Blog Tour: Crave by Melissa Darnell: Review + Author Interview

Publisher - Mira Ink
Publication Date - 6th April 2012
Paperback - 432 pages
Genre - Young Adult/Paranormal Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it

Book Info - Bloodlust. Magic. Forbidden secrets.

When Savannah Colbert returns to school after a mystery illness, the fact that she has changed is clear to everyone. None more so than every school girls golden boy Tristan Coleman. Ever since their first kiss in fourth grade, Savannah and Tristan have been cruelly and inexplicably banned from associating with each other. Now, as the pair navigate the tricky social life of high school, the truth is about to be revealed.

As Savannah learns of their paranormal ancestry and Tristan deals with the repercussions of her new powers, the relationship they have been denied for so long becomes utterly irresistible and all consuming. Like Romeo and Juliet centuries before them, Savannah and Tristan’s love is destined to fail; and Tristan’s powerful magical family, the Clann, are watching.

My Thoughts - I was very excited when I was asked to take part in the blog tour for Crave as I have heard a lot of good things about the book. And, for the most part, I did really enjoy reading it.

The characters of Savannah and Tristan were both likeable and realistically written. At times I found Savannah to be a bit too whiny for my liking but overall I thought she was caring, brave and selfless. And I loved the way Tristan looks out for Savannah throughout the novel, showing that he really does care about her. He also comes across as very charming and friendly, making him seem pretty irresistable.

The romance between the two is sweet and slow-burning. They have known each other since childhood but have never been able to act on their feelings due to the fact that their families have forbidden them to talk to each other. I am glad that this book wasn't another case of insta-love that seems so common in paranormal romance these days.

The only complaint I have about this book is that the storyline does move along at quite a slow pace and there were a few times when I wished that something would happen. But Crave does have a unique plot that I haven't come across before so in that respect it was quite a refreshing read.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of young adult paranormal novels.

Author Interview

I am also very excited to welcome Melissa to Once Upon a Series today to answer a few of my questions! Thank you Melissa!

What three words would you use to describe Crave?
Bloodlust. Magic. Forbidden love. (I know, I know, that's four not three; I tend to write long!)


How long did it take you to write Crave?
A month to plot it and a few weeks to write it. And then a year to revise it.

Where did you get your inspiration for the Clann series?
When the YA vampire craze started to take off, as a long time lover of vamp romances I was thrilled but felt the genre was really missing something...namely a vampire heroine. Why should the boys get all the fun here?! But I wanted to see her start off as a normal, clueless human and then have to experience this crazy transformation process as well as learn how to deal with the final result of becoming a vampire. I also wanted a real Romeo and Juliet forbidden kind of love, one where both the hero and heroine were equally powerful, equally interesting in a paranormal way, and equally dangerous to each other so the forbidden aspect of their love would have a huge rippling effect not just on each other but on their worlds as well. When I considered what kind of hero could possibly be as strong and powerful as a vamp, the answer seemed natural...a male witch.

Do you already know how the series will end, or do you just see where your writing takes you?
I've already plotted the third book, which will probably be the final book for Savannah and Tristan, and am currently working on its rough draft. So I definitely know how their saga will end. As for a few key other characters, they "might" end up getting a story of their own in the series.

What made you want to write about forbidden love?
I hate sucky endings to romances (and by "sucky" I mean anything short of a full on happy ending!). Therefore Romeo and Juliet simply had to be rewritten with a better ending. And what could make that classic story even better than reworking the ending? Why, to throw in some witches and vampires, of course!

Please feel free to visit my sites at www.TheClannSeries.com and www.melissadarnell.com to learn even more about the history of Savannah's race of vampires and the Clann, listen to each Clann Series book's playlist online, contact me with any additional questions you or your readers may have, and much more!
And a HUGE thank you for featuring me on your blog today!

Looking for some reviewers to join Once Upon a Series

I have been doing some thinking about my blog lately and I've decided that it is time for me to look for 2 or 3 new reviewers who can help out here regularly and take a little bit of pressure off me. With two little ones to look after and being a full time carer for my husband, I just don't get as much time as I would like to spend on blogging. Plus, I would like to have more time to dedicate to my writing. But I love my blog and I don't want to give it up so hopefully getting a couple of other people on board will help.

I am looking for book lovers who possibly do not want the responsibility of running their own blog but would still enjoy reviewing the books that they read and having a platform to discuss those books with others. It would be ideal if you could contribute one book review a week but if you do not feel as though you can review as often as that then please do still get in contact as we may be able to work something out. I do receive some review books and I will pass them out as much as I can, but you may well have to review some of your own books quite often. Hopefully, as Once Upon a Series grows, then the number of review books will also increase. I am willing to have international reviewers, but please bear in mind that I can only afford to send books to reviewers in the UK. If you are international and are interested in joining the team then I am afraid that you will have to review your own books.

We review books that are part of a series and that come from the following genres:

Urban Fantasy

Paranormal Romance

Contemporary Romance

Historical Romance

Romantic Suspense

Mysteries

Young Adult

If you read any or all of these genres and feel that you would like to become a reviewer then please send me an email with an idea of how often you would be able to review and what genres you enjoy reading. I would also appreciate it if you could include a review of a book that you've read recently in the body of the email so that I can see your review style.

Please contact me at: onceuponaseries@live.co.uk

Cover Reveal: The Unspun Series

Today I have the pleasure of revealing the covers for a new paranormal romance series that will be taking the world by storm in July - and I can't wait! I think you'll agree that the covers are beautiful and the premise sounds very interesting. These will definitely be going on my to read list!

Book One - Creating Fate by Rachel Firasek (Released 10th July 2012)

She gave away her heart…

Giving her heart to a mortal wasn't something the First Fate planned. Losing him nearly shattered her soul. Upon his death, Clothos swore never to love—or weave life—again.

Hoping she'll change her mind before it's too late, Zeus commands the spinner of life to take a much needed vacation from her immortal responsibilities.

He had to hide his...
Dane is close to cracking the drug ring he's spent the last two years infiltrating, but needs to perform one last heist to meet the head man and prevent an impending war. An undercover agent, he’s now on the run from drug lords, thieves and with the very woman whose tears make him forget his purpose.

Together they’ll find a way back from the dark.
Chloe will have to put her trust in the man she believes may have killed her fiance, or face an eternity on Earth. Without the desire for life, hope could slip through the cracks of time if he doesn’t love away her sorrow.

Book Two - Stealing Fate by Berinn Rae (Released 24th July 2012)

She stole his fate…
Lachesis—now known simply as Lacey—is a Fate, an ancient goddess in whose hands our destinies are unraveled. When she’s not weaving fortune, she does what she wants when she wants. Until she runs into a man she craves but hoped—and prayed—never to see again. It had been a dangerous gamble to betray the god of terror, but in war, hard choices--and enemies--are made. And she'll soon discover the most frightening of immortals can really hold a grudge.

Now it’s his turn…
The most cruel of gods, Phobos is a predator who takes pleasure in terrorizing the world. After millennia of relentless searching, he finds the Fate who caused him to be cast from Olympus. Now he plans to use every bit of his talents on the goddess to regain his lost heritage without losing his heart in the process.
As the outcast god ignites her passions, Lacey must come to grips with the destiny she has long denied herself. And Phobos must find a way to escape the destiny that would force him to betray the woman he has grown to love.

Book Three - Chasing Fate by Elle J. Rossi (Released 7th August 2012)

She is forced to kill . . .
When a much-needed vacation turns into work for the third Fate, Atropos vows to sever the mortal’s lifeline quickly and get back to the sea and sand. Having her mysterious quarry offer a deal in exchange for more time is an unexpected complication. Always surrounded by darkness and death, Attie takes a chance to get a taste of life and help right a wrong that never should have happened.

He refuses to die . . .
Dru spent months praying for death to take him. Anger over the brutal killing of his family festered until those prayers turned to plans for revenge. Making a deal with the Death Fate was the only way to extend his lease on life. He only needed a handful of days to avenge those he lost, but within minutes of meeting Atropos he knew he’d want forever.

The Power of Six Quest Launches Today!

Are you a fan of The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore? Well, to celebrate the release of the paperback version of The Power of Six on 12th April, Penguin are launching a Facebook game where you can win some amazing prizes!

Points are collected by speed of which contestants answer questions (there's a countdown clock for added urgency and pressure!), accuracy of answers and how many friends a player recommends to play the game.

And the prizes include:

A holiday in Spain for seven nights

An Ipad

A Kindle

Special release hardbacks of The Power of Six

Advance special release hardbacks of Rise of Nine

DVDs of the film I Am Number Four

The fun all kicks off today so if you are a fan of the series head on over to http://www.facebook.com/IAmNumberFourBook to be in with the chance to win some of these great prizes!

It's Monday! What are you Reading? (2nd April 2012)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey that gives us all a chance to list the books that we read last week and what we hope to read this week.

Book Read:

Crave by Melissa Darnell (The Clann #1)
Bloodlust. Magic. Forbidden secrets.
When Savannah Colbert returns to school after a mystery illness, the fact that she has changed is clear to everyone. None more so than every school girls golden boy Tristan Coleman. Ever since their first kiss in fourth grade, Savannah and Tristan have been cruelly and inexplicably banned from associating with each other. Now, as the pair navigate the tricky social life of high school, the truth is about to be revealed.
As Savannah learns of their paranormal ancestry and Tristan deals with the repercussions of her new powers, the relationship they have been denied for so long becomes utterly irresistible and all consuming. Like Romeo and Juliet centuries before them, Savannah and Tristan’s love is destined to fail; and Tristan’s powerful magical family, the Clann, are watching.

Books Reviewed:

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead (Dark Swan #4)
Read my review here
Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...
The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't - or won't - reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon - and risk the ultimate sacrifice...

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires #2)
Read my review here
Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favours beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls’ Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Books I'm Currently Reading:

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (Love by Numbers #1)
Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.
But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.
If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love.

Books Up Next:

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade #3)
Is true love worth the ultimate sacrifice?
Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.