and the search engine including search results for Hematoma.  So I have to know, where did you come up with this world of yours in Half-Blood?  Where did the inspiration come from for your debut young adult novel?

I am fascinated with Greek mythology, ancient Greece, and demigods. But I wanted something different than what was out there. So I got to thinking. If demigods were real back in the day, they would have hooked up with one another and mortals (Because we all know how the gods and goddess did). and their offspring would have to be different from the original demigod. That is when I came up with pure-bloods and half-bloods. Pure-Bloods (Hematoi) are the children of two demigods and half-bloods are the children of a pure-blood (Hematoi) and a mortal. The world is a very strict, caste like system which was inspired by ancient Greek. I'd love to take credit for coming up with Hematoi, but I can't. My awesomely awesome editor did. I can't even pronounce it to be honest. I call it Hema-whatever when I have to say it. Eloquent, right? 

How has your publishing journey gone so far?  Is it everything you expected or is it more? 

Ups and downs. But that's the name of the game. It had been great! Release date is still so far out there, so I am such a newbie. I have no idea what to expect, but I am super excited!

Do you have any writing quirks?  Note pad in the back pocket? Markers in weird places?

I have to write alone. I don't like people to be around me when I'm writing. I'm easily distracted (Hello Twitter) so I have to isolate myself. Which usually doesn't work, because I still find ways to distract myself. I'm also a fast, fast writer so once I get started, I don't like to stop. I also don't outline. 

May be a weird question.... If you had to choose a shape, a color, and a season to describe you what would those three things be? 

Shape? A squiggly line. 
Color? Red
Season? Fall

Any Guilty pleasures?  Dead potatoes? Extreme amounts of chocolate?

Dead potatoes? Ha. Guilty pleasures? Hmm, Five Hour Energy drinks, the boys from Supernatural, reading and reading, Jace Wayland, cheesy movies on the Syfy network, and Damon Salvatore. I love me some chocolate.

Do you have a theme song?  Something that you will grab you hair brush to and dance around when no one else is home?

Can I have only one? I like to think about the episode of Family Guy, when Peter got a "Entrance song" every time he went somewhere. I want that! I have a lot of theme songs in my head, depending on my mood. Korn ranks up there pretty high. The song that I sing and flail around to is Cosmic Love by Florence and The Machines. I HAVE to sing along to that.

Anything you'd like to share with us?

I have a dog name Loki, who has to sit on me all the time. Like right now.  As a kid, the movie Tremors scared me. Embarrassing, I know. I love and rather obsessed with zombies, and I know that if there ever is a zombie apocalypse, to go to the nearest Cosco to ensure survival.  

Let's play a little game...

I Say:  Half  You Say: Blood   Yeah, Yeah, that was a bloody giveaway :-) Ha, no pun intended.
I Say:  Red  You Say:  Yes!!   Not sure I understand this one?  Unless we are still talking about blood?
I Say: Pink Nailpolish You Say: I really need to paint my nails. Gah.
I say: Kick  You Say: Arse?  I really LOL'd when I read this one.  
I Say: Potato  You Say: What is your fascination with potatoes?  We sorted this out, correct?  

Come on my fab readers, how much cooler does one get?  Loves Zombies and knows to go to Costco. I totally almost got her to admit she does grab her hairbrush and sings around her house.  Score one for me!  This 2011 Young Adult Debut Author also swoons over Damon Salvatore, that is how you know she has it going on.Don't fret, Jennifer will be back later on this year!  I just really wanted you to meet the face behind this fabulous cover we keep seeing pop up everywhere.